Jones Tops Fox Memorial for First Midget Feature Win
by Bryan GapinskiPLYMOUTH, Wis. — Levi Jones scored his first career midget feature victory capturing the 30-lap Stan Fox Memorial Friday Night at The Plymouth Dirt Track. The event was co-sanctioned by the USAC National and Badger Midget Car Series.
Jones jumped into the lead at the start followed closely by his Tony Stewart Racing teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Danny Stratton. The events only caution appeared on the second lap for a minor spin involving two cars. Jones opened up a two car length lead by lap 5 and doubled the advantage at the completion of lap 10.
A five-car battle for second place ensued behind Jones, as the leader began lapping slower cars on lap 12. Jones increased his advantage while lapping several cars. Stratton passed Stenhouse for second position on lap 21, and trailed Jones by 3.6 seconds. Stratton then began cutting into Jones’s lead. With five laps remaining Jones held a two second advantage.
Jones driving the Tony Stewart Racing/Spike/Hawk Chevrolet finished 0.83 seconds ahead of Stratton at the finish. Stenhouse, Darren Hagen and current USAC National Midget point leader Jerry Coons Jr., completed the top five. The event marked the first ever appearance for USAC, and the first midget auto race at the 1/3-mile clay oval since a Aug. 2, 1985 Badger sanctioned event. Brady Bacon established a new one-lap track record in qualifying, erasing Fox’s mark set in 1981.
RESULTS
30-lap Feature: 1. Levi Jones, 2. Danny Stratton, 3. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 4. Darren Hagen, 5. Jerry Coons Jr., 6. Kevin Swindell, 7. Dave Darland, 8. Michael Pickens, 9. Brad Loyet, 10. Brad Kuhn, 11. Scott Hatton, 12. Brad Mosen, 13. Brady Bacon, 14. Davey Ray, 15. Chris Windom, 16. Tim Noble, 17. Buddy Luebke, 18. Chad Dreher, 19. Dene McAllan, 20. Dakoda Armstrong, 21. Ken Dull, 22. Kris Hoegsted.
8-lap Heat Race Winners: Bacon, Loyet, Jones.
Fast Time: Bacon, 13.227 seconds.
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