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USAC: Weekly Midget Racing Review

23 June 1998

NATIONAL/16TH STREET/SPEEDROME MIDGET SERIES SHELTON 1ST AT ANDERSON, "ENCORE" THIS FRIDAY; RAIN AT SALEM COONS TOPS AT 16TH STREET, SLUSS TAKES SPEEDROME 50-LAPPER

USAC National Midget point leader Ricky Shelton of Huntington Beach, Calif. extended his lead with another feature victory Wednesday night in the "Robust 40" at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway. He will return to that 1/4-mile paved oval Friday night to try for a repeat victory in his Willoughby Keco/Stealth Esslinger. A 30-lap feature event is scheduled following practice at 6 p.m., qualifying at 7 and preliminary events, beginning at 8.

Shelton passed Brian Tyler on the third lap of Wednesday night's ESPN2 taped program at Anderson and led the rest of the way to beat Davey Hamilton and Jay Drake to the checkered flag. The win left him with a 40-point lead over teammate Drake going into Sunday's scheduled race at the Salem (Ind.) Speedway but that event was canceled due to morning rains.

Jason Leffler was the fastest Anderson qualifier but was sixth in the 30-lap feature.

Jerry Coons, Jr. of Tucson, Ariz. and John Sluss of Indianapolis, Ind. captured USAC Midget features in Indianapolis last week, Sluss' triumph putting him atop the Indianapolis Speedrome Midget Series standings.

Coons drove his Chuck DeCrane/Custom Equipment Design/ARS/KECO Ford to victory in Saturday night's 30-lapper at the 16th Street Speedway, leading the final six laps after passing series point leader Critter Malone, who finished second ahead of Clay Klepper. Sluss caught Norm Young on lap 16 of Thursday night's Speedrome 50-lapper and led the rest of the way in his Ultra Sun/KECO Coatings/Pro-Motion Motorsports Gaerte to beat Daryl Campbell and Dean Franklin as 4-time series champion Michael Lang was a victim of a spinout on lap eight.

National Midget Standings: 1-Ricky Shelton-285; 2-Jay Drake-245; 3-Jason Leffler-229; 4-Tracy Hines-209; 5-Jimmy McCune-192; 6-Jerry Coons, Jr.-159; 7-Ronnie Johncox-133; 8-Dave Steele-118; 9-Kevin Thomas-102; 10-Sarah McCune-97. 16th Street Midget Standings: 1-Critter Malone-126; 2-Andy Pierce-109; 3-Michael Lang-108; 4-Roy Caruthers-103; 5-Ricky Shelton-92; 6-Jeff Hampton-89; 7-Jerry Coons, Jr.-84; 8-Johnny Parsons III-79; 9-Donnie Beechler-77; 10-Ron Smoker-70.

Speedrome Midget Standings: 1-John Sluss-2,245; 2-Michael Lang-2,065; 3-Daryl Campbell-1,184; 4-Dean Franklin-1,015; 5-John Mount-660; 6-Gregg Cory-610; 7-Mark Dismore II-520; 8-Ron Hamm-492; 9-Marc Longworth-484; 10-Brad Kuhn-461.