2004 Chili Bowl -
Friday, January 9
Coons
Conquers Chili Bowl Foes in Friday's
Action
 Lonnie
Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (January 9, 2004) –
Friday night’s 25-lap qualifying feature
for the 18th Annual O’Reilly Chili Bowl
Midget Nationals at Tulsa Expo Raceway had a
western states flavor to it, with
Arizona’s Jerry Coons, Jr., fending off
the late challenges of California shoes Cory
Kruseman and Josh Wise to claim the victory.
Danny Ebberts of Canyon Lake, CA, made a
last lap pass to snare the fourth and final
transfer position to Saturday’s
prestigious main event, giving drivers from
the left coast a sweep of Friday night’s
top four finishing positions.
After wheeling Karl Warnke’s
Fontana-powered Stealth to a wire-to-wire
victory, albeit a close one, Coons commented
that, “It’s not the most prestigious
ride here. They’re a super-nice bunch to
drive for though and they give me everything
I need to be competitive. From the Stealth
and Fontana, to tires and shock-wise, they
make sure we have what we need.”
Coons continued, “It’s not like some of
the higher-profile teams where you just show
up, sit in the trailer while they do all the
work and then you jump in and drive. I’ve
been able to work on the car, I’ve been
playing crew chief and driver and I’m
kinda happy that we did what we did tonight.
I just hope we can do it again tomorrow
night.”
After pulling the highest possible pill
(100) in the pre-race draw for starting
position, Coons started eighth in the grid
in the evening’s fourth heat race. After
being involved in a pair of early incidents,
Tucson’s Coons sliced through the field in
less than five laps en route to the heat
win, securing the pole position for the main
event.
Coons was joined on the front row of the
main event by Ron Kuhn, who charged from
sixth to win the fifth heat race, with
ever-present Chili Bowl threat Kruseman and
Shane Hollingsworth in the second row.
Coons outgunned Kuhn at the drop of the
green flag, with Kruseman quickly moving
into second. Coons’ pace was interrupted
on the sixth round when fourth-running
Rickie Gaunt tagged the turn one wall. Gaunt
was able to rejoin the race.
Coons resumed his quick pace on the low side
of the track with Kruseman, Ebberts, Kuhn
and seventh-starter Wise in pursuit. Coons
and Kruseman gradually separated themselves
from the field, with Wise taking advantage
of the cushion to race past Kuhn for fourth
on the 15th circuit, one lap before the
caution flew for Gaunt’s disabled mount on
the backstretch.
With Coons and Kruseman working the low side
of the track, Wise stuck to the cushion and
slipped around Kruseman for second on the
22nd round. Bidding for the lead, Wise
jumped the cushion in turn three two laps
later, allowing Kruseman to regain command
of the runner-up slot.
With Coons holding a slim lead, Kruseman
moved the Barnes-powered Kwik Change Bondio
machine to the high side on the final lap
but fell two car-lengths short of Coons at
the stripe, with Wise a close third.
In a wild multi-car battle for fourth, Kuhn
overtook Ebberts for the position on the
23rd round. Ebberts returned the favor in
turns one and two on the final round, as
Kuhn tangled with another machine on the
backstretch. After starting 13th, Kasey
Kahne was in the thick of the battle for the
final transfer in the final rounds but
settled for fifth.
Hollingsworth was sixth, while Robby Flock
turned in the evening’s top passing
performance by racing from 19th to seventh.
Bobby East advanced from 17th to eighth,
with 15th-starter Dave Darland and Doug
Lippincott completing the top ten.
Gary Taylor, Kruseman, Wise, Coons, Kuhn,
Lippincott, Kahne, Darland, Flock and Matt
Westfall topped heat race action for Friday
night’s 74-car field. Mat Neely and Jan
Howard claimed victories in the twin 12-lap
C Mains, with East and Shane Cottle topping
the twin 15-lap B Mains.
Jesse Giannetto, Travis Johnson, Travis
Miniea, Eddie Leavitt, Jr., Dean Franklin
and Cliff Servetti were all heat race flip
victims, with Matt Sherrell and Kirk Kubik
taking B Feature tumbles. There were no
injuries.
 
Photos: Top-Jerry Coons, Jr., gives the
thumbs up after winning Friday night's
qualifying feature; Bottom Left-Coons enjoys
the spoils of victory; Bottom Right-Cory
Kruseman finished second in Friday night's
feature. (All photos from The
Wheatley Collection)
Friday
night’s 18th Annual O’Reilly Chili Bowl
Midget Nationals Qualifier Results:
Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. #5D Gary Taylor,
Snohomish, WA; 2. #96 Cody Brewer, Choctaw,
OK; 3. #81X Alex Coonan, Ransom, IL; 4. #22A
Steve Aplin, St. Louis, MO; 5. #27A Amy
Maris, Gilbert, AZ; 6. #27 Jan Howard,
Byhalia, MS; 7. #21S Bob Shreffler,
Plainfield, IL; 8. #D6 Jesse Giannetto,
Palo, IA.
Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. #47 Cory Kruseman,
Ventura, CA; 2. #85 Shane Hollingsworth,
Indianapolis, IN; 3. #35 Marc Dailey,
Brownburg, IN; 4. #45A Adam Young, Phoenix,
AZ; 5. #91 Cole Houser, Cave Creek, AZ; 6.
#3 Butch Middleton, Lafayette, CO; 7. #12C
Rick England, Wichita, KS; 8. #80 Travis
Johnson, Tacoma, WA.
Heat 3 (10 Laps): 1. #59 Josh Wise,
Riverside, CA; 2. #14E Danny Ebberts, Canyon
Lake, CA; 3. #3P Robby Parish, Knightstown,
IN; 4. #37 Matt Mitchell, Yorba Linda, CA;
5. #03 Kirk Kubik, Long Beach, CA; 6. #1M
Travis Miniea, Indianapolis, IN; 7. #22
Scott Pierovich, Alamo, CA; 8. #0 Johnny
Murdock, Kaufman, TX.
Heat 4 (10 Laps): 1. #23 Jerry Coons, Jr.,
Tucson, AZ; 2. #2AZ Rickie Gaunt, Torrance,
CA; 3. #24 Rick Eckert, York, PA; 4. #51D
Chris DeShon, Littleton, CO; 5. #57B Brian
Gard, Kelseyville, CA; 6. #56 Doug White,
Houston, TX; 7. #6 Eddie Leavitt, Jr.,
Knoxville, IA; 8. #5H Dean Franklin,
Bloomsburg, IN.
Heat 5 (10 Laps): 1. #10K Ron Kuhn, Lee’s
Summit, MO: 2. #97 Aaron Berryhill, Broken
Arrow, OK; 3. #78 Todd Plemons, Denver, CO;
4. #95J Jay Jordan, Lincoln, NE; 5. #99S
Shon Deskins, Scottsdale, AZ; 6. #90 Mark
Lightfoot, Springfield, MO; 7. #61G Damion
Gardner, Concord, CA.
Heat 6 (10 Laps): 1. #4L Doug Lippincott,
Minden,NV; 2. #86 Shane Cottle, Kokomo, IN;
3. #49 Billy Alley, Lincoln, NE; 4. #44C Al
Cole, McFarland, WI; 5. #17 Kenny Brown,
Millstadt, IL; 6. #2H Todd Houser, Decatur,
IL; 7. #20W Cody Weisensel, Sun Prairie, WI.
Heat 7 (10 Laps): 1. #67K Kasey Kahne,
Huntersville, NC; 2. #21 Aaron Andruskevitch,
Riverton, IL; 3. #51L Brad Loyet, Sunset
Hills, MO; 4. #55K Steve Knepper,
Belleville, IL: 5. #24L Roy Larkin, Tulsa,
OK; 6. #24S Cliff Servetti, San Francisco,
CA; 7. #11S Tom Hessert, Cherry Hill, N.J.
Heat 8 (10 Laps): 1. #11W Dave Darland,
Lincoln, IN; 2. #4B Bobby East, Brownsburg,
IN; 3. #12H Rick Hendrix, Canoga Park, CA;
4. #41 Matt Sherrell, Tulsa, OK; 5. #31B
Brandon Hartsell, Joliet, IL; 6. #61 Bugs
Norbury, Dewey, AZ; 7. #87X Raymond Merrill,
Sallisaw, OK
Heat 9 (10 Laps): 1. #19S Robby Flock,
Murrieta, CA; 2. #2 Robert Harr, Arvada, CO;
3. #18 Floyd Alvis, San Carlos, CA; 4. #87
Rich Camfield, Decatur, IL: 5. #4E Nick
O’Neal, Wagoner, OK; 6. #8X Murray
Erickson, Odessa, TX. DNS - #5B Scott
Bertkin, Tracy, CA.
Heat 10 (10 Laps): 1. #73 Matt Westfall,
Ludlow Falls, OH; 2. #75 Roger Miller,
Milan, IL; 3. #15 Todd Beach, Donnelsville,
OH; 4. #25M Johnny Heydenreich,
Indianapolis, IN; 5. #17N Mat Neely,
Robinson, IL; 6. #14AJ Jeff Harder,
Glenbeulah, WI. DNS - #25 Jon Stanbrough,
Jamestown, IN.
C Features - top 2 to Twin B features
First C Main (12 Laps): 1. #17N Mat Neely,
Robinson, IL; 2. #12C Rick England, Wichita,
KS; 3. #20W Cody Weisensel, Sun Prairie, WI;
4. #61 Bugs Norbury, Dewey, AZ; 5. #3 Butch
Middleton, Lafayette, CO; 6. #2H Todd
Houser, Decatur, IL; 7. #99S Shon Deskins,
Scottsdale, AZ; 8. #14AJ Jeff Harder,
Glenbeulah, WI; 9. #91 Cole Houser, Cave
Creek, AZ; 10. #D6 Jesse Giannetto, Palo,
IA; 11. #87X Raymond Merrill, Sallisaw, OK;
12. #56 Doug White, Houston, TX; 13. #0
Johnny Murdock, Kaufman, TX; DNS - #6 Eddie
Leavitt, Jr., Knoxville, IA; #5B, Scott
Bertkin, Tracy, CA.
Second C Main (12 Laps): 1. #27 Jan Howard,
Byhalia, MS; 2. #1M Travis Miniea,
Indianapolis, IN; 3. #24S Cliff Servetti,
San Francisco, CA; 4. #57B Brian Gard,
Kelseyville, CA; 5. #21S Bob Shreffler,
Plainfield, IL; 6. #31B Brandon Hartsell,
Joliet, IL; 7. #5H Dean Franklin,
Brownsburg, IN; 8. #25 Jon Stanbrough,
Jamestown, IN; 9. #11S Tom Hessert, Cherry
Hill, NJ; 10. #61G Damion Gardner, Concord,
CA; 11. #4E Nick O’Neal, Wagoner, OK; 12.
#22 Scott Pierovich, Alamo, CA; 13. #90 Mark
Lightfoot, Springfield, MO; 14. #8X Murray
Erickson, Odessa, TX. DNS - #80 Travis
Johnson, Tacoma, WA.
B Features - top 3 in each to A Feature
First B Main (15 Laps): 1. #4B Bobby East,
Brownsburg, IN; 2. #19S Robby Flock,
Murrieta, CA; 3. #12C Rick England, Wichita,
KS; 4. #51L Brad Loyet, Sunset Hills, MO; 5.
#95J Jay Jordan, Lincoln, NE; 6. #24L Roy
Larkin, Tulsa, OK; 7. #81X Alex Coonan,
Ransom, IL; 8. 75 Roger Miller, Milan, IL;
9. #35 Marc Dailey, Brownsburg, IN; 10. #44C
Al Cole, McFarland, WI; 11. #37 Matt
Mitchell, Yorba Linda, CA; 12. #17N Mat
Neely, Robinson, IL; 13. #87 Rich Camfield,
Decatur, IL; 14. #3P Robby Parish,
Knightstown, IN; 15. #27A Amy Maris,
Gilbert, AZ. DNS - #97 Aaron Berryhill,
Broken Arrow, OK.
Second B Main (15 Laps): 1. #86 Shane Cottle,
Kokomo, IN; 2. #2 Robert Harr, Arvada, CO;
3. #24 Rick Eckert, York, PA; 4. #15 Todd
Beach, Donnelsville, OH; 5. #17 Kenny Brown,
Millstadt, IL; 6. #18 Floyd Alvis, San
Carlos, CA; 7. #45A Adam Young, Phoenix, AZ;
8. #22A Steve Aplin, St. Louis, MO; 9. #03
Kirk Kubik, Long Beach, CA; 10. #25M Johnny
Heydenreich, Indianapolis, IN; 11. #96 Cody
Brewer, Choctaw, OK; 12. #55K Steve Knepper,
Belleville, IL; 13. #27 Jan Howard, Byhalia,
MS; 14. #41 Matt Sherrell, Tulsa, OK; 15.
#51D Chris DeShon, Littleton, CO; 16. #1M
Travis Miniea, Indianapolis, IN.
A Feature - top 4 transfer to Saturday A
feature; others to Saturday B & C
features
A Main (25 Laps): 1. #23 Jerry Coons, Jr.,
Tucson, AZ; 2. #47 Cory Kruseman, Ventura,
CA; 3. #59 Josh Wise, Riverside, CA; 4. #14E
Danny Ebberts, Canyon Lake, CA; 5. #67K
Kasey Kahne, Huntersville, N.C.; 6. #85
Shane Hollingsworth, Indianapolis, IN; 7.
#19S Robby Flock, Murrieta, CA; 8. #4B Bobby
East, Brownsburg, IN; 9. #11W Dave Darland,
Lincoln, IN; 10. #4L Doug Lippincott,
Minden, NV; 11. #73 Matt Westfall, Ludlow
Falls, OH; 12, #5D Gary Taylor, Snohomish,
WA; 13. #2 Robert Harr, Arvada, CO; 14. #86
Shane Cottle, Kokomo, IN; 15. #21 Andrew
Andruskevitch, Riverton, IL; 16. #49 Billy
Alley, Lincoln, NE; 17. #12C Rick England,
Wichita, KS; 18. #78 Todd Plemons, Denver,
CO; 19. #10K Ron Kuhn, Lee’s Summit, MO;
20. #24 Rick Eckert, York, PA; 21. #2AZ
Rickie Gaunt, Torrance, CA; 22. #12H Rick
Hendrix, Canoga Park, CA.
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