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Pickens Tops Close PowerCom Park Midget Feature
By Bryan Gapinski
Beaver Dam, Wis., July 16-New Zealand's Michael Pickens won a thrilling 25-lap
Badger/Gateway Midget Series Feature, Saturday Night at the Raceway at
PowerCom Park. The event saw four lead changes in the final seven
laps.
Series point leader Danny Stratton jumped into the lead at the start, while
Pickens passed five cars on the opening lap moving into second place. The
event was slowed for a spun car on the fourth lap.On the restart Pickens
passed Stratton for the lead. Pickens brushed the wall twice in the next two
laps maintaining his lead.
On the eighth lap Jimmy Quinn flipped trying to avoid the slowing car of Davey
Ray. Quinn escaped injury. On the restart Pickens led Scott Hatton, and
Stratton. With Pickens leading tight racing took place behind him. At the
mid-way point Chad DeSelle moved into second after starting 12th. Multi-groove
racing took place throughout the field.
Stratton regained the lead on the 18th lap, one lap later a three car tangle
bunched the field. De Selle running the bottom groove led the 19th lap, with
Stratton leading the next lap using the high side of the track. Pickens used a
high groove pass for the lead on the 21st lap.
Pickens driving the Steve Smith owned Hawk/Smith#1NZ entry pulled away from
the field during final four laps finishing 1.42 seconds ahead of Stratton,
DeSelle, Hatton, and Steve Buckwalter. Earlier in the night Stratton set a new
8-lap track record winning the trophy dash.
SUMMARY
25-lap Feature: 1. Michael Pickens; 2. Danny Stratton; 3. Chad DeSelle;
4.Scott Hatton; 5. Steve Buckwalter; 6. Brad Kuhn; 7.Josh Lakotas; 8. Brad
Loyet; 9. Ric Forbes; 10. Brett Anderson; 11. Buddy Luebke; 12. Tim Siner; 13.
Ryan Durst; 14. Aaron Fiscus; 15. David Gough; 16.Rick Mueller; 17.
Jason Howe; 18. Mike Hess; 19.Brandon Waelti; 20. Davey Ray; 21. Jimmy Quinn;
22. Garrett Hood.
15-lap Semi Feature Winner: Mueller.
8-lap Dash Winner: Stratton.
10-lap Heat Race Winners: Buckwalter, Hatton, Ray, Pickens, Hess.
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