Night-two saw more of the same for Hall of Fame weekend at Angell Park Speedway. The track was well prepared as thirty-six cars took a shot at the pole, three more than the night before. All fell well short of Friday’s speeds though, as no one cracked the 14-second mark on the heavy clay. Michael Pickens, in a second Huston Solution car, won the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame plaque for fast time at 15.073.
Pickens lead off the first heat in an inauspicious manner as he appeared to catch another car’s wheel and did a violent end over ender toward the turn one fence. He climbed out of the machine, but that entry was done for the night. When racing resumed, they went two by two early as Joe Wipperfurth and Mike Hess battled for first while Jerry Coons Jr. and Darren Hagen (the newest Steve Lewis driver) went at it for third. On the third lap, Hagen couldn’t hold his low line coming out of turn one and spun, bringing out the first caution. Hess took the point on the restart and by lap eight Coons caught him. They ran even for an entire lap with Coons on the top and Hess at the rail. On the last lap Coons powered through two and passed Hess for the lead and win.

The second heat came down to the last lap too. Critter Malone, in the Jones car, was smooth on the cushion all race. By the second lap he was ahead of the second place Buddy Luebke car by half of the straightaway. From his second row start it took Tony Stewart driver, Tracy Hines, eight laps to get within striking distance of the leader. Hines made his move on the last lap, wheeling around Malone in turn two and went on to the win. Luebke, a Badger regular, lost the last transfer spot to former Badger champion Brad Kuhn after holding the spot for nearly all the race.

Brad Sweet showed the power of his Kasey Kahne Mopar as he worked his way up from the last row to take the lead half way through the third heat. He won by a comfortable margin over Levi Jones, Cody Swanson and Chad Boat.

Chase Barber caught a wheel at the drop of the green and tumbled down the front stretch of the last heat. He appeared uninjured as he made his way to the ambulance. Last night’s quick qualifier, Bobby East was 33rd in qualifying on this night and found himself on the pole for the race and took the lead right away. Davey Ray and Brandon Waelti put on a show as the two battled for fourth, swapping the lead several times over two laps. As East distanced himself from the field, Ray powered past Waelti and then Cole Whitt. But in the end, East lead every lap despite a spirited charge from Ray.

Dave Darland in the Lein car had his hands full with Barber working him over as the Semi took off. For five laps the younger Barber worked on the veteran. But the fresh engine in the Lein car was too much and the popular Darland cruised to the win.

The front row of the feature made for strange bedfellows as Darland was on the pole and Hagen was to his outside, in the car bearing Darland’s name until this weekend. Surely the laid back Indiana driver had to have at least a little extra motivation to put himself ahead of his old mount. As they gassed it for the green Darland got the jump with Hagen in tow. After five laps Darland had six lengths between himself and Hagen, as they both ran the rim. The track did not allow for much three-wide action in this race. But, they were two wide all around for the first ten laps, a tribute to the efforts of the track prepping crew. As the race wore on more and more behind Darland started to go low, while he and Hagen remained on the upper part of the track.

A yellow on lap 12 bunched the field and saw a running order of Darland, Hagen, Hines, Brad Loyet, Ray, Levi Jones, Whitt, Sweet and Coons. Hines, who made the huggy pole his specialty when he was a regular at Angell Park, took to that groove as Darland insisted on the top when racing resumed. Darland seemed just too strong though as he overcame Hines and the rest of the field, to enjoy a half straightaway advantage with ten to go.

At that juncture, Loyet was in second and banging the cushion like the leader. It looked like he might make it interesting with a couple of more laps under his belt. But, the Missouri driver, known to wear a helmet patterned after Evil Knievel, made it exciting for the fans in another way, as he caught the turn three berm and flipped his ride.

Darland was then followed by Hines, Jones, Whitt, and Hagen. Coons was lurking in sixth and it appeared the driver with more laps than any of the other top runners, might get a chance at the win, after expiring the night before. As they gassed it, Jones went high as Darland and Hines went low. Jones proved that Darland was right all along, when the top propelled him passed both of the cars below him for the lead. Hines then got by Darland, who promptly went back topside.

The two Chevys were then nose to tail, until Hines worked his way next to Jones at the line on lap 28. Hines remained low but Jones regained the advantage topside, as they went through turn two. Jones then held off Hines the rest of the way to give TSR a one-two finish.