7/16/2024
Midget Auto Racing Association
Corson takes MARA victory in close finish at Coles County Speedway
Mattoon, Illinois (July 13, 2024) – RJ Corson scored his second victory of the 2024 Midget Auto Racing Association season Saturday night at Coles County Speedway in Mattoon, IL. Corson inherited the lead when Jace Sparks tangled with a lapped car after taking the white flag, sending him flipping hard into the first turn catch fence. The green, white, checker restart set-up a tight finish at the line with Corson edging Parker Jones by just .063 seconds.
The trip marked the first event for the MARA Midgets to Coles County Speedway. The track is a tight ? mile bullring with good banking and a beautifully prepared surface. MARA drivers turned the track in just over 10 seconds per lap. In total, 19 cars checked into the event with Daltyn England forced to a back-up car after trouble in warm-ups.
Heat 1 on the night went to Jones over Tyler Roth, and Cody Beard, making his first MARA start of the 2024 season.
Heat 2 was won by England over Alex Midkiff and Corson. Midkiff came from his sixth starting position giving him the most passing points on the night.
The A-main began with Sparks on the pole and to his outside Reuben Haslett. At the green Sparks jumped out to an early lead taking command of the field. As the race progressed Sparks looked to be the car to beat. Behind him, a torrid battle evolved between Corson, Jones, Mark McMahill, Roth, and Midkiff for the second position. Battles were apparent around the track as lapped traffic began to play a role in the race. As Sparks ran under the white flag, he and the lapped car of Dominic Bruns tangled just past the start-finish line. Sparks flipped violently into the turn-one catch fence ending his bid for his first MARA victory.
On the restart, Corson took the lead over a hard-charging Jones. As the white flag fell Jones was right on Corson's rear bumper. Jones made one final attempt through turns three and four on the final lap and the pair crossed under the checkers side by side providing the closest finish of the 2024 MARA season at .063 seconds difference. Following the pair to the line were McMahill, Midkiff, and Beard rounding out the top five.
MARA Midgets 18 Entries
A - Feature 25 Laps
- 15C-RJ Corson[4]; 2. 41-Parker Jones[9]; 3. 57M-Mark McMahill[3]; 4. 05-Alex Midkiff[10]; 5. 7-Cody Beard[7]; 6. 18-Tyler Roth[5]; 7. 19E-Daltyn England[8]; 8. 6B-Patrick Bruns[13]; 9. 11K-Charles Kunz[11]; 10. 12C-Dominic Bruns[12]; 11. 48-Eric Webber[16]; 12. 29-Harrison Kleven[15]; 13. (DNF) 40-Jace Sparks[1]; 14. (DNF) 20H-Reuben Haslett[2]; 15. (DNF) 51R-Thomas Harris[14]; 16. (DNF) 3-Lucas Eastin[17]; 17. (DNF) 99-Greg Ross[6]; 18. (DNS) 36-Chris Baue
Heat 1 10 Laps
- 41-Parker Jones[3]; 2. 18-Tyler Roth[1]; 3. 7-Cody Beard[5]; 4. 99-Greg Ross[7]; 5. 6B-Patrick Bruns[2]; 6. 40-Jace Sparks[8]; 7. 51R-Thomas Harris[6]; 8. 29-Harrison Kleven[4]; 9. (DNS) 36-Chris Baue
Heat 2 10 Laps
- 19E-Daltyn England[1]; 2. 05-Alex Midkiff[8]; 3. 15C-RJ Corson[2]; 4. 57M-Mark McMahill[5]; 5. 20H-Reuben Haslett[6]; 6. 11K-Charles Kunz[7]; 7. 12C-Dominic Bruns[9]; 8. 48-Eric Webber[3]; 9. (DNF) 3-Lucas Eastin[
Article Credit: Droz Andrews