4/13/2025
Midget Auto Racing Association
Parker Jones Takes Coles County MARA Opener
It was the 2025 season opener for the Midget Auto Racing Association cars on a clear, but cold night at Coles County Speedway (Mattoon, IL) on Saturday. Drivers from four states made the tow to the fifth-mile high-banked facility.
The action started with hot laps/qualifying. The flights went mostly without incident. Jimmie Guidry did tag the wall in turn two with his right rear, but kept his car going and ran the last couple of laps without apparent issue. The Rod End Supply Fast Time was set by Jace Sparks
Despite hitting the rev limiter by about mid-track every lap, Mark McMahill took Fusion Engineering Heat-1. 2024 MARA champion Parker Jones bided his time and came from a fifth starting spot to take second late in the race.
Rookie Logan Manson led wire to wire in Horizon Carpentry Inc Heat-2. The DeSoto, Missouri driver was racing a midget for the first time. He reported coming from the micro ranks, but had not run one of those in three years.
Mark McMahill battled with Logan Manson while holding off the rest of the filed early in A-Main action. At about the mid-point of the 25 lap contest Parker Jones got by McMahill and never looked back winning by about a half a straightaway to take his first Lincoln Speedway sponsored Feature of the year.
Horizon Develop Build Manage Invert Draw went to Jace Sparks.
High Performance Lubricants Hard Charger honors went to Tyler Roth who started 13th and gained seven spots.
The Schoenfeld Headers Heat-3 and Hoosier Racing Tire B-Mains were not contested.
Lincoln Speedway A - Feature (25 Laps): 1. 41-Parker Jones[6]; 2. 11K-Mark McMahill[1]; 3. 7B-Cody Beard[5]; 4. 19E-Daltyn England[7]; 5. 7-Brian Peterson[3]; 6. 18-Tyler Roth[13]; 7. 12C-Dominic Bruns[11]; 8. 40-Jace Sparks[8]; 9. 21G-Jimmie Guidry[10]; 10. (DNF) 97N-Nolan Kiefer[9]; 11. (DNF) 05-Alex Midkiff[4]; 12. (DNF) 48M-Logan Manson[2]; 13. (DNS) 11J-Todd Jackson; 14. (DNS) 99R-Greg Ross
Fusion Engineering Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 11K-Mark McMahill[2]; 2. 41-Parker Jones[5]; 3. 97N-Nolan Kiefer[1]; 4. 21G-Jimmie Guidry[7]; 5. (DNF) 05-Alex Midkiff[4]; 6. (DNF) 99R-Greg Ross[3]; 7. (DQ) 18-Tyler Roth[6]
Horizon Carpentry Inc. Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 48M-Logan Manson[2]; 2. 7B-Cody Beard[4]; 3. 7-Brian Peterson[3]; 4. 40-Jace Sparks[6]; 5. 19E-Daltyn England[5]; 6. 12C-Dominic Bruns[1]; 7. 11J-Todd Jackson[7]
Rod End Supply Fast Time: 1. 40-Jace Sparks, 00:10.367[5]; 2. 18-Tyler Roth, 00:10.392[10]; 3. 19E-Daltyn England, 00:10.444[1]; 4. 41-Parker Jones, 00:10.484[6]; 5. 7B-Cody Beard, 00:10.540[9]; 6. 05-Alex Midkiff, 00:10.648[13]; 7. 7-Brian Peterson, 00:10.687[11]; 8. 99R-Greg Ross, 00:10.811[3]; 9. 48M-Logan Manson, 00:10.855[12]; 10. 11K-Mark McMahill, 00:10.920[7]; 11. 12C-Dominic Bruns, 00:11.070[14]; 12. 97N-Nolan Kiefer, 00:11.703[2]; 13. 11J-Todd Jackson, 00:11.896[8]; 14. 21G-Jimmie Guidry, 00:12.359[4]
Submitted By: William Blumer