Wilke-PAK Racing season preview

Wilke-PAK readies for USAC title defense

Milwaukee, Wis., Mar. 2 - In the middle of four-month break in the racing action, things are still busy in the shops of Wilke-PAK Racing as the team readies for the 2006 season.

The 2005 USAC National Midget Car Series Car Owner Championship winning team last raced on Jan. 21 at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway, finishing eighth with Jerry Coons Jr. behind the wheel. Their next event will be the USAC sanctioned event on May 21 at Concord (N.C.) Motorsports Park.

"Our off-season is the time after Phoenix until early spring" commented Greg Wilke, team owner. "After the busy schedule of Turkey Night, Orlando, Chili Bowl and then Phoenix in January all teams are using this time to get ready for the upcoming season."

Coons Jr. begins his first full-time season with the team after running a limited schedule last season which saw him visit victory lane with the team at Salem, Ind. in August. Coons recently returned from Australia after competing as part of Team USA in a series of international midget car events.

The Wilke-PAK has won the USAC National Midget Car Owner Title three times, and last year broke their two-year string of runner-up finishes. Coons will run the famous #11 at all 21 USAC National events and in selected other sanctioned events.

Last year Coons won features sanctioned by USAC, Badger, and AMRA running for various car owners. Coons finished second in both the USAC National Midget Car Series and National Midget Driver of the Year championships. Coons also captured the Belleville Midget Nationals.

Joining Coons at selected major events in a second Wilke-PAK team car will be Tracy Hines. Hines will be competing in most of the NASCAR Busch Series events this season for FitzBradshaw Racing. The number of events for Hines is contingent upon additional team sponsorship and his schedule.

The team will utilize Mopar engines in Spike Chassis's for dirt events, and a Beast Chassis for pavement tracks. This season will mark their four straight year in partnership with Gary Stanton and Mopar.

-wp