Coons Jr. starts fast in Chili Bowl preliminaries

Jerry Coons Jr. has been a USAC champion twice and one of the most accomplished drivers in midgets, sprints and dirt cars the past decade. But he's never won the Chili Bowl and Thursday night he took the first big step in trying to add that to his resume.

Starting third, Coons smoked polesitter Danny Stratton on lap 4 and breezed to victory in the 25-lap A Main (ABOVE) to automatically transfer into Saturday night's 27th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl.

Andrew Deal, a front-runner in the Power I midget series, started and finished second and Kevin Swindell charged from 24th to take third and the final transfer spot into the main event.

Robin Miller Chili Bowl video interviews:

• Jerry Coons Jr.

• Sarah Fisher

While Coons was unchallenged, it wasn't easy because the track got rough and the nice tacky cushion turned into a tricky shelf that threw several cars into the wall.

"The toughest part was not making a mistake but it was obviously the fastest way around and I was hooked up," said Coons, the 2008 USAC midget champion from Tucson, Ariz. "And I figured either Swindell or (Chris) Bell would be charging to the front so I had to be fast but smart.

"I know they'll be tough Saturday but I think we've got a fighting chance."

Swindell, a four-time winner here, had to go through the B Main to make the A and, after starting 18th, dropped to last when he and Bell were involved in an early melee that crashed 10 cars and brought out a rare red flag.

When the race resumed, the show was watching Swindell and Bell (they restarted 23rd and 24th) carve their way to the front. And Swindell slipped under Ryan Bernal for the third spot with only one lap remaining. Bell wound up fifth but will have a good starting spot in Saturday's B Main.

In earlier action, IndyCar owner Sarah Fisher (LEFT) made a triumphant return to midget racing after a 16-year absence by winning Thursday night's D main.