Windom To Join Coons At Nolen Racing For Full USAC Silver Crown Campaign In 2018

Story By: LINDA MANSFIELD / NOLEN RACING – WHITELAND, IN – Nolen Racing is pleased to announce it has re-signed USAC Triple Crown champion Jerry Coons Jr. and added 2016 series champion Chris Windom as its drivers for the complete 2018 USAC Silver Crown series presented by TRAXXAS.

Coons, a native of Tucson, Ariz., who now lives in Greencastle, Ind., is one of only six USAC Triple Crown champions. He won the Silver Crown championship in 2008 and he finished second in the series in three of the last four years, including this year. He has seven USAC Silver Crown victories, including the Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds twice and the Silver Crown race at Eldora (Ohio) Speedway’s Four-Crown Nationals twice.

Windom, 26, of Canton, Ill., finished right behind Coons in third place in the final point standings for 2017 in USAC’s top division. His victory in the 2017 season opener at the Terre Haute Action Track in Terre Haute, Ind., was his sixth career USAC Silver Crown victory. In 2016 he won at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa.; at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in Du Quoin, Ill., and at Eldora Speedway’s Four-Crown Nationals, when he put all but the podium finishers a lap down enroute to victory.

Both Coons’ and Windom’s Silver Crown cars will be sponsored in part by KECO Coatings and Indy Race Parts. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available.

“I’m really excited to be joining Nolen Racing for the 2018 USAC Silver Crown season,” Windom said. “Gene [Nolen, the team owner] wants to win the championship, just like I do. It’s an iconic team, and I think we’ll be able to put a good car together.”

“I’m happy to be back with the Nolen team for 2018,” Coons said. “We had a decent year, finishing second in points. We just need to improve in a couple areas to win the championship. We had solid cars and finished every race, which is a feat in itself. Chris and I have been teammates before and work well together.”

“We’re very pleased to add Chris to our team,” said team owner Gene Nolen of Greenwood, Ind. “I think he and Jerry will work well together, and we’re hoping it will help us get more wins. We’re definitely looking forward to the new season.”

Nolen Racing primarily uses Maxim and Beast USAC Silver Crown cars. Their Chevrolet engines are prepared by Tranter Engines.

The team will announce the drivers of its asphalt and dirt sprint cars at a later date.