TOLEDO, Ohio, May 7 - Nolen Racing’s Jerry Coons Jr. led the first 39 laps of the 100-lap USAC Silver Crown race at Toledo Speedway Friday night, but was denied a great finish when he was forced to drop out of the race with 40 laps complete due to a problem with his car’s clutch.

He and teammate Chris Windom qualified fourth and fifth out of 17 entries for the Hemelgarn Racing/Super Fitness Rollie Beale Classic, but Windom also had a rare DNF when his car’s engine overheated.

Coons, a native of Tucson, Ariz., who now lives in Greencastle, Ind., ended up 13th after starting second with the Nolen Racing No. 20, which is sponsored in part by KECO Coatings and Indy Race Parts. He received the Wilwood Brakes 13th-place finisher award, but it was no consolation after he led so convincingly during the first part of the race.

Windom, of St. Louis, started fifth and was credited with 15th in the final rundown. He completed 27 laps before he dropped out.

Coons ran a 15.269 in qualifying. His fastest lap of the race was lap 12, which he did in 15.777 seconds.

Windom’s qualifying time was a similar 15.311. His fastest race lap was lap 11, which he turned in only 15.834 seconds.

There have only been three winners of the six USAC Silver Crown races ever held at this half-mile asphalt oval. Coons won in 2010 and 2012; Bobby Santos won in 2017, and Kody Swanson won in 2011, 2015, and on Friday night.

The next two USAC Silver Crown races are later this month. The famous “Hoosier Hundred” will be held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis on Thursday, May 24. The series then moves west of town for a race at Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg, Ind., on Friday, May 25.

Coons, Swanson and Shane Hollingsworth will represent the Whiteland, Ind.-based team in the Payless Little 500 asphalt sprint car race the following night, Saturday, May 26, at Anderson Speedway in Anderson, Ind.

The team's complete schedule can be found on its Web site at nolenracing.com and its Facebook page. It's also on Twitter. For information on marketing partnerships, contact Restart Communications at LKMRestart@gmail.com. USAC's Web site is at usacracing.com.