Jerry Coons Jr. has always been pragmatic and thoughtful. When it comes to his son, he feels he is a bit more critical than others. To help him move along he must be.
On the other hand, Jerry Coons Sr. has seen enough. He is convinced his grandson has all the tools necessary to make it. While he watches Cale, he sees those same traits he observed in his son so many years ago.
“He’s a natural,” the elder Coons said. “He is like Jerry was. He takes it seriously. He goes to the race track to race, not to play kickball with the guys out in the parking lot. I think Jerry is harder on Cale than I was on him.”
Last fall, the inevitable happened. Father and son competed in a micro sprint race. Cale was hampered by an electrical issue and was disappointed when his dad caught and passed him heading to the checkered flag.
By this point, Jerry Coons Jr. didn’t have to compete alongside his son to know he was ready for the next step. In October, Cale Coons turned a few laps at Gas City (Ind.) I-69 Speedway in a D2 midget that his dad finished second with later in the night.
The next day, Cale Coons got his shot at Wayne County Speedway in Illinois. The fact that he took the checkered flag was noteworthy, but Jerry Coons Jr. characteristically assessed the performance.
“There were 13 or 14 cars there,” he recalled. “The competition may not have been as great as it had been on Friday night but there were good cars there and people who run that series all the time. It wasn’t that he won the race that was the most important, for me it was how he looked in the car. He drove extremely well and was very much under control. That’s what I look for. That was one of those moments when I wanted to say, ‘Hey look, that’s my kid out there.’ He impressed me.”
The 2023 slate may find the family at some prominent 600 micro sprint races, but Coons admits he would love to put his son in a D2 midget. It is here that he faces the same dilemma that confronts other parents. Coons is starting a business and racing is an expensive proposition. He feels fortunate to provide any opportunity for his son to hone his craft.
“If we didn’t have the help we have now, we wouldn’t be racing,” he said. “I’m fortunate to have been around for a long time so I have connections.”
Coons Jr. has seen this story play out a thousand times, ability alone does not always get you to where you want to go. Cale Coons clearly has talent, everyone with a trained eye can see that. How far can he take that talent? That remains to be seen.
This story appeared in the Feb. 1 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
