KALISPELL, Mont. (July 20, 2008)-In a lights out performance defending
Coors Light Montana 200 champion, Gary Lewis, overcame a broken power
steering pump during the first 100-laps of the 18th Annual Coors Light
Montana 200 to become the event's first back-to-back winner.
Moxee, WA native Mike Longton chased Lewis down and raced the Snohomish,
WA driver hard over the final 25 laps but fell just short in route to a
runner-up position.
Shelby Thompson, who had one of the strongest cars of the Montana 200
during the first-half of the race, came home third.
Mike Obrist and Wes Rhodes rounded out the top-5.
The race was marred by several caution flags and over an hour-long delay
due to an electrical issue in the front stretch lighting system.
Once replacement lights were in place the 24-car field took to the track
at just past 11 p.m. MST
Brandon Riehl and his Aero Exhaust Chevrolet led the field to the green
flag and set the early pace with Obrist in hot pursuit. Obrist moved by
Riehl by lap 7 and held the point for nearly two dozen laps as Thompson
settled into a grove just behind the Portland, OR driver.
Obrist's Darrel's Economy Muffler Ford Fusion was strong in the opening
portions of the evening but Thompson found a line that his Valley Bowl
Chevrolet could use for a clean pass and the lead by lap 25. By lap 50
Lewis had caught the back bumper of Obrist with Reihl just behind and a
three-way battle waged for the second position.
The racing allowed Thompson to move out to over a 10-car length lead as
the trio played cat-and-mouse for over 25 laps.
With the hard racing among Obrist, Lewis and Riehl keeping the three
drivers close together, Erick Hargraves was able to close the distance and
began to challenge Riehl for fourth-place. Contact between the pair forced
Hargraves to the pits with a cut left front tire ending the Magic Metals
Pontiac driver's chances for a Montana 200 victory.
As the race stretched into the Midnight hour; Thompson took the yellow
flag signaling the start of the 100-lap break. Changing tires and
refueling their cars, 23 of the 24 starters were able to rejoin the event
for the start of the second-half.
Thompson moved out to a three-car length lead as the green dropped but
Lewis' Sign Factory USA Chevrolet Impala was up to the challenge for the
front position.
During the first-half it appeared that Lewis was content to simply ride in
third place and wait for an opportunity to move toward the front runners.
That was not the case as the No. 73 crew discovered a broken power
steering pump during the midway break and quickly went to work to make
repairs and get the three-time late model touring champion back up to
speed.
Having the ability to navigate the tight high-banked corners of Montana's
Raceway Park with the proper mechanical assistance, Lewis began to mount
pressure to Thompson and made a strong moved to the outside exiting turn
No. 2 for the lead at lap 115.
By lap 164 Thompson had fallen back to Longton who had used a patient game
plan to keep his Nob Hill Auto Sales Ford near the leaders for most of the
night.
Longton dove underneath Thompson in turn No. 3 and made the move work
entering the front stretch as the field worked lap 165.
Lewis, who had built a two-second lead over Longton, began to lose ground
in the closing 25 laps and by lap 190 was receiving constant pressure on
the back bumper. Longton took several looks to the inside of Lewis and by
lap 195 had pulled even with the defending Montana 200 champion but was
forced to check-up as the pair encountered lapped traffic.
Unable to challenge Lewis' strength of riding the inside line in the
corners, Longton maintained the runner-up position as the checkered flag
fell.
Lewis, who was clearly spent upon exiting his car, was not at a loss for
words on becoming the first back-to-back Coors Light Montana 200 champion
in the events 18 year history.
"Man that was a lot of hard work. Mike Longton raced me clean there at the
end. I kept looking back in the mirror and he stayed there over the last
few laps and it was awesome to race him for the win," Lewis said.
"We lost the power steering pump there at about lap 60 and it was all I
could do to get my car to turn through the corners until the break. My
crew went to work on it in the break and we were able to get it taken care
of just before they sent us back out for the second-half. This is an
unbelievable feeling-I can't believe I just won the Montana 200 again," he
added.
"I am so glad we could pull this out in front of these awesome race fans."
Longton, who was as physically drained as Lewis upon exiting his Ford
admitted it was going to take a perfect lap at the end to get around the
two-time Montana 200 champion.
"I had to hit the perfect marks through the corners to get the torque in
my car to try and help me launch down the straights. I could get all the
power I needed when I got it right but oh man when I couldn't Gary would
just leave me there and I'd have to start all over," he said. "There in
the last few laps it looked like he was beginning to lose the handle and I
really tried to take advantage of it but he's just too strong when out
front and I am happy to come home with a second-place finish in the
Montana 200."
Thompson knew that he'd have to bring the field to the pits for the
halfway break, but would have like to have found a way to stay on the
track for a straight 200 laps if possible.
"When we pitted I just knew the car might change on me and it did there
once we got going in the second half," the Spokane native explained. "I
just couldn't get my car to exit the corners like it was in the first half
of the race and once Gary got by me I looked to try and make our car work
in the outside groove.
"We started to hook up out there but Wes (Rhodes) and (Mike) Obrist were
pushing me pretty hard for position and it's just awesome to know we held
them off to finish in the top-3 after having such a good car."
In the night's companion main event, John Hilliker made it two wins in two
nights for the INEX Flathead Valley Legend Car Series.
Tim Corbett was second followed by Scott Moore. Adam Bishop and Tyler
Corpron rounded out the top-5
While heading to the event, 2004 Montana 200 champion Christian Roeder's
Brandt Law Firm team was involved in an auto accident that claimed the
life of their car owner, Frank Brandt. Tributes poured in by drivers and
crews for their competitor including Lewis' 'Polish' victory lap.
Not to be outdone, Montana Raceway Park fans, teams and officials raised
close to $8,000 in a helmet pass and other fund raisers with all of the
proceeds being donated to Brandt family and team.
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