MONTANA 200 OPENING NIGHT A THRILLER FOR TEAMS AND FANS

Source: D. Pace
Date: 07/19/2008

KALISPELL, Montana-The opening night of the 18th Annual Coors Light Montana 200 was full of close racing, fast times and a thrilling set of races for the capacity crowd in attendance.

Kevin Richards drove his McLintock & Turk Chevrolet to the top of the speed charts in qualifying with a blistering 12.962-seconds followed by Brandon Riehl in his first race of the 2008 season. The Darrell’s Muffler Chevrolet driver posted a time of 13.006.

Defending Montana 200 champion, Gary Lewis, was penalized in pre-qualifying technical inspects for an underweight infraction and was placed to the rear of the qualifying ladder and allowed only one-lap to time in. The Sign Factory USA Impala was at top speed from the drop of the green and brought home a third place run with a time of 13.010-seconds.

Mike Obrist (13.023) and Erick Hargraves (13.048) rounded out the top-5 qualifying .

Lewis picked up the win in the evening “A” Trophy Dash while Kevin Goe was the winner of the “B” Dash.

On an night in which Montana Raceway Park, its fans and all competitors honored Frank Brandt, owner of 2004 Montana 200 champion Christian Roeder’s No. 84 team, who was killed in an auto accident in route to the 200-it was only fitting that a driver from the team’s hometown picked up the win in the “Fast 12” positioning race.

Wenatchee, WA native Brent Harris drove to the front of the 12-car field with his Ambitions Chevrolet and held off a hard charging Wes Rhodes for the emotional victory. Earlier in the evening Harris honored his hometown competitors with a “Polish” victory lap before a supportive Raceway Park audience.

Racing action picked up considerably in the B-Main as the 15-car field included three former Montana 200 champions, Tom Sweatman, Tim Elliott and Cory Wolfe and a hard charging Dave Garber, the current Inland Northwest Super Stock Association points leader and winner of an INSSA race at Kalispell in May.

Also included in the 35-lap sprint were local stars, Bodie Morton, who started on the outside of the front row next to Sweatman, Micah Sampson, Rocky Erickson and Agni Howell.

Sweatman quickly jumped out to the lead in the opening laps as Garber settled into a rhythm that pressure the Cosmopolis, WA native constantly over the first dozen laps. Taking a look to Sweatman’s inside exiting the corners with no success, Garber tried the high side and eventually found a way around the three-time Montana 200 champion for the lead and overall victory.

Sweatman rallied to finish second followed by Howell and Morton. Wolfe, Sampson, Eillott, Kirk Hennefer, Erickson and Troy Schweigert rounded out the top-10 with all ten transferring to the 200-lap feature Saturday evening.

Racing resumes Saturday with a four-hour practice session from 1-5 p.m. MST followed by opening ceremonies at 7. A 40-lap INEX Flathead Valley Legends main event kicks off the final evening of the 18th Annual Coors Light Montana 200 followed by late model 200-lap main event.

For information regarding the 18th Annual Coors Light Montana 200 log onto www.montanaracewaypark.com

July 18, 2008 18th Annual Coors Light Montana 200 Results:

Fast 12 Qualifying Race: Harris, Rhodes, Shelby Thompson, Alex Lessor, Obrist, Riehl, Lewis, Mark Owens, Hargraves, Mike Longton, Mark Sundberg, Richards

Coors Light Montana 200 B-Main: Garber, Sweatman, Howell, Morton, Wolfe, Sampson, Elliott, Hennefer, Erickson, Schweigert, Don Staggs, Clayton Richert, Kevin Goe, Wrango West, Andy Brown

Starting Line-up for the 18th Annual Coors Light Montana 200:
1) Brandon Riehl
2) Mike Obrist
3) Shelby Thompson
4) Gary Lewis
5) Wes Rhodes
6) Brent Harris
7) Kevin Richards
8) Erick Hargraves
9) Alex Lessor
10) Mark Owens
11) Mike Longton
12) Mark Sundberg
13) Dave Garber
14) Tom Sweatman
15) Agni Howell
16) Bodie Morton
17) Cory Wolfe
18) Micah Sampson
19) Tim Elliott
20) Kirk Hennefer
21) Rocky Erickson
22) Troy Schweigert
23) Don Staggs
24) Clayton Richert
25) Kevin Goe
26) Wrango West
27) Andy Brown

See Also .:

News Index | E-mail to a Friend