KALISPELL, Montana — David Garber grabbed the lead at lap 20 of the Red Bull/Triple W Equipment Flathead Valley 75 and rode out several challenges for the top spot en route to the first-ever challenge race victory of Spokane County Raceway late model, ICAR Late Model Series and Montana Raceway Park Limited Sportsman competitors.
Casey Akers captured a second-place finish with Tim Eickstadt rounding out the top-3.
Colton Garber and Josh Robinson led the field to the green flag and with weather in the area set a torrid pace through the race’s first 15 laps.
David Garber, behind the wheel of the Osborne Racing Enterprises Pontiac, passed his nephew exiting turn No. 2 to assume the top spot.
Robinson stayed with Colton Garber through lap 36 but contact with Dan Garber brought the race’s first yellow flag sending both drivers to the tail end of the lead lap. With the change in running order, Akers moved up to third place and brought Jason O’Neil and Eickstadt into the top-5.
Eickstadt made a late pass around teammate O’Neil to claim the final podium position with Kirk Hennfer and Swope finishing fourth and fifth respectively.
“I have to thank Russ Osborne for letting me drive one of his race cars tonight,” David Garber said from victory lane. “This Osborne Racing Enterprises Pontiac was great right off the trailer and it’s an honor to win the first-ever Red Bull/Triple W Equipment Flathead Valley 75.”
In the Hornet main event run as one of two support shows for the Flathead Valley 75, Bill McCallum held off a hard charging Katie Pilsch with Cory Reum a close third-place. Jaime Peterson and Jared White rounded out the top-5. Pilsch holds down the points lead by 36 markers over Reum in the chase for the 2009 MRP Hornet championship with Kyle Basler in third place in the standings with four races to go in the season.
Zack Mongan and Dustin Martel put on a solid show for the fans in Sportsman/Hobby Stock combined main event with Martel holding onto the lead in the early going before leaving the low line open for Mongan exiting turn No. 2. The Limited Sportsman driver took advantage of the low side and moved to the lead then held off Martel late for the victory.
David Swope, Lonnie Barnett and Nick Szalay rounded out the top-5.
Next weekend Montana Raceway Park hosts the best Super Late Model drivers in the Northwest including three-time Montana 200 champion, Gary Lewis, for a 100-lap “Best of the West” shootout with a $16,000 purse including $5,000 to the winner courtesy of Kalispell Toyota and SUPERSEAL. Also expected for August 14 invitational event is Mark Owens, who ran second to Lewis in July’s 200 and Shelby Thompson, who finished third in the 2008 Montana 200. Drivers from the ARCA West Mac’s Late Model Series, including Dean Craig and Brian Johnson Jr. will join the field for the kick-off to the Bill Clark Can-Am Memorial Weekend of racing.
On Saturday, ARCA West competitors take to the track for a 150-lap Kalispell Toyota International Tundra Challenge USA versus Canada in honor of Bill Clark. The evening’s purse is over $15,000 with the winner receiving $5,000. Randy Thompson, Craig, Johnson, Brian Levant and the stars of the ARCA West Mac’s Series will do battle with Owens, Alex Lessor, Bodie Morton, Lewis, Erick Hargraves and many more in Montana Raceway Park’s annual August spectacular.
For more information log onto www.montanaracewaypark or call (406) 257-RACE (7223)
| Red Bull/Triple W Equipment Flathead Valley 75 |
|---|
| 1) David Garber 2) Casey Akers 3) Tim Eickstadt 4) Jason O’Neil 5) Kirk Hennefer 6) Chuck Swope 7) Adam Kinkel 8) Josh Robinson 9) Ryen Tarr 10) Russ Osborne 11) Colton Garber 12) Dan Garber 13) Jason Robinson |
| Montana Raceway Park Hornets |
| 1) Bill McCallum 2) Katie Pilsch 3) Cory Reum 4) Jaime Peterson 5) Jared White 6) Kendra McNeil 7) Jason Greskowiak 8) Ryan Krause 9) Kyle Basler |
| Montana Raceway Park Sportsman/Hobby Stock |
| 1) Zach Mongan 2) Dustin Martel 3) David Swope 4) Lonnie Barnett 5) Nick Szalay 6) Brandon Martel |
