KALISPELL, Montana — For Montana Raceway Park Lucas Oil Super Late Model drivers Alex Lessor and Bill Salmonsen the common goal is to be prepared to have a car capable of winning the 20th Annual Coors Light Montana 200 and return the prestigious trophy back to Big Sky country for the first time since 2003.
Lessor debuted a new Rainbow Bar & Casino Ford Fusion this spring. Salmonsen also brought out a new race car to the division. Both drivers have been happy with their progress heading into the weekend's full plate of racing.
"I feel like the car is really close," Lessor said. "I am happy with it over all and think we are mostly going to try to focus on some things for qualifying. That is the most important factor to determine the outcome of the race (for our team). Once that is accomplished the key to winning the Coors Light Montana 200 is staying up front and out of trouble throughout the night."
Salmonsen broke a driveline in the season-opening Lucas Oil Super Late Model Series event at MRP and has been focusing on dialing in his Bob Herron Insurance Chevrolet Impala week to week. The improvements have shown with a top-10 finish in the Firecracker Tundra 125 held July 4.
"We've gone through every nut and bolt on the car. We checked every valve spring on the motor to make sure that there isn't any cracked, weakened or broken springs. The guys went through and checked to see how clean the transmission and rear-end fluids are, packed all the wheel bearings and inspected them," Salmonsen said. "Our new car just keeps getting faster so we're going to keep tweaking on it this weekend including trying some new gears."
For both drivers the opportunity to start a Montana 200 is something that lasts forever in a driver's mind. Even moments that make the night light-hearted are worth all of the work that goes into a 200, according to Salmonsen.
"Three years ago I qualified into the top-12 spots. I was sitting on the front straight all ready to rock and roll, excited and nervous all at the same time. It was my first Montana 200 that I made it into the starting line-up. Right before we're ready to start our engines the lights around the track go out. We had to get out of the cars and head to the pits and wait it out for two hours to go racing," Salmonsen said with a smile.
Lessor's fondest memory of the Montana 200 came in 2008 just before driver's introductions.
"I'd qualified into the top-12 that year and just before the race all of us in the first six rows were in the back of a big US Army truck. I got to listen to all the guys talk, tell stories and joke around. It was pretty cool because I'd watched a lot them race since I was a kid and there I was with them," he said.
Practice sessions are set for Thursday, July 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Activities continue that evening with the State Farm Insurance FanFest beginning at 5 p.m., a drivers autograph session at 7 p.m. and plenty of live music and entertainment for young and old through 11 p.m. Admission and dinner are free to the general public for FanFest.
Qualifying for the Montana 200 is set for 7 p.m. Friday with the top-12 drivers locked into the 24-car field. Consolation racing will be held Friday night giving six more drivers entry into Saturday's main event. Also on tap will be the Westward Bound Construction/Keller-Williams Realty Legend Series.
The 20th Annual Coors Light Montana 200 rounds out the starting grid with a Last Chance Qualifying Race with six more drivers advancing to the main event based on their finishing positions. That shootout is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 17. Competitors take the green flag for the Montana 200 at 9 p.m. MST with the race broadcast live on Montana Country, 106.3 The Bear, on the track's website and the website of The Bear.
Advanced tickets are on sale at www.montanaracewaypark.com with two-day packages offering a savings for fans to enjoy all of the racing action. Family ticket packages are also available at the track and online.
Accommodations are still available in the Flathead Valley for those traveling to Western Montana and hotel partners and contact information is available on the track's website.
For up-to-date information text MTRACE to 91011 log onto montanaracewaypark.com, RacingWest.com or call (406) 257-RACE (7223)
REGISTERED DRIVERS FOR THE 2010 MONTANA 200 INCLUDE:
Car Num./Name/Sponsor/Manufacturer/Hometown
04 Rusty Webb, Mark & Jan Klein Chevrolet Deer Park, Wash.
05 Eric Schmidt, Long Engine Systems Chevrolet Roseville, Calif.
0 Brent Harris, Ambitions Chevrolet Wenatchee, Wash.
1 Agni Howell, Murphy's Carpet Cleaning Chevrolet Kalispell, Mont.
5 Ryan Wells, Blue Sky Heating & AC Chevrolet Hingham, Mont.
5x Chris Hart Tidrick's Quality Transmissions Chevrolet Terrace Heights, Wash.
6 Chris Skelton, Ryan Brown Competition Engines Chevrolet Calgary, AB
7 Mark Sundberg International Parking Management Ford Seattle, Wash.
9 Kelly Mann, Central Welding Supply Chevrolet Monroe, Wash.
10 Owen Riddle, Don Riddle Excavating Ford Naches, Wash.
11 Greg Funk, Red Man Inc. Chevrolet Medicine Hat, AB
11x John Nesmith, Meridian Automotive Chevrolet Meridian, Idaho
12 Dan Obrist, Dan Obrist Demolition & Recycling Chevrolet Portland, Ore.
14 Kevin Richards, McClintock & Turk Chevrolet Newman Lake, Wash.
16 Blake Williams, Rent-Rite Ford Spokane, Wash.
17 Trevor Emond, Paradise RV Chevrolet Leduc, AB
20 Jay Sauls, Canyon Auto Paint Chevrolet Puyallup, Wash.
21 Jared Vorse, Knight Fire Protection Chevrolet Olympia, Wash.
25 Kirk Hennefer, Sorenson's Transport Chevrolet Missoula, Mont.
27 Tim Elliott, Lordco Auto Parts Chevrolet Creston, BC
31 Jason Fraser, Joes Racing Products Chevrolet Snohomish, Wash.
36 Wrango West, Westward Bound Construction Chevrolet Kalispell, Mont.
36x Joey Tanner, Engage Pure Adrenalin Chevrolet Portland, Ore.
37 Mike Longton, CLS Farms Chevrolet Moxee, Wash.
38 Grant Brown, Madco Ratchet Fit Fasteners Chevrolet Red Deer, AB
42 Jeff Jefferson, Bemis Appliances Chevrolet Naches, Wash.
42x Ronnie Hults, Speedy's Auto Sales Cadillac Centennial, Colo.
44 Mark Owens, Village Greens Golf Community Chevrolet Kalispell, Mont.
49 Brian Levant, Baja Bar & Grill Toyota Calgary, AB
51 Erick Hargraves, Rick's Garage Chevrolet Yakima, Wash.
53 Alex Lessor, Bob's Alley Speed Ford Kalispell, Mont.
54 Mike Obrist, Darrel's Economy Muffler Ford Portland, Ore.
55 Billie Salmonsen, Bob Herron Insurance Chevrolet Kalispell, Mont.
73 Gary Lewis, SEFNCO Communications Chevrolet Snohomish, Wash.
75 Troy Schweigert, Jeff Bronson Construction Chevrolet Kalispell, Mont.
76 Amanda MacDonald, United Country Chevrolet Ephrata, Wash.
77 Bodie Morton, Carlson Law Office Chevrolet Kalispell, Mont.
77x Greg Vangool, CDM Systems Chevrolet Saskatoon, SK
83 Braeden Havens, Power Systems International Chevrolet Spokane, Wash.
88 Cory Wolfe, Don Aadsen Ford Ronan, Mont.
89 Chuck Dills, Somerset Glass & Mirror Chevrolet Ellensburg, Wash.
93 David Garber, Concrete Cutters Pontiac Spokane, Wash.
95 Dan Garber, Hilliard Enterprises Chevrolet Spokane Valley, Wash.
99 Shane Mitchell, Mitchell Trucking & Paving Chevrolet East Wenatchee, Wash.
