BODIE MORTON SNARES NAPA GOLD AT MONTANA RACEWAY PARK

KALISPELL, Montana — Bodie Morton came into the NAPA 125 Shootout for the Kalispell Toyota Late Model Series with a simple goal-finish a main event. In all but one start this season, Morton has yet to complete a race. The one race Morton did finish back on May 14-he came home with a victory.

Repeating the feat on Saturday night, Morton held off a hard-charging Mark Owens and current series points leader, Cameron Hayley, to pick up his second win of the season.

Bill Royce led the field to the green flag and held the point through lap 3. Morton applied pressure from the outside groove and overtook Royce exiting turn No. 4 to assume the top spot in the running order.

Morton battled Cold Smoke Fast Time winner, Alex Lessor, for the lead as lap 25 began. The battle was shortlived for Lessor who was forced to the sidelines with battery problems. Lessor's loss was David Garber's gain as the Spokane-native took the outside line on a cone restart at lap 39 to advance to second-place.

Garber's hold on the runner-up spot, like Lessor's, was brief as Trevor Emond made a strong move for second on lap 59 with Hayley dispatching Garber to fourth place just five laps later.

Hayley moved by Emond at lap 69 and began to close on Morton's two-second lead. By lap 100 Morton had a rear-view mirror full of Hayley's Chevrolet with 15 laps to go. Just as it appeared the duo would battle to the wire for the victory, Hayley's car slowed down the front-stretch with ignition troubles. With the caution out, Hayley was able to refire the car and stay on the lead lap, but placed to the tail-end of the running order.

Garber took advantage of Hayley's troubles and took the outside line on the restart to retake second place. While trying to hold off Cory Wolfe, Garber found Owens making a bold move to the outside and was forced to check-up and fell back to fourth place with 10 laps to go.

The racing behind Morton gave the Kalispell native the break he was looking for as he streaked back out to a one-second lead.

Hayley meanwhile drove back to third place by lap 112 but was unable to get by Owens for the runner-up position as the pair trailed Morton to the checkered flag.

Morton's win was even more impressive based on the work that had gone into the car over the last two weeks, he said with a smile in victory lane.

"We lost a motor at the Best of the West race (held August 13) and we spent the last two weeks getting this back-up ready to go for the weekend. Just last Thursday we thought that the oil pump wasn't going to work for us and we'd be missing this race but we got it together and it's sure is fast," Morton said. "I am so glad to get a finish and when we do this year it seems we get a win so with one race left in the season we can only try for another good finish."

Owens has also struggled with getting his car to the checkered flag and was happy with a runner-up finish, he noted.

"(Bodie) had a good car here tonight. We rode there for awhile and took some challenges, especially from Hayley at the end but we'll take a good finish and come back and see what we can do in a few weeks."

Hayley was nearly at a loss for words with his podium finish.

"We had a tough day with all kinds of trouble but I have to thank my Dad, Grant Edwards, Trevor Emond's crew who jumped in and helped us and the fans for sticking with us tonight. I had to work hard to get a top-3, the hardest I've had to work this season here, but we came out with a good night in the points and we'll just have to see how things go in the championship race (to be held Sept. 10)," he said.

Also picking up main event victories during NAPA Auto Parts Night at the Races were Ray Young and Tim Davis.

Young continued to close the gap between himself and Flathead Beacon Bombers points leader, Kyle Koehler. With the victory Young is a handful points out of the lead with the largest purse ever offered for a Bomber main event coming on Sept. 10. While points and cash will be on the line that evening, Young knows he still has a long way to go to contend for a title.

"We lost some ground early in the year and have been working to get back here so we'll just have to see how it goes on Sept. 10," he explained.

Davis made it a clean sweep of the evening's racing action as he set fast time, won his trophy dash and heat race then held off a very fast Fran Rehn in the 20-lap main event to pick-up his fourth main event victory of the season.

Racing returns to the Flathead Valley's only professional sporting venue on Sept. 3 as the ICAR Late Model Series comes to the track for their first-ever visit. The series features drivers such as Blake Williams, Colton Garber and Bart Hector taking on local stars Brandon Sickler, Tim Hatlen, Adam Kinkel, Scott Lee and their fellow drivers from the Lucas Oil Super Stock Series.

Coca-Cola is the weekend's sponsor with free stock car rides for children of all ages being offered during intermission. For more information call (406) 257-7223 or log onto www.montanaracewaypark.com