LEWIS WINS FOURTH RACE IN A ROW, CAPTURES POINTS LEAD

Source: Scott Harra
Date: 09/18/2000

MONROE, Wash. (September 16, 2000) - Gary Lewis, Bothell, Wash., continued his blistering pace to a potential second Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series championship, winning his fourth consecutive race and moving into the points lead with one race remaining on the 2000 season. Lewis claimed the Lowes 125 presented by Cascade Clear at Evergreen Speedway. Rookie Gaylon Stewart rallied in the late laps to finish second. John Bender, Chris Hart and Shane Biles rounded out the top-five. Lewis made it known early on that he had the car to beat, winning his seventh straight Bud Pole Award. Starting fourth as a result of the invert, Lewis quickly worked his way into second place. He then set an easy pace behind race leader Bender. For the first half of the race, Bender and Lewis had a comfortable lead over the rest of the field.

On lap 62, Pete Harding moved into third place and set his sights on the two leaders. By lap 75, Harding was putting pressure on the two leaders. The caution flag flew on lap 82 when Matt Kelley and Ryan Erickson tangled in turn three. The rally for Harding ended on lap 88 when he cut a tire on the restart. The tire change put his Chevrolet two laps down.

Biles was next to make a move to the front. Saving his tires for the late race run, Biles too was a victim of a restart. Running in third when the race went back to green on lap 120, Biles got stuck behind Bender on the low side of the track. Bender, now out of tires, allowed Stewart to pass on the outside while a frustrated Biles was boxed in. Hart took advantage of the situation to get by Biles. Bender held on for third.

Ken Kaltschmidt, the series points leader coming into the race, finished tenth. Garrett Evans, second coming into the race finished sixth. The win puts Lewis in the points lead with one race remaining. Lewis' margin over Kaltschmidt is five points. Evans trails Lewis by just nine points. If any one of the trio wins at Yakima Speedway on September 23, they will claim the 2000 Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series championship, regardless of where the challengers finish.

"The team has done an awesome job this year," said Lewis in victory lane. "Bender did a great job tonight. He raced us clean. We just kept the pressure on him and he slipped just a little and we were able to get by."

"Finishing second to Gary Lewis is like winning a race," said Stewart. "He has been so tough lately. I feel pretty good just holding my own with him once we got by Shane and John there at the end."

Gary Lewis the Bud Pole Award. John Bender claimed the Gatorade Frontrunner Award. Gaylon Stewart was the Totem Travel Rookie of the Race. Five caution flags for 25 laps slowed the race. The average speed was 74.519 mph.

The Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series travels next to Yakima Speedway in Yakima, Wash., for the Frank's Chevrolet 125 for the season finale on September 23.

News Index | E-mail to a Friend