InsideGroove - Race Report

LEWIS OUTDUELS HALLMARK AND BOEN FOR $1500 PAYDAY

Fort Morgan, CO -- In a most impressive run, 10th ranked Scott Lewis fended off the challenges of nationally recognized stars Brett Hallmark and Kelly Boen to score a $1500 win in the special Topless 50 lap feature for the Colorado Late Models Saturday night at I-76 Speedway. Lewis started 8th behind front row starters Hallmark and Boen, but had the lead before midway and drove to the win ahead of Hallmark, Boen, point leader Gary Dechant and Mike Cox. Hallmark has cut Dechants point lead to just 5 points with just a single race remaining on the 2003 slate. They will have to wait until the September 13th race at Rocky Mountain National Speedway to decide the championship.

With the Grand Junction contingent racing the WDRA event in Sherman County KS, tonights field was 19 cars. Rick Lieser came from last starting to win the Buckeye Welding Supply trophy dash over early leader Mark Mortensen. Hallmark turned a pole start into a win in heat one with his Jim Clifton owned GRT. Bill Sabin ran second over Lewis and Bill Smith. Pole starter Boen won heat 2. Driving a former Boen mount, Terry Boushee broke on lap 1 and was run over by point leader Dechant. Dechant raced to a fifth as Mike Cox ran second over Wyomings Kevin Wright. Running his first dirt late model race of the year, dirt modified star Justen Yeager took the lead on lap 7 and won heat 3 ahead of Lieser and Ken Brack. In yet another former Boen car, Dan Shepherd was an early race crash victim. Boushee was the only main event scratch with Hallmark and Boen sharing the front row ahead of Yeager, Sabin, Cox, Lieser, Wright and Lewis. Boen nosed ahead of Hallmark to pace the first two laps, but Hallmark was out front on lap 3. Hallmark and Boen put on a side by side show for the first ten laps. The first caution came as race winner Lewis saw his air filter fly onto the racing surface. Hallmark now led Boen, Yeager and Sabin. Mortensen crashed into the wall on lap 12 and Shepherd also rode the fence to force the second yellow flag. Lieser had to pit with a flat tire, but returned before the race restarted. Sabin and Yeager crashed on the lap 13 restart to force a third yellow flag. Sabin had to be towed off the track. Boen retook the lead on lap 13 with Lewis also getting by Hallmark for second. Lewis then drove by Boen for the top spot and stayed out front for the rest of the race. Dechant had moved around Hallmark for third on lap 14. Wright spun in turn 4 for the last yellow on lap 17. Lewis now led Boen, Dechant and Hallmark. Hallmark regained third on lap 20 and then he again began his side by side duel with Boen for second. Boen nosed ahead on lap 31, but Hallmark had it back on lap 34. Ken Brack broke on lap 34, but it was Lewis cruising up front for the win. Hallmark made a late charge to second ahead of Boen with Dechants fourth maintaining a narrow point lead. Cox ran fifth over Garmann, Yeager, Lieser and John Kuchar. Cox is 15 points back of runnerup Hallmark and just 6 ahead of Garmann. Brack is solidly in fifth place in points.

Summary Dsh-Rick Lieser, Mark Mortensen, Bill Smith. Heat 1-Brett Hallmark, Bill Sabin, Scott Lewis, Smith, Mortensen. Heat 2-Kelly Boen, Mike Cox, Kevin Wright, Dave Garmann, Gary Dechant. Heat 3-Justen Yeager, Lieser, Ken Brack, John Kuchar, Scott Cimfl. Main-Lewis, Hallmark, Boen, Dechant, Cox, Garmann, Yeager, Lieser, Kuchar, Wright, Smith, Cimfl, Matthew McKenzie, Brack, Mike Felton, Sabin, Mortensen, Dan Shepherd.
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