ASA Northwest Late Model Tour issues final standings

From iRacing.com ASA Northwest Late Model Tour (Sept. 22, 2009)

The 2009 iRacinng.com American Speed Association Northwest Late Model Tour season has ended with Gary Lewis (Snohomish, WA) edging out Brent Harris (E. Wenatchee, WA) for the championship.

The coveted Port City Racecars ‘Rookie Challenge’ goes to Joey Tanner (Portland, OR). The super late model stock car traveling series did what it set out to do. Have as many cars run with the traveling core group wherever the series appeared at in 2009. It was evident that goal was reached with 72 drivers taking points during the season.

Lewis won the championship by 9-points. He had to win the finale at Yakima Speedway to do it. Lewis now adds to his many titles. The ASA NWLMT title will be added to his NASCAR and ARCA West titles. No other driver in the Northwest has ever accomplished what Lewis has in the past 6 years. Besides the three major sanctioning bodies titles he has won three back to back to back Montana and Idaho 200’s in the last three seasons.

Rookie Tanner who is only 19-years old made the transition to asphalt racing from the dirt where he had success. Competing in his first season with a major touring division had its hurdles for the youngster. It took a hard fought 11th place finish at the season’s final race to win the $3000.00 new Port City Racecars chassis, courtesy of Chuck Carruthers Industries, by 2-points.

The new series in 2009 after the melding of the former Late Model Challenge Series and the Northwest Tour brought the best super late model stock car racers together providing the tracks and fans with the best racing entertainment. The series was innovative this first season to liven up the entertainment by instituting the commit cone restarts and the free pass.

The series had a women driver (Amanda MacDonald – Ephrata, WA) compete for rookie honors and the championship for the first in the history of the two former touring series.

The touring division held point’s events in Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington State during the busy 2009 season. The series originally scheduled 10-races but a washout of the opener in March forced the officials to cut back to 9 events.

ASA NWLMT management is already in the process of working on the entire package for 2010 from scheduling, rules, sponsorships and more innovative enhancements to the program.

Series management wants to thank everyone involved in the great beginning of a new era in super late model racing in the Northwest. Thank you to the teams that traveled to the far reaches of the Northwest and supported the series by being at every race. The officials that had to make adjustments at each track to accommodate all the racers that wanted to be a part of the inaugural season. Big thanks go to the tracks and their respective promoters for believing that the series was viable and worth the gamble.

Jerry and Brenda Losch and Scott Ellsworth managers/owners of the iRacing.com ASA Northwest Late Model Tour wish everyone well during the off season.

Top 20 in 2009 Points (72 drivers received points):

Pos / Car# / Name / Pts / Hometown

1 73 Gary Lewis 1179 Snohomish, WA

2 0 Brent Harris 1170 E. Wenatchee, WA

3 9m Kelly Mann 1081 Monroe, WA

4 36* Joey Tanner 1019 Portland, OR

5 91* Alan Cress 980 Albany, OR

6 20s Brad Stanwood 956 Portland, OR

7 20 Jay Sauls 954 Puyallup, WA

8 76* Amanda MacDonald 948 Ephrata, WA

9 37 Mike Longton 800 Moxee, WA