SNOHOMISH, Wash. — Five starts, five wins.
Staying perfect with an even half-dozen victories is just one of Gary Lewis’ goals for this weekend.
Lewis will make just his third trip to Stateline Speedway in Post Falls, Idaho, this Sunday to take part in the NAPA Auto Parts Idaho 200.
One of Lewis’ goals for this season was to repeat his 2007 victories in the Montana 200 and Idaho 200 races. On July 19 in Kalispell, Mont., he became the first driver ever to record back-to-back wins in the Montana 200.
Accomplishing his goal with another Idaho 200 victory — and keeping his perfect season going — will be a challenge at the quarter-mile track.
“Our goal is to head into the Idaho 200 with a car that is prepared to the best of our ability and shoot for another win,” Lewis said in a pre-race press release. “This will not be easy by any means at all as you’ll have the best drivers from many different series at this race and we’re going to do our best to represent the Northwest (drivers)…”
The CarbonX Rocky Mountain Challenge Series is one of the other late-model groups slated to take part in the Idaho 200 weekend, beginning with the NAPA Auto Car Center Duel for the Idaho 200 on Saturday.
The six RMCS drivers who accumulate the most points in Saturday’s Duel will automatically earn starting spots for the next day’s Idaho 200. The rest of the RMCS teams will have to race their way into the 200 in competition with drivers from other series.
The RMCS inverts the top 20 qualifiers are inverted for every race, putting fast time in the 20th starting position. Each driver is awarded three points per position gained in the race, and points are also awarded for qualifying and heat race finishes along with finishing position points for the race.
RMCS drivers expected to take part include Bobby Latham III of Twin Falls, Idaho, who claimed his first win of the season two weeks ago at Rocky Mountain Raceway. Defending series champion John Newhouse of Twin Falls, Idaho, and current points leader and 2006 champion Dave Minegar of Boise, Idaho, are also expected.
Lewis said he does not plan to compete in the accompanying late-model races scheduled for Friday or Saturday at Stateline. Because Sunday’s event will be just the third time Lewis has raced there, he may be at a disadvantage.
“If we don’t get much (practice) then it will definitely create a potential problem (in race preparation),” Lewis said. “The challenge will be running with some of the great drivers from the other series involved and see how things go.”
Lewis, who won the 2007 ARCA West Late Model Challenge Series championship and the NASCAR Northwest Tour title in 2006, has won all five races he has started this season.
Lewis’ most recent victories were in the ASA Northwest Tour’s Evergreen State Fair 150 on July 26 at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash., and the Montana 200.
Montana was also the site of his first victory this season, in May at the Big Sky 150 Cory Wolfe Challenge at Mission Valley Speedway in Pablo.
Lewis recorded a pair of wins in June. First at the inaugural BlueWater Wireless Road Course Challenge at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Wash., on June 7, and two weeks later at the Washington 125 at Wenatchee Valley’s Super Oval.
To learn more about Gary Lewis Racing LLC visit www.garylewisracing.com.
The Rocky Mountain Challenge Series Web site is www.rmcsracing.com.
Information on the Idaho 200 can be found at www.raceidaho.com.
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