Lewis Rebounds From Trouble to Capture ARCA Win

EAST WEATCHEE, WA (June 21, 2008) – A famous baseball player once said "it ain't over 'til it's over" And that phrase best describes Gary Lewis and his day at the Washington 125 at Wenatchee Valley's Super Oval for the running of the ARCA West Circle K Late Model Challenge Series third event
of the season.

The defending series champion found himself down and possibly out of the event less than six laps into the afternoon's first practice session after an oil leak pumped fluid out onto the tires and caused the Snohomish, WA
native to spin hard into the turn No. 1 retaining wall. An ensuing fire caused damage to the bodywork and it appeared that Lewis' day would be over before it really ever got started.

After nearly three hours of work Lewis' crew determined that the Nutter Racing Engines Chevrolet had not suffered permanent damage and feverishly fabricated the race car back together for a qualifying attempt.

Entering the track as the last of 18 cars to time in, Lewis posted a time of 12.788-seconds that placed him eighth on the grid. An eight-car invert put the team on the inside of the front row and it appeared that fortunes would be changing for the 38-year old.

While running the final 10-minute practice session prior to the main event, gremlins again reached out and found Lewis.

A motor mount from the car just in front of Lewis came out and went through the three-time late model champion's radiator. Unable to repair the damaged cooling device it appeared again that the day might be over.

Current ARCA West Circle K Late Model Challenge Series points leader, Jared Vorse, had the only radiator in the pits that would fit and quickly offered it to Lewis. As the swap was being completed Lewis' pit crew found a broken power steering hose mount. With time running out prior to the start of the main event, Lewis and his race team replaced the steering unit and rolled out just in time for the start of the evening's festivities.

Once the racing action began the Leary Racing Products Impala jumped to a five-car length lead as Lewis began to feel out if the race car would hold together through the evening.

Held together it did as Lewis was never touched and led wire-to-wire in route to his third victory of 2008 and second on the ARCA West Circle K Late Model Challenge Series.

Despite what appeared to be a dominating performance a pair of drivers gave their all to catch the defending series champion.

Lewis may have a solid car for 125 laps but the best drive of the night belong to Wes Rhodes and Shelby Thompson.

Each took turns trying to run down the bright orange machine of Lewis with Rhodes cutting nearly a second off the leaders pace with the laps winding down. With five laps to go Rhodes had gone from over 2 seconds behind to just five car-lengths but was unable to get any closer.

Thompson had taken his turn behind Lewis for over 50 laps as he patiently weaved his way through traffic from his seventh starting position. With 15 laps to go in the race Rhodes moved by Thompson for second and gave chase to Lewis with Thompson in tow.

The ARCA West Circle K Late Model Challenge Series takes one weekend off before returning to action on July 5 at Montana Raceway Park. For more information log onto www.latemodelchallenge.com