LEWIS WINS ASA AERO EXHAUST NORTHWEST TOUR 125 AT YAKIMA SPEEDWAY

May 27, 2007 Yakima, WA  – On Saturday May 26, 2007 it was another of many successful nights of racing for Gary Lewis (Bothell, WA) at Yakima Speedway. The two-time Northwest Tour Champion took the lead on lap one of the Matco Tools 125 presented by TruX Etc. for the ASA Aero Exhaust Northwest Tour premier stock car racers and was not passed all night.

Gary LewisWinner Race # 2   Photo by Northfork Photo

Untested for the first 100-laps of the race, Lewis was challenged hard by Mike Longton (Moxee, WA) in the final 25-laps. With the car getting looser Lewis said in victory circle “I was trying to save the car early but in the end it was a handful.” Longton also trying to save the car for the final laps stated “I was not getting any faster at the end it was the others that were slowing.”

After missing the opening race of the 8-race traveling tour Lewis gained the maximum points as he tries to overcome the early deficit. It is going to be busy summer for the Lewis crew as he vies for championships in two separate traveling series.

The third position was filled by BJ Tidrick (Yakima, WA). Tidrick suffering a mechanical problem in the qualifying session started eleventh getting as high as second by lap 37 and held on until Longton went by on lap 108. Tidrick’s comment after the race, “I used up all my car getting to the front and had nothing at the end.”

Jeff Barkshire (Auburn, WA) finished fourth ahead of Jay Sauls (Puyallup, WA). The race took its toll on much of the field with 5-cars having to exit the race with mechanical woes. Included in this group was Brandon Riehl (Boring, OR) the fast qualifier. The second fastest Travis Bennett (Ellensburg, WA) also suffered mechanical problems.

There is now a tie for the first ever ASA Northwest Tour championship with Jay Sauls and long time tour veteran Ron Eaton (Lakewood, WA) on top of the points battle.

The next stop for the ASA Aero Exhaust Northwest Tour will be in Post Falls, ID at Stateline Speedway on Saturday June 9. The inland northwest’s fastest 1/4-mile oval will host the northwest’s best Tour drivers for the first time in 20-years. A grueling 150-laps is the scheduled distance.


ASA Aero Exhaust Northwest Tour Race #2

Matco Tools 125 Presented by TruX Etc.

Yakima Speedway, Yakima, WA (1/2-mile oval)

Official Finish:

Finish Position / Driver / Hometown / Laps Completed / Reason Out

1- Gary Lewis (Bothell, WA) 125 Running

2- Mike Longton (Moxee, WA) 125 Running

3- BJ Tidrick (Yakima, WA) 125 Running

4- Jeff Barkshire (Auburn, WA) 125 Running

5- Jay Sauls (Puyallup, WA) 125 Running

6- Ron Eaton (Lakewood, WA) 124 Running

7- Jeff Byrd (Hayden, ID) 121 Accident

8- Kelly Tanner (Auburn, WA) 77 Brakes

9 - Brandon Riehl Boring, OR) 75 Rear End

10- Matt Hall (Spokane, WA) 49 Rear End

11- Travis Bennett (Ellensburg, WA) 33 Brake Caliper

12- Jason Frasier (Snohomish, WA) 15 Motor



Lap Leaders: Gary Lewis 1-125

Time of Race: 45min 15sec

Margin of Victory: .05sec

Caution Flags: 3 for a total of 8-laps


Championship Point Standings after Race #2 of 8:

Driver Name        Total

Ron Eaton            320

Jay Sauls              320

Jeff Barkshire       310

BJ Tidrick            299

Matt Hall             289

Kelly Tanner        288

Jason Frasier        287

Brandon Riehl      280

Travis Bennett      268

Tom Sweatman    180

Gary Lewis          180

Mike Longton      170

Jeff Byrd              146