Defending Montana Raceway Park Lucas Oil Super Late Model champion, Alex Lessor, nabbed his first victory of the 2010 season with a strong late race performance in the ARCA West Ignite Late Model Series NAPA Battle of the Borders 150.

Courtesy: MRP Media Relations

KALISPELL, Mont. (June 12, 2010)-Defending Montana Raceway Park Lucas Oil Super Late Model champion, Alex Lessor, nabbed his first victory of the 2010 season with a strong late race performance in the ARCA West Ignite Late Model Series NAPA Battle of the Borders 150.

 

Mark Owens, Chris Skelton, Agni Howell and Wrango West rounded out the top-5 running order.

 

Owens led the field to the green flag with Shane Mitchell to his outside. Racing side-by-side into turn No.2 Mitchell grabbed the lead down the backstretch and paced the field's first half of the event. From lap two through lap 30 Mitchell was able to put his car where he wanted as Owens stalked his every move. A handful of cautions kept the field bunched at times but Mitchell's Chevrolet was always able to move out to a five-car length lead.

 

Mitchell's run at the front behind the wheel of the Mitchell's Trucking and Paving Impala came to abrupt halt as his engine died entering turn No. 1 as it was later determined that the ignition box had failed. With Mitchell exiting the track Owens assumed the lead bring Lessor and West in hot pursuit.

 

While Mitchell, Owens and Lessor maintained an even pace through the midway point of the evening it was Canadian Chris Skelton who was putting on a show for the fans as he moved from eight place at lap 75 to fourth place by lap 110.

 

With less 40 laps to go in the race Lessor moved his Rainbow Bar & Casino to the low side of Owens entering the front straightaway and never looked back.

 

Skelton charged ahead in the late going as he was able to clear Bodie Morton, David Garber and West for the third place finish. Owens held Skelton off with the white flag out as the pair ended their race door-to-door at the checkers.

 

"Man this new Ford Fusion is a hot rod," Lessor said in victory lane. "I really hated to see Mitchell go out there because I thought we could have a great race together for the win. I don't know if I would have had anything for him because it looked like he was cruising but man it would have been a blast to find out. I hope he can make it back out here because he's an awesome racer."

 

Owens conceded the Village Greens Golf Community Chevrolet had given it all to keep up with Lessor but it was the race winner's night.

 

"We sure gave it all but just missed. Alex drove a great race and his car dialed in. We'll go back and get ready for the next one and we have some things to take away from tonight that's for sure," he said.

 

Skelton was elated with his top-3 finish after an early race spin sent him to the rear of the 22-car field.

 

"To come up through the field like that and have a great car at the end of the race is great. We hope that that our work can pay off with a win later on this year but these drivers are the best in the Northwest so to even get this finish is just a nice ending to our night," Skelton said.

 

Defending Westward Bound Construction/Keller Williams Realty Legends Series champion, Jake Bisset, bounced back from his a sub-par effort in his season opening event on May 15 to pick up the win in the 35-lap main event. Crossing the stripe just behind Bisset was Tim Corbett with Wrango West, Tyler Corpron and Joey Bisset rounding out the top-5.

 

Bisset used a patient approach to his race and overtook race leader Corbett late in the night for his first victory of the season behind the wheel of his Holiday Inn Express of Kalispell Legends sedan.

 

"That was a solid night for us as we're getting ready for Legends Thunder here in a few weeks," Bisset said. "We had the car working good tonight and this will only help us in two weeks when we come back to defend our (Legends Thunder Semi-Pro) title."

 

Scott Lee honored his wife Stacy's birthday with a main event win in the Thunder Roadster 25-lap main event over the hard charging John Logan. Trailing the pair to the checkered flag was Zach Havens with Dave Daughtry rounding out the top-3.

 

Dalton Halden made it two consecutive victories in the Bandoleros division with a dominant performance over Tristan Corpron, Nino Robinette and Todd Holleman.

 

Racing resumes at Montana Raceway Park on June 19 as Holiday Inn Express sponsors the Flathead Beacon Crusin' Compacts 50, Hornets, Super Stocks and the Flathead Beacon Bombers. To learn more call (406) 257- RACE (7223), log onto www.montanaracewaypark.com or text MTRACE to 91011.

 

ARCA West Ignite NAPA Battle of the Borders 150 Main Event Unofficial Results

Alex Lessor

Mark Owens

Chris Skelton

Agni Howell

Wrango West

Brian Levant

David Garber

Bodie Morton

Roy Wigley

Billy Salmonsen

Cory Wolfe

Braeden Havens

Bob Delorme

Martin Miller

Todd Havens

Amanda MacDonald

Shane Mitchell

Clint Habart

Chad Clampitt

Troy Schweigert

Ryan Wells

Tim Elliott

 

Westward Bound Construction/Keller Williams Realty Legends

Jake Bisset

Tim Corbett

Wrango West

Tyler Corpron

Joey Bisset

Giles Thornton

Dave Daughtry

Devin Clayton

Trevor Corpron

Dalton Halden

Josh Timmons

Michael Karper

David Cannon

Dillon Walker

Hal Rogers

 

MRP Thunder Roadsters

Scott Lee

John Logan

Zach Havens

Dave Daughtry

Josh Levitt

 

MRP Bandoleros

Dalton Halden

Tristan Corpron

Nino Robinette

Todd Holleman

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