Date: 05/24/2003
East Wenatchee, Wash.- ? Starting second on the grid Jeff
Jefferson (No. 42 Morgan Transport/Gary Mears Trucking
Chevrolet), of Naches, Wash., raced by Ed Watson (No. 55
Creekside Retirement Community Chevrolet), of Mt. Vernon, Wash.,
on the third lap of the Cellular One ?125? at Wenatchee Valley?s
Super Oval, then held the front position for the remaining 123
laps taking the win and claiming front position in the NASCAR
Elite Division, Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series championship
point race.
Taking his third career Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series win
Jefferson worked through eight restarts battling an aggressive
Wes Rhodes (No. 6 Knight Fire Protection Chevrolet), of Olympia,
Wash., on the inside who went a lap down following damage
repairs from an early race collision.
Rhodes comment?s, ?This being our first race it wasn?t a point
thing for us. I think we spent more time today learning how to
go fast rather than thinking of points, so that was different
for us. We ran hard the car was really good. Jefferson raced us
clean and we never touched, he?s a great guy, we both ran hard.?
Restarts were key, racing to hold position Jefferson needed to
keep Rhodes at bay while not opening a door for the charging
Chris Hart (No. 5 Yakima Implement Chevrolet), of Yakima Wash.,
in second position.
?We?re supposed to go on the white line in four; Rhodes was
getting out a little early on the first couple restarts. I
needed to hold him down because Chris was behind me waiting for
a hole. Towards the end the restarts were better and I could get
by him,? said Jefferson.
Racing for a win Hart wasn?t afraid to use the chrome horn while
trying to pass Jefferson in the closing laps. ?Chris was there
all night, at least from about lap fifty on. I just knew I had
to protect the bottom. I think he might have had a little better
car, but we had track position and held the line. We had good
forward bight and got off the corners really well,? said
Jefferson.
He continues with a laugh and smile, ?I felt him back there, but
when he was hitting me I was going straight. It all worked out,
Chris ran me clean and that?s just good short track racing. This
is probably the hardest I?ve raced in a long time and the most
fun I?ve had in a long time.?
Gary Lewis (No. 73 Sign Factory/Nutter Racing Engines Pontiac),
of Bothell, Wash., started seventh on the grid found himself and
Pete Harding (No. 39 LP Body Shop/Harding Forklift Chevrolet),
of Surrey B.C., banging doors in turn two on lap eleven which
sent rookie Rod Schultz Jr. (No. 8 RES Investments/PIC
Chevrolet), slamming head-on into the turn 1-2 apex ending his
night with major front end damage.
In a race with eight cautions for fifty-one laps Lewis said,
?The best way I could describe this night would be race car
pin-ball. It was crazy, it seemed like there was always somebody
underneath me in the back, and I was always right behind someone
else. We had an awesome car, we got a run on Pete, we wrecked
and tore up the car pretty good. The car was never the same
after that the handling would come and go, but it was good
enough to miss a couple wrecks and work our way to a fourth.?
With Wenatchee in the books Lewis has Yakima Speedway (May 31st)
in his sights, ?We run well in Yakima, we?ll get this back
together, and hope for a better run out there.?
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