ARCA Midgets: Fisher First Again in ARCA Midgets
16 July 1999
By Don RadebaughKalamazoo, MI, - There were 47 hopeful ARCA, UMARA and NAMARS midgeteers that showed up Wednesday night at Kalamazoo Speedway. Unfortunately for 46, so did 18-year-old Sarah Fisher who nailed down her third consecutive ARCA Auto Value Midget Series victory in as many attempts.
The Ashville, Ohio second generation driver, aboard her fathers Mead Carbonless Paper-Esslinger-Hawk, overhauled defending ARCA Auto Value Midget Series champion and current point leader Gene Lee Gibson on the 16th circuit and hustled away from the pack only to be slowed by 3 cautions all for minor incidents. The yellow flag was the only apparent weapon against her as after a lap 47 and final caution in the 50 lap main event, she put at least 10 lengths between herself and Gibson.
Gibson had to forget about the eventual winner late in the race anyway after Indianapolis, Indiana driver AJ Davis, whose spirited charge started from the 21st starting position, showed up inches away from his rear bumper. Davis gave Gibson all he could handle until time, and in part, his right rear tire, ran out.
Leading ARCA Auto Value Midget Rookie contender Jason Fuller, in the Suspension Spring-Aro Shocks-Hogue Engines Hawk, finished 4th ahead of USAC standout Dave Steele to complete the top five.
Matt Westfall set quick time of 12.862 seconds around the 3/8ths mile banked paved oval. Heat winners were Clay Klepper, Dave Thompson, AJ Fike and Gibson. All-time ARCA Midget winner Jim Hettinger won the B-main but spun late in the main event after contact with another car relegating the two-time ARCA Midget champion to 14th in the final running order.
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