CASCAR: Easterner Nik Lapcevich wins inaugural race at Sun Valley
15 August 2000
VERNON, BC - Following the two Alberta rounds of the CASCAR Castrol National Super Series were finished, at the end of July, all of the Eastern-based teams returned 'home' for the Aug. 6 event at Autodrome St-Eustache. All of the teams, that is, except for one. Hamilton, Ontario's Nik Lapcevich and the crew of the #5 Kenworth (Hamilton) Chevrolet Monte Carlo actually headed even further west to prepare for the inaugural race at the new Sun Valley Motor Speedway, in Vernon, BC. And following Sunday's 150 lap feature race, the decision by Lapcevich and his team proved to be the right one. Last year's CASCAR Castrol Super Series National rookie of the year took the lead on lap 103 and managed to hold off the father and son team of Carl and Daryl Harr to take his first Super Series victory. A capacity crowd of over 7,000 fans jammed the sparkling new facility for a spectacular race that featured a back and forth race-long battle between Kevin Dowler and Wade Lee, but it was Lapcevich who emerged victorious. Sun Valley 150 Notes: CASCAR president Bill Darmon was on hand for the first race at Sun Valley Motor Speedway, as was Eastern / National Super Series announcer Ron St. Clair, who was brought in to announce the race, courtesy of CanadaTrader.com… Kevin Dowler posted the fastest time during time trials (18. 581 secs.) but started third following an inversion of the top three qualifiers… Defending Super Series West champion Steve Jefferson tagged the wall hard during practice for the Sun Valley 150 and couldn't get his #5 Mopar Batteries / Sandman Inns Intrepid back into shape by racetime. Initially, Nik Lapcevich's car was entered into the event as the #5E. But following Jefferson's incident, the E (East) designation was removed from Lapcevich's car - which was 'rented' by Jefferson's team for the day - so that Jefferson team could collect 'owner' points… Dowler's car suffered a burned plug wire late in the race and he lost a lap in the pits while his team made the change… Kim Richard endured carburetor problems at Sun Valley and completed just 11 laps… Gil Gillette, who usually drives the #81 car, sported a #7 on Saturday to gather 'owner' points for fellow driver James MacFarlane. by Inside Track Communications.