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Dave Baumgartner takes Springport ARCA Midgets

22 August 2000

Springport MI, – Dave Baumgartner finally pulled it off. After
finishing second more times than he’d probably like to mention, the
Ottawa Lake, Michigan driver won the ARCA Auto Value Midget Series main
event Friday night at Springport Speedway.

And he did it in convincing fashion leading all 30 laps to score his
career first ARCA Midget win. Baumgartner, after starting from the pole
in his Pacific Life Autocraft Hawk, held off a potent pack of ARCA-UMARA
open-wheel warriors for the win with defending UMARA champion Steve
Thinnes finishing second in his Great American Racing Brayton. Leading
ARCA Midget Rookie of the Year contender Travis Miniea trailed in third
ahead of ARCA Midget veteran Gary Harrell in the TJ Roofing-R&M
Towing-Saylor’s Plastering Hawk. Two-time and defending ARCA Midget
champion Gene Lee Gibson completed the top-five in his Ideas
Corp-Gilmore Construction-Fastenal Autocraft.

In all, 12 of the 20 starters finished on the lead lap with all but
three machines finishing the race. Former ARCA Midget Rookie of the Year
Jason Fuller finished sixth in his Suspension Spring-AFCO Shocks-Hoosier
Gaerte Hawk in front of Jimmy McCune, Dave Thompson, Ryan Gillenwater
and Chris Randolph to complete the top-10.

Thinnes won the Hoosier Tire Quick Time Award while McCune, Fuller and
Don Carter picked up heat wins. Dave Thompson won the B-main.