ARCA

Auto City Midget results 2000-09-30

Clio, MI, 9-30-00 - Third generation driver Jimmy McCune held off rookie Travis Miniea to win the 30 lap main event at Auto City Speedway Saturday while veteran Gene Lee Gibson, by virtue of a third place finish, clinched his third consecutive ARCA ...

Edited: Apr 15, 2002, 11:45 PM

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Clio, MI, 9-30-00 - Third generation driver Jimmy McCune held off rookie Travis Miniea to win the 30 lap main event at Auto City Speedway Saturday while veteran Gene Lee Gibson, by virtue of a third place finish, clinched his third consecutive ARCA Auto Value Midget Series championship.

McCune, who set the bar right off with the Hoosier Tire Quick Time award, started eighth in the Bisbee Travel Brayton and steadily maneuvered his way towards the front. By lap 10, the Sylvania, Ohio driver began pressing Miniea for the lead and made the winning pass on lap 15. From there, the eventual winner held on to earn his eighth career ARCA Midget victory while Miniea trailed in second three lengths away. Gibson crossed the final stripe next in front of Jason Fuller who steered his way home in fourth. Larry Gibson, the 1995 ARCA Midget champion, completed the top five.

“The car was pretty good right off the trailer,” said McCune. “And fortunately for us, it got better throughout the night because the inversion started us outside row four, and there were a lot of good cars in front of us. I’d like to congratulate Gene Lee (Gibson) for another championship. In this league he’s as tough as it gets.”

Gibson, who in just three years on the ARCA Midget tour, won 19 times and became the first driver to win three consecutive ARCA Midget championships since the late Les Scott took a trio of consecutive titles in 1980, ’81 and ’82. In addition, the Richwood, Ohio driver also secured the 2000 UMARA Midget championship becoming the first driver in open-wheel history to win an ARCA Midget title as well as the UMARA crown in the same season. “It’s quite an honor to win both championships,” said the second generation driver. “I’d like to thank everybody who helps on the deal and especially my father (Todd Gibson). He’s really the brains of the outfit. He designed and built the car, and sets it up on race night. Without his expertise, we wouldn’t be here that’s for sure. I’d like to thank ARCA and UMARA for first class outfits, and ARCA’s title sponsor Auto Value Parts Stores for all their support. And if everything goes well, we’ll be back to defend the titles. We’d like to be the first to win the ARCA deal four years in a row.” Gibson will officially be crowned king of the ARCA Midgets at the championship awards banquet in Toledo, Ohio at the Radisson Hotel on Saturday, November 11.

Gary Harrell, Kevin Newton, Dave Baumgartner, Mike Astrauskas and Chris O’Connell completed the top-10 finishers respectively.

<pre> 2000 ARCA AUTO VALUE MIDGET SERIES EVENT #13 Auto City Speedway, Clio MI, 9-30-00 Official Results

FIN STR CAR POS POS NO DRIVER/RESIDENCE TEAM SPONSOR/MAKE LAPS STATUS

1 8 21 Jimmy McCune/Sylvania OH Bisbee Travel Brayton 30 Running 2 1 77 Travis Miniea/Sharon PA Esslinger Hawk 30 Running 3 6 0 Gene Lee Gibson/Richwood OH Ideas Corp-Gilmore Const-Fastenal Autocraft 30 Running 4 5 9 Jason Fuller/Findlay OH Suspension Spring-AFCO-Hoosier Gaerte Hawk 30 Running 5 12 00 Larry Gibson/Richwood OH Gilliland Body Shop-Rent-A-John Brayton 30 Running 6 7 4 Gary Harrell/Temperance MI TJ Roofing-R&M Towing-Saylor's Plastering Autocraft 30 Running 7 14 11 Kevin Newton Newton Racing 30 Running 8 4 99 Dave Baumgartner/Ottawa Lake MI Pacific Life Autocraft Hawk 30 Running 9 2 3 Mike Astrauskas/Sand Lake MI Alliance CNC-MPD Welding Autocraft 30 Running 10 9 19 Chris O'connell/Fort Wayne IN Amer Cancer Society Race Against Cancer Autocraft 30 Running 11 3 48 Steve Thinnes/West Chicago IL Great American Racing Brayton 28 Running 12 11 45 Kevin Myers/Wapakoneta OH Allied Equipment-Newman's Welding Gaerte 19 Accident 13 10 2 Rick Harrell/Lambertville MI Kayo Lumber-Dove Racing Autocraft Hawk 17 Accident 14 13 88 Chris Randolph/Stockbridge MI Bisbee Travel Autocraft 13 Tire 36 Brian Medley/Jackson MI Huco Environmental Autocraft DNS

Hoosier Tire Pole Award: Jimmy McCune 14.786 seconds Heat Winners: Jimmy McCune, Kevin Newton

Lap Leaders: Miniea 1-14 (14); McCune 15-30 (16)

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