'ARCA West truck series comes to Carson City'

Carson City champion driver Dave Lester will compete Saturday in the ARCA West truck series at Champion Motor Speedway. The race will be nationally televised.

Lester, a champion in nearly all racing divisions at Champion Motor Speedway, is also the 1996, 1997 and 1998 Nor-Cal Truck series champion. In that series he raced a current model Chevrolet Silverado, 8-cylinder, 355 cubic-inch truck.

"I ran about as much horsepower as you could stuff under the hood," Lester said. "It was about 600, which wasn't the most, but we always had a good set up."

Richard Michaud, ARCA West race director, said the wheelbase of the trucks is 108 inches, 70-inches track width and weight is 2,100 pounds, with driver and fuel.

"We run Ford Rangers, Dodge Dakotas and GMC trucks," Michaud said. "These are full race vehicles on tube chassis. They're either 4 or 6-cylinders with about 320-horsepower."

Michaud said Carson City is one of the smaller tracks the series races on, but with high banking makes it an extremely fast and competitive race. Other tracks the series visits include Tucson, Ariz., Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Twin Falls, Idaho, and Dodge City, Kan.

"These trucks are evenly matched," Michaud said. "We have drivers from all over the area racing with us. This is not a spec series but a full race series meant to be the next step up for drivers to get out of a Saturday night league. It's a training ground for them."

Lester was contacted by Michaud who recommended he drive for current points leader Brandon Schilling. Lester will be in Schilling's back-up truck.

"I haven't even seen this truck but I've been working with them on getting it set up," Lester said. "I'm always looking for a good ride.

"I'm used to driving the ground-pounding truck I had in Nor-Cal. I know these trucks have huge tires and smaller motors so it will all be about momentum. I should be able to flat-foot it around the track.

"I like challenges and think this will be it."

Champion Motor Speedway General Manager Jeb Onweiler encourages race fans to bring signs depicting their favorite driver or racing motto. In the interest of safety, signs are to be no bigger than 2x2 feet.

Onweiler also reminds fans Champion Motor Speedway is a family-oriented facility and all inappropriate signs will be confiscated at the discretion of CMS officials.

Michaud said the competition of the series has been real close and competitive. "All of our drivers, especially the top-8 or 10, are capable of winning the main event that night. Sometimes it depends on who gets the right breaks and whose vehicle stays together."

"The Horseshoe Club has put up a lot of money for me to be in this race and I'm going to do everything I can to win it," Lester said. "It's a big step up for them and I truly appreciate the opportunity."

"The guys don't do a lot of bumping and grinding, they're very professional," Michaud said. "I tell them to leave their egos and tempers in the trailer."

Other series to compete Saturday include the Western Modified, Limited Late Models, Queen Beez, Legends and the Ponderosa Stamp and Engraving bicycle races. The races are sponsored by Coors Light.

IF YOU GO

What: ARCA West Truck Series plus local division

When: 7 p.m. Saturday; gates open at 5

Where: Champion Motor Speedway, 1210 Race Track Road

Call: 267-0505 or visit www.championmotorspeedway.com