Said a smiling Tim Gareau after his convincing victory, "The crew did a heck of a job to get the car ready for tonight after two weeks of hard work. The car seemed pretty fast. I think we've got it close to where we had it the first week. I've got to hand it to my crew. We had a bad start to this year. Hopefully, this win will help pick me up in the points. The car was really handling good. The crew helped me to get in back to where it was. I'd like to take time to thank all my new sponsors who've joined me this year and all my sponsors who've been with me. The Burger King car was running good tonight and hopefully we'll do well in the points this year. I'd also like to thank all my fans for sticking with me."
Numerous stoppages throughout the supermodified main began at the start with Mike Douglas spinning on the green flag lap. Hal LaTulip brought the 56 in moments later with a broken front suspension.
Before leader Doug Boisvert could complete lap 3, red flew for a jumble involving Shannon Groves, Mike Brubaker, Vern LaFave, Douglas, Scott Eldred, Todd Stowell, and several others. Brubaker lost a night to a front axle, with Groves and Sitterly also suffering terminal damage.
On this early restart, Tim Gareau, starting fourth, stormed by Boisvert and never looked back. At times Tim's margin out front varied, but as he put it, "It's tough to judge how fast you're going when you're out there all alone. I'd actually rather be chasing someone."
Gareau put the pedal down immediately, yearning to make up for his earlier performance. Boisvert, Jerry Curran, Joe Gosek and Bob Goutermout ran in the top five, chased by Howard Page, Greg Furlong, Bob Bond and Greg Furlong among others.
Gareau was on cruise when a lap 23 yellow flew for Boisvert as he spun off turn four, possibly due to contact among the close-running second through seventh pack. Boisvert and Furlong, who spun to avoid here, both pitted within a lap, putting them to the rear. The 88 of Jamie Moore brought out the next yellow on lap later with Moore able to return.
Gareau easily sped away from Jerry Curran on the restart as Curran fought off Goutermout, Gosek and Page. Ray Graham ran a comfortable sixth, after he too, had a miserable beginning to his year. Ray would later comment after finishing fifth, "The car was real loose, but considering two weeks ago, it only had two wheels on it and everything else from front to back was demolished, we're ecstatic with fifth. I'd like to thank the whole crew because they busted their butt for two weeks and worked on it right up until one o'clock this afternoon to get it where it is tonight."
Green and Gareau flew until lap 41 when second place runner Jerry Curran spun off turn four. This yellow and the two that followed for Jen Chesbro and Curran again, within the last five laps, bunched the field behind Gareau, but no one could come close as he charged away on the restarts. Timmy was followed over the line by Bob Goutermout, Joe Gosek, Howie Page and Graham. Sparks flew even after the checkered when Todd Stowell and Tim Snyder came together in turn one, ending in the foam.
Said Goutermout afterward, "Well, this is the second week in a row that we've finished in the top five. I'm real happy about it. This is still the old car. I'd like to keep the new car "new." Tonight we had an awful lot of cautions for a premier class, but we're pleased with second and the car is in one piece."
Heat 1: Joe Gosek, Ray Graham, Howie Page, Mike Douglas, Todd Stowell, Mike Brubaker, Jamie Moore, Gary Syrell, Bill Peri, Mark Van Luven, Brian Sweeney
Heat 2: Tim Gareau, Doug Boisvert, Jerry Curran, Otto Sitterly, Vern LaFave, Dave Trytek, Jamie Letcher, Greg Furlong, Dave Mazzoni, Dave Halstead
Heat 3: Bob Bond, Bob Goutermout, Shannon Groves, Tim Snyder, Jeff West, Jen Chesbro, Hal LaTulip, Joe Hawksby, Joey Payne, Tim Devendorf
Consi: Furlong, Moore, Letcher, Payne, Syrell, LaTulip, Mazzoni, Peri, Devendorf, Hawksby, Halstead, VanLuven, Sweeney
Wet Paint Co 45: 1. Tim Gareau(5), 2. Bob Goutermout(93), 3. Joe Gosek(00), 4. Howie Page(18), 5. Ray Graham(90), 6. Bob Bond(25), 7. Joey Payne(99), 8. Dave Trytek(70), 9. Doug Boisvert(66), 10. Jamie Moore(88), 11. Todd Stowell(89), 12. Tim Snyder(0), 13. Jerry Curran(24), 14. Greg Furlong(72), 15. Jen Chesbro(33), 16. VernLaFave(97), 17. Gary Syrell(08), 18. Jamie Letcher (58), 19. Shannon Groves(07), 20. Otto Sitterly(79), 21. Scott Eldred(01), 22. Mike Douglas(23), 23. Mike Brubaker(36), 24. Hal LaTulip(56)