Lee Gill 2011 Season in Review; Can Am Championship and 15 Feature Wins Makes 2011 a Big Success for Lee Gill Racing
Craig Revelle – Finish Line Web Design
November 1, 2011
The 2011 racing season was a great success for Lee Gill, posting 15 total wins, in just 28 starts this season, also picking up 24 top five and 24 top ten finishes along the way. Gill also won the Can Am Motorsports Park Late Model Championship, and the Go Nuclear Late Model Challenge Series title. Gill also posted major two major victories at Brighton Speedway, including the $5000 to win Great Crate Race and the Ontario Dirt Late Model Series opener.
At the drop of the first green flag in 2011, Gill was fast. He won the first two events of the season at Can Am, and looked like the class of the field once again at Can Am. Although he posted multiple wins over the first few months, he was locked in a tight battle with friend and teammate Greg Belyea for much of the season. In fact, Belyea led the standings through most of the year but in the end Gill went on to win the Can Am Championship for the second year in a row, posting 12 wins along the way.
The only setback in Gill’s otherwise perfect season came in June, when Gill had a hard crash in a practice session at Can Am, losing his primary car. For the next several weeks, he used Greg Belyea’s back up car, and posted back to back feature wins with it. He came back with his own car again a few weeks later and won his first race back with it.
The first of Gill’s two major victories this season came at Brighton Speedway in the Ontario Dirt Late Model Series opener on July 23rd. The four race ODLM Series also had events scheduled at South Buxton, Brockville and Cornwall. After suffering a DNF at South Buxton, Gill was eager to get to Brockville, a site where he has had a great deal of success earlier in his career, posting 358 Modified track championships four consecutive years. Unfortunately, after running well through the first part of the race, Gill drifted up high off the banking, losing all the track position he had, and finished a disappointing 17th place. With Cornwall rained out the next day, Gill ended the season fourth in points for the ODLM Series.
The second big win came again at Brighton, as he won the 1st Annual Great Crate Race at Brighton. He led all 50 laps in the marathon event, claiming to $5000 to win main event.
Gill also won the inaugural Go Nuclear Late Model Challenge Series championship, sweeping both events at Chapman’s Can Am Motorsports Park, and finished ninth and fifth in the two races at Fulton Speedway. A race was also scheduled at the Brewerton Speedway, but was canceled due to rain.
Gill will be officially honored at Go Nuclear Late Model champion later this month at the National Parts Peddler Trade Show in Syracuse on November 19th. Chapman’s Can Am Motorsports Park will honor their champions in early in the New Year.
For all the latest news on Lee Gill and the Lee Gill Racing team, please visit our website, www.leegillracing.com.