When's the last time you did anything of significance four times in a row?

How about holding off 25 or more drivers on a hot track for 100 laps, coming back out after all the other guys get a chance to work on their cars and get better, then keep 'em behind you again for another 100 laps?

Now imagine doing that four times in a row.

If you have had the priviledge of taking in a recent Idaho 200 late model race, you are well aware of the orange car that spends most of its time at the front of the pack and crosses under the checkered flag before anybody else.

Gary Lewis of Snohomish, Wash., plans to do more of the same this weekend when he goes for his fourth straight Idaho 200 win.

"I try not to look at it as a '4-peat,'" Lewis said recently, via telephone from his race shop. "The odds are against it - it's just another race and I'm going to do the same thing I always do and try and win it."

Some might scoff at the likelihood of anyone capturing North Idaho's premier stock car event four years running, but Lewis recently accomplished a similar feat in Montana, 4-peating at the

see IDAHO 200, B4

Montana 200 at Montana Raceway Park in Kalispell, after overcoming a first-lap crash and keeping hard chargers Alex Lessor and Jason Fraser at bay.

"We have been looking at the 4-peat at Montana and Idaho as an impossibility, but someone has to win it and we'll put everything into it like we normally do and see if we can't come out with another one," Lewis said.

"I think Gary's chances are pretty good (to 4-peat)," Stateline Speedway promoter Joe Doellefeld said. "He does a good job here and he took care of business in Montana."

But Sunday's 200 will be filled with drivers with one thing on their minds: Being the driver to stop Lewis' impressive streak.

So does Lewis think he's getting more respect (and room) on the track due to his streak, or less?

"It depends - in some cases yes, there has been more respect and in some cases it has gone completely the other way, since I suspect they are not happy about our success," Lewis said. "Sometimes they want to drive you a lot harder since they are tired of one person winning. But that is part of the deal and we're all going for a race win."

It didn't take long for Lewis, the pole sitter at the Montana 200 on July 17, to run into some aggressive driving at that event. He got caught up in a first-lap skirmish with Shane Mitchell. Lewis pitted to remove some sheet metal (caution laps were not counted) and fought his way back into the top 5 before the first 100 laps were complete, then, working the high and low lanes, took over the lead with 95 laps to go.

Lewis kept the nose of his No. 73 machine out front the rest of the way to grab another piece of hardware for his crowded mantle.

"My car is really good at Kalispell and Stateline, along with a few other tracks," Lewis said. "The car has just been exceptional. We hope we can be pretty good out of the box (at Stateline) and get decent right away."

Lewis said the difference between running the two 200s is his familiarity with most of the drivers who compete at Kalispell, whereas he might only see most of the Idaho 200 drivers once a year. "Since I normally don't race with many of those guys, It adds a little unknown," he said.

Lewis is a big fan of the track at Stateline, because he has been able to run low and high there. "Some tracks are so one-grooved that your only hope to pass is low out of a turn," he said. "But I have been able to get the car to work really good and it's a fun track to drive. I always look forward to racing at Stateline."

Kevin Richards, the 2006 Idaho 200 winner, fought motor problems last year and fell out before the first 100 laps were done. His teammate, 15-year-old Blake Williams of Spokane, qualified in Kalispell.

Jeff Jefferson, the 2005 winner, came on strong late in Kalispell to notch a third-place finish. The veteran driver from Yakima was fourth at Stateline last year.

Amanda MacDonald, who qualified in third and wound up ninth in last year's Idaho 200, blew an engine in the last chance race at Kalispell and didn't make the main event. Barring another powerplant mishap MacDonald, of Ephrata, Wash., might be in the mix again at Stateline this year.

Jeff Little of Dover will try to qualify through tonight's 100-lap Duel for the 200 event.

Corey Allard of Sagle will miss this year's 200, as he and father/crew chief Brad Allard are working on a new car. The old familiar No. 23 machine is for sale.

If a Rocky Mountain Challenge Series driver is going to break through for a win, this might be the year. All cars in the event will be on the Hoosier 4020 compound tire, which RMCS uses for its events.

"Lewis has been amazing," RMCS President Mike Minegar said. "But several drivers attending the event know that at some point his horseshoe will run out of luck and they want to be there to suck up the glory that is the NAPA Idaho 200."

Minegar said drivers from his series are excited to compete at the 200 level, "to pit themselves against the best the Northwest has to offer."

Steve Jones of Meridian leads the RMCS points, followed by Brent Thompson of Jerome and John Newhouse of Twin Falls.

"Jones has the same shock guru as John Dillon (another RMCS stalwart) and he has found his sweet spot," Minegar said. Jones has two wins so far this year and a strong second two weeks ago in Salt Lake City.

Craig Bell, who had quick time in his first 200 two years ago, will make his first appearance of the year in the No. 99 car.

Doellefeld expects a similar car count to last year's event. Friday's INSSA duel saw 34 cars in competition last year, 22 took to the track for Saturday's duel and 28 were in action on Sunday.

The top six finishers from each duel race will be locked into the 200. Qualifying and a last-chance race will be run on Sunday before the 200.