TONY HUNT WINS INAUGURAL MERIDIAN MOTOR SPEEDWAY USAC EVENT

Source: Rob Dorris
Date: 07/17/2000

Meridian, Idaho July 15- The sound of Sprint Cars was in the air this weekend at Meridian Motor Speedway, as the Western Sprint Car Series invaded Southwestern Idaho. Twenty-four cars qualified, lead by Jeff Gardner, from Fresno California, taking Fast Time honors, with a 12.761 second run. The Track Record set by local driver Kelly Newman two weeks ago still stands at 12.751. There were five cars with qualifying times in the 12-second bracket. With less than a one second difference between the fastest car of Jeff Gardner's 12.761, and the twentieth fastest run made by Jimmy Hamilton's 13.562 time, we knew we were in for some great racing.

Before the Main Event started, several of the USAC competitors, including Jimmy Sills, Amy Barnes, Mike Boat, and Shauna Hogg, were interviewed by the infield announcer Mike Minegar, at the Flag Stand. During and after the interviews the drivers signed autographs for at least 100 children. That was a special time, for many of the kids, which they will always remember.

The racing was so competitive Fast Time qualifier Jeff Gardner, the eventual Main Event winner Tony Hunt, local hero Kenny Hamilton and one of the nations best Sprint Car drivers, Jimmy Sills had to run the Semi-Main to get into the Main Event.

The 40 lap, 20 car Main Event started with Mike Boat pounding to the lead. He was challenged immediately by Kevin Kierce. Behind these guys were Jimmy Sills, Shauna Hogg, Burney Lamar, Kelly Newman, Amy Barnes, and Tony Hunt. If you can picture a swarm of mad bees swirling around, that is what these cars were like. The furious race action continued, without a letup lap after lap. On Lap 11 Kelly Newman dropped out and went to the pits. On the next lap the race leader Mike Boat caught up to lapped traffic. Jimmy Sills, now in second place, tried to go to first, didn't quite get there, but stayed wheel-to-wheel with Mike. Now in steps Amy Barnes and Jeff Gardner on lap 14. Jimmy, not giving an inch, and in fact, taking a few inches himself made the racing even more exciting. Sills, not able to pass Mike Boat on the outside, dropped low and inside Mike's line. Barnes and Gardner in the upper groove went along with Sills into turn three. In turn four they tangled, bringing out the first Yellow Flag. Sills car had to be carried to the pits. Barnes and Gardner were also finished. On the ensuing Green Flag lap, Tony Hunt muscled his way to first place. Burney Lamar also wanted to win and Tony was in his way. On laps 16 and 17, Burney looked like he was trading Nerf bars with Tony. Mike Boat, now in third, moved in on Burney and started running side-by-side with him. It seemed half the field was side-by-side too. Burney, seemingly not intimidated by Boat stayed on the leader's backside. Shauna Hogg was also putting on a show, running side-by-side with everyone or diving into the turns making room for her car. If someone didn't make room for her, she cleanly made some room with her Nerf bars and tires. This fantastic display of racing ability, by everyone, continued to lap 32. On this lap, Burney Lamar, still pounding around the track in second place was trying to figure out Tony Hunt-in first place. He got his chance when Tony was slowed by a lapped car. We had a new leader-for about 10 seconds. Chuck Maddox spun just as Burney had snatched the lead. Out came the Yellow Flag, back to second Burney went. As the cars were coming around for the Green Flag, Mike Boat in third was reminding Burney he was right behind him. Burney, too, was Nerfing Tony down the backstretch. The race ran to completion with more of the same wheel-to-wheel and nerfbar-to-nerfbar action. The top five, at the Checkered Flag, were Tony Hunt, Burney Lamar, Mike Boat, Kevin Kierce, and Rick Williams.

The top qualifier for the home cars was Kelly Newman with a 13.069-qualifying run. Jimmy Hamilton and Darren Spiers both won their respective Heat Races. Kenny Hamilton had the best finish in the Main Event, coming in ninth, driving "The Pink Lady." Jimmy Hamilton followed Kenny to tenth place. Craig Panike was twelfth, Darren Spiers fifteenth, Dan Lyons sixteenth (Dan had Break trouble again), and Kelly Newman wound up in twentieth position.

July 15 USAC Results
Fast Time: Rick Williams 12.761
Heat 1: Brian Evans, Craig Panike, Mike Boat, Amy Barnes
Heat 2: Jimmy Hamilton, Kelly Newman, Kevin Kierce, Brian Stanfill
Heat 3: Darren Spiers, Rick Williams, Danny Lyons, Burney Lamar
Semi-Main: Jeff Gardner, Jimmy Sills, Tony Hunt, Kenny Hamilton, Todd Ellison
Main Event: Tony Hunt, Burney Lamar, Mike Boat, Kevin Kierce, Rick Williams, Shauna Hogg, Todd Ellison, Brian Stanfill, Kenny Hamilton, Jimmy Hamilton, Brian Evans, Craig Panike, Mike McCreary, Chuck Maddox, Darren Spiers, Danny Lyons, Jimmy Sills, Jeff Gardner, Amy Barnes, Kelly Newman

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