HILL WINS EXCITING NAPA AUTO PARTS 125 AT ASA’S MERIDIAN SPEEDWAY

Source: RMCS Public Relations
Date: 08/01/2006

MERIDIAN, Idaho -- With the temperature hovering around the 100O mark, the action heated up Saturday night for the NAPA Rocky Mountain Challenge Series (RMCS) in the NAPA Auto Parts 125. Boise native and past Meridian Speedway Future Stock Champion, Dave Minegar set the pace for the night turning the fastest qualifying lap with a 13.614 second lap or 66.109 MPH around the tight quarter mile oval. This was the 2nd of 3 events for the NAPA RMCS at Meridian Speedway this year. Minegar set the track record for the series, 15.520, the first time out on June 24.

With the field fully inverted for the NAPA Auto Parts 125 feature event Kevin Butler, Meridian NAPA Auto Parts Store Manager, gave the command “Gentleman Start Your Engines.” Jaramie Fuss, Boise, Id, starting from the pole, led the first few laps. Scott Durbin, also from Boise, started on the outside pole and could not get up to speed started to drop back. Heads up driving by all allowed the outside groove to move to the inside as the drivers settled in for a long race.

Meridian Idaho’s John Nesmith took the lead passing Fuss on the outside on the 4th circuit. Dave Doan, Kuna, Id, and Quint Whitman, Meridian, made contact in turn 3 on the 4th lap but the field stayed green as both drivers were able to maintain control of their rides. Doan slowed and pulled into the infield on the next lap with mechanical problems. Sixteen year old Tyler Monroe, Star Idaho resident and 2005 Meridian Speedway Street Stock Champion, moved up from his 7th starting spot to 2nd on the 6th lap. Tom Hill, Eagle, Id moved into third on the same lap. Monroe and Hill battled several laps for the 2nd spot as Nesmith was able to separate him self by a few car lengths. On the 10th lap Monroe went high and Hill snuck under for the 2nd spot. Minegar starting 16th gained the most positions at this point and was running in the 7th spot.

The drivers now settled in and ran several laps with out any real battle for position. By lap 20 Hill and Monroe had reduced Nesmith’s 3-car length lead down to inches. These 3 ran nose to tail each trying to out maneuver the other over the next 30 laps. While that was going on in front about 5 car lengths back Nampa, Idaho’s, Chad Cannon the winner of the first RMCS race at Meridian this season, was holding off Meridian’s Brian Warf, Minegar, John Newhouse, Twin Falls, Id, and Kuna’s Craig Bell. These 5 drivers were in that second pack of cars running nose to tail.

On lap 52, Nesmith behind slower traffic went high with Hill right behind him. Monroe was under Hill and than Nesmith for the lead. With the group coming out of turn 2 the slower car went high and Monroe was able to pull slightly ahead of Nesmith and Hill as those two negotiated around the slower car. Hill and Nesmith battled for 2nd and Monroe was able to open up a gap between him and the 2nd and 3rd place cars. Monroe had a 1.7 second lead over Nesmith on lap 60, by lap 75 the gap was widened to 3.1 seconds. Monroe maintained that distance for over 20 laps.

Still behind the top 3 the battle continued over 4th spot. Bell moved into the 4th spot, outside Warf, on lap 89. By this time 2nd through 8th place was nose to tail. On the next circuit Bell moved outside Hill and moved into the 3rd spot on the leader board. Continuing outside Bell moved into the 2nd position on the 93rd trip round the quarter mile oval. Bell quickly cut Monroe’s lead to 2.9 seconds on the 94th lap. Nesmith help reduce that lead to nothing when he lost the grip in turn 4 and spun bringing out the first caution period of the race.

On the restart Monroe held off a challenge by Bell and maintained the lead. The two ran nose to tail. Just 4 laps into this run Cannon lost grip and spun bringing out the 2nd caution.

Monroe again held off Bell on the restart and the two ran cleanly around the track for the next 23 laps. On lap 122 with 3 laps remaining Bell and Monroe made contact with each other. Monroe spun bringing out the 3rd and final caution of the race. Both Monroe and Bell were placed behind the lead lap cars for the restart. Hill assumed the lead with Warf, Newhouse and Minegar running 2nd to 4th. Hill held off an early challenge from Warf. Minegar moved under Newhouse on lap 123 for 3rd. Hill opened up a car length lead over Warf and went on for the win. Hill also won the first race of the season at Magic Valley Speedway.

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