JONES TAKES THE FIFTH AT MV SPEEDWAY

TWIN FALLS, Idaho -- The Pepsi Premier Division main event race began with two Dans, Doan and Pehrson, leading the field to the green flag start but in the end it was a pair of Steves, Jones and Fisher, who took the checkered flag first and second respectively.

Jones’ win – his fifth of the season - keeps him at the top of the standings with just four races remaining on the schedule until the chase for the championship begins July 28, but in the meantime Jones also has tire games to play.

“The strategy is to keep the best tires on the car at all times,” Jones explained. “Joe (Thomas) has been writing down every lap of every tire and checks everything. So baring any problems going into the chase were going to have a good amount of tires going into the last five.”

Doan, who was roughed up in his first night out this season in the June 9 race, led the main event race for the initial 19 laps, but had to exit the track with mechanical issues. It was then that Sam Harris, Jr., who had been right up there with Doan, took over the lead – but his time there was short-lived as Jones had already made his moves through the field. Jones took the lead at lap 23 and was on the fast track for the win until a caution at lap 46 threw a monkey wrench in the works. By this time Steve Fisher had moved into second, and the restart placed the pair in line on the high side with just four laps remaining in the race. Another caution was displayed just two laps later, but both times Jones was able to get the advantage and stay ahead of Fisher with Harris finishing third.

Jones is focusing on more than just wins this year after disappointing seasons the last two years.

“My goal is to get maybe in the top fifty in the nation in the short track racing – that would be just cool to me. They rate the top 500 drivers in the nation and there has to be 50 thousand of them. To be in the top 50 would be a pretty good honor.”

Fisher has been holding steady in the point standings but knows every race counts when it comes to where he wants to be four races from now.

“I like to advance so that we could be higher in points when the chase starts,” Fisher said. “ We had some problems in practice and in qualifying tonight - so we threw something at it hoping it would work and it did. It was a phenomenal car tonight and I’m real proud of my team.”

It only took Louis Lopez six laps to assume the lead in the Budweiser Grand Nationals main event - and went on to cross the finish line nearly three seconds ahead up runner-up in the race Jerry McKean. With Lopez’ big advantage over the rest of the field, it was McKean and Jonathon Gomez battling for second while Kent Jensen and previous main event winner Kenny Hatke fought for fourth. With the win, Lopez has now collected a 20- point advantage over Hatke in the point standings.

Jonathon Gomez has been on a roll in the month of June, as the NAPA Pony Stocks division driver scored his second main event victory in two weeks.

Billi Miles, fresh off a wreck the previous weekend, won her qualifying race which earned her a spot in the front row starting next to Kevin Grubbs. Miles held the lead for the first 14 laps until Gomez – who had started the race deep in the field – was able to get underneath Miles and take over the show. Jason Whited gave it all he had to try and catch Gomez, but ran out of laps and had to settle for second.

“Some nights there’s a hole for you to get through and other nights you’re back there following another guy and you can’t get around them,” Gomez said. “But it worked out for me tonight.”

A new main event winner emerged in the Magic Valley Pipe Thunder Stocks division after Spencer Meyer took command of the race at lap one and never let up, finishing whopping 7.317 seconds over nearest competitor Jim Shirley. Shirley had dug his way out from the rear of the pack to meet with Craig Nuthak and Brian Lopez and the trio immersed in a battle for the runner-up position – with Meyer’s pulling away as they fought amongst themselves.

Meyers was optimistic going into the race – but the weather also played a factor according to the driver of the No. 12 car.

“I wasn’t real confident earlier when it was so hot, but it cooled down and it was really hooking up. We don’t normally run in the second groove but it was handing great there,” Meyer said.

The Quale’s Electronics Queen Bees main event winner was Alesha Dalton, who held off Misty Greco to reel in her first win of the season. Greco’s second place finish in the race brought her to within two points of leader in the standings Darcy Harcourt with five races remaining in the season.