MERIDIAN, Idaho – Former NASCAR Craftsman Truck driver, Butch Gilliland looked like he had the win locked up but veteran Meridian Speedway driver, John Nesmith, had other plans. At ASA member track, Meridian Speedway, the 40 lap Late Model main event started out with Dan Lowther and Troy Evans sharing the front row.
At the green Butch Gilliland charged towards the front on the outside of the leaders. By lap eight he took the lead away from Lowther with Phil Dugan in tow. With John Nesmith and Chris Ratterree following it resembled a bullet train to the front. On lap 16 Nesmith nosed inside of Dugan and moved right on by but Ratterree tried to follow and then things went wrong, terribly wrong. Dugan and Ratterree bumped and put Dugan sideways and Ratterree with no where to go slid on top of Dugan's car. With a literal pile up on the front stretch, the race was halted until the wrecker could clean up the mess. Dugan's car was severely damaged but Ratterree was able to restart with the rest of the cars.
After the clean up the race was shortened to 25 laps which left Nesmith just enough time to get past the former Craftsman truck driver. Nesmith looked high but a lap later jammed his nose to the inside and drove on through leaving Gilliland nothing to do but move out of the way. As before, the driver following Nesmith copied his move and went inside also; this time it was Tyler Monroe. With two laps to go it was Nesmith all the way with Monroe tight behind and Gilliland with a view of the finish that was not to be. This was Gilliland's third night at Meridian Speedway. His last time out he took home the win. Nesmith dominated the Late Model class last season but Ratterree won the last main event at Meridian Speedway and on Saturday May 10, 2008 worked his way back to fifth after restarting at the tail end of 11 cars with ten laps to go. Phil Dugan was not able to continue so he finished 12th. Following Nesmith, Monroe, and Gilliland across the finish line were, Travis Milburn, and Chris Ratterree.
The main events started with the Bandoleros in a 12 lap main. Blade Ince and Chase Gilbertson shared the front row but Gilbertson was not in a sharing mood and passed for the lead on the outside of Ince. Andrew Clark followed Gilbertson around and together they tore up the track with Colin Parker chasing them around. With one lap to go Clark spun and left the win for Gilbertson. Following Gilbertson across the finish line were Colin Parker, Blade Ince, Craig Cotta, and Andrew Clark. Gilbertson took home all three of the Bandoleros' trophies on Saturday night. Besides the main event win he won the trophy dash and the best looking car contest.
The Non Wing Sprints 30 lap main started with Cameron Sinsel on the pole with Phillip Zubizareta on the outside. Wyatt King started outside second row and moved up on the outside of Sinsel by lap two and then passed on the back stretch for the lead. With 28 laps left to go it was still anybody's race but King had other plans. When Joe Ransom passed Sinsel for second he tried to cut Kings lead but needed a caution to bunch up the group. That caution never came and the only passing done was farther back in the pack and lapped traffic. Rob Grice and Austin Hager in Johnny Giesler's car came around the outside to take third and fourth. But the top five cars were now spread around three quarters of the track with no way to make up enough time to pass. The spacing closed up by the checkered but King still had a safe margin with Ransom, Grice, Hager, and Richard Perkins following.
With two main events out of the way it was time for the Grand American Modifieds. This class of 13 cars had less than seven tenths of a second separating them in the qualifying. With a 40 lap main event in front of them there was plenty of time to race but Tom Hill wasted no time in getting to the front. Hill started in tenth but in three laps was in sixth and made up one or two positions almost every lap until he passed Bryan McDaniel on the outside to take the lead. Eight laps later his brother Jeff was in second place and by midpoint in the race the Wurtz brothers were in third and fourth with Dennis Wurtz ahead of his brother Jeff.
With 5 laps to go a caution and a restart left the group of hard chargers to make a decision with the low/high commit cone that track officials set up on the back stretch with two laps before the restart. It was inevitable that one of the Wurtz brothers would try the high side to set up for a pass around Tom Hill. Dennis Wurtz chose high but his brother Jeff chose the safer inside lane. Bryan McDaniel, AL Colwell, Travis Milburn, and Gary Ovitt also picked the high side to try to gain positions. At the restart Hill and Hill guarded their lines and held off Wurtz and Wurtz. Dennis Wurtz ended up trading positions with Jeff Wurtz but Bryan McDaniel and AL Colwell gained back their places in fifth and sixth. The checkered flag saw Tom Hill with another win followed by Jeff Hill, Jeff Wurtz, Dennis Wurtz, and Bryan McDaniel for an exciting finish.
The Legends came out for their third race night this season and the experience in the previous two race nights showed in the main event. Ed Sonius started on the pole with Doyle Hartman on the outside. They held position for several laps until Don Allen worked his way up from a sixth place start to take the lead. By midpoint of the 30 lap race the five leaders had started to have their own race with the remaining 11 cars as an obstacle course. Don Allen led the "rat pack" through the turns followed by Travis Anderson, Matt Irvin, Tom Matheson, and Erik Miler. A caution and a restart mixed things up a little but the conditions remained the same. After a second restart Jamie Ransom moved up on the outside of Allen but could not hold on long enough to make the pass when he got a little loose on turn four. Don Allen had the lead when the final caution flag came out on lap 29 of 30 so the race was checkered under caution. Jamie Ransom, Tom Matheson, Erik Miller, and Travis Anderson completed the top five and had run away from those following.
The last main event for the night was the Hornets. At the green flag the cars started to go three wide in the turns. Not flat through the turns, more like wallowing through the turns. On the first lap one of the drivers, Ben Harris, had the dubious distinction of being the second rollover in the Hornets in one night. After contact with Jerry Krahn on the back stretch Harris barrel rolled across the back stretch wall but was able to climb out of the car on his own. He made it back to the pits on his own power but his car had help from the hook. At the restart the field again mixed up postions to settle with Vern Cornish in the lead with a lot of race left to go. By the end it was Cornish by a quarter lap with Steve Lindsey, Jim Anderson, Mike Hampton, and Mike Davis in the top five.
Next week the Late Model Lites return along with the Super Stocks, the Street Stocks, Thunder Stocks and the Vintage cars. The Vintage cars are part of two vintage race car clubs that tour the northwest putting on displays and exhibition races during regular race nights and special shows. After the races the fans can tour the pits and meet the drivers of these historic vehicles. Gates open at 4 with the time trials at 5 and the racing at 6. For more information log on to www.meridianspeedway.com or call the track at (208) 888-2813.
