MERIDIAN, Idaho — Friday night at ASA-sanctioned Meridian Speedway was a classic example of why open-wheel racing has been king in the Treasure Valley for decades.
Defending ASA Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association champion Matt Hein of Roseburg, Ore., got the season off to a positive start with a victory in the first night of the Hendrickson’s Fine Jewelry Diamond Cup.
"We struggled earlier in the day, but we got it running well, so hopefully we can repeat tomorrow," Hein said. He finished ahead of fast-time qualifier Chris Ratterree and third-place Cory Lockwood, both local drivers from Nampa, Idaho.
After winning the 40-lap feature in racing that some observers said was the best sprintcar action seen in years at the quarter-mile track, Hein will go after the diamond ring tonight when the races continue at Meridian. Tonight's feature will go 50 laps.
The gates open at 4 p.m. with qualifying at 5 p.m. and racing at 6:30 p.m.
For more information, log on to www.meridianspeedway.com.
Other winners Friday night included Jamey Frostrom (30-lap Mini Stock main), Monte Potter (30-lap ASA Modified main) and Travis Anderson (25-lap Legends main).
A three-time winner in 2008, including the second-to-last race of the ASA NSRA season Sept. 26 at Meridian, Hein shot to the lead in the feature with a strong run out of Turn 4 on Lap 20. The power move allowed Hein to flash past Cody Veenstra after several laps of trying to get past the Emmett, Idaho, driver.
Hein actually had gotten past Veenstra in Turn 3 on Lap 20, but had to fall back when Greg Middendorf of Snohomish, Wash., spun in the first turn to bring out the race's first caution flag. The race lineup reverted to the last completed lap, putting Hein behind Veenstra again.
The ASA NSRA main event was stopped by a red flag on Lap 34 when Middleton, Idaho's Sierra Jackson -- one of the night's fastest drivers -- wound up on her side in Turn 3. Jackson appeared to ride up on the tire of one of her fellow racers, which sent her car airborne against the wall and eventually on its side in the middle of the turn. Jackson emerged unscathed from her heavily damaged race car.
Frostrom belied his nickname, "Frosty", and picked up a hot victory in the Mini Stock main. It was his first feature triumph, and it came by a comfortable margin over Jeff Hasson.
Frostrom fended off Jason Sanders for many laps until Sanders spun out while running second on Lap 26.
Frostrom had a nice cushion of five lapped cars between he and Hasson when the restart came. Frostrom also picked up a heat race victory. Hasson was a heat race winner, too.
Monte Potter of Boise, Idaho, made his return to ASA Modified racing pay off, ducking under 17-year-old Dylan Caldwell to take the lead about 10 laps into the 30-lap main event. Caldwell was driving a secondary car after wrecking his race car less than a week earlier in the Sean Miller Memorial. That wreck sent Caldwell to the emergency room to get stitches to close a gash in his knee.
Potter, who hadn't raced a modified in five years, took full advantage when Caldwell left the door open while leading early.
"He put it in (the corner) a little deep in Turn 3 and slid up the track a little bit," Potter said, explaining his opportunity.
Caldwell finished third behind Kevin Zimmer of Horseshoe Bend, Idaho.
In the first main event of the night, Travis Anderson made fast time stand up and won the 25-lap Legends feature against Salt Lake City, Utah's Ryan Byrd. Byrd won the main event two weeks earlier in the Legends' first appearance of the year on the tight quarter-mile.
The ASA/NSRA sprintcars A Heat was stalled before it began when Cam McLean of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, was knocked out on what was to be the final pace lap. McLean's race car suffered a broken tie-rod when he collided with Boise’s Dave Parrie. Parrie appeared to slow as the cars were making their way through Turns 3-4.
Jackson ran away with an easy win in the top heat after passing Canadian Jeff Bird on the second lap. Jackson was the first driver to crack 12 seconds in qualifying and also out-paced three competitors, including Hein in the A Trophy Dash earlier in the night. That dash field also included Ratterree, who grabbed fast time of 11.796 seconds five days after winning the Bob and Tom Naylor Memorial Classic at Meridian.
Jeff Montgomery of Victoria, B.C., passed Roseburg, Ore., driver Andy Alberding in Turn 4 on Lap 5 and then cruised to the win in the eight-lap B Heat for the sprintcars.
Another Victoria driver -- Matt Mansell -- picked up a couple preliminary victories, winning the C Heat and the B Trophy Dash.
| ASA Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association |
|---|
| Diamond Cup -- 1. Matt Hein, Roseburg, Ore.; 2. Chris Ratterree, Nampa, Idaho; 3. Cory Lockwood, Nampa; 4. Jeff Montgomery, Victoria, British Columbia; 5. Cody Veenstra, Emmett, Idaho A Heat -- 1. Sierra Jackson, Middleton, Idaho; 2. Jeff Bird, Lake Shawnigan, B.C.; 3. Chris Ratterree, Nampa; 4. Dave Parrie, Boise; 5. Jim Brock, Sutherlin,Ore. B Heat -- 1. Jeff Montgomery, Victoria, British Columbia; 2. Andy Alberding, Roseburg, Ore.; 3. Justin Mack, Benton City, Wash.; 4. Cory Lockwood, Nampa, Idaho; 5. Todd Coleman, Lynnwood, Wash. C Heat -- 1. Matt Mansell, Victoria, B.C.; 2. Greg Middledorf, Snohomish, Wash.; 3. Cody Veenstra, Emmett, Idaho; 4. Matt Hein, Roseburg, Ore.; 5. Dave Quick, Weiser, Idaho A Trophy Dash -- 1. Sierra Jackson, Middleton, Idaho; 2. Hein; 3. Montgomery; 4. Chris Ratterree, Nampa, Idaho B Trophy Dash -- 1. Mansell; 2. Dave Parrie, Boise, Idaho; 3. Cam McLean, Vancouver Island, B.C.; 4. Coleman Fast time -- Chris Ratterree, Nampa, 11.796 seconds |
| ASA Modifieds |
| Main event -- 1. Monte Potter, Boise; 2. Kevin Zimmer, Horseshoe Bend, Idaho; 3. Dylan Caldwell, Nampa; 4. Rus Ward; 5. Travis Millburn, Eagle, Idaho Fast Dash -- 1. Millburn; 2. Shelby Stroebel; 3. Jentry Pisca, Nampa; 4. Chris Fenton, Meridian; 5. Tony Ackerland, Star, Idaho Heat race No. 2 -- 1. Tim Elam, Boise; 2. Dustin Stephenson, Nampa; 3. Potter; 4. Tony Wonacott; 5. Tom Hill, Eagle Heat race No. 3 -- 1. Mike Winchel; 2. Tony Phernetton, Buhl, Idaho; 3. Zimmer; 4. Caldwell;5. Brian Terry, Fresno, Calif. Fast time -- Rick Fowble, Twin Falls, Idaho, 14.419 |
| Late Model Lites |
| Main event -- 1. Joe Barton, Nampa; 2. Tyler Bailey, Middleton; 3. Casey Tillman; 4. DJ Lyons, Boise; 5. Neal Latham Fast Dash -- 1. Shaun Tubbs, Nampa; 2. Kenny Chandler, Boise, Idaho; 3. Kale Freedman, Meridian; 4. Joe Barton, Nampa; 5. D.J. Lyons, Boise Heat race No. 2 -- 1. Neal Latham; 2. Tyler Bailey, Middleton; 3. Victor Clark, Boise; 4. Chet Thorson, Eagle; 5. Casey Tillman Fast time -- Rob Powers, Meridian, 14.272 |
| Mini Stocks |
| Main event -- 1. Jamey Frostrom; 2. Jeff Hasson; 3. Dell Scott, Nampa; 4. Eddie Ables; 5. Ray Bolinger Fast Dash -- 1. Ables; 2. Kirk Sanders, Nampa; 3. Jason Sanders, Nampa; 4. Bolinger; 5. John Ellsworth Heat race No. 2 -- 1. Frostrom; 2. Monte Mitchell; 3. Chris Gillispie; 4. Matt Barfuss; 5. Quentin Ward Heat race No. 3 -- 1. Hasson; 2. Barry Taylor; 3. Everett Meeks; 4. Randy Keckley; 5. Tommy Downes Fast time -- Bolinger, 15.755 |
| Legends |
| Main event -- 1. Travis Anderson; 2. Ryan Byrd, Salt Lake City, Utah; 3. Connor Elliott, Meridian; 4. Camron Madsen, Boise; 5. Cameron Cotta, Meridian Fast Dash -- 1. Madsen; 2. Rob Collins, McCall; 3. Anderson; 4. Byrd; 5. Darin Turpen, Nampa Heat race No. 3 -- 1. Matt Irvin; 2. Jamie Leslie, Emmett, Idaho; 3. Lloyd Bigler, N. Powder, Ore.; 4. Ed Sonius, Twin Falls; 5. Joey Sonius, Twin Falls Heat race No. 2 -- 1. Cotta; 2. Don Millbourn, Nampa; 3. Elliott; 4. Ron Hayes, Boise; 5. Brent Collins, McCall, Idaho Fast time -- Anderson, 15.365 |
