MERIDIAN, Idaho — The hometown for local racing for six decades will be honored Saturday night during City of Meridian Night at the Races at ASA-sanctioned Meridian Speedway.
The town has been Western Idaho’s cradle of speed since 1951, when the speedway opened as a dirt track.
Topping the card Saturday are two 50-lap main events for the ASA Modifieds as the drivers continue to compete for the ASA Joe Gibbs Driven National Member Track Champion Award as top short track driver in the nation.
Boise, Idaho, modified driver Rus Ward is sixth in the Western Regional points. He leads the season series at Meridian by 31 points over Tom Hill of Eagle, Idaho.
Other classes on tap Saturday include Late Model Lites, Mini Stocks, Domino's Pizza Bandoleros and Thunder Dogs.
The gates open at 4 p.m. with racing at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $7.50 for senior citizens and military personnel with ID, $6 for children 7-11 and free for children 6 and younger. Advance tickets are available at NAPA Auto Parts stores in Meridian and Kuna.
Two Nampa, Idaho, drivers are set to rejoin the battle for the top in the Late Model Lites standings. Joe Barton holds a 35-point lead over Shaun Tubbs.
After his feature victory last weekend, Eddie Abels has crept to within 10 points of Mini Stocks season leader and fellow Meridian racer Ray Bolinger.
Another tight race has developed in the entry-level Domino's Pizza Bandoleros. Andrew Clark of Meridian clings to a six-point lead over Chase Gilbertson in a class that features some of the speedway's youngest drivers.
Tommy White of Boise still hangs on to the Thunder Dogs points lead, although Chris Carlson of Boise and Bill Lacy of Melba, Idaho -- second and third in the standings, respectively -- have taken steps toward the leader in recent action.
For more information on Meridian Speedway, call 888-2813 or log on to www.meridianspeedway.com.
As an American Speed Association-sanctioned track, Meridian Speedway is part of the ASA Member Track National Championship for the Modified division.
The goal of the ASA Short Track National Championship is to activate a measuring system that takes into account many variables, such as field size, inversion, wins and number of races in a season, and create a level playing field to determine who is the ‘best-of-the-best’ of the ASA Member Track Champions Nationwide.
The ASA Joe Gibbs Driven National Member Track Champion Award was designed to give the National Champion exposure with one of the top teams in racing — Joe Gibbs Racing. Joe Gibbs Driven Oil, a division of Joe Gibbs Racing, sells the actual oil products developed and used by Joe Gibbs Racing to racers at all levels. More information can be found at www.joegibbsdriven.com.
The ASA Member Track program is comprised of a network of short tracks around the United States, as well as a variety of regional and national touring series. For news and information from all the racetracks and tours involved in the American Speed Association, visit www.ASA-Racing.com.
Meridian Speedway
Meridian, ID
2009 points standings
(Through Aug. 15 races)
ASA Modifieds — 1. Rus Ward, Boise, ID, 505 points; 2. Tom Hill, Eagle, ID, 474; 3. Chris Fenton, Meridian, ID, 451; 4. Tony Ackerland, Star, ID, 439; 5. Charlie Ham Jr., Boise, ID, 432
Winged Sprints — 1. Chris Ratterree, Nampa, ID, 621 points; 2. Cory Lockwood, Nampa, ID, 578; 3. Sierra Jackson, Middleton, ID, 507; 4. Cody Veenstra, Emmett, ID, 477; 5. Matt Elliott, Nampa, ID, 359
Non-winged Sprints — 1. Johnny Giesler, Meridian, ID, 785 points; 2. Wyatt King, Meridian, ID, 688; 3. Rob Grice, Nampa, ID, 465; 4. Zach Wilson, Boise, ID, 435; 5. Richard Perkins, Caldwell, ID, 345
Super Stocks — 1. Phillip Zubizareta, Boise, ID, 335; 2. Dennis Brodigan, Nampa, ID, 320; 3. Rick Baldwin, Middleton, ID, 305; 4. Gale Carter, Boise, ID, 286; 5. Terry Lydell, Mountain Home, ID, 273 points
Late Model Lites — 1. Joe Barton, Nampa, ID, 322 points; 2. Shaun Tubbs, Nampa, ID, 287; 3. Rob Powers, Meridian, ID, 267; 4. Jim Bailey, Middleton, ID, 259; 5. Kale Freedman, Meridian, ID, 254
Street Stocks — 1. Jaramie Fuss, Kuna, ID, 659 points; 2. Marv Weaver, Nampa, ID, 547; 3. David Short, Meridian, ID, 491; 4. Melissa Scott, Nampa, ID, 455; 5. Chad Bess, Nampa, ID, 447
Mini Stocks — 1. Ray Bolinger, Meridian, ID, 566 points; 2. Eddie Abels, Meridian, ID, 556; 3. Jason Sanders, Caldwell, ID, 503; 4. Tyler Burlingame, Meridian, ID, 416; 5. Donovan Parker, Boise, ID, 316
Late Models — 1. John Nesmith, Meridian, ID, 196 points; 2. Travis Milburn, Eagle, ID, 165; 3. Dan Buckley, Emmett, ID, 151; 4. Craig Doehling, Boise, ID, 133; 5. Jeff Jefferson, Yakima, Wash., 122
Legends — 1. Travis Anderson, Boise, ID, 659 points; 2. Camron Madsen, Boise, ID, 506; 3. Rob Collins, McCall, ID, 339; 4. Ryan Byrd, Salt Lake City, Utah, 338; 5. Darin Turpen, Nampa, ID, 238
Thunder Dogs — 1. Tommy White, Boise, ID, 376 points; 2. Chris Carlson, Boise, ID, 324; 3. Bill Lacy, Melba, ID, 305; 4. Jim Anderson, Meridian, ID, 279; 5. Dion States, Meridian, ID, 272
Hornets — 1. Vern Cornish, Nampa, ID, 493 points; 2. Mike Davis, Boise, ID, 468; 3. Eric Harry, Boise, ID, 423; 4. Tyler Saxton, New Plymouth, ID, 416; 5. Tony Johns, Boise, ID, 401
Jr. Stingers — 1. Andrew Clark, Meridian, ID, 252; 2. Chance Davis, Emmett, ID, 207; 3. Colton Nelson, Meridian, ID, 185; 4. Jonathan Hull, 108; 5. Mike Williams, 106
Bandoleros — 1. Andrew Clark, Meridian, ID, 155; 2. Chase Gilbertson, 149; 3. Brok Kidd, Meridian, ID, 128; 4. Michael Hilliker, Sheridan, Mont., 72; 5. Cameron Cotta, 61
