MERIDIAN, Idaho — Some of the fastest drivers in the West will help ASA-sanctioned Meridian Speedway close its 2010 season this weekend.
Ultra-successful open-wheel driver Tony Hunt of Fair Oaks, Calif., leads a contingent of USAC Western Sprintcar Series competitors to the quarter-mile paved bullring for the only two-day show on the series schedule. It also marks only the third time this season that the series has raced outside of California.
Hunt has won four times in nine USAC Western Series starts this year, including his 30th career Western victory at All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif., in the series’ last outing on Aug. 21.
The USAC racers, who race wingless sprintcars, are scheduled to run two 50-lap main events Friday and Saturday.
Also on the card this weekend are championship races for several Meridian Speedway series including the Pepsi Sprintcars, Projecct Filter Pro-4s, ESI Express ASA Modifieds, College of Western Idaho Professional Truck Driving School Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, Tates Rents Hornets and Thunder Dogs.
Gates open at 4 p.m. both nights with racing at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets both nights are $15 for adults, $12.50 for senior citizens and military personnel with ID, $11 for children 7-11, and children 6 and younger get in free. Fans can skip the lines at the admission gate by purchasing tickets in advance at 17 Treasure Valley NAPA Auto Parts locations. Just ask for “Speedway” tickets at the counter.
Call (208) 888-2813 or visit www.meridianspeedway.com for more information.
Hunt will be among as many as 24 drivers from three states entering the USAC races, including Meridian, Idaho’s Johnny Giesler, who has all but wrapped up a second consecutive championship in the Pepsi Sprintcars, the speedway’s wingless open-wheel division. Drivers also are expected from Utah, and the top four racers in the USAC series — Luis Ramos III, Shauna Hogg, Audra Sasselli and Hunt — have committed to show up.
Other local drivers who will be on the track include back-to-back Mtn. Dew Winged Sprintcar champion Chris Ratterree of Nampa, Idaho; former USAC national driver Mike Murgoitio of Meridian, Idaho; Boise, Idaho’s Dave Parrie; Middleton, Idaho’s Sierra Jackson; Adrian, Ore.’s Darren Spiers; Meridian’s Bryan Warf; Caldwell, Idaho’s Brandon Johnson, who is known as “Smoke” for his tire-burning turns; Meridian’s Matt Elliott and Nampa’s Cory Lockwood.
A third-generation representative of a famous open-wheel racing family, Hunt is the grandson of Joe Hunt who owned cars entered at the Indianapolis 500 in 1951 and 1981. Tony’s father, Tommy, took over the family business 25 years ago and also is known for driving midgets and sprintcars in the California Racing Association.
A five-time USAC champion, Tony Hunt is one of the most successful and one of the fastest USAC sprintcar drivers around. He has 52 USAC feature victories and has won the pole position for USAC-sanctioned events 63 times. Thirty victories and 41 poles have come in the Western States Series.
Hunt’s challengers this weekend include Luis Ramos III from Clovis, Calif., who won the May 15 Western States appearance at Roseville and sits 63 points behind hunt in the season standings. The Meridian show marks the second-to-last stop for the Western States series, which concludes the 2010 season Nov. 25 at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale in California.
Two women drivers occupy third and fourth in the series standings this season with Audra Sasselli of Fresno, Calif., just three points ahead of Shauna Hogg of Citrus Heights, Calif. Another point behind Hogg is Jojo Helberg of Rohnert Park, Calif.
Meridian’s own open-wheel stars will run out the string Saturday as Meridian, Idaho’s Johnny Giesler wraps up his second consecutive series championship in the Pepsi Sprintcars. Giesler holds a substantial lead over second-place Joe Ransom of Boise, Idaho.
The championship weekend opens Friday as another local driver, Tom Hill of Eagle, Idaho, tries to secure back-to-back track titles in the ESI Express ASA Modifieds series. Hill holds a 28-point lead over Nampa, Idaho’s Shelby Stroebel as the series concludes the season with a double feature. Hill’s brother Jeff, a driver out of Meridian, is only 41 points behind the leader as the series roars to an exciting climax.
Another Meridian driver, Ray Bolinger, is looking for the Mini Stocks season title. He holds a 58-point edge over second-place Eddie Ables of Middleton, Idaho. The Mini Stocks end the season Friday night.
Western Idaho Racing Association Hall-of-Famer Kenny Chandler of Boise, Idaho, finds himself in a position similar to Giesler’s. He has all but wrapped up the Project Filter Pro-4 series championship after starting the season in dominant fashion. The Pro-4s close out the season Friday, too.
Saturday’s show is dedicated to the memory of Tom Elliott, Matt Elliott’s father and a well-respected regular in the pits at Meridian, who died of a heart attack on Labor Day 2009.
Saturday’s schedule features a tight points battle in the Tates Rents Hornets. Art Heath of Nampa, who gave up his racecar earlier this season to preserve his first-place status, leads Boise’s Larry Hull by only five points. Heath is now driving a replacement car.
Another class that runs Saturday, the College of Western Idaho Professional Truck Driving School Street Stocks, doesn’t have quite as much drama in its final race. There is the father-daughter battle, though. Melissa Scott of Nampa, who looked to be running away with the season championship earlier this season, holds a 153-point lead over her father, Marv Weaver, who began racing at Meridian in the early 1960s and won his first championship in 1964.
Hot Wheels will attempt to hold on to the top spot in the Thunder Dogs series Saturday night. The car, driven by Brett Sullivan Jr. of Boise, is 40 points ahead of Old Skool, which is piloted by Kuna, Idaho’s Dakota Allen.
USAC Western Sprintcar Series
2010 points standings
After Aug. 21 race
1. Tony Hunt, Fair Oaks, Calif., 334 points; 2. Luis Ramos III, Clovis, Calif., 271; 3. Audra Sasselli, Fresno, Calif., 226; 4. Shauna Hogg, Citrus Heights, Calif., 223; 5. Jojo Helberg, Rohnert Park, Calif., 222; 6. Tanner Swanson, Kingsburg, Calif., 175; 7. Marvin Mitchell, Vernalis, Calif., 173; 8. Scott Pierovich, Alamo, Calif., 168; 9. Kody Swanson, Kingsburg, Calif., 129; 10. Gordon Rodgers, Winton, Calif., 78
Meridian Speedway
2010 points standings
After Sept. 11 races
Mtn. Dew Winged Sprints (final) — 1. Chris Ratterree, Nampa, 838 points; 2. Mike Murgoitio, Meridian, 822; 3. Sierra Jackson, Middleton, Idaho, 569; 4. Don Kithcart, Eagle, 485; Kirk Wartman, Boise, 432; 6. Darren Spiers, Adrian, Ore., 393; 7. Chris Adams, Nampa, 300; 8. Dave Parrie, Boise, 277; 5. 9. Darin Turpen, Nampa, 161; 10. Matt Elliott, Nampa, 158
NAPA Late Model Sportsman (final) — 1. Dan Buckley, Emmett, Idaho, 663 points; 2. Dennis Brodigan, Nampa, 416; 3. Jaramie Fuss, Kuna, 406; 4. Tyler Monroe, Star, Idaho, 387; 5. Dylan Caldwell, Nampa, 380; 6. John Nesmith, Meridian, 311; 7. Chris Fenton, Meridian, 301; 8. Josh Jackson, Ontario, Ore., 292; 9. Jeff Wilson, Mountain Home, Idaho, 260; 10. Dan Lowther, Boise, 235
Domino’s Pizza Legends (final)— 1. Camron Madsen, Boise, 1,073 points; 2. Travis Anderson, Boise, 1,048; 3. Sara Henry, Nampa, 811; 4. Austin Hager, Meridian, 796; 5. Cameron Cotta, Meridian, 539; 6. Brent Collins, McCall, Idaho, 515; 7. Darin Turpen, Nampa, 503; 8. Rod Stiller, Meridian, 467; 9. Ron Hayes, Boise, 441; 10. Randy Keckley, Boise, 346
Jr. Stingers (final) — 1. Colton Nelson, Meridian, 327 points; 2. Chance Davis, Emmett, 326; 3. Jonathan Hull, Boise, 263; 4. Matthew Burger, Meridian, 260; 5. Hunter Gates, Boise, 250; 6. Zach Blume, Eagle, 242; 7. Cody Garrett, Boise, 200; 8. Tyson Fuss, Kuna, 191; 9. Nick Isaacson, Boise, 175; 9. Charlie Fiscus, Star, 149
ESI Express ASA Modifieds — 1. Tom Hill, Eagle, Idaho, 1,020 points; 2. Shelby Stroebel, Nampa, Idaho, 992; 3. Jeff Hill, Meridian, Idaho, 979; 4. Charlie Ham Jr., Kuna, Idaho, 841; 5. Chris Fenton, Meridian, 808; 6. Jentry Pisca, Nampa, 623; 7. Darrel Dolling, Boise, 555; 8. Tony Ackerland, Star, Idaho, 347; 9. Mike Winchel, Kuna, 295; 10. Kevin Zimmer, Horseshoe Bend, Idaho, 288
Pepsi Sprintcars — 1. Johnny Giesler, Meridian, 1,016 points; 2. Joe Ransom, Boise, 865; 3. Wyatt King, Meridian, 789; 4. Carl Marcum, Meridian, 722; 5. Eric Ransom, Boise, 555; 6. Kelly Newman, Boise, 540; 7. Aly Clark, Meridian, 415; 8. Josh Allen, Meridian, 410; 9. Erik Miller, Caldwell, Idaho, 288; 10. Ryan Wiederich, Meridian, 245
Project Filter Pro-4s — 1. Kenny Chandler, Boise, 820 points; 2. Tyler Bailey, Middleton, 535; 3. Casey Tillman, Kuna, 525; 4. Jim Bailey, Middleton, 522; 5. Kale Freedman, Meridian, 450; 6. David Short, Meridian, 369; 7. Rob Powers, Meridian, 342; 8. John Peterson, Boise, 290; 9. Kyle Latham, Boise, 246; 10. Dan Smith, Emmett, 230
CWI PTDS Street Stocks — 1. Melissa Scott, Nampa, 1,111 points; 2. Marv Weaver, Nampa, 958; 3. Chad Bess, Nampa, 814; 4. Jeffrey Meads, Nampa, 752; 5. Jim Anderson, Meridian, 617; 6. Pat Young, Kuna, 614; 7. Shawn Hansen, Boise, 463; 8. Tim Elam, Boise, 425; 9. Nick Lane, Caldwell, 385; 10. Micky Lawson, Caldwell, 329
Mini Stocks — 1. Ray Bolinger, Meridian, 935 points; 2. Eddie Ables, Middleton, 857; 3. Jason Sanders, Caldwell, 809; 4. Tyler Burlingame, Meridian, 768; 5. Dell Scott, Nampa, 751; 6. Jason Lampman, Middleton, 647; 7. Scott Shoecraft, Boise, 583; 8. Kirk Sanders, Nampa, 471; 9. Vern Bolinger, Emmett, 443; 10. (tie) Quentin Ward, Meridian, 279; Donovan Parker, Kuna, 279
Tates Rents Hornets — 1. Art Heath, Nampa, 584 points; 2. Larry Hull, Boise, 579; 3. Danielle Summers, Nampa, 437; 4. Mike Fortin, Durkee, Ore., 427; 5. Mary Johnson, Meridian, 419; 6. Stacy Heath, Nampa, 408; 7. Fred Nagele, Boise, 385; 8. Catilin Stroebel, Nampa, 378; 9. David Tankersley, Nampa, 350; 10. Sharlet Patero, Mountain Home, 342
Thunder Dogs — 1. Hot Wheels (Brett Sullivan Jr. and Martin Anderson, Boise), 427; 2. Old Skool (Dakota Allen, Kuna), 387; 3. Winged Snot Rod (Chris Carlson, Boise), 366; 4. (tie) Fare Lady (Kennan Irons, Boise), 344; Sledge Hammer (David Jolley, Nampa), 344; 6. Red Neck Rampage (Kane Thomasson, Kuna), 335; 7. The Cougar (Scott Sudduth and John Pinkston, Meridian), 316; 8. Fatimus Prime (Ryan Allen, Kuna), 268; 9. Bumble Bee (David Romero, Boise), 264; 10. IP Freely (Brian Duval, Kuna), 249
