MERIDIAN, Idaho — Treasure Valley drivers pepper the standings of the biggest sprintcar league in the Northwest, and this weekend those racers will have the rest of the ASA Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association on their home turf.
"The racers will be chasing a $2,000 bounty for the first 10-second qualifying lap by a winged sprintcar at Meridian Speedway."
The 2011 ASA-sanctioned Meridian Speedway season wraps up Friday and Saturday with local championship races and another two-day visit by the ASA NSRA sprinters and their rocket-fast open-wheel machines.
Middleton, Idaho’s Sierra Jackson sits in third place in the NSRA standings, 30 points behind Roseburg, Ore., driver Matt Hein. Hein and Jackson both earned diamond rings in the late spring at Meridian after each won a feature of the Diamond Cup during the sprintcar series’ first visit.
Other top-10 NSRA drivers from the area include sixth-place Darren Spiers of Adrian, Ore., and No. 9-ranked Johnny Giesler of Meridian, Idaho, who has followed up his first career NSRA victory at Stateline Speedway in Post Falls on July 9 with second-place showings July 23 at Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg and Aug. 6 at Ephrata (Wash.) Raceway Park.
This weekend’s sprintcar racing at Meridian includes the annual Tom Elliott Sportsman Classic presented by Cricket on Friday and the Mtn. Dew Winged Sprints series championship race Saturday. The doubleheader marks the second-to-last outing for the ASA NSRA boys (and girl), too.
Meridian track record-holder Andy Alberding, another Roseburg rocketeer, is just seven points ahead of Jackson in the NSRA standings. The season wraps for the 360-cubic-inch sprinters on Sept. 24 at Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg.
The racers will be chasing a $2,000 bounty for the first 10-second qualifying lap by a winged sprintcar at Meridian Speedway.
Saturday’s Pepsi Championship Finale closes out the season at Meridian and will feature the second half of the weekend’s main event doubleheader for the College of Western Idaho Professional Truck Driving Street Stocks series. Reigning champion Melissa Weaver holds a 79-point lead over fellow Nampa, Idaho, racer Chad Bess with two main events remaining.
Friday’s schedule also includes the championship race for the Edmark Mini Stocks series, in which track record-holder Ray Bolinger of Meridian owns a 94-point lead over Boise, Idaho’s Scott Shoecraft. The Tates Rents Hornets championship will be awarded, too, with Josh Parkkila holding a 22-point lead over 2010 champion Larry Hull III. Both drivers are from Boise.
Saturday’s races include the Street Stocks finale, a 75-lap Modified Open and Thunder Dogs.
The gates open both nights at 4 p.m. with racing at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets each night are $15 for adults, $12.50 for senior citizens and military personnel with ID, $11 for ages 7-11 and children 6-and-under free. Buy tickets for Friday night online at www.meridianspeedway.com and save $5.
A family pass good for two adults and up to four children ages 7-11 each night is available for $46. Fans can pick up a free family pass for Friday night after buying 10 gallons of fuel at a Stinker Station.
Fans can buy tickets online at www.meridianspeedway.com, print them off at home and avoid the long lines on race night.
For more information, visit www.meridianspeedway.com or call (208) 888-2813.
Meridian Speedway
2011 points standings
After Sept. 4 races
ASA Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association — 1. Matt Hein, Roseburg, Ore., 531 points; 2. Andy Alberding, Roseburg, 508; 3. Sierra Jackson, Middleton, Idaho, 501; 4. Ron Larson, Quesnel, British Columbia, 329; 5. Jeff Montgomery, Victoria, B.C., 292; 6. Darren Spiers, Adrian, Ore., 283; 7. Vern Scevers, Roseburg, 280; 8. Greg Middendorf, Snohomish, Wash., 265; 9. Johnny Giesler, Meridian, Idaho, 264; 10. Chris Schmelzle, Victoria, B.C., 255
NAPA Late Model Sportsman (final) — Champion: Chris Fenton, Meridian, Idaho, 993 points; 2. Tyler Bailey, Middleton, Idaho, 922; 3. Tyler Monroe, Star, Idaho, 854; 4. Travis Anderson, Boise, Idaho, 718; 5.Dan Lowther, Boise, Idaho, 701; 6. Dennis Wurtz II, Kuna, Idaho, 693; 7. Mike Elliott, Meridian, Idaho, 393; 8. Dan Buckley, Emmett, Idaho, 375; 9. Jeffrey Wilson, Mountain Home, Idaho, 360; 10. Rick Fowble, Twin Falls, Idaho, 353
CWI PTD Street Stocks — 1. Melissa Weaver, Nampa, Idaho, 969 points; 2. Chad Bess, Nampa, Idaho, 890; 3. Marv Weaver, Nampa, Idaho, 798; 4. Tyler Nelson, Kuna, Idaho, 652; 5. Shawn Hansen, Boise, Idaho, 552; 6. Jeffrey Meads, Nampa, Idaho, 469; 7. Bobby Riggs, Fruitland, Idaho, 406; 8. Jim Anderson, Meridian, Idaho, 380; 9. Patrick Tully, Caldwell, Idaho, 340; 10. Roy Kirkland, Boise, Idaho, 304
Project Filter Pro-4s (final) — Champion: Joe Barton, Nampa, Idaho, 479; 2. Ken Chandler, Boise, Idaho, 493 points; 2. 3. Jim Bailey, Middleton, Idaho, 400; 4. Dayne Amyx, Boise, Idaho, 269; 5. Rob Taylor, Meridian, Idaho, 240; 6. Jordan Fitch, Meridian, Idaho, 219; 7. D.J. Lyons, Nampa, Idaho, 205; 8. Ron Peters, Meridian, Idaho, 113; 9. Casey Tillman, Kuna, Idaho, 88; 10. Terry Sherman, Boise, Idaho, 85
ESI Express ASA Modifieds — 1. Shelby Stroebel, Nampa, Idaho, 1,247 points; 2. Rus Ward, Boise, Idaho, 845; 3. Jentry Pisca, Nampa, 717; 4. Chris Fenton, Meridian, Idaho, 695; 5. Darrel Dolling, Boise, Idaho, 618; 6. Tom Hill, Eagle, Idaho, 452; 7. Travis Pavlacky, Fruitland, Idaho, 391; 8. Wes Pogue, Star, Idaho, 330; 9. Mike Reid, Boise, Idaho, 316; 10. Rick Fowble, Twin Falls, Idaho, 305
Pepsi Sprintcars — 1. Joe Ransom, Boise, Idaho, 686 points; 2. Eric Ransom, Boise, Idaho, 660; 3. Rob Grice, Nampa, Idaho, 502; 4. Josh Allen, Meridian, Idaho, 444; 5. Erik Miller, Caldwell, Idaho, 367; 6. Ryan Wiederich, Meridian, Idaho, 351; 7. Kelly Perkins, Nampa, 328; 8. Carl Marcum, Meridian, Idaho, 239; 9. Wyatt King, Meridian, Idaho, 164; 10. Kelly Newman, Boise, 162
Mtn. Dew Winged Sprints — 1. Mike Murgoitio, Meridian, Idaho, 503 points; 2. Sierra Jackson, Middleton, Idaho, 473; 3. Chris Ratterree, Nampa, Idaho, 391; 4. Bryan Warf, Meridian, Idaho, 387; 5. Johnny Giesler, Meridian, Idaho, 372; 6. Cody Veenstra, Emmett, Idaho, 323; 7. Wyatt King, Meridian, Idaho, 226; 8. Matt Hein, Roseburg, Ore., 132; 9. Ryan Burdett, West Jordan, Utah, 129; 10. Darren Spiers, Adrian, Ore., 127
Edmark Mini Stocks — 1. Ray Bolinger, Meridian, Idaho, 1,021 points; 2. Scott Shoecraft, Boise, Idaho, 927; 3. Dell Scott, Nampa, Idaho, 894; 4. Eddie Ables, Middleton, Idaho, 813; 5. Jason Sanders, Caldwell, Idaho, 611; 6. Larry Hull III, Boise, Idaho, 538; 7. Tyler Burlingame, Meridian, Idaho, 457; 8. Sarah Shaw, Boise, Idaho, 411; 9. Donovan Parker, Kuna, Idaho, 358; 10. Chad Barker, Boise, Idaho, 304
Domino’s Pizza Legends (final) — Champion: Cameron Cotta, Meridian, Idaho, 784 points; 2. Phil Zubizareta, Boise, Idaho, 766; 3. Camron Madsen, Boise, Idaho, 761; 4. Sara Henry, Nampa, Idaho, 632; 5. Chase Gilbertson, Boise, Idaho, 552; 6. Brent Collins, McCall, Idaho, 423; 7. Darin Turpen, Nampa, Idaho, 422; 8. Rod Stiller, Meridian, Idaho, 353; 9. Caitlin Stroebel, Nampa, Idaho, 288; 10. Jimmy Ingham, Meridian, Idaho, 261
Tates Rents Hornets — 1. Josh Parkkila, Boise, Idaho, 672 points; 2. Jonathan Hull, Boise, Idaho, 650; 3. Brodie Stote, Boise, Idaho, 58; 4. Amber Rogers, Meridian, Idaho, 535; 5. Fred Nagele, Boise, Idaho, 521; 6. Stacy Heath, Nampa, Idaho, 488; 7. Monica Heath, Caldwell, Idaho, 482; 8. Art Heath, Nampa, Idaho, 459; 9. Brendon Fries, Meridian, Idaho, 418; 10. Sharlet Pataro, Mountain Home, Idaho, 396
Thunder Dogs — 1. The Catfish (John Pinkston, Meridian, Idaho), 1,566 points; 2. The Sledgehammer (Dave Jolley, Nampa, Idaho), 1,240 points; 3. Big Tuna (Stan Irons, Boise, Idaho), 1,076; 4. Buzz Kill (John Wortendyke and Jimmy Miller), 760; 5. Screaming Keegan (Cory Keegan, Meridian, Idaho; Chris Carlson, Boise, Idaho), 690; 6. Fare Lady (Kennon Irons, Boise, Idaho), 673; 7. IP Freely Too (Nick Forsea, Kuna, Idaho), 599; 8. IP Freely (Bryan Duvall, Kuna, Idaho), 576; 9. Twisted Metal (Richard Scott), 506; 10. Bucket List (Rob Bean, Kuna, Idaho), 355
Jr. Stingers (final) — Champion: Cody Garrett, Boise, Idaho, 481 points; 2. Chance Davis, Emmett, Idaho, 377; 3. Kendra Occhipinti, Nampa, Idaho, 339; 4. Jordan Kirkland, Boise, Idaho, 282; 5. Hunter Gates, Nampa, Idaho, 249; 6. Tyson Fuss, Kuna, Idaho, 198; 7. James Pahl, Caldwell, Idaho, 179; 8. Ali Norton, Kuna, Idaho, 166; 9. Colton Nelson, Meridian, Idaho, 158; 10. Matt Burger, Meridian, Idaho, 136
