Folks, if you missed tonight’s action, I am sorry. I have been around racing for 34 years and the Main Event tonight topped every race I have had the pleasure witness. Never in my life have I seen a pack of cars run so fast and hard, running two and three wide. It was not just some guys driving around side-by-side, it was the darting around, the position changes, the world-class drivers, the great alcohol smell, the 650 hp motors and the fact that the top six cars were involved. Short of a restrictor plate race in the Winston Cup have I never seen cars run like this. If you get a chance to see the Western States USAC Sprint Car Series, GO SEE THEM. Next week they are in Salt Lake City. For those fans here in the Treasure Valley who were privileged to see this race, go tell all of your friends what they are missing.
Jeff Gardner who went into last night’s race (July 13) with the Points lead, saw Tony Hunt snatch the points lead back, because of Gardner’s ill handling race car. Hunt finished seventh in the Main last night, while Gardner ended up in 12th. Deciding to “drop back and punt,” Gardner’s crew went to work on the back-up car to prepare for tonight’s race. Hunt had already assured himself an “A” Feature start, finishing second place in the 1st Heat when Gardner pulled out to start his Heat #3. Gardner found he could do no better than 6th place, forcing him to run the Semi-Main once again. Troy Cline, who went into tonight’s action holding down third in the points also had to run the Semi-Main because of his 6th place finish in the 2nd Heat.
When the 20-lap Semi-Main took to the track, the front row contained Damien Gardner and Jeff Gardner (no relation). Pacing them were Ray Evans and Troy Cline (Cline finished third in the “A” Main last night). “All” that these guys had to do was hold their position and they would transfer to the Money Race. This race, however, turned out to be about a Meridian Speedway Rookie named Mike Ford. Starting in the fourth row behind Kevin Kierce and “Jump’n” Jimmy Hamilton, Ford had his work cut out for him. He needed to pass three cars to get to the transfer spot. On lap one, Ford picked off Hamilton, one position down - two to go. Ford spent the next 13 laps racing with Kevin Kierce as Kierce was attempting to work on his own transfer to the “Big Show.” Lap after lap Ford worked over Kierce until on lap 15, Ford made a high pass going through Turns 1 and 2. Flying past Kierce coming out of Turn 2, Ford shot up to run wheel-to-wheel with Cline in 4th place. Down the back shoot they went, diving into Turn 3. Ford’s car was sticking well. Cline, knowing there were only five laps left could not afford to give on inch. Cline went into Turn 3 hard. As his car entered the apex, his rear went loose… He spun to a stop in the infield. Ford had out driven Cline and Kierce in one lap and was now in 4th place. The stands were hopping as Ford was showing the visitors how to drive our racetrack. On the restart, Jimmy Hamilton, following what Ford had just done, pulled a high move on Kierce. Going into Turn 1, the duo banged wheels causing Hamilton to stop on the track. The final five laps had Ford easily holding his 4th place position, beating some of USAC’s best. You would have thought Ford had won the Main as the fans cheered for him for what probably felt like a victory lap after the race. To Ford’s credit, he ran both “A” Features on Friday and Saturday. From the rear of the pact, Shauna Hogg had put on quite a show moving up nine positions after starting on the last row. If there was a transfer spot to the “Show” for the hardest charger, after Ford, it would have been hers.
This brings us to the 50 lap Main Event. (I need to say here, the SRL and NSRA should run 50 lap Mains too. Since the fans pay the bills, these groups should do like USAC and give the fans what they want.) Oh man, what a race. The Feature started, like last night with Kenny Hamilton in the second row. This time however, Ray Evans was on the Pole, with Tony Hunt — last year’s Feature winner — outside of him. With Hamilton in the second row was Jeff Gardner. Row three had Brian Evans and Damian Gardner. When the Green Flag dropped, Ray Evans got a great jump on Hunt. The cars blasted around the track for 15 laps before any passing started. In the middle of the pack, Boise’s Danny Lyons, Scott Hanson, and Mike Ford with Amy Barnes started cranking things up. Side-by-side and nurf bar-to-nurf bar they went. On lap 17, the cars running in fifth through seventh, Brian Evans, Bryan Bullard, and Damien Gardner began going at it with D. Gardner going high on Bullard. Two laps later Ryan Flynn, Damien Gardner, and B. Evans slid to a stop bringing out the first Yellow flag. None of the cars were hurt so all three cars were able to rejoin the race. On the restart, B. Evans and Pat Whittet jumped each others wheels immediately bringing out another Yellow. John Ryals, while slowing for the Yellow and dodging other cars that had already shut down, hit the Turn 4 wall. He went to the pits on the hook. Evans, in Turn 1 had slid backwards into the water barrels. Both Evans and Whittet, after a visit to the pits returned for more, Ryals did not. While the track was being cleaned, Kenny Hamilton’s right front tire picked up some debris and went flat. (He was running in third place) Hamilton was able to rejoin the race without losing a lap.
When the next Green flag fell again, the race began to transform itself into the best show on earth. On lap 28, Jeff Gardner, now in 3rd place, began swapping nurf bar paint with Tony Hunt, in 2nd place. Two laps later, behind Hunt and Gardner, in fourth and fifth, Scott Hansen and Bryan Bullard started running side-by-side. Right about now, someone turned on the blender. The front five cars began resembling a cartoon of a tornado spinning around and every now and then a face would pop out with eyes bulging and tongue hanging out, just to be pulled back in for more. The race fans and nonrace fans were screaming with excitement. (I’m telling you folks, this race made a lot of new race fans out of the many first timers at the track. I heard them talking about it.) On lap 31, the leader, Ray Evans, had Hunt and Jeff Gardner, side-by-side, behind him. And they were all over Evans. Evans was doing everything he could to fend them off. At one point on this lap, the top three cars were three wide on a track just big enough for only a two wide race. On lap 32, Jeff Gardner running the high line, (and he had said you can not pass on the high side earlier) passed Hunt and went into second place. He then moved in on Evans staying up high. Hunt had lost 2nd place by inches and stayed locked to Evans bumper. The 33rd round saw Evans and Gardner battling for the lead and running side-by-side. On their tails were Hunt and Scott Hanson now side-by-side themselves, and just behind them was Bryan Bullard. If these cars had fenders, they would have been flying off. You talk about big cahonies. The positions changed so much, the scorers left the top five positions blank on the score sheets. The racing went on like this until lap 42 when Jeff Gardner finally broke out and took a commanding lead. With three laps remaining, Tony Hunt and Scott Hanson, still running side-by-side, went into Turn 1 with a lapped car also entering Turn 1. Neither Hunt nor Hanson backed down. Hunt ended up jumping a wheel of Hanson. Hunt to spun to a stop between Turn 1 and 2. This ended a great run for Hunt and gave Jeff Gardner the points lead back. The final three laps ran without incident. The top six finishers were J. Gardner, R. Evans, Bullard, Hansen, and Boise’s Darren Spiers and Danny Lyons. Thank you folks for the most amazing short track race I have ever seen.
Spiers and Lyons, along with Shawn Smith, Kenny Hamilton, Bob Bachman, and Mike Ford made Meridian Speedway proud. Spiers is always fast and proved our big dogs can run fast too. Lyons has been struggling with his new ride all year and was hoping for a good run. Maybe this will be his breakout race. Lyons was fast and smooth. Nice going guys, good job. The other local boys in the Feature finished in this order: Smith finished in 10th, Hamilton-11th, Bob “The Hurricane” Bachman-15th, and Mike Ford-17th.
The supporting races tonight were the Future Stocks, Super Sixes, and the inaugural Trailer Race. Adam Nelson drove his Bomber w/trailer to a fun win. There could not have been a better way to finish off a great night of racing. Camper parts were all over the track after the race. Two campers had broken off their trailer frames and were laying on the track for most of the race. Nelson celebrated his win by driving through the middle one of these camper shells on his victory lap. The shell exploded throwing pieces of camper everywhere.
The Super Six drivers need to be commended for an action they took this weekend. The division decided this week to donate their entire purse to two worthy causes. One of their own, Hyrum Wilson has a baby in a Washington State hospital waiting for a bone marrow transplant and Davy Hamilton has many more months of surgeries and rehabilitation. The Super Six group divided their winnings 50/50 in an effort to help. They also plan a car wash at “The Pit Stop,” a pizza and sandwich restaurant, with a racing atmosphere, in Kuna, Idaho on July 21. All of the proceeds from the car wash will go to the Wilson family. Please mark your calendar. Stop by, get your car washed, have a pizza or sandwich, and talk racing. I am sure donations would also be gladly accepted. “A pat on the back to all in this division for such a helpful and generous gift.”
The Super Six Main Event was won by Johnnie Rowe. Terry Benson, who started on the last row, was second followed by Al Russell.
The Future Stock 35 lap Main was lead from start to finish by Josh Hale. Hale did not win however, because his vehicle was DQ’d for being too low. Gary Neal who had worked over Hale all race was declared the winner. Terry Ellis and Scott “Spanky” Davis, probably the fastest Future Stock drivers tonight claimed 2nd and 3rd place. Also fast tonight was Kirk Sanders. Neal, Ellis, Davis, and Sanders ran the last five laps nose-to-tail and side-by-side.
Bill Scholten won the Future Stock Semi-Main.
