MERIDIAN, Idaho — Local drivers took center stage Friday on a night reserved to pay tribute to one of the most popular men ever to walk through the pits at ASA-sanctioned Meridian Speedway.
"In other main events, Eric Ransom won the Pepsi Sprintcars feature, while his cousin, Joe, who also drives out of Boise, Idaho, won the season championship."
In fact, three of the top five drivers in the night’s 44-lap ASA Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association Tom Elliott Sportsman Classic hailed from his hometown of Meridian, Idaho.
While the out-of-town drivers ran into bad luck in the main event, Meridian’s Bryan Warf rolled to a victory in front of fellow Meridian racer Johnny Giesler.
Sierra Jackson of Middleton, Idaho, pulled in fourth ahead of Meridian’s Mike Murgoitio.
Jackson is third in the NSRA season standings, and leads the local Mtn. Dew Winged Sprints standings. Murgoitio is close to Jackson in the chase for the track championship.
In other main events, Eric Ransom won the Pepsi Sprintcars feature, while his cousin, Joe, who also drives out of Boise, Idaho, won the season championship; and Dell Scott of Nampa captured the Edmark Mini Stocks feature, while record-breaking Ray Bolinger of Meridian succeeded Scott as the division’s president win that sewed up the series championship for him; and Nampa, Idaho’s Melissa Weaver moved closer to repeating as College of Western Idaho Professional Truck Driving Street Stocks champion with another main event victory.
Eric Ransom gave it his all, but even with a win he couldn’t overtake his cousin for the Pepsi Sprintcar season championship Friday night at ASA-sanctioned Meridian Speedway.
Eric won the final non-wing sprintcar feature of the 2011 season, but was unable to eclipse Joe Ransom’s 26-point lead in the standings. Joe finished second in a race that saw Nampa, Idaho’s Kelly Perkins slam into the wall coming out of Turn 4 and heading for the checkered flag.
Andy Alberding of Roseburg, Ore., ran one of the fastest qualifying laps in the history of the facility that is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. But after his 11.819-second lap, he couldn’t pull in the trophy dash victory.
Jackson, who is third behind Alberding and series leader Matt Hein (also of Roseburg) in the standings, won the trophy dash for the Tom Elliott Sportsman Classic in front of her hometown fans.
“I’m hoping for a championship,” Jackson said. “I’ve been working hard, and I know my crew has been working hard.”
Saturday marks Pepsi Championship Finale night at the track. The race card includes the Street Stocks finale, a 75-lap Modified Open and Thunder Dogs as well as the ASA NSRA Meridian finale, which also serves as the local Mtn. Dew Winged Sprints series championship race.
The gates open at 4 p.m. with racing at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets 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.
A family pass good for two adults and up to four children ages 7-11 is available for $46.
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 |
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| Main events ASA Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association Tom Elliott Sportsman classic (44 laps) – 1. Bryan Warf, Meridian, Idaho; 2. Johnny Giesler, Meridian; 3. Chris Ratterree, Nampa, Idaho; 4. Sierra Jackson, Middleton, Idaho; 5. Mike Murgoitio, Meridian ASA NSRA consolation – 1. Matt Hein, Roseburg, Ore.; 2. Andy Alberding, Roseburg; 3. Matt Elliott, Meridian; 4. Chris Schmelzle, Victoria, British Columbia; 5. Rick Brown, Springfield, Ore. Pepsi Sprintcar championship (35 laps) – 1. Eric Ransom, Boise, Idaho; 2. Joe Ransom, Boise; 3. Rob Grice, Nampa; 4. Ryan Wiederich, Meridian; 5. Cody Huddleston, Nampa Pepsi Sprintcar season champion – Joe Ransom College of Western Idaho Professional Truck Driving Street Stocks (35 laps) – 1. Melissa Weaver, Nampa; 2. Tyler Nelson, Kuna, Idaho; 3. Chad Bess, Nampa; 4. Marv Weaver, Nampa; 5. Terry Lydell, Kuna Edmark Mini Stocks (50 laps) – 1. Dell Scott, Nampa; 2. Ray Bolinger, Meridian; 3. Scott Shoecraft, Boise; 4. Larry Hull III, Boise; 5. Jonathan Hull, Boise Edmark Mini Stocks season champion – Ray Bolinger NSRA Trophy Dashes (Four laps each) A Dash – 1. Jackson; 2. Murgoitio; 3. Jeff Montgomery, Victoria, British Columbia; 4. Alberding B Dash -- 1. Ryan Burdett, West Jordan, Utah; 2. Cody Veenstra, Meridian; 3. Scott Aumen, Duncan, British Columbia; 4. Brown Heat races (Eight laps each) ASA NSRA Heat No. 1 – 1. Vern Scevers, Roseburg; 2. Jackson; 3. Burdett; 4. Justin Mack, Benton City, Wash.; 5. Schmelzle Heat No. 2 – 1. Ron Larson, Quesnel, British Columbia; 2. Wyatt King, Meridian; 3. Aumen; 4. Murgoitio Heat No. 3 – 1. Kirk Wartman, Boise; 2. Veenstra; 3. Montgomery; 4. Warf; 5. Hein Heat No. 4 – 1. Darren Spiers, Adrian, Ore.; 2. Todd Coleman, Lynnwood, Wash.; 3. Giesler; 4. Ratterree; 5. Alberding Pepsi Sprintcars A Heat – 1. Eric Ransom; 2. Josh Allen, Meridian; 3. Grice; 4. Joe Ransom B Heat – 1. Kelly Perkins, Nampa; 2. Erik Miller, Caldwell; 3. Wiederich; 4. Huddleston CWI PTD Street Stocks A Heat – 1. Patrick Tully, Caldwell, Idaho; 2. Marv Weaver; 3. Melissa Weaver; 4. Bess; 5. Nelson B Heat – 1. Shawn Hansen, Boise; 2. Bobby Riggs, Fruitland, Idaho; 3. Lydell; 4. Jaramie Fuss, Kuna; 5. Dakota Allen, Boise Edmark Mini Stocks A Heat – 1.Bolinger; 2. Shoecraft; 3. Scott; 4. Jason Sanders, Caldwell; 5. Larry Hull B Heat – 1. Wally Waldemar, Kuna; 2. Duane Gerber, Boise; 3. Art Heath, Nampa; 4. Sarah Shaw, Nampa; 5. Jonathan Hull Fast times ASA NSRA sprintcars – Alberding, 11.189 seconds Pepsi Sprintcars – Joe Ransom, 13.339 CWI PTD Street Stocks – Bess, 14.837 Edmark Mini Stocks – Bolinger, 14.953 (Track record; previous – Bolinger, 15.022, Aug. 27, 2011) |
