POST FALLS, Idaho — The winged sprint racing talent in Southwest Idaho cannot be denied after two more drivers from that region have pulled down Super Shoe championships at StateLine Speedway in Post Falls, Idaho.
Meridian, Idaho drivers swept the two main events in the two-day open-wheel show at the quarter-mile oval near Coeur d’Alene. The fledgling Canadian-American Western Winged Sprints Series and established ASA Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association co-sanctioned the races.
Veteran driver Bryan Warf led wire-to-wire in Friday night’s 40-lap main event to snag his first WWS feature of the season.
Western Winged Sprints season series leader Johnny Giesler won Saturday’s 50-lap main event as Warf finished second in the event finale.
Meanwhile, Roseburg’s Andy Alberding was declared the overall winner of the Super Shoe after collecting the most points during the two-day event that the ASA NSRA hosted. The Roseburg, Ore., veteran open-wheeler used passing points to score 119 points over the two days. Warf and Middleton, Idaho’s Sierra Jackson were each a point behind with 118 each.
Warf led all but one lap in the first 41 circuits of Stateline’s quarter-mile oval Saturday night. Giesler snatched the lead for good eight laps from the checkered flag. Roseburg, Ore.’s Matt Hein led Lap 2.
Giesler entered the event, which was run over two days for the first time, as the reigning Super Shoe champion. Jackson, who won the Super Shoe crown in 2010, finished fourth in Saturday’s main event and second in the opening 40 on Friday.
While Giesler maintained his lead in the WWS season standings, Warf gained significant ground in the championship chase. He finished the weekend 33 points behind the points leader.
He jumped into contention as Giesler battled mechanical problems Friday night and failed to finish the first Super Shoe feature. Meanwhile, previous second-place driver Mike Murgoitio of Meridian missed the two-day show in Post Falls and slipped to fifth in the WWS standings.
Friday’s Super Shoe action was delayed by thunderstorms and the threat of rain, but once things got rolling, drivers who call ASA-sanctioned Meridian Speedway home flashed Treasure Valley talent.
Giesler rolled out onto the quarter-mile paved oval and promptly shattered the track record with a 11.192-second lap. He would run the fastest qualifying lap Saturday night, too, with an 11.236 circuit.
But Giesler’s night would end prematurely Friday. He ran only 14 laps of the 40-lap main event, retiring with mechanical problems. Entering the night with a 12-point WWS lead over Meridian’s Mike Murgoitio, Giesler would collect only 41 points Friday. Murgoitio, however, didn’t make the trip north.
Warf, though, made a big jump on the first night. He started the day in fourth place in the WWS standings behind Giesler, Murgoitio and Jeff Montgomery of Langford, British Columbia. Montgomery also was absent from the Post Falls weekend, so after winning the first night’s feature, Warf racked up 64 points and jumped into second place in the standings 23 points behind Giesler.
Giesler’s main event victory Saturday helped him extend his series lead by 10 points. Warf stayed close with a runner-up finish in Saturday’s 50-lapper.
Giesler has won half of the six main events run on the WWS circuit this season.
The Western Winged Sprints tour next makes a two-day trip to Western Speedway in Victoria, British Columbia for the 52nd annual Daffodil Cup.
The Aug. 17-18 event features a pair of 50-lap main events and marks the second-to-last weekend of racing in the inaugural season.
The WWS championship will be decided Sept. 7-8 at ASA-sanctioned Meridian Speedway with the fourth annual Tom Elliott Sportsman Classic 40 on Friday and then season-ending WWS Championship 75 on Saturday. The 75-lap finale is the longest race of the season for the Canadian-American Western Winged Sprintcar Series.
Details of other races in the Western Winged Sprints Series can be found at www.wingedsprintcars.com. NSRA information is available at www.nsraracing.com.
Canadian-American Western Winged Sprints Series
and ASA Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association
Super Shoe VI
Stateline Speedway
Post Falls, Idaho
Saturday’s unofficial results
Super Shoe VI Night No. 2 (50 laps) — 1. Johnny Giesler, Meridian; 2. Warf; 3. Andy Alberding, Roseburg, Ore.; 4. Sierra Jackson, Middleton, Idaho; 5. Ron Larson, Quesnel, British Columbia
Trophy dash winners — A Dash: Jackson; B Dash: Guy Barrett, Victoria, British Columbia
Heat No. 1 — 1. Alberding; 2. Robert Beck, Redmond, Wash.; 3. Larson; 4. Matt Hein, Roseburg, Ore.; 5. Don Williams, Deer Park, Wash.
Heat No. 2 — 1. Chris Schmelzle, Victoria, British Columbia; 2. Warf; 3. Greg Ochs, Colville, Wash.; 4. Barrett; 5. Scott Aumen, Duncan, British Columbia
Heat No. 3 — 1. Randy DuBois, Poulsboro, Wash.; 2. Jackson; 3. Giesler; 4. Rick Brown, Springfield, Ore.; 5. Ryan Burdett, West Jordan, Utah.
Fast qualifier — Giesler, 11.236 seconds
Friday’s unofficial results
Super Shoe VI Night No. 1 (40 laps) — 1. Warf; 2. Jackson; 3. Alberding; 4. Brown; 5. Hein
Trophy dash winners — A Dash: Jackson; B Dash: Beck
Heat races
Heat No. 1 — 1. Warf; 2. Jackson; 3. Beck; 4. Barrett; 5. Williams
Heat No. 2 — 1. DuBois; 2. Brown; 3. Aumen; 4. Hein; 5. Schmelzle
Heat No. 3 — 1. Alberding; 2. Giesler; 3. Burdett; 4. Ochs; 5. Larson
Fast qualifier — Giesler, 11.192 (track record)
Canadian-American Western Winged Sprints Series
2012 standings
Through six races — 1. Johnny Giesler, Meridian, ID, 378 points; 2. Bryan Warf, Meridian, ID, 345; 3. Sierra Jackson, Middleton, ID, 313; 4. Andy Alberding, Roseburg, OR, 309; 5. Mike Murgoitio, Meridian, ID, 253; 6. Ryan Burdett, West Jordan, UT, 252; 7. Jeff Montgomery, Langford, British Columbia, 226; 8. Ron Larson, Quesnel, British Columbia, 204; 9. Scott Aumen, Duncan, British Columbia, 174; 10. Rick Brown, Springfield, OR, 165
