KELLY NEWMAN AND DENNIS WURTZ SET NEW TRACK RECORDS

Source: Rob Dorris
Date: 07/06/2000

July 4th 2000 will go down as a day of records, because Kelly Newman, #9, driving the Bar "D" Racing/Hal Davis Jewelers/Energy Release Sprint Car in the PAPA John's Pizza 360 division, and Dennis Wurtz in the #01 Loon Outdoors Dodge Avenger, in the Meridian's NAPA Auto Parts Late Model division, both set new qualifying records. The new asphalt surface that Turbo Entertainment had installed last week is really coming in well. Kelly Newman's Track Record time was 12.751, while Dennis Wurtz's new standard is 13.395. Both drivers were required to requalify a second time and obtain a time within three tenths of a second from their new mark, which they both did easily.

The big winners this evening were Montie Potter in the Northcoast Electric Company, TNR Frame & Alignment, and Mike Minegar's Autobody sponsored, Idaho's Largest Public Auction Intermountain Modified. Dennis Wurtz had never won a Late Model Main Event before tonight. However that wasn't for a lack of trying. Dennis's "brides maid" role is finally over. Dennis, in his Loon Outdoors, #01 Dodge Avenger, not only won the Meridian's Napa Auto Parts Late Model Main, but also won an additional $50 for leading at the halfway point of the race. Kelly Newman, for the second time this weekend, took command of the Papa John's Pizza 360 Sprint Car Main Event and won going away.

When the Idaho's Largest Public Auction's Intermountain Modifieds took to the track, for their 50 lap Main Event, most of the fans were looking to the back of the pack for the winner. They didn't need to, he came from the front row. Now, don't think this was one of those races, where the guy on the front row takes off and could not lose if all of his tires were flat. Montie Potter was challenged most of the way, by either Lee Hackney in #81 or David Minegar in #9. The track was loose in the upper groove and fast in the lower one. Anyone attempting to pass on the outside really had to work hard to move up. Time after time David Minegar would try a pass on the high side, only to lose a position or two. Lee Hackney, once he cleared Craig Geibel for second, set his sights on Montie and caught him on lap 10. Lee could get a run on Montie down the shoots, only to lose his momentum in the turns. Meanwhile, David Minegar sponsored by Energy Release, Bodybuilding.com Nutrition, Lennox, and A1 Heating and Air Conditioning, who started 10th was picking off cars. David was forced to use the high groove most of the time. On lap 7, he had made his way to 6th spot. Staying with his outside run, because everyone else was running with their bumpers touching, he climbed to 4th place on lap 9. Darvin Ackerland who started last, and who sets his car up to run the higher line around the track, was also picking off cars. With the front cars nose-to-tail, and quite often closer than that, the laps were ticking off. On lap 25, visiting driver Steve Jones, sponsored by www.AT&T@home.com, AAROW Automotive, and Summerlin Trucking (Steve normally runs for NASCAR points at Magic Valley Speedway) who had started in 12th position, was up to 4th, just behind David Minegar. One lap later Darvin was on Steve in 5th spot. The excitement started building on lap 30, when the 2nd and 3rd place cars, driven by Lee Hackney holding the low line and David Minegar up high, and running side-by-side, were both on leader Montie Potter's bumper. Just behind Lee and David, were the 4th and 5th place guys, Steve running low and Darvin going high, also side-by-side, on the bumpers of the two in front of them! Unfortunately for Lee Hackney, he dropped out on the next round, pulling into the infield. Just about this time, Darvin's left rear tire started showing smoke. Lap 34 now had the top 3 running inline and their bumpers hitting. Darvin, in 4th, was there watching and waiting for a miscue from someone. Disaster struck Darvin on lap 40, when we found out why we had been seeing smoke from his tire. A bracket on one of his rear suspension components broke allowing the Differential House to change position. He gave the fans an early Fourth of July light show, when the bottom of his car turned into a big sparkler, throwing sparks 10 feet behind his car. The final 10 laps, following the Yellow for Darvin, didn't have many position changes, but there was a lot of aggressive driving. The final four at the line were Montie Potter, David Minegar, Steve Jones, and Greg Macmillan.

(Because of a technical ruling, Steve Jones was disqualified, because he didn't stop at the Start/Finish line right after the race. The Intermountain Modifieds, because of their "Claim Rule", requires the top 5 cars to stop, at the line, before going to the pits.)

Kenny Hamilton, one of our premier drivers, had two cars at the track tonight. One was the famous "Pink Lady" that has been around since 1969. The other, is a brand new Sprint Car he plans to whip the USAC Tour kids with, when they get here next week. Kenny didn't race the new car though, this was more of a break-in session for it. The night didn't belong to Kenny Hamilton though, as Kelly Newman has some USAC stomping of his own to do next week, and started his preparation for them by establishing a new Non-winged 360 Sprint Car Qualifying Record. Tonight was also to be his second win of the Fourth of July weekend at Meridian Motor Speedway. Tonight was also the first night for one of our Sprint Cars to flip this year. Mike Ford's car broke its front axle going down the front straightaway, at the start of his Heat Race. His left front tire separated from the car and stopped in the catch fence at the top of turn one. Now, with no breaks, he hit the wall between turns one and two and did a complete 360 degree flip. Fortunately Mike was unhurt.

The PAPA John's Pizza 360 Sprint Car 50 lap Main Event looked like it might belong to Jimmy Hamilton, and it would have, if this had been a 23 lap race. It only took Kelly Newman 6 laps to move into 2nd behind Jimmy after starting on the last row. Jimmy's car was really hooked-up and it looked like no one would be able catch him-until lap 9, when Kenny Hamilton spun-out in turn 4, and was nearly plowed under like an old turnip, by Jay Clark. Kenny, always alert, saw what was coming and somehow kept his car rolling backward, allowing Jay to just miss his front end. At the restart, Jimmy flying through turn one seemed to slip a little. Kelly Newman tried to leap into the new opening but wasn't quite fast enough, before Jimmy closed the hole. On lap 12 Jimmy had opened a two car lead over Kelly, but two laps later Kelly had closed back in on him. By lap 19 Jimmy had opened up a five car lead, but then started to encounter lapped traffic. When Jimmy would go high, Kelly would go high. If Jimmy went low, so would Kelly. If Kelly couldn't pass Jimmy, he wasn't going to let him get away. Back in third place, Darren Spiers, sponsored by Spiers Construction and Spiers Concrete System, was also dealing with the lapped traffic while trying to stay close to the leaders. On lap 21 Darren was a full turn behind Jimmy and Kelly. The race was soon to go to Kelly though. On lap 23 Jimmy Hamilton finally made his first mistake. He left a little room for Kelly's #9 car and that was all it took. Kelly dove into the hole and was gone. On lap 29, Darren Spiers who had been steadily maintaining third position, caught and passed Jimmy. Then Dan Lyons in fourth, ran down Jimmy on lap 34, made a clean pass and went into third. (About this time, Jimmy's car seemed to start fading. Jimmy ended the race one lap down, in fifth.) By lap 35, Kelly had a half lap lead over Darren, in second place. A quick run down of the top 4 on lap 40: Kelly Newman, Darren Spiers, Dan Lyons, and Kenny Hamilton. Lap 43, with seven more to go, Kenny caught up to Dan in third, but couldn't do anything with him, until the 48th round, when Dan had to check-up because of a lapped car. Kenny shot past Dan like a bullet. The Main Event ended with Kelly Newman winning, and Darren Spiers, Kenny Hamilton, and Dan Lyons in order, on the same lap. Everyone else had been lapped at least once.

After the race, Dan Lyons said that the right front caliper (one of his breaks) had broken sometime during the race. He had to use the on/off switch to his engine to help him slow down.

The Meridian's NAPA Auto Parts Late Model Division had quite a night. Two of the fastest cars, that of Dave Brodigan, sponsored by Brown Racing Team, Thiel Dairy, and Dave's Autobody, and Northwest Tour racer Kenny Rich sponsored by Pro-wall Drywall, crashed into the front stretch wall during their Heat Race. Both cars needed the right fronts completely rebuilt. Kenny Rich couldn't make the needed repairs at the track and trailered the car. Dave Brodigan however is competing for points at Meridian Motor Speedway, so he and his team went to work doing what they could to make repairs for the Main Event. The Track Officials, to their credit, rearranged the planned order of the races, just to give Dave and crew time to make the repairs, and it almost worked. When the cars lined up for the Main Event, the #10 car wasn't there. When the Green fell, still no Dave-yet. As the cars were racing around to complete the First Lap, Kenny Longwell crashed into the front stretch wall. As the cars came to a stop, the #10 car came onto the track, ready to go. Had the first lap not counted, Dave's position at the end of the race would have earned him some points. The race wasn't "restarted", lap one was counted--without the #10 car taking the first Green Flag, so Dave was out of the points for the night.

The Meridian's NAPA Auto Parts Late Model 30 lap Main capped off a successful night for Dennis Wurtz. A new track record and his first Late Model Main Event of his career. The Main started with Paul Young, sponsored by Boise Collision Repair, Allstate Electric, Motorsports Graphics, and Brown Construction, taking command of the race. With the tricky upper groove, Paul knew if he could hold his line, he stood a good chance of finishing well. The strategy worked until lap 12 when Tony Whitaker's Interstate Trailers #32 Monte Carlo got to close. Paul spun into the infield, Tony went to the back for causing the spin. Dennis Wurtz, who was third, inherited the lead when the top two went to the rear. From this point on, the race was all Dennis. The top four drivers at the Checkered Flag were Dennis Wurtz, Skip Taylor sponsored by RPM Leasing, Paul Young, and Bill Hale.

Idaho's Largest Public Auction Intermountain Modifieds

Fast Time: Darvin Ackerland 14.246 Trophy Dash: Steve Jones A Heat: Quint Whitman, Dave Minegar, Steve Jones B Heat: Lee Hackney, Craig Geibel, Greg McMillian Main Event: Montie Potter, Dave Minegar, Greg McMillian

Meridian's NAPA Auto Parts Late Models

Fast Time: Dennis Wurtz 13.394 Trophy Dash: Tony Whitaker A Heat: Art Smith, Kenny Chandler, Dennis Wurtz B Heat: Bill Hale, Skip Taylor, Dave Perry Main Event: Dennis Wurtz, Skip Taylor, Paul Young

Papa John's Pizza 360 Sprint Cars

Fast Time: Kelly Newman 12.751 Trophy Dash: Dan Lyons A Heat: Kenny Hamilton, Dan Lyons, Kelly Newman B Heat: Jimmy Hamilton, Jimmy Ingham, Derrick Allen Main: Kelly Newman, Darren Spiers, Kenny Hamilton

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