BRANDON JOHNSON TRAILS SIERRA JACKSON BUT MAINTAINS POINTS LEAD

Source: Brian Calkins
Date: 08/26/2007

Some first time winners and a repeat winner dominated Meridian Speedways quarter mile oval on Saturday night August 25.

Josh Jackson, a Hornet driver and points leader, lead the field in wins on Saturday night. Jackson won the trophy dash, the B heat, and the 35 lap main event to not only take home two trophies but also to do the "hat trick". Trophy dash participants were chosen from the top four in the B heat instead of the four fastest qualifiers to add variety to the night and Jackson, also points leader, took advantage of the change to clean up.

Jackson is in a tight points race with Travis Pavlacky but with Jackson's wins on Saturday and Pavlacky's DNF Jackson has added to his lead. "The only one that could catch me was the 9 (Pavlacky) and he was having problems", Jackson said. Pavlacky is Jackson's brother and also owner of Jackson's car. Pavlacky left the race early and finished 17 laps down.

The Hornets went the full 35 laps with only a few caution flags but not just a few mishaps. Near the start of the race a three wide pass on the backstretch and then a four wide on the front stretch and turn one a half lap later set the pace for the rest of the race. Surprisingly the Hornets stayed mostly out of trouble except for a few in the wall and few that left on the hook. Cautions bring on cautions in the Hornets class and that was almost the case after a lap ten restart when the 92 driven by Tyler Burlingame did a 360 spin on turn four. Burlingame righted the car and continued with out disrupting the race but lost 12 positions and one lap later Jackson took the lead and stayed there to the finish. Tony Johns who got an early lead in the race got passed by Jackson and then spent the rest of the race on Jackson's bumper. The final was Jackson in the lead followed by Johns, Richard Perkins, Mike Davis, and David Tankersley.

The Street Stocks returned to Meridian Speedway for the first time since July 21st and did not disappoint the fans. DeeAnn Norton won the trophy dash as an alternate when Bobby Horton hit the turn four wall hard enough to loose a wheel and get the hook on the first lap of the trophy dash. The race officials brought in Norton to round out the field for a complete restart and the inverted start put Norton on the pole. Norton took home the trophy for the first time in her rookie season.

Later in the evening when the Street Stocks returned for the 35 lap main points leader and quick time of the night Terry Lydell came from the back to front in nine laps. Lydell not only lead the race but the competition looked like the tail of a comet moving fast but never able to catch up.

At the start of the 35 lap feature Micky Williams and Steve Hansen Jr. shared the front row with Hansen taking the lead by the end of the first lap. His brother, Shawn Hansen, came from the middle of the field to run in second for a few laps after a lap nine caution and a restart Terry Lydell passed both Hansens for the lead when he got a good jump at the green. Lydell had a quarter lap lead by lap 20 when another caution bunched up the field again. Darrell Lankford was on his way around Shawn Hansen when the caution came out and sent him back in line to try again and the next time he made it around for second. Lankford put space between him and Hansen but Lydell ran away with the lead. The finish was Lydell, Lankford, Shawn Hansen, Keri Sigman and DeeAnn Norton.

The Non Wing Sprints ran a 35 lap main event race with Mick Williams on the pole and Cameron Sinsel on the outside at the start. Sinsel got a good start and went around Williams by the first lap with Tyler Bailey following close behind. Cory Lockwood also went around Williams and then tried an inside pass on Bailey but Bailey let him have the inside because he was going around the outside of Sinsel for the lead. Lead by example is a good philosophy and Lockwood also went around Sinsel to take now take second.

By the fourth lap it was Bailey, Lockwood, and Sinsel but Johnny Gielser was coming up from the rear of the field. With the three locked in a very tight group Giesler tried to get around on the outside but a loose condition made him back off and try the inside. "I just thought that if I could hold the inside line that they couldn't get around me", Bailey said. But Lockwood tried otherwise and lost a position when Giesler took second away from Lockwood. A few laps later, veteran racer, Jeff Russell came up to play with the teenagers in the first three positions but in spite of his good racing skills had to stay in fourth place on the outside looking in in a tight finish. Bailey came in first with Giesler, Lockwood, Russell, and Rob Grice following.

Veteran racer, Kenny Chandler, had the pole in the 35 lap feature for the Late Model Lites. Pat Young had the outside and at the start and also two subsequent restarts tried to pass Chandler on the outside. The outside groove was not working for Young however, and Mike Bailey moved underneath to take second. Bailey held on for 10 laps and then tried the outside himself which was successful after running outside of Chandler for 3 laps. Mike Bailey then ran away with the lead for a while but Jim Bailey came around the outside of Chandler also and then on the inside of Mike to take the lead.

With all the lead changes many of the fans did not notice Shawn Tubbs and Kale Freedman working their way to the front too. When Mike Bailey got too close to the inside dirt on turn two Tubbs and Freedman passed for second and third. Shawn Tubbs tried for an outside pass for the lead but a caution flag and a restart gave the leader, Jim Bailey, a reprieve. Soon after the restart Tubbs went around the outside for the lead again but another caution put him back in second. With four laps to go on the restart Tubbs tried for the third time to go around for the lead but got loose on the last lap and slid up the track. Freedman took advantage and took second at the finish line. Jim Bailey crossed first with Freedman and Tubbs in a tight second and third. Casey Tillman and Matt Wolfkiel rounded out the top five.

With a points battle between veteran dirt track driver, Brandon Johnson, and young gun Sierra Shaffer brewing the fans knew the Winged Sprints were going to be good in their 40 lap main event. With 69 points separating the two Johnson had a comfortable lead this close to the end of the season but a DNF or other mishap could allow Jackson to catch up. With the inverted start quick time Johnson started at the tail end right behind Jackson who qualified second.

At the start Steve Freeman had the pole with his son Cody Freeman on the outside. Steve Freeman held the lead for a lap until Jimmy Hamilton took over with Jim Todd right behind. Jim Todd went around Hamilton on the outside on lap six and then took off leaving Hamilton, Mike Cullum, and Dave Parrie to give him a cushion from Sierra Jackson and Brandon Johnson who were coming up fast. Mike Cullum soon passed Hamilton and put the pressure on the leader. Dave Parrie went around Hamilton for third and by this time Sierra Jackson was working on fourth place. Every time Jackson passed a competitor Johnson followed and when Jackson passed Parrie on the inside Johnson passed Parrie on the outside. Neither one could get around or inside Mike Cullum nor could Cullum get past Jim Todd. The race ended with Todd in the lead and Cullum in a close second. Jackson and Johnson came in third and fourth with Dave Parrie a few seconds behind.

Jim Todd, the winner in the Wing Sprints main event, had a good change of luck for the evening. His Non Wing Sprint car was having a hydraulic brake issues and was not able to start any of the races but his Wing Sprint car ran flawlessly along with his driving skills to take his first main event win in the Winged 360s. With Cullum on his tail Jim Todd said, "I could feel him (Cullum) back there…but we worked hard to get this car together tonight." It worked for him.

Next week the Labor Day Invitational at Meridian Speedway will be presenting over Saturday and Sunday the Grand American Modifieds and the Legends in an invitational meet. The Northwest Pro 4 Alliance showdown will be completing a three race event at Meridian Speedway with a 75 lap main on Saturday and a regular schedule on Sunday. On Sunday there are over 260 laps of main event racing scheduled. In addition the Pro Truck series will be running both nights in a regular race schedule. On both nights the gates open at 4 with time trials and racing at 5 and 6 pm. See www.meridianspeedway.com for more information.

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