MERIDIAN SPEEDWAY RACE RESULTS FOR APRIL 12

Source: Meridian Speedway Media Relations/bc
Date: 04/13/2008

MERIDIAN, Idaho - Meridian Speedway's long awaited opening night provided topnotch action for near record crowds. The ASA sanctioned track fought unseasonably wet weather and a broken water main in the weeks before so the fans and drivers came out in droves for the warm Saturday night on April 12th. The car counts were up in almost every class and the drivers were eager to see how they would do after either building new cars or upgrading their cars from last season.

The Grand American Modifieds were added to the race card for Saturday night April 12th due to a previous rain out. And they did not disappoint the fans with 18 cars turned out for the night. Winged sprint driver and "Idaho Outlaw", Brandon Johnson came out in his familiar colors and familiar number, the 14, for his debut race in a Grand American Modified and even though just minutes before qualifying his team completed a last minute transmission change he finished second in the 40 lap main event.

The Non Winged Sprints backed up their last year's inaugural season with an even better car count. The season began last year with car counts in the single digits and this year the first race had 14 with more on the way. The action was good with one third of the number as rookies in the class but not rookies to racing. Newcomer, Sharde Bement moved up from Bandoleros last year, but did not finish the main event. Other new drivers in the Non Winged Sprints were Don Kithcart, (moved up from Legends), Kole Bushman, Kyle Hossfeld, and Zachary Wilson.

The night of racing started out with the Bandoleros with eight cars in an eight lap main event. Chase Gilbertson had the pole position with Giles Thornton on his right. On lap three Thornton spun and was sent to the back for the restart leaving Alyson Clark to fight for the lead with Gilbertson. Clark looked like she could pass in a few more laps but mechanical problems slowed her to a stop on the front stretch bringing out a yellow flag and a restart. At the green flag with five laps still to go Dante Sewell and Giles Thornton bumped and Thornton's car rolled on its side and slid to a stop on the front stretch. Due to time constraints the race was called leaving Gilbertson the winner. Alyson Clark took second with Blade Ince in third, Andrew Clark in fourth and Dante Sewell in fifth.

Next up for main events was the 35 lap Street Stocks. Twelve cars took the green flag with Steve Hansen Jr. on the pole and Brian Williams on the outside. Williams' right front tire went flat at the green flag and oil on the track caused a red flag for cleanup and subsequent restart with a new line up. Hansen Jr. again had the pole and kept it until Ben Frisbie caught up with him and passed him on the outside on lap 5. Frisbie started in eighth place and passed for the lead in very short order but Darrell Lankford was working his way to the front to put the pressure on. By lap 10 Lankford was looking on the outside for a pass for the lead but could not complete it. The final was Frisbie with the first main event win of the season in the Street Stocks with Lankford close behind. Steve Hansen Jr. came in third with car number 71 (unknown driver) in fourth and Casey Hart in fifth. Hart was driving his Dodge pickup in a class dominated by midsized cars and finished in the middle of the pack. Look for a win for Hart later in the season.

The Legends were next in the lineup with a larger car count and numerous rookie drivers coming up from outlaw karts, and other classes. Fourteen cars qualified and 13 took the green flag for the 30 lap main. Rod Stiller had the pole with Ed Sonius on the outside. After the first lap Sonius had the lead and looked like he would have a win on his 48th birthday but Doyle Hartman and Eric Miller pulled up behind with Hartman on the outside. The cars were three wide on turn three with Hartman taking the lead when they passed the front stretch for the fifth time in the race. To add insult to injury Miller and Jamie Ransom passed Sonius on the next lap. Erik Miller passed Hartman shortly after a restart to take the lead. Jamie Ransom then passed Hartman for second and the top three was set for the rest of the race. Travis Anderson and Tom Matheson came in fourth and fifth.

The Grand American Modifieds had a field of 18 cars for the 40 lap main on Saturday night. Brandon Johnson had the pole in his debut main event in the class with Bob Wood on the outside. At the start Johnson's car got loose and Wood passed for the lead with Dennis Wurtz following. Wurtz continued forward and took the lead from Wood. Wurtz ran away with the lead for a few laps until Tim Lawrence spun into a water barrel and the red flag came out for cleanup. At the restart Wurtz again left the competition way behind and then caught and passed lapped traffic. An altercation between lapped traffic and Wood's car brought out the second red flag and at the restart Wood lost his position to Johnson. Wurtz, however, was not about to lose anything and kept first place through to the checkered flag. Brandon Johnson came in second with Chris Fenton in third, and Tom Hill and Tony Ackerland in fourth and fifth.

With the extra class added to the race night the time was crunched and sometimes the main event races were cut short or the caution laps were counted in the later laps. This happened again with the Non Winged Sprints on Saturday night at Meridian Speedway. The large amount of new drivers and the first night of racing combined to slow the pace somewhat but not the excitement. Kelly Perkins had the pole with Wyatt King on the outside. King took an early lead and by lap ten had run away with it. Perkins, Rob Grice, Jeff Russell, and Joe Ransom were bunched up tight but King had a substantial lead. King later passed lapped traffic on the inside and then the outside of the same lap. When Russell hit the back stretch wall and then left on the hook the running order was shaken up a bit and the caution laps were then counted. Wyatt King finished in the lead with Cameron Sinsel in second, Zachary Wilson in third, Kelly Perkins in fourth and Joe Ransom fifth.

The last race of the night was the much anticipated 40 lap Late Model race. Eight of the eleven cars finished on the lead lap with lots of mixing up in the mean time. Troy Evans led the pack to the green flag with Justin Ellis on the outside. Tyler Monroe followed Evans but Ellis made a pass on the outside for second place in the early laps. Ellis moved to the outside to attempt a pass for the lead but got freight trained back to fourth place. Monroe now had the job of passing Evans and did so on lap 20 on the outside. Monroe's momentum continued and he had sizeable lead one lap later. Travis Milburn also went around on the outside and moved up behind Monroe to add to the pressure. A few laps later the first four cars were in a tight pack and managed to stay that way to the end. Tyler Monroe took the first win of the season in his backup car after he lost a rear end in the earlier heat race in his regular car. Travis Milburn came in second with Chris Ratteree in third and John Nesmith and Troy Evans in fourth and fifth.

Next week the Winged Sprints, the Super Stocks, Late Model Lites, and the Mini Stocks kick off the season on Saturday, April 19th at Meridian Speedway (an ASA Member track). Gates open at 4, Time trials are at 5 with the green flag scheduled to drop at 6. For more information see www.meridianspeedway.com .

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