OPENING NIGHT PART TWO AT MERIDIAN SPEEDWAY

Source: Meridian Speedway Media Relations/bc
Date: 04/21/2008

MERIDIAN, Idaho – The second half of the classes that regularly race at ASA sanctioned Meridian Speedway had their opening night on April 19. As with most opening nights the action was unpredictable with teams and drivers anxious to prove themselves and to prove their abilities to build and tune their machines. Some dreams were dashed and some were realized but the excitement for the fans continued in spite of the emotions in the pits and on the track.

The classes represented on Saturday night were the Thunder Stocks, the Mini Stocks, the Super Stocks, the Late Model Lites, and the Winged Sprints. The Bandoleros were partially represented when Alyson Clark came out for hot laps in a Mini Stock for her debut race in the class. Clark may be one of the oldest drivers in the Bandolero class but that still makes her the youngest, by far, in the Mini Stocks.

Meridian Speedway's Thunder Stock class brought out ten cars for the night of racing. Nine started the scheduled 30 lap main that was later shortened to 25 due to time constraints. Thomas White had the pole with Bill Lacy on the outside at the green flag. Lacy got the hole-shot and led the first of several laps and it looked like he would do the first "hat trick" of the season when after 15 laps he was still in the lead. The third yellow flag and restart somehow left Lacy with a right front tire going flat so as the green flag was waved he pulled in to the pits leaving the lead to R.J. Lewis.

Verlon Wright brought a Chevy pickup to the track for the Thunder Stock race with his familiar number 71 emblazoned on the side. His smoke show braking into every turn thrilled the crowds and many predicted the left rear tire wouldn't last the race. But if you know Verlon Wright you know you can't predict the outcome when he's in the mix. After starting scratch and being sent to the back at mid-race he worked his way back up to second place at the finish. He possibly could have taken the lead but everyone except Lewis was at least one lap down and Lewis was running strong. The final was Lewis, Wright, Dion States, White, and Dan Tyler.

With the Mini Stocks car count up to 25 cars for the night it was inevitable that the class would be saturated with new drivers. The father and son race team of Rick Brees and Jamey Frostrom shared the front row at the start of the race with Brees on the inside. Frostrom took the lead on the outside but could not complete the pass and by lap four Brees had regained the lead. Donavan Parker then moved up to take second with Kirk Sanders following close behind.

At Meridian Speedway patience pays off better than aggressiveness and experience is the best teacher. Sanders proved this by holding the line and taking second when Parker moved to the outside to attempt a pass for the lead. Sanders completed the pass just in time when a yellow flag was waved for a car stopped at the pit entrance on lap nine. After the restart another yellow flag and another restart the running order was Brees, Sanders, Casey Hart, Scott Wilcox, and Frostrom. Two laps later Hart had made a pass on the outside around both Sanders and Brees to take the lead and run away it. Sanders passed for second but could not catch Hart; in fact nothing could catch Hart for the rest of the race. The final was Hart followed by Sanders, Wilcox, Frostrom, and Jason Lampman.

When veteran driver, Gale Carter, brought his Super Stock to Meridian Speedway he did not expect to wreck during practice. With a bent right rear wheel and severe damage to the frame of his Chevy Camaro it looked like it might be time to put the car on the trailer. After carefully evaluating the damage he decided he could continue and it ended up being a good decision. When the green flag was waved Dave Harris had the pole but Bryan McDaniel passed on the outside by the end of the first lap. Gale Carter, second in line on the outside passed also for second place. Charlie Stout worked his way inside of Carter on lap five to take second while the rest of the field rapidly changed positions. Dan Lowther passed on the outside to work his way to fourth behind Carter. With Lowther putting the pressure on Carter, Charlie Hamm Jr. snuck inside of Lowther to take fourth followed by Dustin Stephenson to put Lowther in sixth place for the time being.

A caution for debris on the track came out before the lap was completed so Stephenson was not able to keep the position. At the restart Lowther got fifth place back but when Charlie Stout bumped McDaniel on the next lap putting them both into a spin the next restart put Carter in the lead with Hamm and Lowther right behind. Hamm was faster through the corners but Carter was able to pull ahead on the straights. Lowther was put in to a position where he could only wait it out with Hamm and Carter battling for the win. Hamm pulled to the outside of Carter on the last lap but Carter crossed the finish line first with a margin of only a couple of feet. The final was Carter, Hamm, Lowther, Stephenson, and Rick Baldwin

The green flag brought out memories of years past when Kenny Chandler took the lead on the first lap after a fourth place start in the Late Model Lites. Joe Barton moved up tight to Chandler after passing Brandon McLean on the outside. Barton looked to pass Chandler on the outside several times over the next few laps but could not get around until a combination of lapped traffic and good timing helped Barton make the pass for the lead. Chandler stayed on the rear bumper of Barton for the rest of the race with McLean on his bumper. Rob Powers had taken fourth with D.J. Lyons in fifth until Kale Freedman took fifth on lap 15. The running order was set for the rest of the race but the outcome was not certain until the end with close racing and several pass attempts. Barton took the win leaving the rest of the top five positions to Chandler, McLean, Powers and Freedman.

The much anticipated Winged Sprint season opener brought out 13 cars. New cars and some new drivers combined for an exciting package. Austin Hager had the pole in a sprint car new to him this year after struggling in a partial season last year. Jimmy Hamilton Sr. moved up behind on the first lap to build up the pressure. Dave Quick and Jim Todd followed close behind. Cody Veenstra, Kenny Hamilton, and Brandon Johnson were gaining positions in the middle of the pack threatening to add to the pressure. On lap 16 Sierra Jackson caught fire and slid in to the turn one wall collecting Jimmy Hamilton Jr. in the process. Jackson was out of the car by the time the rescue crews could get there and Hamilton Jr. was okay also. Both cars were out of the race. At the restart and before the next lap was completed Kenny Hamilton moved to the inside of Veenstra. Veenstra lost control and spun to the turn 3 wall which started a chain reaction in which Jim Todd and Matt Elliott piled up in the wall behind Veenstra. With the time running out and the water barrels spilling water on the track the race was checkered flagged with Hager as the leader. With the restart lap not yet completed the order went back to the previous restart which put the finish order as Hager, Jimmy Hamilton Sr., Cody Veenstra, Kenny Hamilton, and Brandon Johnson.

The next night of racing at Meridian Speedway is scheduled for April 26. The Grand American Modifieds, the Non Winged Sprints, Street Stocks, Legends, and the Hornets will be returning to continue the points race. Gates open at 4 with the qualifying at 5 and the racing at 6. For more information see www.meridianspeedway.com.

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