GRAND AMERICAN MODIFIEDS TRY OUT A NEW RESTART

Source: Meridian Speedway Media Relations/bc
Date: 04/28/2008

MERIDIAN, IdahoB – The fans were confused the first time it happened but the excitement grew each successive restart. ASA member track, Meridian Speedway, tried out a new restart after cautions for the Grand American Modifieds. The side by side restart has been used in other tracks in Idaho and California with mixed reviews but Meridian Speedway's tight low banked oval seems to be tailor made for this new idea. With two laps left to go before a restart track officials put a traffic cone on turn three and the drivers must choose if they want the inside or the high side at the restart.

The modifieds generally have difficulty finding an outside groove at Meridian so the strategy to pick the high side may work or not but it always mixed things up. Generally the leaders picked the inside but those hoping for a chance to move up would stay to the right of the commit cone and then start up front with the leaders. Sometimes at Meridian being on the outside just means that the driver will get "freight trained" to the rear but that is not always the case. Chris Ratterree's choice to take the high side during the line up for a mid race restart netted some huge results in the 75 lap main event. Ratterree started the race in 12th but moved to ninth and then to the top five during the early laps. A choice to take the high side on a restart at mid race put him on the outside front row next to Brian McDaniel on the pole. One lap later Ratterree had the lead and maintained it to the next caution flag. On the next commit cone restart Jeff Wurtz chose the outside lane next to Ratterree and looked like he might pass for the lead but Wurtz was forced to move back in to single file behind Ratterree and the pair left the others in the dust. At the end Ratterree and Wurtz were the only ones left on the lead lap. AL Colwell, Jeff Hill, and Brian McDaniel rounded out the top five.

The first class of the night to run a main event was the Hornets in the B main. Eleven cars and drivers started the ten lap event with four to transfer. A fight for first place with 4 laps to go ended up with Karissa Wood in the wall and out of the race. Donald Wilson took the lead at the restart and was able to lock in his spot in the main event. At the end Wilson, Eric Harry, Chet Thorson, and Tanner Broome transferred to the A main

Eight cars started the Street Stock main event. Bob McDaniel and Darrell Lankford shared the front row at the start. When McDaniel got the black flag on the second lap Lankford took over leading the race. Shawn Hansen moved up to put pressure on Lankford with Casey Hart close behind. Hart's unconventional Street Stock is not a car but a Dodge pickup. Hart complained earlier that the truck is hard to get set up with the center of gravity being different from a car but his actions belied his complaints with his strong finish. By mid race Ben Frisbee had moved up on the outside of Hart to make a pass but a few laps later good driving by Hart and some bad luck for Frisbee got Hart his position back in third. Frisbee was trying for a pass for second but lapped traffic stopped him from doing so. Hansen not only kept his position but Hart was able to take advantage of the unintentional block also. The final was Lankford with a almost a half lap lead followed by Hansen, Hart, Frisbee and an unknown driver in Blake Coria's number 13 car.

With the large amount of rookies in the legend class on a cold track and 19 cars in the field it was predicted by some that there would be mayhem. Those predictions were unhappily met throughout the scheduled 35 lap race. Seven cautions marred the race but most were minor incidents. Only one driver failed to finish but the race ended under caution due to a last lap spin out that involved several cars.

At the start of the race Lloyd Bigler led the pack to the green flag with Ed Sonius on the outside. Doyle Hartman moved up to second in the early laps and then took the lead after a restart on lap 10. Erik Miller and Bob Kronenberg moved up to try for first. When Miller moved out side of Bigler to take second Kronenberg somehow ended up with it instead. On a restart with two laps to go Kronenberg took first and then the next caution brought out the yellow flag and the checkered at the same time. The final was Kronenberg, Hartman, Bigler, Travis Anderson, and Camron Madson. Bob Kronenberg traveled from Shelton, Washington to race in Meridian and get out of the rainy weather on the coast.

With several mishaps early in the evening only 12 drivers made it out for the Non Winged Sprints main event. Cameron Sinsel broke an axle during qualifying and his car had to be hooked back to the pits. On the first lap of the trophy dash Zach Wilson and Kelly Perkins got together and they both hit the front stretch wall coming out of turn four. Perkins hit hard straight on and his car sustained major damage. Seconds later Perkins stood up out of the top of the car and waved to the crowd but did not get out of the car. Emergency crews quickly responded and not so quickly removed Perkins from his race car. With back board and cervical collar in place they put him in one of two ambulances for a trip to the hospital. Wilson was also checked over and the decision was made to send him to the hospital also. A call to the hospital reported that both drivers were treated and sent home. Kelly Perkins returned to the track to catch the end of the races but was sore with pain in his back and neck. He reported that he will not return to the track for some time because of the damage to his car.

With three drivers missing from the otherwise growing new class the racing continued. Rob Grice took the pole with Jerry Sullivan on the outside. By lap three Jeff Russell was looking for an outside pass for second but Joe Ransom got it instead. At mid race with no cautions the order was Grice, Ransom, Russell, Johnny Giesler, and Wyatt King. By the end of the race Russell had taken second with Giesler in third. Joe Ransom and Wyatt King came in fourth and fifth. Grice held on to the lead for the entire caution free 30 lap race.

With the four drivers transferred from the B main there were 18 starters for the 35 lap Hornet main event. Rob Taylor led the pack to the green flag with David Haslam on the outside. With the small size of the Hornet cars and the relatively slow speeds three wide passing is not just possible it is inevitable. Mike Davis started in the second row and had first by the end of the second lap. Rob Taylor held a tight second with Mike Hampton close behind. A restart on lap 14 allowed the drivers to try for a hole shot and move up. Vern Cornish moved up two positions. One lap later he passed between David Haslam and the 24 car in a three wide pass that netted him an eventual second place. On the final laps Cornish was on the outside of Davis with a drag race at every crossing of the finish line. With several tries to change the outcome Cornish was still not able to get around Davis in the side by side finish. Davis won the race with Cornish and Chad Barker in second and third.

In the article about last week's race (April 19, 2008) information was omitted about the Winged Sprint wreck that involved Cody Veenstra, Jim Todd, Jimmy Hamilton Jr., and Matt Elliott. On the back stretch and turn four Veenstra's car lost up to 10 quarts of oil and the resulting oil slick put all of the involved cars into the wall. It was not driver error that was the cause of the incident. Also, it is expected that all of the cars and drivers involved in wrecks during the race will return to Meridian Speedway on May 3, 2008.

The next races at Meridian Speedway are scheduled for May 3. The Winged Sprints will return along with the Late Model Lites, Mini Stocks, Thunder Stocks and the trailer races. For more information please check on the website at www.meridianspeedway.com. Gates open at 4 with the time trials at 5 and the trophy dashes at 6.

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