VINTAGE RACERS AT MERIDIAN SPEEDWAY

Source: Meridian Speedway Media Relations/bpc
Date: 05/18/2008

MERIDIAN, Idaho --May 17, 2008 was stock was stock car night at ASA sanctioned Meridian Speedway except for the Vintage race cars brought out by West Coast Vintage Racers and Golden Wheels. With the Vintage racers as the only open wheel class of the night it would be expected that there would be lots of bumping and banging and damaged sheet metal in the stock cars. The sheet metal did get banged up in some of the classes and a wheel bouncing to the infield as, if not expected, at least not surprising, in the street stock class, but with the vintage cars - as historical rolling museum pieces - it is never expected to see a wreck, and close calls are few and far between.

But the barely imaginable did happen on Saturday night when in the last main of the night for the Vintage cars on the third lap with about eight cars on the track, while most of the fans were looking the other way, Don Cook's throttle stuck in his white 1967 Chevy powered, Edmunds built, sprint car and he hit the turn one wall water barrels hard and went up and over them and into the wall coming down upside down. The emergency crews carefully extracted Edmunds and he was transported to a local trauma center.

It was later learned that he will have a minor procedure on Monday and will need to wear a neck support collar for some time but his prognosis is good. Club officials said to expect Don and his sprint car to return to next year's event. Don and his wife travel from Lebanon, Oregon for this and several other vintage race events through out the northwest. Marvin Price of the WCVR and Golden Wheels fraternity "wanted the fans to appreciate the fact that the only way to get a feel of the historic cars is to see them on the track". And he added that they "do so as carefully as possible". This was a mechanical issue with a car that was by itself on that section of the track and in no way is a common occurrence with the vintage racers.

With all of the wrecks and cautions earlier in the night with the Mini stocks it was almost a surprise when the Late Model Lites went green to checker with out a caution. Casey Tillman and John Riparetti shared the front row at the drop of the green by the end of the first lap Riparetti had the lead on the outside and a few lap later started to create distance form the rest of the pack. By halfway through the race Riparetti and Tillman still were one and two but the rest of the field had mixed up with Brandon McLean and Pat Young fighting for third and fourth. A few laps later Joe Barton and Kale Freedman had replaced McLean and Young.

With a two car length cushion not even lapped traffic could slow Riparetti until Tillman looked high while Barton looked to the low side at the same time as an infield excursion by one of the lapped cars caused a dust cloud and confusion. Tillman had taken the lead with Barton and Freedman behind. Riparetti and Jim Bailey were in fourth and fifth. With five to go Barton moved to the outside of Tillman and Freedman followed for second. The race went to the end with no cautions and Barton took the checkered with Freedman, Tillman, Riparetti, and Jim Bailey following.

Earlier in the evening the Super Stocks had their scheduled 35 lap main event. At the drop of the green the two car freight train of Troy Evans and Beau Cannon worked their way around the outside of Dave Harris to take the lead. Gale Carter then moved to third and Beau Cannon got a black flag for spilling fluid on the track. Seconds later Carter spun on the backstretch bringing out the first caution. Officials checked out Cannon's car and he was allowed to continue but 10 laps later got the black flag again. Meanwhile at the front of the pack Troy Evans was still holding off Dennis Brodigan, Brian McDaniel, and Rick Baldwin with a hard charging Dustin Stepheson moving up. With ten laps to go Stepheson took third and helped Brodigan put the pressure on Evans but to no avail. Evans held on for the win with Brodigan, Stepheson, Charlie Stout and Dan Lowther in the top five. Carter had worked his way back up to sixth place after restarting at the end following an early caution.

The Idaho Center for Professional Truck Driving brought out 14 street stocks.

At the green flag Bob McDaniel jumped ahead of the field with Steve Hansen Jr., Rodney Houpt, Brandon Shira, and Bruce Zacharias grabbing the top spots.

Darrell Lankford starting seventh quickly moved up to take fourth away from Shira.

Shawn Hansen started tenth, but by lap four had moved up to fifth place. In lap five Scott Murray spun and collected Zacharias bringing out the first caution.

At the restart, McDaniel, Steve Hansen Jr., Houpt, Lankford, and Shawn Hansen held the top spots.

In lap 10 Shawn Hansen made his move and came around McDaniel, and Houpt, to take the lead, only to have it snatched away when David Short spun on the backstretch bringing out a caution. McDaniel was black flagged before the race restarted leaving Houpt in the lead and Shawn Hansen second. Hansen quickly made his move when the flag flew bringing Lankford and Terry Lydell with him and freight training Houpt back to fourth.

Murray came around turn four and lost his right rear tire stopping the field on the backstretch to clean up the track.

The race restarted with Shawn Hansen, Lankford, Lydell, Houpt, and Dave Harris in the top five spots.

Lap 20 Micky Williams spun on the backstretch but the checked flag waved and Shawn Hansen took the win. Lankford, Lydell, Harris, and Houpt rounded out the top five.

The Larry Miller Subaru Mini Stocks lined up with 20 cars, but before the green flew Jeff Hasson was pushed off the track taking the field down to 19.

Aly Clark and Rick Brees got together in turn two bringing out the first caution. The field lined back up without Cody Mitchell. The green flag flew. Donavan Parker spun in turn four, bringing out caution three. Vintage Racers at Meridian Speedway

See Also .:

News Index | E-mail to a Friend