Hometown driver holds on in Mini Stocks
By Jon Brown
MERIDIAN, Idaho -- Ray Bolinger didn't seem surprised that he had to drive his best race right out of the gate in the Mini Stocks at ASA-sanctioned Meridian Speedway.
The hometown driver held off Dell Scott of Nampa, Idaho, to win the first main event of the 2010 season Saturday night. Bolinger got the final say in a seesaw battle, pushing past Scott with 13 laps to go in the 40-lap feature that kicked off the Sprintcar Season Opener. All other features were run after deadline.
"We've got some great cars this year," Bolinger said after finishing on top of 23-car field. "There are five to 10 cars that are really close."
Scott and Bolinger were close throughout the race. The pair traded the lead during a seven-lap span. They raced side-by-side fro two laps before Bolinger nosed ahead with 25 laps left. Scott wasn't done, though, riding Bolinger's rear bumper as the two weaved through lapped traffic.
Bolinger lost the lead on the 22nd lap only to regain it on the side-by-side restart after Jason Lampman brought out a caution flag on Lap 27.
On the restart, though, Bolinger got a great jump to settle the issue.
The new speedway configuration created record qualifying times again and side-by-side competition (sometimes three-wide) in several races.
Sierra Jackson of Middleton, Idaho, became the record-holder in the Mtn. Dew Winged Sprints, turning a qualifying lap on the quarter-mile at 11.426 seconds. Scott Shoecraft of Boise, Idaho, ran the fastest Mini Stocks lap in the history of the track with a 15.366, and Sara Henry of Nampa, Idaho, set the Domino's Pizza Legends fast-lap record with a 15.186.
Next Saturday marks the debut of the Hometown Team Racing Series with a double main event for the ESI Express ASA Modifieds, a return of the Winged Sprintcars, a 50-lap main event for the College of Western Idaho Professional Truck Driving School Street Stocks, the Hornets and the 2010 debut of the Thunder Dogs. It's also the first Racing for Smiles of the Northwest night at the racetrack.
For more information, call (208) 888-2813 or visit www.meridianspeedway.com.
