Idaho Racing News

By Jon Brown

MERIDIAN, Idaho -- Conditions weren’t perfect Saturday, but Melissa Scott was.
The veteran Nampa, Idaho, driver maintained momentum at ASA-sanctioned Meridian Speedway for her second feature victory in as many tries in the 2010 College of Western Idaho Professional Truck Driving School Street Stocks series.
Other winners included Shelby Stroebel and Jeff Hill, both of Meridian, Idaho, in the twin ESI Express ASA Modifieds main events; Wyatt King of Meridian in the Pepsi Sprintcars; Marshall Burnham of Nampa in the Tates Rents Hornets and the Winged Snot Rod (driven by Chris Carlson of Boise) in the first Thunderdogs race of the season.
With rain looming, Scott set out to make quick work of what was supposed to be a 50-lap feature. The veteran driver from Nampa, Idaho, had all but checked out when Ontario, Ore.’s Jake Petero lost his right front tire and slammed into the Turn 4 wall to bring out a red flag with 18 laps left.
The race was shortened to 47 laps as rain started to fall.
With last year’s Pepsi Sprintcars king, Johnny Giesler, knocked out after a hard crash in practice, fellow Meridian driver King took advantage for a fast-paced victory in the final feature of the night.
King was given the checkered flag after Boise’s Doyle Hartman destroyed his race car plowing into the Turn 4 wall on the final lap. Hartman had lost the lead to King earlier in the race.
Both Modifieds feature races finished under nail-biting conditions.
In the early go, Stroebel chased down Nampa’s Jentry Pisca for the majority of the race and caught him with six laps left. But multiple yellow flags created a tense side-by-side duel. Stroebel finally got the upper hand by taking the high side on the third restart for the advantage.
"There's no other person to have on the inside," Stroebel said of Pisca after the race under threatening skies. "He's a great racer, and I've enjoyed racing with him.
"Thanks to all the people who have come out and fought the storm. That's awesome. You're die-hard."
Hill won a three-lap side-by-side duel with Montie Potter, to take the checkered flag in the first half of the Modifieds double main event. Both racers looked comfortable running wheel-to-wheel midway through the 30-lap race.
After getting past Potter, Hill widened his lead and lapped a few cars. He took the checkered ahead of his brother and Hillbilly Racing Team partner Tom Hill of Eagle, Idaho.
With Saturday's two main events, Meridian's Modified drivers took a step in the Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil ASA Member Track National Championship chase. Each ASA-sanctioned track must run at least 14 features to qualify their drivers for the title hunt. The overall winner gets a test drive with Joe Gibbs Racing. Last year, Tom Hill finished fourth in the Western Region standings.
Marshall Burnham of Nampa, Idaho, was the second driver across the finish line in the Hornets main, which of course meant he won the race. Race officials switched up the rules for the 25-lap main event, and Burnham funneled to the checkered flag after coming off Turn 4 as part of a five-wide crawl to the finish. All drivers slowed down while they jockeying for the winning second spot.
“This is a good field out here,” Burnham said of his fellow Hornets competitors. “They’re rough and tough and ready to play.”
There was no stopping the Winged Snot Rod and Boise's Chris Carlson in the 20-lap Thunderdogs feature. Carlson was running so well -- leading by nearly half a lap -- that race officials sent him to the back of the pack after Soccer Mom Too, driven by John Pinkston of Meridian, overheated and hit the wall in the middle of Turn 1-2 with two laps remaining.
It didn't matter. Carlson worked his way back from the rear and went three-wide at the white flag, beating Cab Fare (Kennan Irons of Boise) and Hot Wheels (Brett Sullivan of Boise) to regain control.
Next week's action includes Racin' for a Cure for the American Cancer Society with racing for the Mtn. Dew Winged Sprintcars, NAPA Latemodel Sportsman class, Project Filter Pro-4s, Domino's Pizza Legends and the debut of the Jr. Stingers for 11- to 14-year-old racers. The Penny Gold Rush for Kids will feature children racing to gather pennies for prizes.
For more information, call (208) 888-2813 or visit www.meridianspeedway.com.
Meridian Speedway
Sprintcar season opener
Saturday's unofficial results
Main events
ESI Express ASA Modifieds, Main No. 1 (30 laps) --
1. Jeff Hill, Meridian, Idaho; 2. Tom Hill, Eagle, Idaho; 3. Shelby Stroebel, Meridian; 4. Chris Fenton, Meridian; 5. Charlie Ham Jr., Kuna, Idaho
ESI Express ASA Modifieds, Main No. 2 (30 laps) --
1. Stroebel; 2. Jentry Pisca, Nampa, Idaho; 3. Tom Hill; 4. Ham; 5. Fenton
CWI Professional Truck Driving School Street Stocks (50 laps) --
1. Melissa Scott, Nampa; 2. Nick Lane, Caldwell, Idaho; 3. Jim Anderson, Meridian; 4. Pat Young, Kuna; 5. Marv Weaver, Nampa
Pepsi Sprintcars (30 laps) --
1. Wyatt King, Meridian; 2. Joe Ransom, Boise, Idaho; 3. Kelly Newman, Boise; 4. Carl Marcum, Boise; 5. Erik Miller, Caldwell, Idaho
Tates Hornets (25 laps) winner --
Marshall Burnham, Nampa
Thunderdogs (20 laps) --
1. Winged Snot Rod (Chris Carlson, Boise); 2. Cab Fare (Kennan Irons, Boise); 3. Greased Lightning (Trenton Barrington, Boise); 4. Soccer Mom Too (John Pinkston, Meridian); 5. Sledgehammer (David Jolley)
Ultra Touch Car Wash best-looking car
Thunderdogs --
Winged Snot Rod (Chris Carlson, Boise)
Heat races
CWI PTDS Street Stocks
Fast Dash (8 laps) --
1. Chad Bess, Nampa, Idaho; 2. Melissa Scott, Nampa; 3. Marv Weaver, Nampa; 4. Pat Young, Kuna, Idaho; 5. Jeffery Meads, Nampa
Heat No. 2 (8 laps) --
1. Steve Hansen, Boise; 2. Zak Elam, Boise; 3. Doug Loon, Caldwell; 4. Jake Petero, Ontario, Ore.
Heat No. 3 (8 laps) --
1. Shawn Hansen, Boise; 2. Nick Lane, Caldwell; 3. Daniel Vanderveen, Nampa; 4. Jim Anderson, Meridian; 5. Micky Lawson, Caldwell
Pepsi Sprintcars
Fast Dash (8 laps) --
1. Kelly Newman, Boise, Idaho; 2. Joe Ransom, Boise; 3. Wyatt King, Meridian; 4. Erik Miller, Caldwell, Idaho; 5. Carl Marcum, Boise
Heat No. 2 (8 laps) --
1. Eric Ransom, Boise; 2. Doyle Hartman, Boise; 3. Victor Clark, Meridian; 4. Josh Allen, Meridian; 5. Alyson Clark, Meridian
Tates Hornets
Heat No. 1 (8 laps) --
1. Kaitlan Stroebel, Meridian; 2. Brittany Van Buren, Boise; 3. Jennifer Cirelli, Meridian; 4. Kelly Stephens; 5. Bob Mross, Eagle
Heat No. 2 (8 laps) --
1. David Tankersley, Nampa; 2. Colin Parker, Kuna; 3. Art Heath, Nampa; 4. Mike Fortin, Durkee, Ore.; 5. Brandon Monson, Kuna
Heat No. 3 (8 laps) --
1. Ken Cannington, Nampa; 2. Marshall Burnham, Nampa; 3. Eric Harry, Boise
Thunderdogs
Heat race (8 laps) --
1. Hot Wheels (Brett Sullivan, Boise); 2. Winged Snot Rod Too (Chris Carlson, Boise); 3. Cab Fare (Kennan Irons, Boise); 4. Bumble Bee (David Romero, Boise); 5. Soccer Mom (John Pinkston, Meridian)
Fast times
ESI Express ASA Modifieds --
Tom Hill, Eagle, Idaho, 14.029 seconds
CWI PTDS Street Stocks --
Melissa Scott, Nampa, Idaho, 15.018
Pepsi Sprintcars --
Wyatt King, Meridian, Idaho, 13.313