Idaho Racing News

By Brian Calkins
MERIDIAN, Idaho —The ASA Modifieds came to Meridian Speedway on Saturday night for two main events totaling 70 laps of excitement for the large near record crowd. Wild 101 and V99.1 presented ESI Express Service Division 2010 night at the races. Tom Hill representing ESI Express donated $17,500 that was raised for the Glory Children’s Academy, a school for children with autism. Tom Hill is also an ASA Modified owner and driver and is still the current points leader. Hill was involved in a dramatic wreck last week and finished his night in the pits but on Saturday he ended up in the top five in both main events. It was Jentry Pisca that could not be stopped on Saturday night however. Other winners were Melissa Scott, Nampa, Idaho in the CWI Street Stocks, Joe Ransom, Boise, Idaho in the Pepsi Sprintcars and Josh Parkkila, Boise in the Tates Rents Hornets.

The ASA Modifieds took off with 11 cars in the first of two main events at ASA member track Meridian Speedway. Jentry Pisca, Nampa, took an early lead and held off all comers for 21 laps with pure speed. Jeff Hill, Boise passed for second place but did not have enough to catch Pisca. The cone (double file) restart when Darrell Dolling, Boise, spun in turn one with 9 laps to go allowed Hill to have a second try for the lead when Pisca and Hill got the green side by side. Pisca again took the lead and held on to the checkered for the first of two main events for the ASAModifieds. Pisca and Hill were followed across the finish line by Kevin Zimmer, Horseshoe Bend, Idaho, Tom Hill, Boise, and Dennis Wurtz Jr., Kuna, Idaho.

Next up for main events was the Tates Rent Hornets with a 30 lap race. Josh Parkkila got the green flag on the outside of the front row and quickly took the lead. At the half point of the race Parkkila had a quarter lap lead ahead of Tony Martinez, Nampa. With no cautions to bunch up the field for the first 18 laps Parkkila looked to run away with the race but the double file cone restart allowed Larry Hull, Boise, to have a chance to take the lead. Hull could not finish the maneuver around Parkkila even though Hull looked high and low for a chance to pass. Parkilla won the race followed by Hull, Boise, Mike Fortin, Durkee, Oregon, Kaitlyn Stroebel, Meridian, and Art Heath, Nampa, rounding out the top five.

The Pepsi Sprintcars started their 35 lap main with Ryan Wiederich, Meridian, sharing the front row with Alyson Clark, Meridian. Clark took an early lead but Joe Ransom and Johnny Giesler, Meridian, worked their way from mid pack and took over the front of the field with only six laps down. Ransom drove away from Giesler for several laps by pushing it to the limit while Giesler seemed to uncharacteristically take it easy. Ransom caught lapped traffic with 20 laps down and Giesler caught back up to the leader. As the traffic cleared Ransom held his own and took the checkered flag even though Giesler made a last turn of the last lap effort to take the lead. Meanwhile back in the pack Wyatt King and Alyson Clark battled for third with Clark ending up the victor. Kelly Newman came in fifth.

The CWI Truck Driving Street Stocks 40 lap main event started with 17 race cars on the track. The first mishap to bring out the yellow flag happened with only one lap down. The double file restart reversed the front row from one lap earlier. Mark Finley, Boise took the outside with Daniel Vanderveen, Nampa, on the inside. A few laps later Pat Young, Kuna, worked his way to the outside and took the lead on the front stretch and made up a four second lead when lapped traffic picked off Vanderveen. With only 15 laps down Melissa Scott took second and pushed hard to overtake Young. Fluid on the track caused Jeffrey Meads to get loose and spin on turn one and collect Chad Bess and Tim Elam.

The double file restart had Young and Melissa Scott sharing the front row with Young on the inside. Scott passed for the lead and checked out but when Mickey Lawson, Caldwell, spun on the front stretch the next double file restart reversed the order of the previous restart. Marv Weaver, Nampa, moved to second while his daughter Melissa Scott raced away with the lead. Zach Elam spun on turn 3 and collected Bobby Riggs head on. Both cars got the hook and the race was red flagged for cleanup. Scott and Weaver moved to the first two places after the restart but when Tim Elam, Boise, lost an axle and tire from the left rear of his car one more red flag race stoppage occurred. Scott again took the lead and raced hard for the rest of the race until the white flag lap when Shawn Hansen lost a tire bringing out the yellow and the checkered flags together. Scott won with Weaver, Young, Kim Bradford, Boise, and Mark Finley, Boise, in the top five.

The second of the ASA Modifieds main events started with a reverse lineup from the finish of the first race putting Pisca at the tail end. Charlie Hamm Jr. took an early lead followed by Darrell Dolling. With less than ten laps down Pisca knocked out over half of the pack moving to the top five a few laps later. With the race half over the top five were a tight pack. Hamm got loose for a second and Dolling tried to pass on the inside. Dolling backed off when minor contact was made and Hamm retained the lead. With 16 to go Mike Winchell, Kuna, and Dolling contacted causing Winchell to spin bringing out the first caution. The side by side restart let Chris Fenton take the outside next to Hamm with Dennis Wurtz Jr. and Pisca in the second row.

One lap after the restart the leaders were still side by side but Fenton fell back leaving Wurtz to take second place. Hamm began to check out from the pack until a spin on turn four involving Jeff Hill and another car brought out the caution. Pisca and Wurtz also spun after the caution and Wurtz’ car was damaged and could not continue. The restart put Hamm and Pisca side by side where they stayed for two laps until Pisca finally took the lead. Pisca left Hamm and the rest of the pack behind on his way to the second main event win of the night.

Pisca drove hard to the front but was helped along when it counted the most by the cone restarts. He admitted that the double file restarts “make it interesting.”

Next week at ASA member track Meridian Speedway fans can see the speedway’s first “Outhouse Grand Prix” featuring the Latemodel/Sportsmen, Vintage Sprints, Pro-4s, Legends and the junior Stingers.

Gates open at 4 p.m. with racing starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $7.50 for senior citizens and military personnel with ID and $6 for children ages 7-11. Children 6 and younger get in free, as always.
For more information, visit www.meridianspeedway.com or call (208) 888-2813.

Meridian Speedway
Saturday’s unofficial results
Main events
ESI Express ASA Modifieds (First main 30 laps)
1. Jentry Pisca, Nampa, Idaho; 2. Jeff Hill, Boise, Idaho; 3. Kevin Zimmer, Horseshoe Bend, Idaho; 4. Tom Hill, Boise; 5. Dennis Wurtz Jr., Kuna, Idaho.
Tates Rents Hornets (30 laps)
1. Josh Parkkila, Boise; 2. Larry Hull, Boise; 3. Mike Fortin, Durkee, Oregon; 4. Kaitlyn Stroebel, Meridian; 5. Art Heath, Nampa.
Pepsi Sprintcars (35 laps)
1. Joe Ransom, Boise; 2. Johnny Giesler, Meridian; 3. Alyson Clark, Meridian; 4. Wyatt King, Meridian; 5. Kelly Newman, Boise.
CWI Truck Driving Street Stocks (40 laps)
1. Melissa Scott, Nampa; 2. Marv Weaver, Nampa; 3. Pat Young, Kuna; 4. Kim Bradford, Boise; 5. Mark Finley, B oise.
ESI Express ASA Modifieds (Second main, 40 laps)
1. Jentry Pisca; 2. Charlie Hamm Jr., Boise; 3. Shelby Stroebel, Meridian; 4. Chris Fenton, Meridian; 5. Tom Hill, Boise.

Heat races
(Eight laps each)
CWI Truck Driving Street Stocks – C Heat, 1. Zach Elam, Boise; 2. Mickey Lawson, Caldwell; 3. Daniel Vanderveen, Nampa; 4. Mark Finley, Boise; 5. Jay Doughty, Kuna; 6. Andrew Tuttle, Eagle, Idaho.
B Heat – 1. Pat Young, Kuna, Idaho; 2. Tim Elam, Boise; 3. Shawn Hansen, Boise; 4. Jim Anderson, Meridian; 5. Kim Bradford, Boise; 6. Bobby Rigs, Fruitland, Idaho.
A Heat – 1. Jeffrey Meads, Nampa; 2. Marv Weaver, Nampa; 3. Melissa Scott, Nampa; 4. Chad Bess, Nampa; 5. Rick Baldwin, Middleton, Idaho.

Tates Rents Hornets – B Heat, 1. Shane Parkkila, Boise; 2. Tony Martinez, Nampa; 3. Ron Johnson, Weiser, Idaho; 4. Sharlet Pataro, Mountain Home, Idaho; 5. Brandon Monson, Kuna.
A Heat, Colin Parker, Kuna; 2. Kaitlyn Stroebel, Meridian; 3. Larry Hull, Boise; 4. Art Heath, Nampa; 5. Mike Fortin, Durkee, Oregon.

Pepsi Sprintcars – B Heat, 1. Alyson Clark, Meridian; 2. Tyler Barrow, Boise; 3. Eric Ransom, Boise; 4. Ryan Wiederich, Meridian; 5. Josh Allen, Meridian.
A Heat, 1. Joe Ransom, Boise; 2. Johnny Giesler, Meridian; 3. Carl Marcum, Boise; 4. Wyatt King, Meridian; 5. Kelly Newman, Boise.

Fast times
ESI Express ASA Modifieds — Dennis Wurtz Jr., 14.217 seconds.
Pepsi Sprint Cars — Johnny Giesler, 13.555 seconds.
CWI Truck Driving Street Stocks – Melissa Scott, 15.085