Thrills by the boat load dazzled a full Meridian Speedway as Eve of Destruction 8 kicked off August action at the quarter-mile asphalt oval. Along with Eve of Destruction’s special events, including The World Famous Boat Races, Reverse Race, The Beast Jet Dragster Hornet Meltdown, Reverse Race, and Hornets Versus the Gauntlet, the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Modifieds, Teleperformance Claimer Stocks, Pepsi Crate Cars, and TATES Rents Hornets battled for crucial late season points.
The TATES Rents Hornets kicked off main event action with a 35 lap slugfest. On the green outside pole sitter Maverik zipped to the early lead with Kari Deane’s 2C Auto Sales, 5 Diamond B Recovery racer in hot pursuit. On the move early were Caldwell, Idaho’s Charlie Atkinson and Tommy Harrod, with Boise, Idaho racer Josh Parkkila in tow. Deane fought hard to keep the runner up spot, fending off Atkinson’s PBT Auto Sales car through the first four laps before Parkkila made his way underneath the lady racer and took the spot. Parkkila’s run to the front was cut short when a lapped car lost control and spun into the runner up. Parkkila was able to continue, but had to restart at the back of the sixteen car field.
On the restart Lynn Sharp powered from deep in the field to third with a wild three-wide move, then blasted around Harrod for second and finally Maverik for the lead on lap twelve. This left Sharp out front with Harrod and Nampa, Idaho’s Adam Deane in hot pursuit. Deane piloted his 2C Auto Sales, 2988 Apparel machine to the outside of Harrod at the race’s halfway point, but a caution flag slowed the field before Deane could complete the pass.
The green flag waved with fifteen circuits remaining. Sharp motored back to the lead with Harrod and Deane back in second and third. Deane again went to work on Harrod, but couldn’t make the pass stick and with seven laps to go Deane fell into the clutches of his brother-in-law Mat Henry. Mechanical issues slowed Henry over the race’s final five laps and allowed Deane to take the third place finish behind Harrod and race winner Sharp.
A strong field of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Modifieds battled their way through a 35 lap feature. Kuna, Idaho’s Jerry Green blasted to the early lead while Payette, Idaho racer Sting Ray Robb knifed his way from a mid-pack starting position to the lead on lap three. Rus Ward followed Robb’s Red Apple Market Place, Meechans Briqhause & Grill entry through the crowd and took over the second spot. The battle for third heated up early as Boise, Idaho’s Larry Hull III and Meridian, Idaho driver Colton Nelson came together on lap six. Both driver were sent to the back of the pack for their part in the yellow and Ward drew even with Robb on the restart.
Ward battled hard to put his Boise Spring Works, A-1 Heating and Air Conditioning machine in the top spot, but Robb was able to keep his momentum up and stay wheel-to-wheel with his competitor. Meanwhile, Nelson renewed his charge to the front as he blasted above and below traffic to put his Integrity Pools, Mobile Dent Specialists machine back on the Pepsi-Cola scoreboard on lap ten. Nelson wasn’t done there as he hustled through Beau Gillogly and Robb to chase down Ward’s racer.
With fifteen circuits left Nelson arrived on Ward’s rear bumper and set to working his way into the lead. Lap after lap Nelson and Ward battled with Ward finding an answer for every challenge Nelson mounted. As the laps wound down the handle on Nelson’s machine went away and Ward raced to his first main event victory of the year.
Aaron McPeak and Tyler Barrow led the Pepsi Crate Car field to the green flag. Boise, Idaho’s McPeak used the inside line to put his Hugo’s Deli machine in the lap one lead. The young guns were on the move early as teenagers Riley Rogers and Justin Segura poured through the field, with Rogers and Segura taking the top two spots on lap four.
Rogers wheeled his Extreme Towing and Recovery, Goodwill Finance machine hard to keep ahead of division dominator Segura. Caldwell, Idaho’s Segura hunted high and low for a way to move his Garage Graffix, Mac Tools racer around Rogers. On the white flag lap Segura tried to stick his machine below Rogers, but Rogers would have none of it and he sped to the checkers. Tyler Barrow brought his Valley Auto Alignment and Repair machine home third, with Brandal Glenn fourth and McPeak fifth.
The Teleperformance Claimer Stocks closed Saturday night’s racing action with a 25 lap feature. The green flag fell and Boise, Idaho’s Josh Hale outran Meridian, Idaho’s Joe Thuss to lead lap one. Thuss kept pace with Hale and delivered a body blow on lap three to put his Integrity Pools and Construction, Aloha Auto Repair machine into the top spot. The early mover was Casey Hart, who piloted his Hart Construction, Big Twin Diesel pickup truck from the back of the pack to fourth after just seven laps.
Hart wasn’t done there as he slung his machine sideways in the high line to take third from Brian Hyde. The pair made contact in turn two and Hart spun, collecting Micky Lawson’s GR Farms, Roberts Draft Horses machine and Hale’s ASAP Auto Services racer in the resulting melee. Lawson and Hale were able to continue while Hart was forced to retire from the event.
On the restart Caldwell, Idaho’s Rich Lawson powered around Thuss to the lead while Hyde worked to make his way through the field. Hyde pinned his Affordable Rain Gutters, NW Fire Equipment car to the outside line and worked past Micky Lawson first, then Scott Kelly’s This N’ That Auto Sales, Scotts Lawn Care pickup with four circuits left. But all the action happened behind Rich Lawson, who put his Kline Alternators and Starters entry in the Caleb’s Chop Shop Winner’s Circle.
Drew Crenshaw motored through the field to open Eve of Destruction 8 with a Tow Mater Reverse Race win.
“It might be slow and it might be ugly, but at least it goes backwards,” Crenshaw said of his machine.
Calvin Jacobs successfully jumped his 1977 Ford Grenada station wagon through a fifth wheel camp trailer.
“This has been on the bucket list for sure,” Jacobs said.
It took The Beast Jet Dragster a cool two minutes to reduce a TATES Rents Hornet to a molten cinder in the Meridian Speedway infield.
Lynn Sharp and Mat Henry led the Hornet charge as they battled the Gauntlet. When the dust settled Adam Nelson stood beside the battered but victorious Gauntlet.
“That was a pretty rough one,” Nelson said. “That one got pretty mean.”
Scott Kelly powered a Barbie Corvette to the Adult Barbie Jeep Race win.
Adam Crow piloted the Catakillar to the World Famous Boat Races victory.
Meridian Speedway’s 65th season of racing continues Saturday, August 13 with the Allen Stroebel Open Modified Show featuring the Royal Purple Modified Series. The Pepsi Crate Cars, CT400 Sprintcars, Teleperformance Claimer Stocks, College of Western Idaho High School Tuners, and Junior Stingers also roll into action Saturday. General admission for this full night of racing action is just $10.50 for adults, $6.50 for kids 7-11. Skip the line at the gate and purchase your tickets online at meridianspeedway.com. We’ll see you Saturday, August 13, under the big yellow water tower at Meridian Speedway.
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