Speedway Hot Streak Continues for Melba’s Tully

Brilliant sunshine greeted race fans Saturday, April 21, as Meridian Speedway hosted the Winged Sprintcar Opener.  The Mountain Dew Winged Sprintcars, Pepsi Crate Cars and Idaho Sprintcar and Roadster League Super Sixes, Coors Super Stocks, Teleperformance Claimer Stocks, and Junior Stingers provided a full night of thrills and spills as they battled the quarter-mile oval.

The Teleperformance Claimer Stocks kicked off Saturday’s main event action with a 25 lap dash to the checkers.  Pole sitter Jamie Hyde got to the gas first to take the early lead while the pack jockeyed for position behind him.  On lap three Greg Croasdale broke free and snuck beneath Hyde to take the top spot, with Pat Tully and Josh Fanopoulos in his tire tracks.

Tully committed to the outside line, and by lap five the Parma, Idaho racer motored to the point.  With Tully out front Croasdale and Fanopoulos traded paint for the runner up spot.  Fanopoulos held his ground on the outside and soon took second.  But Fanopoulos wasn’t alone as Todd Seaver quickly dispatched the Boise, Idaho driver and mounted a charge to the lead.

A midrace caution brought Seaver to Tully’s outside, and when the green flag waved the pair picked up where they left off in their last main event.  Tully dug hard to stay ahead of Seaver in the low groove, but Seaver carried momentum on the high side to keep pace. 

As the laps wound down, Seaver switched tactics and began to look for a way inside of the race leader.  But Tully shut the door to stay atop the Pepsi-Cola scoreboard.  Lap after lap Seaver sparred with Tully, and every time Tully answered the bell to claim his second straight Teleperformance Claimer Stock main event trophy.

Eight Junior Stingers rolled onto the asphalt quarter-mile for their first eighteen lap feature of the season.  The green flag waved and Boise, Idaho’s Bailey Fanopoulos scampered to the lead.  But hot on her tail was Cody Castricone.  Fanopoulos held the lead until she went for wild spin in turn two, which collected hard-charging Rusty Houpt.  This left Castricone in the top spot with Jodi Moen second. 

When the green flag waved Houpt sliced his way through traffic to take second place, but was faced with a four second gap to leader Castricone.  A series of lat race caution flags allowed Houpt to pull even with the leader, but each time Castricone was quick off the line as he sped into the Caleb’s Chop Shop Winner’s Circle.

The thrills continue next Saturday, April 28 as the NAPA Auto Parts Big 5 Latemodels open their season with the Pro Build 100.  The PitstopUSA.com NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Modifieds, Domino’s Legends, TEAM Mazda Mini Stocks, High School Tuners, and Big Daddy’s Barbecue Hornets round out a full slate of short track racing action.  Plus, Saturday night features the first Hungry Onion Drive-Inn Bike Race for Kids.  General admission to Saturday night’s stock car thrill show is just $11.50 for adults, $9 for seniors and members of the armed forces, $6.50 for kids 7-11, and as always kids 6 and under get in free.  Gates open at 4:45p.m. with the first green flag at 6:45 p.m.  Log on to meridianspeedway.com for all the latest news and notes from around the quarter-mile oval.  Sign up to receive exclusive speedway updates by texting ‘meridianspeed’ to 84483.  We’ll see you this Saturday, April 28, for the Pro Build 100 under the big yellow water tower at your NASCAR Home Track, Meridian Speedway.  

Meriidian Speedway PR