Summer-like conditions arrived just in time for Ladies Night at Meridian Speedway. Saturday, May 5 featured the PitStopUSA.com NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Modifieds, Coors Super Stocks, Teleperformance Claimer Stocks, Domino’s Legends, and Junior Stingers.
The PitStopUSA.com NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Modifieds kicked off Ladies Night at Meridian Speedway with a thirty lap main event. The green flag waved and Nampa, Idaho’s Tommy Harrod hooked the outside line and powered to the lead with Josh Jackson’s Jackson Built Racing, Jackson Excavation machine in hot pursuit.
The man on the move early was Colton Nelson, who tore his way through the field to take third on lap two. Three laps later Nelson had his Integrity Pools of Idaho, Integrity Construction machine on Harrod’s rear bumper and swung low to challenge for the lead. Harrod hung tough on the outside, but Nelson prevailed on lap ten and brought Larry Hull’s Diversified Carpet Cleaning, All American Towing racer with him to second.
A mid-race caution flag brought Hull to Nelson’s outside for the restart. The green flag waved and Hull’s machine shot to the wall, then careened down the track into Jackson. The ensuing yellow flag brought Harrod, Chris Fenton, and Jonathan Hull into the lead fight.
The inside line was the place to be on the restart as Nelson and Fenton roared into first and second. Fenton immediately went on the offensive and ducked inside Nelson for the lead. But Nelson wasn’t ready to give up, and the defending division champion locked onto Fenton’s rear bumper. For five laps the battle raged until Fenton’s machine lost power on the back stretch. With nowhere to go Nelson piled into the back of Fenton’s stricken racer. Fenton was forced to retire from the event, while Nelson limped to the finish with significant suspension damage.
This action left Harrod with the lead and Bryan Warf, who missed qualifying to replace a blown engine, in second. The green flag waved and Warf motored around Harrod to take his Integrity Pools of Idaho, Allan Marsh Travel Center entry to the lead. Jonathan Hull followed Warf around Harrod to take his modified to the runner up spot. But Hull couldn’t catch Warf, who crossed the Caleb’s Chop Shop Victory Stripe first.
The Coors Super Stocks brought nine speedy competitors to the green flag of their thirty lap main event. Hunter Gates was quick out of the blocks and slid his YMC, Inc. machine into the top spot. Behind Gates, Gale Carter and Melissa Arte hooked up to carve through the field and pull to Gates’ rear bumper on lap three.
Arte was first to make a move, and the Nampa, Idaho racer hung the low line and piloted her Marv’s Tire Service, Dillon Performance Engines entry to the Ladies Night lead. But Arte had company in the form of Josh Jackson, who ripped his Super Stock around the high side to lead lap eight.
A caution with thirteen laps left brought Arte to Jackson’s rear bumper, but that was as close as she would come as Jackson stormed into the Caleb’s Chop Shop Winner’s Circle.
Eight eleven to fourteen-year-old Junior Stingers rolled onto the quarter-mile oval for a twenty lap tussle. Jerome, Idaho’s Jodi Moen was quick to the gas pedal and wheeled her Fast Lane Automotive car to the lap one lead. An early caution brought Rusty Houpt to Moen’s inside and when the green flag waved Houpt shot to the lead in his Boise Spring Works, Catapult 3 machine.
Behind Houpt, Cody Castricone broke through traffic and raced his way into the lead battle. Castricone worked his racer high and low until a mid-race black flag sent the young competitor to the pit area. This left Nampa, Idaho’s Jessica Harris in pursuit of Houpt. As the laps wound down Houpt’s lead only grew, and the Meridian, Idaho racer scored the main event victory.
The Domino’s Legends had 25 laps to find a Ladies Night victor. Evan Brown piloted his Pro Power Clean, Discount Tire machine to the early lead. Brown quickly opened a four second lead as the field jockeyed for position behind him. First to break ranks was quick-qualifier Ethan Jones, who sliced his way to second on the Pepsi-Cola scoreboard and set his sights on the leader.
With ten laps to go Jones powered to Brown’s bumper, and one lap later made his way around the outside to take the lead. Brown drove hard to keep pace with Jones, but the Meridian, Idaho driver came up short as Jones sped to a dominating victory.
Eleven Teleperformance Claimer Stocks roared to life for their thirty lap feature. On the green Jamie Hyde hooked the outside line and took his Western Sandblasting and Powdercoating, Professional Painting racer to the lead. But pole sitter Scott Lawson kept pace with Hyde and allowed Meridian, Idaho’s Todd Seaver into the lead fight. Seaver used lap five to work Hyde over on the high side and put his Lucas Oil, Action Garage Door machine out front. Behind Seaver the field stacked up, which forced Rich Lawson and Kendra Occhipinti to climb the back stretch concrete. Both drivers successfully landed their cars and the race continued under green.
A caution flag three laps later slowed the action and brought Scott Lawson, Pat Tully, and Occhipinti into the top four. On the restart Caldwell, Idaho’s Tully took the runner up spot and drove his Dillon Performance Engines, Glen Alleman Custom Farming racer hard to make time on the leader. But Tully’s run stalled out, and Occhipinti tracked down the Caldwell, Idaho driver at the race’s halfway point.
With Seaver out of reach the battle for second on the Pepsi-Cola scoreboard raged. Occhipinti filled Tully’s mirror as she looked high and low for a way around the veteran campaigner. Over the race’s final ten laps the second place duo ran in lock step, but Tully used lapped traffic to maintain second behind main event winner Seaver.
The PitStopUSA.com NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Modifieds closed Ladies Night action with a 35 lap main event. The green flag waved and carnage ensued as pole sitter Trey Manker and fellow front row starter Larry Hull made contact out of turn two and spun in front of the field. The field scrambled to get by, but nearly every car in the field made heavy contact in one form or another. Despite the damage, all cars were able to continue for a full restart.
The green flag waved again and Manker slid his Premium Graphics and Vinyl, Alpha Landscape modified in front of Hull to take the top spot. While Hull and Manker fought over real estate, Meridian, Idaho’s Chris Fenton ducked around both racers to put himself atop the Pepsi-Cola scoreboard. Fenton’s move came just in time as Hull and Manker again made contact and spun in front of the pack. This wreck collected Colton Nelson, first main event winner Bryan Warf, and a host of others. When the smoke cleared Fenton had Joe Thuss, Wyatt King, and Josh Jackson in his rear view mirror.
On the restart Fenton made his way back to the lead while Jackson worked his way up to the second spot. While Jackson tracked Fenton down, a resurgent Hull went on a march toward the front. With twenty laps left Hull made his way into the top five, and with five laps left he went to work on little brother Jonathan Hull for third. Larry got the better of the Hull sibling rivalry and brought his Diversified Carpet Cleaning, Drake Mechanical modified home third behind Jackson and race winner Fenton.
Next Saturday, May 12, Smash-O-Rama takes over the quarter-mile oval. The Royal Purple Modified Series, Pro Trucks, and High School Tuners provide the racing thrills, while a demolition derby, boat race of destruction, and Mr. Dizzy provide the Smash-O-Rama thrills. Plus, Saturday night’s action wraps up with a fireworks extravaganza. General admission to a full night of racing and wrecking is just $18 for adults. Gates open at 4:45 p.m. with racing action taking the green flag at 6:45 p.m. Log on to meridianspeedway.com for all the latest news from around the quarter-mile asphalt oval, and text ‘meridianspeed’ to 84483 to receive exclusive speedway updates. We’ll see you for Smash-O-Rama this Saturday, May 12, under the big yellow water tower at your NASCAR Home Track, Meridian Speedway.
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