The fastest winged sprintcar racers in the Northwest converged on Meridian Speedway Friday, June 8, for the first night of the BOB FM Diamond Cup presented by Star Diamonds. Over twenty Royal Purple Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association and Mountain Dew Interstate Winged Sprintcar competitors took the green flag on Friday, June 8 and Saturday, June 9 as they chased the two-day championship.
As the sun set behind the West bleachers Friday, June 8, twenty-one Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association and Mountain Dew Interstate Winged Sprintcars roared to life for the first feature of the BOB FM Diamond Cup presented by Star Diamonds double header. On the break, Taylorsville, Utah racer Kyle Bergner thundered around the quarter-mile to lead the first of forty laps. But fourth place starter Kyle Alberding kept his Holte Drilling Tool entry in hot pursuit. An early restart allowed Alberding to take the lead, but a subsequent caution kept Bergner in the hunt, and when the green flag waved Bergner blasted back to the top of the Pepsi-Cola scoreboard.
The man on the move early was long-time track record holder and father of frontrunner Kyle, Andy Alberding. From his back of the pack starting spot the elder Alberding diced his way into the top ten in the race’s first five laps. By lap ten Alberding had his Oregon Tool and Supply, WSK Machine sprinter in fifth place and went to work on Robert Beck for fourth. Beck made his Millennium Motors, Frankie’s Pizza machine wide to hold the elder Alberding at bay.
Restarts were the key to Friday night’s victory, and a lap fifteen green flag allowed outside front row starter Bergner back to the lead. Kyle Alberding decided the race’s halfway point was go time, and the Winston, Oregon driver put the pedal down and sped toward Bergner. A caution with fifteen laps left allowed Alberding to restart in the preferred high line, and that was all it took for Alberding to make his way back to the lead.
This dropped Berger into a dogfight with Nampa, Idaho’s Cory Lockwood and Quesnel, British Columbia racer Ron Larson. Bergner fought hard to keep his B Graphics, Lissa’s Learning Ladder machine in the runner up spot in case of another restart, and five laps later a spin in turn two slowed the field once again.
Though the outside line ruled restarts all night long, with just ten laps to go the field was lined up for a single file sprint to the checkers. The green flag dropped and Alberding took off from the field en route to a convincing Friday night BOB FM Diamond Cup victory.
Entering the second half of the two-day BOB FM Diamond Cup presented by Star Diamonds, Quesnel, British Columbia’s Ron Larson held the weekend point lead. Behind Larson, two-time winner Bryan Warf, three-time BOB FM Diamond Cup champion Matt Hein, Cory Lockwood, and Friday night winner Kyle Alberding had plans to outrun the Canadian for the weekend’s Star Diamonds championship ring.
On the break pole sitter Justin Segura screamed into the lead with Randy DuBois and Lockwood in tow. But Lockwood wasn’t content with third, and the Nampa, Idaho racer slung his Herold’s Auto Body, Dave Hever Race Engines sprinter high and low as he looked for a way around DuBois.
DuBois held strong in his Geico, Firstline Systems Inc. entry as the leaders snaked their way through lapped traffic. As the leaders broke into open track Lockwood slowed as smoke streamed from beneath his sprinter. This allowed Roseburg, Oregon’s Andy Alberding to work his Oregon Tool and Supply, Sign Factory sprinter into the top three.
A caution near halfway bunched the pack and brought DuBois abreast of Segura for the restart with Alberding and Monty Bergener on the second row. DuBois got a good launch on the green and kept pace with Segura’s Dave’s Auto Body and Paint, Edge Construction Store entry. But Segura found another gear the Caldwell, Idaho racer slipped away from second place.
Back in the field, BOB FM Diamond Cup point leader Larson faced tough sledding as he worked his Active Rent-All, BARMaxwell Trucking mount through traffic. With fifteen circuits left on the Pepsi-Cola scoreboard Larson found himself mired in eighth place on a restart. As the pack worked to get single file Larson and hard-charging Aaron Willison made contact in turn three.
For the second time in as many nights Willison found his Stanhope Organics, Taylor Custom Metalcraft sprinter atop one of his competitors. Unlike Friday night’s altercation, this time Willison drove off of Larson and somehow wrestled his machine back under control. But the skirmish didn’t end there, and contact continued in turn one. This bump sent Larson spinning through the first turn and relegated him to a back of the pack position on the restart.
When the green flag waved Alberding got the jump on DuBois and roared into the runner up spot behind Segura. Alberding closed on Segura lap after lap, and with three circuits remaining he arrived at the leader’s tail tank. But Segura held on to claim the checkers with Andy Alberding second and son Kyle Alberding third.
Despite the late race drama, Quesnel, British Columbia’s Ron Larson overcame his BOB FM Diamond Cup curse and claimed the weekend championship.
“You’ve watched me in every fence out here,” Larson joked about his past bad luck in the Caleb’s Chop Shop Winner’s Circle. “If it wasn’t for the group of guys we race with, this wouldn’t be possible. It’s an honor to come here and race.”
With another exciting installment of the BOB FM Diamond Cup presented by Star Diamonds in the books, Meridian Speedway turns its attention to Saturday, June 16 and the Teleperformance Twin 25s. The PitStopUSA.com NASCAR Modifieds get two cracks at the quarter-mile asphalt oval Saturday, with the Coors Super Stocks, Project Filter Pro-4s, Domino’s Legends, Teleperformance Claimer Stocks, and Junior Stingers rounding out a full night of racing thrills. General admission to the Teleperformance Twin 25s is just &11.50 for adults twelve and older, $9 for seniors and military members, and $6.50 for kids 7-11. Gates open at 4:45 p.m. with the first green flag at 6:45 p.m. We’ll save a seat for you this Saturday, June 16, for the Teleperformance Twin 25s at your NASCAR Home Track under the big yellow water tower, Meridian Speedway.
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