Full Contact Features Decide Division Champs at Meridian Speedway

Four season champions were crowned Saturday, October 5, as Meridian Speedway played host to the Project Filter Championships.  The Intermountain Outlaw Modifieds settled the final season in series history, the Coors Super Stocks, Pepsi Crate Cars, and Domino’s Legends wrapped up local championship drivers, while the Project Filter Pro-4s and High School Tuners jockeyed for position entering their final features. 

Nineteen Intermountain Outlaw Modifieds crowded the quarter-mile Saturday for the series’ final 65 lap race.  On the break West Bountiful, Utah’s Eric Rhead used his outside front row starting spot to charge ahead of Boise, Idaho’s Jonathan Hull for the early lead. 

The race’s early hard charger was Shelby Stroebel, who carved his way through the pack to put his Trinity Construction, Canyon Windshield Repair modified third on the Pepsi-Cola scoreboard in the race’s first ten laps.  Also on the move was championship leader Larry Hull III, who used a lap seventeen caution to enter his Rocky Mountain Racecar Supply, Diversified Carpet Cleaning machine into the lead battle.  On the restart Stroebel dispatched second place runner Jesse James Lawson to take second and set his sights on the leader. 

As Stroebel stalked Rhead, the action heated up for fifth place as Jentry Pisca battled championship contenders Donovan Barr and Dylan Caldwell.  Pisca wheeled his Rocky Mountain Renovation, Alpine Transport racer hard to stay ahead, but Caldwell would win out, taking the position on his way to a fourth place finish. 

As the mid-pack battle settled the leaders sped into side-by-side lapped traffic.  Rhead chose the outside line, Stroebel the inside.  For three laps the leaders raced wheel to wheel until the inside line prevailed, handing the lead to Stroebel.  But no sooner had Stroebel pulled ahead than a caution flag waved, negating the pass and setting up an eleven lap shootout for the Intermountain Outlaw Modifieds’ final main event. 

The green flag waved and Stroebel went to work, hunting high and low for a way around Rhead’s Redbone Trucking, Fatboy Ice Cream entry.  With six laps to go Stroebel found Rhead’s weakness, and with a juke low in turn four the Meridian, Idaho racer moved to the top spot.  Lapped traffic blocked any chance Rhead had to launch a counter attack as Stroebel cruised across the Caleb’s Chop Shop Victory Stripe for the victory.   

With a conservative sixth place finish Larry Hull III emerged as the final Intermountain Outlaw Modified champion. 

Coors Super Stock newcomer Casey Tillman piloted his Kim Bradford-owned machine to the win Saturday over Jamo Stephenson, Daytona Wurtz, and Melissa Weaver.  With her fourth place finish in the Project Filter Championships main event, Weaver piloted her Marv’s Tire Service, Dillon Performance Engines machine to the Coors Super Stock division title.   

Bryan Warf piloted his Alan Marsh Travel Centers, Dave’s Quick Lube sprinter to one last victory to cap a dominant Pepsi Crate Car season.  It was Warf’s first non-winged sprintcar title. 

After being swept up in two separate main event incidents, Caity Miller corralled her Armor Performance Coating, Riverside Collision racer and challenged Ryan Martin for the final Domino’s Legends win of the season.  Martin took the checkered flag in his Boardwalk Association Management, Shoreline Property machine, but it was Miller who scored the championship and celebrated with a flurry of donuts on her way to the Caleb’s Chop Shop Winner’s Circle. 

The Project Filter Pro-4 battle heated up Saturday as Kenny Chandler and Jordan Harris dueled side-by-side for the victory.  Chandler, in his Project Filter, Faily Reliable Bob’s racer, would get the best of this battle and extend his point lead heading into the division’s final race on October 26. 

The closest battle in the Concrete Jungle broke wide open Saturday as Cody Castricone drove his Fast Glass, Linder Learning Academy entry around Blaine Roberts’ K&S Automotive, Carpenter Motorsports machine for the High School Tuner victory.   

The Meridian Speedway season takes the checkered flag Saturday, October 26, with its annual afternoon Trunk or Treat.  Come for the candy at 12:30 p.m. and stay for a full slate of short track racing thrills and spills starting at 3 p.m.  The Teleperformance Street Stocks, Project Filter Pro-4s, Factory Motor Parts Mini Stocks, High School Tuners, Junior Stingers, Firehouse Pub and Grill Bombers, and Big Daddy’s Barbecue Hornets swarm the quarter-mile asphalt oval for one last blowout before preparations begin for the 2020 campaign.  Admission to Saturday’s pre-race trunk or treat is free, general grandstand admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and military members, $7 for kids 7-11, and free for kids six and under.  Gates open right after the trunk or treat at 1:30 p.m.  We’ll see you Saturday, October 26, for a night of Trunk or Treat championships under the big yellow water tower at your NASCAR Home Track, Meridian Speedway. 

Meridian Speedway PR