Meridian Speedway honored military members past and present Saturday, May 15, as the quarter-mile asphalt oval hosted Project Filter Military Appreciation Night. The Speed Tour Sprintcars presented by Pit Stop USA, Pepsi Sprintcars, Coors Big 12 Pro-Late Models, Boise Bath and Kitchen Company Mini Stocks, and Zamp Stingers raced their way to the checkers in front of a packed grandstand.
Fourteen of the fastest short track racers in the Northwest took the green flag for the Speed Tour Sprintcars presented by Pit Stop USA feature Saturday. On the break outside polesitter Aaron McPeak bolted to the top of the Pepsi-Cola scoreboard, but on lap eight it was Cory Lockwood who unleashed his Stinker Stores, Eloy and Sons Landscaping sprinter and roared to the lead.
Deep in the pack, quick qualifiers Colton Nelson, Kyle Alberding and Bryan Warf sliced their way through the pack. Alberding and Nelson were quick to clear the back markers, but Warf was mired in ninth place behind his division rival Casey Tillman.
Warf worked his Allan Marsh Travel Center, JAG Enterprises machine to the outside of Tillman as the pair exited turn four and sped down the front stretch. Just past the start/finish line contact was made.
Warf’s sprinter jumped up, twisted sideways, then cartwheeled along the retaining wall and catch fence before it came to rest in a heap in the turn one water barrels. Despite the extensive damage, Warf climbed from his mangled racer unhurt.
With Warf’s spectacular smash cleared the race resumed with Lockwood and McPeak on the front row. Lockwood caught McPeak by surprise and leapt back to the lead, which dropped the Boise, Idaho racer into the clutches of Nelson and Alberding.
Nelson jabbed high and low as he looked for a way to move his Miller Lite, Maxwell Plumbing sprinter into the runner up spot. With a dozen laps left Nelson made his move to second, and brought Alberding with him to third.
A late caution bunched the field and brought Nelson to Lockwood’s tail tank for the restart. The green flag waved and Alberding shot past Nelson and latched onto the leader’s tail tank. With three laps to go Alberding wheeled his Holte Drilling Tools machine to the high side of Lockwood. As the track narrowed off of turn two Alberding bounced off the wall in a shower of sparks.
With Alberding’s car wounded, Nelson roared back into second while Tony Ackerland inherited third place in his Dave’s Auto Body, Coors Light entry. But it all happened behind Lockwood, who continued his Meridian Speedway dominance with his fifth win in the last eight races in the Concrete Jungle.
Zamp Stinger competitor Niko Heinzel of Nampa, Idaho took home the night’s first Trammel Construction Feature Flag.
Boise Bath and Kitchen Company Mini Stock driver Travis Pavlacky held off a furious charge by Don Trafford to put his FVC, Burnt River Farms pickup in the Caleb’s Chop Shop Winner’s Circle.
Daytona Wurtz wheeled her United Metals, All Makes Auto Salvage machine to a Project Filter Military Appreciation Night victory, which increases her Coors Big 12 Pro-Late Model win streak to four on the season.
Johnny Giesler survived a full-contact Pepsi Sprintcar feature on Project Filter Military Appreciation Night. At the controls of his Giesler’s Auto Repair, Mulder’s Auto Machine sprinter, Giesler snuck under Ryan Newman’s Lifecare Center of the Treasure Valley, R Mac Precision CNC Machining entry with ten laps to go and never looked back on his way to the Caleb’s Chop Shop Winner’s Circle.
The Domino’s Legends take center stage this Saturday, May 22, as they do battle in Meridian Speedway’s inaugural Pauly’s Bar Room Legends of Cash $5K. Alongside this dash for $5,000 in cash, the North West Tour Truck Series, Bud Light NASCAR Modifieds, and Pauly’s Bar Room Street Stocks fight for the night’s Walking Sombrero Taco Truck Feature Flags. General admission for Saturday’s Pauly’s Bar Room Legends of Cash $5K is just $13 for adults, $11 for seniors and military members, $7 for kids 7-11, and free for kids 6 and under. Gates open at 4:45 p.m. with opening ceremonies at 6:30 p.m. Purchase your advance tickets now at www.meridianspeedway.com and skip the line at the gate. Can’t make it out to the Concrete Jungle? Watch live flag-to-flag coverage of all the night’s action at SpeedCast.tv. We’ll see you this Saturday, May 22 for the Pauly’s Bar Room Legends of Cash $5K under the big yellow water tower at your NASCAR Home Track, Meridian Speedway.
- Clint Doll on Nov 18, 2021
- Article Date: 5/17/2021