5/3/2021
Meridian Speedway
Wurtz Wins Big on Ladies Night at Meridian Speedway
The clouds parted and the track dried just in time Saturday, May 1, for Meridian Speedway to host the Ladies Night Twin 25’s presented by DirtKart. The Coors Big 12 Pro-Late Models, Pauly’s Bar Room Street Stocks, Mulder Engineered Race Engines Junior Late Models, Big Daddy’s Barbecue Hornets, and Firehouse Pub and Grill Bombers took the green flag Saturday in pursuit of their Angry Easel Feature Flags.
The Coors Big 12 Pro-Late Models turned in a pair of hard-fought features Saturday night. In the first 25-lap feature, lady racers Melissa Weaver and Daytona Wurtz rekindled their door-to-door battle from one week ago. Weaver wheeled her Marv’s Tire Service, Suicycle machine hard to keep Wurtz at bay, but was once again overmatched by Wurtz and her All Makes Towing, Certified Services racer. While Wurtz ran away for her second division victory of the year, Weaver faded to third at the checkered flag.
Fenton and Sam Newcomer started on the front row for the night’s second feature. On the break Fenton piloted his CF Floor Covering, Daily Fit Body racer to the lead with Weaver and Wurtz in tow. Wurtz moved her machine to the high groove and sped around Weaver, then set her sights on Fenton.
It took Wurtz only a handful of laps to catch Fenton, and once she did the young racer worked high and low to find a way around the veteran racer. As soon as Wurtz pulled alongside, the lead pair roared into a knot of lapped traffic. While Wurtz’ run was stymied as she and Fenton worked three-wide through slower cars, she maintained position on Fenton’s rear bumper and pressured him all the way across the Caleb’s Chop Shop Victory Stripe. But Fenton held on by a car length and took the division’s second Angry Easel Feature Flag.
“It’s crazy,” Fenton said. “I got to race with her dad for years and now I get to race with her…I really thought she was going to get me with about five to go.”
In post-race inspection a discrepancy was found with Fenton’s car, and he was disqualified. This meant Wurtz was victorious in both Ladies Night Twin 25’s presented by DirtKart.
Delaney Grace was awarded the Mulder Engineered Race Engines Junior Late Model victory after a practice crash sidelined the rest of the division. Grace instead entered her Coretec Waterproof Floors, Splash and Dash Groomerie machine in the night’s first Coors Big 12 Pro-Late Model race.
“It was definitely a little intimidating at first,” Grace said about her first Coors Big 12 Pro-Late Model start. “But they’re all really clean racers so it went really well.”
At the controls of his Bruce and Rod’s Point S, Allan Marsh Travel Center-sponsored Pauly’s Bar Room Street Stock, Pat Tully looked to have the night’s first feature well in hand before a slip in turn four sent his Camaro hard into the front stretch wall. With nowhere to go, Caldwell, Idaho’s Jordan Yano and Shane Barron’s Real Ralph Pinstriping, Cox Autobody machine slammed into Tully’s wrecked racer. This handed the lead to former division champion Josh Fanopoulos, who held off Troy Evans and Taylor Occhipinti to win the first Angry Easel Feature Flag.
In the second Pauly’s Bar Room Street Stock feature, Dan Lowther and Occhipinti squared-off for the division victory. With Occhipinti’s Marv’s Tire Service, Suicycle Racing car locked onto his rear bumper, Lowther pushed hard to keep his entry up front. On the white flag lap Occhipinti pulled alongside Lowther, but came up half a car length short of victory.
“Occhipinti there man, I seen him coming and knew it was going to be a battle,” Lowther said from the Caleb’s Chop Shop Winner’s Circle. “Man, what a race.”
Tommy Harrod and James Pahl split the Big Daddy’s Barbecue Hornets’ double features. Kevin Matuska dominated the Firehouse Pub and Grill Bomber division, scoring victories in both of the Ladies Night Twin 25’s presented by DirtKart.
This Saturday, May 8, carnage comes to Meridian Speedway as the quarter-mile oval in downtown Meridian, Idaho hosts its annual Smash O’ Rama event. Featuring Smashes courtesy of a demolition derby, world famous stuntman Mr. Dizzy, and Boat Races of Destruction, plus racing from the Bud Light NASCAR Modifieds, Project Filter Pro-4s, Big Daddy’s Barbecue Hornets, and Firehouse Pub and Grill Bombers, there’s something for everyone in the Concrete Jungle this weekend! General admission to a jam-packed night of thrills and spills is just $15 for adults, $13 for military members and seniors, $7 for kids 7-11, and, as always, free for kids 6 and under. Skip the line at the gate by purchasing your advance tickets online at www.meridianspeedway.com. Gates open at 4:45 p.m. Saturday, with the first green flag at 6:30 p.m. Full flag-to-flag streaming coverage will be available for purchase at SpeedCast.tv. We’ll see you this Saturday, May 8, for Smash O’ Rama under the big yellow water tower at your NASCAR Home Track, Meridian Speedway.
Submitted By: Clint Doll