4/11/2023
Meridian Speedway
Jackson, Madsen Open 2023 Season with NASCAR Modified Wins
Meridian Speedway blew the dust off the crash walls for the 73rd time on Saturday, April 8, as the asphalt quarter-mile hosted the ATS Inland Northwest Season Opener. Before fireworks lit up the skies, the Bud Light NASCAR Modifieds, Zamp Pro-Late Models, Domino’s Legends, Project Filter Pro-4s, Boise Bath and Kitchen Company Mini Stocks, and Big Daddy’s Barbecue Hornets provided plenty of on-track sparks of their own as they did battle for the night’s Trammel Construction trophies.
Sixteen Bud Light NASCAR Modifieds rolled to green for the first feature race of 2023. Josh Jackson of Nampa, Idaho found the handle on his machine and took over the top spot early.
Caity Miller gave chase to Jackson, but her ailing Kustom Fab, Insidious Designs machine lost power after eleven laps and she was forced to the pit area. One lap later calamity struck in turn three as Joe Daily spun and five cars piled into each other as they checked up.
With the track cleared the green flag waved and Jackson sprinted back to the point and the victory. Andrew Richardson and Neal Latham raced their way to second and third place respectively, as Rusty Houpt and Kyle Latham rounded out the top five.
Fourteen Boise Bath and Kitchen Company Mini Stocks crowded the quarter-mile for a 25-lap season opening feature. Michael Capps hustled his Boise Bath and Kitchen Company, Fiesta Guadalajara racer to the early lead with Jason Hammond and Tyler Palmer in hot pursuit.
Hammond worked his GB Ready-Mix, Touchdown Automotive machine low while Palmer kept his car wound up in the high line. After a dozen side-by-side laps Capps got loose in turn two, and Palmer powered past to take the lead. A late restart bunched the field, but Palmer got a good jump and held off Morgan Trammel to earn his first division victory.
Leon Tridle, at the wheel of his Knife River, Sticker Status machine picked his way through the thirteen-car Domino’s Legends field to take home the night’s Trammel Construction trophy. Roxali Kamper brought her car home second with Mike Soiseth third.
Andrew Prince dominated the first twenty laps of the Project Filter Pro-4 feature in his Bad Fast Engineering, Hagerman Automotive entry. But defending champion Jordan Harris came on strong down the stretch, and worked his H&H Auto, Kim’s Kars racer inside Prince and to the victory.
Dylan Caldwell highlighted the Zamp Pro-Late Model feature when his Hotbox Farms, Conrad and Bischoff machine erupted in flames at the race’s halfway point. The fire was extinguished quickly and Caldwell was uninjured, but the Nampa, Idaho competitor was forced to retire from the race.
This left Josh Fanopoulos out front in his Certified Services racer while Melissa Weaver and Tate Elquist dueled for the runner up spot. Elquist would win this battle, but couldn’t catch Fanopoulos, who cruised to the season opening win.
A lap twenty-two melee changed the complexion of Saturday night’s second Bud Light NASCAR Modified feature. While Caity Miller led Camron Madsen up front, contact sent Joe Daily and his Airgas, Daily Fit Body modified spinning through turn three for a second time. Again, multiple cars were collected in the resulting stack up, including first feature winner Josh Jackson, who first pounded, then came to rest on top of the concrete barriers in front of the North End Animals.
When the green flag waved again Miller found herself in the clutches of Kyle Latham. Latham tracked Miller until, with just eight laps to go, the two made contact at the end of the back stretch. The contact sent Latham caroming into the infield while Miller limped on for two pace laps before she pulled to the pit area due to damage.
The leader curse continued as Andrew Richardson, who would have assumed the lead due to the caution flag, lost power in his Bud Light, K1 Race Gear entry. This left the lead to Madsen and his Sae-Wa-De, All-American Powder Coating modified, which had been repaired after hard contact with the backstretch wall in the first feature. Madsen made the most of this opportunity and the Boise, Idaho driver sped to the checkers ahead of Neal Latham, Rus Ward, and Mike Davis.
Kuna, Idaho youngster Greyson Patton outdueled Jeremy Gilkison and Cris Endicott to take home the Big Daddy’s Barbecue Hornet feature win.
Next Saturday, April 15, the Speed Tour Sprint Cars powered by Pit Stop USA invade the Concrete Jungle for their first event of the year, the Speed Tour Sprint Car Opener. Alongside the fastest short track racers on the planet, the Pepsi Sprintcars, Salt Lake City Midgets, Boise Bath and Kitchen Company Mini Stocks, Idaho CDL Training Street Stocks, and the Firehouse Pub and Grill Bombers take to the track in pursuit of the Boise Bath and Kitchen Company Feature Flags. General admission for a full night of ground-pounding, methanol-burning excitement is just $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and military members, $8 for kids 7-11, and free for kids 6 and under. Log on to www.meridianspeedway.com and stay up to speed with all the action in the Concrete Jungle and be sure to text ‘meridianspeed’ to 84483 for exclusive updates from around the quarter-mile. We’ll see you this Saturday, April 15, for the Speed Tour Sprint Car Opener under the big, yellow water tower at your NASCAR Home Track, Meridian Speedway.
Submitted By: Tyler Schild