6/26/2023
Meridian Speedway
Carson, Crenshaw Duel for Dairy Days W
Meridian Speedway got a moo-ve on Friday night, June 23, as the quarter-mile asphalt oval hosted the Idaho CDL Training Dairy Days Races. While the Dairy Days carnival raged behind the North End Animals, the Bud Light NASCAR Modifieds headlined a condensed card alongside the Zamp Pro-Late Models, Boise Bath and Kitchen Company Mini Stocks as they battled for the night’s Trammel Construction hardware.
The Bud Light NASCAR Modifieds kicked the night off with a wheel-banging 35-lap feature. Contact was the rule throughout the field as the fifteen-car pack jockeyed for position. Turn three proved slicker than normal due to the morning’s livestock crossings. This led to trouble for Josh Fanopoulos, who lost control of his CP Express Vinyl, Certified Services modified and spun from the lead with thirteen laps to go.
This left Kyle Latham and Rus Ward on the front row for the restart. Latham got the jump on Ward to take the lead in his Impact Motorz, Airgas racer. As Ward launched a counter attack, contact deep in the field shot West Bountiful, Utah’s Eric Rhead headlong into the turn three wall. Rhead’s battered racer limped away under its own power, but the Magic Valley Speedway points leader would retire from the rest of the night’s competition.
On the restart Latham bolted back to the lead and cruised across the Caleb’s Chop Shop Finish Stripe first.
The night’s second Bud Light NASCAR Modified feature saw Chuck Youngblood and Josh Jackson do battle for the early lead. Youngblood got the better of this battle in his PBT Auto Sales, Idaho CDL Training entry, which dropped Jackson into the unfriendly clutches of Brendon Fries.
Behind the lead trio, Neal Latham and Andrew Richardson, first and second in division points, came together and spun in turn one. Latham’s Impact Motorz, Conrad and Bischoff machine backed hard into the outside wall, while Richardson spun down the track into the path of Ward’s Boise Spring Works, Tackle Tom’s racer. Remarkably all three vehicles were able to drive away in varying states of disrepair.
On the restart Jackson put the spurs to his Ryan’s Diesel and Auto Repair, Lesterjette Painting mount and roared to the lead. Fries moved his ATS Inland Northwest, Horizon Credit Union machine to second just laps before another caution flag waved and set up a side-by-side restart.
The green flag waved and contact was made between Jackson and Fries. Fries go the better of this skirmish and took the lead while Jackson fought to hold off Ward. A handful of laps later dense smoke erupted from Jackson’s machine and he was forced to the pit area.
This left Fries alone out front, where he would stay until the checkered flag waved. Ward finished second with Fanopoulos third.
Dylan Caldwell piloted his National Coatings, Hotbox Farms racer through the Zamp Pro-Late Model field to score his second feature win of the year. Melissa Weaver brought her Marv’s Tire Service, Sonic Crush machine home second with Dylan Wardle third.
Twenty-one Boise Bath and Kitchen Company Mini Stocks packed the Concrete Jungle Friday for the Ferguson Water Works 40. Mike Anderson motored around Jason Hammond’s TKO Handyman Services LLC, G-B Ready-Mix machine to take the early lead while cars beat and banged for position behind him.
After some early mid-pack run-ins, the race settled into a rhythm. On lap twelve Drew Crenshaw powered past Anderson to take the lead in his Bender Electric, Discount Tire car for the lead and pulled away from the pack.
Crenshaw had things his own way until Ogden, Utah’s Justin Carson appeared in his rearview mirror as the race passed its halfway point. Carson motored to Crenshaw’s rear bumper, then to his inside. For a dozen laps Carson and Crenshaw dueled, never separated by more than one tenth of a second. As the laps wound down to single digits the pair made contact in turns one and two as lapped traffic loomed in the distance. Both men gathered their machines and continued, but the scramble allowed Crenshaw to take a decisive three car-length lead.
Carson caught back up with four laps to go and again worked his Black Rock Auto, ClearWater Industries racer around the inside line. With the white flag in the air Carson blasted around Crenshaw to take the lead and a quarter-mile later the Trammel Construction trophy. Terry Armstrong hooked the inside groove and moved from fourth to second in the final corner. Crenshaw crossed the line third with Fred Vigil fourth.
The Meridian Speedway action continues Tuesday, July 4, with the Stinker Stores Firecracker 50 and Fireworks Spectacular. The Speed Tour Sprint Cars and Super Late Models powered by Pit Stop USA invade the Concrete Jungle, along with the Idaho CDL Training Street Stocks, Bandoleros, Big Daddy’s Barbecue Hornets, and the best Independence Day fireworks show this side of the water tower. General admission is just $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and military members, $8 for kids 7-11, and free for kids 6 and under. Gates open at 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, with races starting at 6:30 p.m. Skip the line at the gate and purchase your advance tickets at www.meridianspeedway.com. We’ll see you under the big, yellow water tower Tuesday, July 4, for the Stinker Stores Firecracker 50 at your NASCAR Home Track, Meridian Speedway.
Submitted By: Tyler Schild