7/31/2023
Meridian Speedway
Disaster Achieved on Smashing Saturday Night
Meridian Speedway spent Saturday night, July 29, crashing, smashing, and demolishing everything in sight at the fifteenth annual Eve of Destruction. Alongside the carnage, the Bud Light NASCAR Modifieds, Zamp Pro-Late Models, Idaho CDL Training Street Stocks, Boise Bath and Kitchen Company Mini Stocks, Big Daddy’s Barbecue Hornets, and Firehouse Pub and Grill Bombers raced door-to-door in search of crucial mid-season points.
The Bud Light NASCAR Modifieds battled through two tough feature races. Tommy Harrod navigated his PBT Auto Sales, BC Mobile Repair machine through the field and scored his first feature victory of the season with Joe Daily second and Neal Latham in a backup car third.
In the division’s second feature Josh Fanopoulos jetted out to a sizeable early lead before his car inexplicably lost fire and stopped on track with just six circuits remaining. This left Chuck Youngblood atop the Pepsi-Cola scoreboard, with Kyle Latham in second and points leader Brendon Fries third for the restart. When the green flag waved Latham leveraged his Impact Motorz, Airgas modified around the inside line and blasted to the lead and the victory. Youngblood held on for second while Fries finished third.
Dennis Wurtz and Johvan Dillon looked to settle the night’s Zamp Pro-Late Model feature amongst themselves, before contact in turn three sent Wurtz spinning into the wall and Dillon to the back of the pack. This skirmish left Dylan Caldwell and Melissa Weaver on the front row for the restart.
Caldwell rocketed to the lead in his Hotbox Farms, National Coatings racer, but Weaver kept pace, hoping that Caldwell’s overheating machine would fail before the checkers fell. Instead, the yellow flag waved with three laps left and set up a side-by-side shootout for the win.
Weaver got the jump on Caldwell this time, and wheeled her Marv’s Tire Service, Sonic Crush racer around the outside to the lead. Caldwell’s car finally failed on the white flag lap, which allowed Dillon to take the runner up spot. But it all happened behind Weaver, who tallied her second feature win of the year.
After a season of frustration and futility, Kane Thomasson finally broke through to score his first Idaho CDL Training Street Stock victory. Thomasson piloted his ailing Gem State Metals, Burn the Boats Tattoo racer to the win over Jesse James Lawson and Andrew Palmer.
Travis Pavlacky got his Boise Bath and Kitchen Company Mini Stock season back on track with a win in his Modern Auto Service, FVC Construction pickup.
The Big Daddy’s Barbecue Hornet feature came down to a half-track drag race between Dale Bolinger and Blaine Waller. Waller worked his 2 Idaho Moms Boutique, Born Weird Tattoo machine around the outside line to perfection en route to the victory.
Seven Firehouse Pub and Grill Bombers beat and banged their way through a wild and wacky feature. With plenty of paint traded and debris scattered around the quarter-mile, Keith Gonzalez parked his racer in the Caleb’s Chop Shop Winner’s Circle.
Cris Endicott mastered his motorhome figure eight competitors to take home the night’s most entertaining win.
It took Madera, California’s Jeff Atamian just under two minutes to flambe a hapless Big Daddy’s Barbecue Hornet with his jet dragster “The Beast” Saturday.
Once again, the Hornets prevailed over the watermelon-lobbing Gauntlet, which was swarmed under as it came to the white flag.
Doug McGarva had a flipping good time in Saturday night’s Boat Race of Destruction. The Boise, Idaho driver clobbered a wayward boat and went for a spectacular somersault at the end of the front stretch. McGarva was okay after his inversion excursion but had to watch Titus Clancy in his Jurassic Park-themed pickup take the overall victory. Master of Disaster honors were earned by Robby McGarva with a camp-trailer smashing performance.
Meridian Speedway takes a week to clean up, then gets right back to the action on Friday, August 11 with Walking Sombrero Taco Night featuring the Speed Tour Supermodifieds powered by Pit Stop USA. 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 swing open at 5:45 p.m. Friday, August 11, with racing action going green at 7:30 p.m. Skip the line at the ticket gate and purchase your advance tickets now at www.meridianspeedway.com. We’ll see you under the big, yellow water tower Friday, August 11, for Speed Tour Supermodifieds on Walking Sombrero Taco Night at your NASCAR Home Track, Meridian Speedway.
Submitted By: Tyler Schild