7/28/2025
Meridian Speedway
Miller Takes Wild NASCAR Modified Feature
Meridian Speedway hosted a night of red-hot action Saturday, July 26, as the quarter-mile asphalt oval hosted Smokin Iron Barbecue Night at the Races presented by Ferguson Waterworks. The NASCAR Modifieds battled through a pair of fast features Saturday, while the Idaho Vintage Racers, Idaho CDL Training Street Stocks, Snake River Legends, Boise Bath and Kitchen Company Mini Stocks, and the Trammel Construction Stingers traded paint as they squared off for the night’s Trammel Construction trophies.
The NASCAR Modifieds closed Saturday night’s action with a 35-lap feature. Larry Hull got to the gas pedal first and took the early lead with Alex Duda and Chuck Youngblood in tow.
The only thing that could slow Hull’s Diversified Carpet and Upholstery machine was a caution flag, and with ten laps left the yellow flag flew as Rusty Houpt continued his hard luck summer with another blown engine. Unlike his most recent engine failure, this one sent his Crown Utilities, Catapult 3 machine hard into the turn one wall.
Hull and Youngblood led the field to the restart. When the green flag flew Hull shot to the lead, but Youngblood used the outside line to wear Hull down and take over the top spot for himself. Hull roared back to the inside of Youngblood’s PBT Auto Sales, Idaho CDL Training racer and the pair made repeated contact until Youngblood was sent spinning in turn four. Hull was determined by NASCAR Officials to have participated in the caution flag, and was relegated to the back of the field for the restart.
This left Duda and Caity Miller on the front row with three laps to go. The green flag waved and Duda rocketed his HD Concrete, Idaho Dairy Pros modified to the lead. But Miller hung tough on the high side and pulled even with Duda as the white flag waved. Miller motored around turns one and two to eek out a slim advantage, but Duda came back in three and four. The pair exited turn four dead even, but Miller had the momentum and beat Duda back to the Caleb’s Chop Shop Victory Stripe by about half of a car length.
“I told [my crew chief] Monday, ‘I wanna go racing again,’” Miller said as she stood next to her victorious King Family Racing, Major Tire and Hitch machine.
In the first feature Kyle Latham carved his way through traffic the fastest and outdueled Tommy Harrod to cross the Caleb’s Chop Shop Victory Stripe first. Miller brought her machine home third ahead of fellow top-5 finishers Fries and Rusty Houpt.
The Idaho CDL Training Street Stocks brought a dozen competitors to the green flag of their 35-lap feature. Scott Cooper and Jake Altman led in the early stages, but first to establish herself out front was Kendra Occhipinti in her Marv’s Tire Service, Sonic of Nampa machine.
Occhipinti led until lapped traffic tripped her up and allowed Scott Groom and Andrew Palmer to stream by. Traffic would come into play again one lap later as this time Groom found himself on the losing end as Palmer motored to the lead.
Few things are more dangerous for the Idaho CDL Training Street Stocks than Palmer’s Bobby’s Transmission, ApexPicks.com racer in the lead. Groom tried everything as he willed his car forward, but nothing made a dent in Palmer’s lead until a caution flag waved with nine laps left on the Pepsi-Cola scoreboard.
Palmer and Groom rolled to the green flag side-by-side, but by turn one Palmer was back into the lead. It was a lead he would never relinquish on his way to the checkers.
A giant field of Snake River Legends crowded the quarter-mile for their own 35-lap feature race Saturday. A number of racers fell victim to contact in the early going as the pack jockey for position, but none came off worse than Tyler Monroe who backed hard into the turn three barriers. Monroe then showed off his impressive arm strength as he fast-balled his steering wheel at the alleged culprit for a strike.
After ten halting laps the race settled into a rhythm with Chase Gilbertson, Canyon Ashley, and Johnethan Davis up front. Gilbertson led until just shy of halfway, when Ashley put his Ashley Heating, Air and Water, KD Roofing mount out front.
Ashley looked to have victory well in hand as his closest competitors, Leon Tridle, Tim Neumeyer, and Mason Nelson, battled amongst themselves for the runner-up spot. But a spin with two laps left drew a caution flag and lined the field up on his back bumper for a green-white-checkered finish. When the green flag waved Ashley got to the gas pedal first and zipped across the Caleb’s Chop Shop Victory Stripe. Tridle finished second ahead of Neumeyer, Nelson, and Gilbertson.
During the course of post race inspection Ashley and Neumeyer were penalized for procedural infractions. This left the win to Leon Tridle
The Idaho Vintage Racers couldn’t catch Cody South as he wheeled his Idaho Vintage Specialists to the front of the field and into the Caleb’s Chop Shop Winner’s Circle.
Quick Boise Bath and Kitchen Company Mini Stock qualifier Ron McCaul stormed through the pack in his Performance Signs and Graphics car, then outran Chase Parker, Morgan Trammel, and Travis Pavlacky to claim victory in his first appearance of the season.
The Trammel Construction Stingers waged a heated battle for the win. Michael Trammel held the lead in his Trammel Construction, Bobby’s Transmission Center entry for the majority of the race, but Kalli Weller came on strong late and took the white flag in a dead heat with Trammel. As the pair fired their cars into turn three Weller eeked ahead, but lost grip in the high line, which allowed Trammel to scoot back by and take the win.
This Saturday, August 2, the Speed Tour Modifieds face their toughest test of the year as Meridian Speedway hosts the NAPA Auto Care Idaho 208 presented by Idaho Central Credit Union. The Zamp NASCAR Latemodels, Idaho CDL Training Street Stocks, Project Filter Pro-4s and Mini Modified, Firehouse Pub and Grill Thunderdogs, and Speedway Bandoleros round out a full night of short track action as they chase the night's Lakeside Barn trophies. Plus, we're throwing in Buy-One-Get-One hotdogs while supplies last!
General admission to the NAPA Auto Care Idaho 208 presented by Idaho Central Credit Union is just $22 for adults, $20 for seniors and military members, $9 for kids 7-11, and free for kids 6 and under. Gates open at 4:45 p.m. Saturday with races taking the green flag beginning at 6:30 p.m. Log on to www.meridianspeedway.com to purchase your tickets before they're gone. Live, flag-to-flag coverage of Saturday night's action will be available at SpeedCast.tv. We'll see you under the big, yellow water tower this Saturday, August 2, for the NAPA Auto Care Idaho 208 presented by Idaho Central Credit Union at your NASCAR Home Track, Meridian Speedway.
Submitted By: Tyler Schild