10/9/2025
Meridian Speedway
Murphy, Gilbertson Duel in Project Filter Twin 35's
It was a rough and tumble night at Meridian Speedway on Saturday, September 27, as the quarter-mile asphalt oval hosted the Project Filter Twin 35’s presented by Toyota Dealers. The Snake River Legends, Pepsi Sprintcars, Idaho Vintage Racers, and Speedway Bandoleros wrapped up their championship campaigns Saturday, while the NASCAR Modifieds and Boise Bath and Kitchen Company Mini Stocks competed for the night’s Trammel Construction trophies.
The Snake River Legends’ night started off with a bang as a spinning car caused early leader Ryan Phipps to tangle with Bristol Monroe on the backstretch. The contact pitched Monroe hard into the wall while Phipps was sent up and over before his Western Mountain Inc. machine somersaulted into the turn three barrels.
Up front Chase Gilbertson and Austin Murphy dueled for the feature win. Murphy needed a caution flag to draw even with Gilbertson, and with four laps left he got his wish. When the green flag waved Murphy piloted his ATEL USA, Phoenix Fire Games racer around Gilbertson’s Jackson Custom Machining, Major Tire and Hitch entry to take the lead and, one mile later, the win. Leon Tridle III finished third ahead of standings leader Tyler Monroe and Canyon Ashley.
In the second of their Project Filter Twin 35’s Tyler Monroe used a daring three-wide pass to make his way around second place point runner Johnethan Davis early in the going. But as Monroe battled Beau Phipps for position on lap fifteen contact was made and for the second time Saturday a Phipps piled into the turn three and four barriers. Monroe escaped the contact with minor damage, though Phipps and Tim Neumeyer were not as fortunate and would retire from the event.
Ashley and Gilbertson led the field to the restart. Gilbertson used the outside line to zip around Ashley’s Ashley Heating, Air, and Water, Leighton Enterprises entry for the lead, but brought Murphy’s familiar teal and hot pink machine with him to second. In just a handful of laps Murphy challenged for the lead, and soon after took over the top spot. A late restart brought Gilbertson to Murphy’s outside for a final, epic dash to the checkers.
The green flag waved and Murphy and Gilbertson dove into turns one and two. Side by side they battled for the lead, with each set of corners allowing a pass for the lead. With three laps left Murphy pushed up off of turn two and forced Gilbertson to bail out of the gas and settle into second place.
In his post-race interview Murphy said he then, “backed out a little bit and said ‘come back up here let’s race.’” Gilbertson obliged, and once again the back and forth battle raged. Gilbertson dove into turn three on the final lap in front, but Murphy dug hard on the bottom of the track and won the drag race back to the line to take the win.
“Holy cow, what a race,” Murphy said. “I’m just super excited for that race!”
allowed Gilbertson one final chance at victory, but try as he might Murphy hung tough on the low side and dispatched Gilbertson to second place at the line. Kyle Tellstrom finished third with Monroe fourth, and Leon Tridle III in fifth.
Monroe’s fourth place showing earned him enough points to clinch the 2025 Snake River Legends championship.
The Pepsi Sprintcars followed Carson Ackerland and Makayla Trafford to green for their thirty lap championship feature. In the early going point leader Riley Rogers navigated his way through the strong pack of racers into the lead fight while Rogers’ closest standings rival AJ Luttmer got trapped behind a fierce fight for fifth place on the Pepsi-Cola scoreboard.
But up front it was all Rogers, who moved his YMC Mechanical, Performance Signs and Graphics mount past Nate Little to the lead just before the race’s halfway point. Once out front Rogers settled into a rhythm and cruised across the Caleb’s Chop Shop Victory Stripe to take the win. Little finished second ahead of Luttmer’s Kendalized Customs, Utah Motorsports Foundation sprinter. Jett Nelson and Daytona Wurtz rounded out the top five.
With his feature victory Rogers clinched the 2025 Pepsi Sprintcar championship.
Nine Idaho Vintage Racers went wheel-to-wheel for a thrilling 25 lap feature. Dan Arriola and Clint Buddell took control of the race early, but were soon forced to contend with Johnny Wiggington, who found an extra gear in his sprinter and used it to power his way into the lead battle. Buddell held Wiggington at bay as best he could as the lead duo sped into lapped traffic, where Buddell would come together with a lapped car. The contact shot Buddell to the outside wall and left the lead to Wiggington on the restart. The green flag waved and Wiggington roared to the victory ahead of Arriola, Dustin Buddell, a resurgent Clint Buddell, and Kenny Hamilton.
The Speedway Bandolero finale once again saw Jhett Phipps slice his way to the point and pilot his Western Mountain Inc, Race to End Bullying machine to the win by two-tenths of a second over Tayton Monroe. With his victory Phipps secured the 2025 Speedway Bandolero championship. Paisleigh Lopez raced her way to the Speedway Bandolero Rookie of the Year honors.
The Boise Bath and Kitchen Company Mini Stocks had thirty laps to find a Project Filter Twin 35’s night feature winner. Josh Lucero and Blaine Waller took short-lived turns atop the Pepsi-Cola scoreboard in the early going before Tyler Palmer raced his machine into the top spot. Palmer would hold the lead until the caution flag flew with three laps to go. On the restart Palmer got a good jump, but couldn’t outrun division dominator Morgan Trammel, who motored around Palmer on the last lap to tally his fifth feature win of the season.
It took Andrew Richardson half of the NASCAR Modified feature to work his way to the lead, but once there Richardson’s Rocket Science Concepts modified was unbeatable and collected the night’s final Trammel Construction trophy.
Next Saturday, October 4, we’re bringing a boat load of action to bear on the ATS Inland Boat Race of Destruction Finale presented by Ryan Shelby at Guild Mortgage. General admission to a full night of thrilling racing and nautical nonsense is just $22 for adults, $20 for seniors and military members, $9 for kids 7-11, and free for kids 6 and under. Get you tickets early at www.meridianspeedway.com before they’re gone. Gates open at 4:45 p.m. Saturday with the first green flag waved at 6:30 p.m. We’ll see you Saturday, October 4, under the big, yellow water tower for the ATS Inland Boat Race of Destruction presented by Ryan Shelby at Guild Mortgage at your NASCAR Home Track, Meridian Speedway.
Submitted By: Tyler Schild