5/5/2026
Meridian Speedway
Tillman Takes Speed Tour Sprint Car Opener
Clear skies and sunshine greeted a packed grandstand at Meridian Speedway on Saturday, April 25, as the quarter-mile asphalt oval welcomed Grace Assisted Living Night at the Races powered by Toyota Dealers. The Speed Tour Sprint Cars made their season debut Saturday, while the Pepsi Sprintcars, NASCAR Modifieds, Idaho CDL Training Street Stocks, and Idaho Asphalt Services Hornets went wheel-to-wheel for the night’s Powers Transport trophies.
Matyi Crace and Mike Straub led Aa strong field of Speed Tour Sprint Cars to the green flag for the first time in 2026 Saturday night. On the break Crace rocketed to the lead while Straub faltered in the high groove. This stacked up the field and led to several bumper-to-bumper collisions as the pack jockeyed to find open racetrack.
First to break free of the jumble was Casey Tillman, who sliced his way forward using both outside and inside lines at will. After a handful of laps Tillman held fourth place on the Pepsi-Cola scoreboard and was closing quickly on third-place Jacob Smith. Tillman overwhelmed Smith for third then threw his All Phase Painting, YMC Inc machine hard into turn one to pass Preston Henderson for the runner up spot.
A caution flag on lap fifteen slowed the proceedings and allowed Tillman to line up outside of Crace for the restart. When the green flag waved again Tillman roared to around Crace’s Dillon Toyota Lift, Gibson Performance Diesel sprinter to take the lead. AJ Luttmer and Colton Nelson were next to arrive at Crace’s tail tank. Luttmer wedged his Kendalized Kustoms, Affordable Portables mount inside of Crace for second place, but Nelson was not as lucky, and his challenge ended in a spin off of turn two.
The ensuing restart saw Luttmer and Hunter Stanley make quick work of Crace to take over the second and third positions. As these two battled for position, Luttmer tagged the backstretch wall, checked up, and collected Stanley as the pair entered turn three. The contact sidelined Luttmer for the rest of the event while Stanley’s crew affected quick repairs, and he returned to the track minus his front wing. This restart saw Tillman and Nelson on the front row. Again, Tillman erupted off the line and stormed back into the lead while Nelson settled into second.
The story of the closing laps was Stanley, who took the green flag and tore through the field with reckless abandon. In just two laps, Stanley found himself in a battle with Henderson for third. After an optimistic dive resulted in a wheel hop, Stanley regrouped, and with five laps left Stanley made his move onto the podium.
But it all happened behind Tillman, who sped across the Zamp Victory Stripe first ahead of fellow lead-lap finishers Nelson, Stanley, Henderson, Crace, and Brandon Johnson.
“I feel like we’re going to have a real strong season this year,” Tillman said in the Zamp Winner’s Circle.
The Pepsi Sprintcars blistered the Meridian Speedway asphalt as they contested a thirty-lap feature. Jordan Harris erupted off the line and piloted his Honor Automotive, Apex Towing sprinter to the early lead with Jamo Stephenson and Riley Rogers in tow. Rogers got straight to work and dispatched Stephenson’s Neil Alan Fine Jewelry, Points Law machine first before he hooked the low line and pulled even with Harris. Rogers and Harris battled back-and-forth for a dozen laps until the pair made contact entering turn one. Both drivers kept their cars out of the wall but were relegated to the back of the pack for the restart.
The green flag waved again with nine laps left, this time over Jamo Stephenson and Daytona Wurtz. Stephenson got the drop on Wurtz and scooted to the lead but couldn’t shake the young open-wheeler. With three laps left, Wurtz tried an inside move similar to the one Rogers tried on Harris previously. Contact was made, but both Wurtz and Stephenson maintained control. With her momentum blunted, Wurtz settled her All Makes Towing, Details Matter Cleaning Services racer into second behind Stephenson. Jett Nelson finished third ahead of Harris and his father Brock Nelson.
Division rookie Ron Clausen took control of the NASCAR Modified feature early Saturday. Clausen held the lead until fifteen circuits remained, when Kyle Latham and Chuck Youngblood dispatched the rookie back to third.
Once out front, Latham settled into a groove and looked well on his way to the victory before a late-race caution flag bunched the field and lined Youngblood up alongside him for the restart. Youngblood got every ounce of speed out of his PBT Auto Sales racer, but it wasn’t enough to keep pace with Latham’s victorious Latham Motorsports, PBT Auto Sales mount.
Ten Idaho CDL Training Street Stocks rumbled to green for a forty-lap free-for-all. Austin Savery jumped to the early lead but was soon under fire from Scott Cooper and Jake Altman. Altman got the best of this battle and moved his Outlaw Excavation, All-Pro Air machine into first the runner-up spot, then a handful of laps later the lead.
A mid-race caution flag bunched the pack and lined Kendra Occhipinti and Scott Groom up beside and behind Altman, respectively. When the green flag waved, Groom muscled his way into the second spot and roared to Altman’s rear bumper. Altman protected the low line, but Groom’s entry was too strong, and he steamed around the high side of Altman. Now atop the Pepsi-Cola scoreboard, Groom, the night’s quick qualifier, set sail and cruised to the feature win. Altman hung onto a loose car to finish second ahead of Samantha Occhipinti, Kane Thomasson, and Kendra Occhipinti.
Tommy Harrod dominated the Idaho Asphalt Services Hornets feature in his PBT Auto Sales entry. Alannah Trammel tried a late race move in lapped traffic but was forced to settle for second ahead of Ron Clausen, Cody Ballantyne, and Kyla Vanderpool.
Meridian Speedway celebrates Mother’s Day early this Saturday, May 9, with the Modelo Mother’s Day Especial. All mothers get into the grandstands free to see the debut of the NAPA Auto Parts NSX Winged Sprint Cars, plus the Pizza Hut Legends, Mini Modifieds, Allied Fence Mini Stocks, Idaho Asphalt Services Hornets, and Speedway Bandoleros as they battle for the night’s Road Runner Driving Academy trophies. General admission for all non-mothers is $15 for adults, $13 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 racing at 6:30 p.m. Log on to www.meridianspeedway.com for your advance tickets and be sure to text ‘meridianspeed’ to 84483 to join our text club and receive exclusive race day updates. We’ll see you under the big, yellow water tower this Saturday, May 9, for the Modelo Mother’s Day Especial at your NASCAR Home Track, Meridian Speedway.
Submitted By: Tyler Schild