HOT AUGUST NIGHTS BEGIN AT MERIDIAN SPEEDWAY WITH A MINI STOCK TRACK RECORD.

Source: Meridian Speedway Media Relations/bc
Date: 08/04/2008

MERIDIAN, Idaho – Ray Bolinger set a record for the third time this year with a 15.586 pass around the tight quarter mile oval at ASA member track, Meridian Speedway, in the Mini Stock class. Bolinger was fastest in practice and also had the fastest lap time during the 35 lap main but got black flagged early on for a fuel leak and was unable to be in contention for the main.

Corey Lockwood was the fastest Winged Sprint driver during practice but Kenny Hamilton was the quickest when it counted with an 11.559 second pass around the track during qualifying. Hamilton set a new track record last week and backed it up on Saturday night with the quick time of the night for the second week in a row.

After the trophy dashes and the heat races were done for the night the Mini Stocks were the first up for the main events with a 35 lap race and 21 cars on the track. John Ellsworth led the pack to the green with Brandon Shira on his right. Ellsworth kept the lead for several laps while Travis Pavlacky moved up from a second row start to put the pressure on. On lap seven Eddie Ables passed on the outside - three wide - while moving up from a sixth row start. Ray Bolinger got black flagged for a fuel leak in the early laps and lost his position in his race to the front. As the 18th lap completed the race finally had a new leader when Kirk Sanders passed Ellsworth for the lead but a spin brought out a caution and the lineup reverted to the last completed lap.

As the race went back to green Kirk Sanders again passed Ellsworth for the lead followed by Jason Sanders and eventually Eddie Ables. The next yellow flag came out when Ables got lose and bumped the back stretch wall and had to restart at the rear. The Sanders duo ran away from the competition with Jason tight to the back bumper of his father's car. Lapped traffic did not slow Kirk in his bid to the lead but a yellow flag with four to go put the lead lap cars in the front leaving no cushion between the leaders. Jason Sanders moved outside for his trademark outside pass but he could not get around and Jeff Hasson moved up and took second. The top five were Kirk Sanders, Jeff Hasson, Jason Sanders, John Ellsworth, and Scott Wilcox Sr.

In the Late Model Lites Pat Young and Kenny Chandler shared the front row but Chandler took off at the start and quickly got almost a quarter lap lead over Young in second place. Casey Tillman worked his way past Young and then started to slowly gain on Chandler but the damage was done and it would be several laps before he could catch him. But a caution came out with 11 laps down when Neal Latham spun to the infield and put the leaders nose to tail at the restart. Rob Powers tried to pass Tillman on the inside at the start and then got loose and had to back off but Kale Freedman spun one lap later and brought out another caution which put a severe damper on his dash to the front. Freedman restarted in the top five on the previous restart but this time had to restart at the next to the back of the 13 car field. After the green flag waved Joe Barton moved to the high side around Powers and eventually took third and then continued his move to the front on the outside of Tillman and then a few laps later on the outside of Chandler. When the two encountered lapped traffic Barton used the fortuitous pic to make the pass and then put distance behind him. With five to go John Peterson spun and brought out the last caution but at the restart Barton again took off with the lead leaving the race and the other drivers behind him. At the finish it was Barton, Chandler, Tillman, Powers, and Freedman in the top five.

The Super Stocks 30 lap main event started with Dave Harris and Philip Zubizareta on the front row but an early caution including a spin and a total of four involved cars put Zubizareta in the lead at the restart with Charlie Stout behind. The Super Stocks decided to try out the split cone restart that the Grand American Modifieds have been using most of the season letting drivers chose the inside or the outside at the restart. Dan Lowther attempted to gain a few positions by starting on the high side next to the leader but Zubizareta left the scene. Stout, Lowther, and Charlie Hamm Jr. fought it out for the next three positions while Hamm looked to the outside of Lowther but could not pass. With only eight laps to go Zubizareta gave up a quarter lap lead and pulled into the pits with mechanical problems after loosing a fan belt, which left Stout in the lead. The race ran out with Stout in front and Lowther, Hamm, Baldwin, and Gale Carter rounding out the top five.

The Winged Sprints took the track next for a 40 lap main event. Steve Freeman and Greg Nelson shared the front row at the start but Freeman took and held an early lead until Chris Ratterree passed on the outside with five laps down. Brandon Johnson moved up from a fourth row start and took third with less than 10 down. Ratterree passed lapped cars while Mike Cullum worked on catching the hard charging leader but did not gain or fall back, but Johnson, in third, slipped back and eventually Sierra Jackson passed for third with 11 laps to go. As the leaders caused the scoreboard to tick off the laps Rattarree caught a large group of lapped cars which allowed Cullum to catch him and then slip inside for the lead. With seven to go a caution and a restart gave Rattarree another chance to pass but Cullum got the holeshot and took off again. Johnson got his position back from Jackson with an inside pass but ran out of time to pass Rattarree when his inside rear tire went flat. Cullum held the lead with a safety cushion ahead of Rattarree while Johnson held on to third with a flat tire and Jackson and Jimmy Hamilton Sr. were in fourth and fifth.

The Hornets were the last up for the night with a 35 lap main and 24 cars. Blake Coria had the pole but Verlon Wright took over in the early laps. With the race almost half over a spin by two of the drivers collected several others and brought out the red flag for cleanup. The announcer and the fans counted down and the race restarted with Larry Hull in the lead and a large cushion ahead of the second place car. Hull maintained the lead until the end but the other positions changed with Vernon Bolinger in second place. As the race ended Hull received a penalty for rough driving putting him back four positions which gave the win to Bolinger. David Tankersley, Mike Davis, Travis Pavlacky, and Larry Hull finished second through fifth.

Next week on August 9, 2008 Meridian Speedway hosts the return of the Late Models after one month off. Also racing that night will be the Non Winged Sprints, the Street Stocks, the Legends, the Bandoleros, and the Thunder Stocks. Gates open at 4 with the time trials and trophy dashes at 5 and 6. For more information please log on to www.meridianspeedway.com or contact the speedway office at (208) 888-2813.

See Also .:

News Index | E-mail to a Friend