MERIDIAN, Idaho—Summer show up early Saturday, June 2 for Meridian Speedway’s EMS, Police, Fire, and Correctional Officers Night presented by Aaron’s Sales and Lease. The PitStopUSA.com NASCAR Modifieds battled through twin thirty lap features, while the Teleperformance Claimer Stocks, and Pepsi Crate Cars and ISRL Super Sixes slid around the quarter-mile in search of their Maxwell Plumbing trophies, and the Big Daddy’s Barbecue Hornets, and Bombers took on a tractor tire slalom course.
Wyatt King and Joe Thuss led the PitStopUSA.com NASCAR Modifieds to green on their first of two thirty lap features. King made the inside line go and the Kuna, Idaho racer moved his Major Tire and Hitch, YMC Mechanical entry to the early lead. But Thuss kept pace, and on lap four piloted his Aloha Auto Repair, ABC Grounds Care modified around the outside to the lead.
Behind the leaders, CJ Stirm and Jerry Green fought hard for a top five position. This battle kept heavy hitters Casey Tillman, Bryan Warf, and Josh Jackson bottled up until a lap ten caution reset the field. On the restart Tillman and Warf blew past Thuss to take the top two spots. Warf wasted no time and immediately slung his Integrity Pools of Idaho, Allan Marsh Travel Center machine around Tillman’s high side to take the lead for himself.
But the man on the move through the race’s middle stages was Colton Nelson. With his Integrity Construction, Mulder Auto and Machine pinned to the inside line Nelson knifed his way forward. On lap thirteen Nelson moved into the runner up spot, then ran down Warf, who faced a solid wall of lapped traffic ahead. A late caution flag cleared the traffic, but brought Nelson abreast of Warf for the restart.
The green flag waved and Nelson roared into turn one on the low side. But Warf was strong in the top lane, and after a three lap skirmish Warf shot ahead. As the laps wound down Nelson searched for a way past Warf, but his efforts were in vain as Warf claimed the Aaron’s Sales and Lease Night’s first main event.
The Teleperformance Claimer Stocks had 25 circuits to find a main event winner. On the green, Boise, Idaho’s Jamie Hyde blew past Scott Kelly to take his Western Sandblasting and Powdercoating, Guppies Hot Rod Grille racer to the early lead. But Kendra Occhipinti was quick to Hyde’s rear bumper, and on lap three the Nampa, Idaho racer muscled her way outside Hyde and took over the point.
Occhipinti came under fire immediately from Pat Tully and her younger brother Taylor Occhipinti. A lap eight caution bunched the field and stationed Tully outside the front row on the restart. The green flag flew and Tully dispatched the elder Occhipinti to take the lead. But Tylor Occhipinti wouldn’t let Tully get away, and the youngster dove inside the Caldwell, Idaho racer to take the top spot at the race’s halfway point.
As the laps wound down the younger Occhipinti pulled away from the field as Tully worked to fend off Josh Fanopoulos’ Certified Services, A-1 Towing machine. With seven circuits left Fanopoulos moved into the runner up spot and worked to track down Occhipniti’s Marv’s Tire Service, Dillon Performance Engines racer down. Fanopoulos wheeled his machine hard to keep pace, but didn’t have anything for Occhipinit who dashed across the Caleb’s Chop Shop Victory Stripe for his first division victory.
The Pepsi Crate Cars and ISRL Super Sixes brought eleven strong sprinters to their 25 lap feature. On the break Kuna, Idaho’s Pat Young worked the outside line to lead lap one. But the man on the move early was Mike Anderson, who powered through the field and put his Bender Electric, Elda Property Management entry at the top of the Pepsi-Cola scoreboard on lap five.
Next to break from the pack was Tony Ackerland. Ackerland piloted his Kick’s Chevron, Ackerland Construction machine hard to erase Anderson’s two second lead, and by the race’s halfway point Ackerland had arrived on the leader’s tail tank.
But Anderson had a bevy of lapped traffic ahead of him, and these slower competitors kept Ackerland at bay as the laps wound down. The leaders never found clear race track again, and that was all Anderson needed to claim his first feature win of the season.
The PitStopUSA.com NASCAR Modifieds roared back onto the quarter-mile oval for their second thirty lap feature of Aaron’s Sales and Lease EMS, Police, Fire, and Correctional Officers’ night. The green flag flew and Jonathan Hull hooked the inside line to take the lead in his Diversified Carpet Cleaning, All American Towing modified. The first caution flag waved on lap two when a mechanical failure sent CJ Stirm’s Meridian Anti Drug Coalition, Pisor Tile entry spinning through the pack from fourth place.
When the smoke cleared Hull found Wyatt King’s Major Tire and Hitch, Stock Construction machine to his inside for the restart. Hull again proved too strong off the line and he sprang back to the top spot. This left King in the clutches of Joe Thuss. Thuss got the best of this battle and claimed second for two laps before first main event winner Bryan Warf and Colton Nelson moved to the second and third spots respectively.
Nelson wouldn’t wait, and at the race’s halfway point Nelson pulled inside Warf and dispatched the runner up. But lapped traffic thwarted the move and stacked Warf and Nelson back single file behind Hull. Two laps later the track cleared and Warf unleashed his Integrity Pools of Idaho, Dave’s Quick Lube modified and took the lead from Hull.
But Nelson kept pace and lap by lap turned up the pressure on Warf. Nelson worked the inside line, and with five laps left Nelson scooted into the top spot. Nelson’s lead would only grow over the race’s closing circuits and he parked his modified in the Caleb’s Chop Shop Winner’s Circle.
The build-in-a-day Bombers brought five competitors to their main event Saturday. Mirinda Miles worked her way through the tractor tire slalom course to lead the first lap, but James Sheets found a handle on his minivan and pulled to the leader’s rear bumper.
Behind the leaders, the man on the move was Chad Atnip, who slung his green machine through the pack and into second place. Miles switched to a defensive line, but Atnip went to work on her rear bumper. Atnip took the lead briefly with four laps to go, but a botched slalom crossover sent him headlong into the back stretch wall.
This left the lead to Doug McGarva who was quickly dispatched by quick-qualifier Sheets. Once out front Sheets set sail to cross the start-finish line first, but a missed slalom exchange disqualified both Sheets and McGarva, which handed the win to Miles.
The Big Daddy’s Barbecue Hornets rolled onto a wet race track for their own slalom-style main event. The green flag waved and chaos ensued as the field streamed into a front stretch crowded with tractor tires. Somehow Monica Heath wound her way through the carnage to take the early lead. But Brandon Kelley was fast, and the Nampa, Idaho racer sped into the top spot on lap three.
As the tires claimed Hornet after Hornet, Kelley kept his Kelley Rooter machine intact until lap fourteen when he was forced to pit. This handed the lead to Nampa, Idaho’s Chuck Youngblood, who bull rushed his way through water barrels, tractor tires, and other competitors on his way to the checkered flag. But missed slalom penalties set Youngblood back in the field and handed the victory to Neil Wassmuth.
Fire and fury return to Meridian Speedway this Friday and Saturday, June 8 and 9, as the BOB FM Diamond Cup roars onto the quarter-mile oval. The Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association and Mountain Dew Interstate Winged Sprintcars join in the two day battle for the Star Diamonds championship ring. Friday’s Stinker Stores Family Pass Night features the Royal Purple Modified Series, Domino’s Legends, Project Filter Pro-4s, and a Stinker Stores Candy Rush. Saturday’s action completes the winged Sprintcar shootout with the TEAM Mazda Mini Stocks, High School Tuners, and Big Daddy’s Barbecue Hornets filling the short track racing slate. General admission to each night of the BOB FM Diamond Cup is $18 for adults, $15.50 for seniors and members of the military, and $6.50 for kids 7-11 years old. Gates open at 4:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights, with the first green flag waving at 6:45 p.m. Logon to meridianspeedway.com to keep up with the latest news and notes from the quarter-mile, and text ‘meridianspeed’ to 84483 to sign up for exclusive offers and updates. We’ll see you this Friday and Saturday, June 8 and 9, for the BOB FM Diamond Cup under the big yellow water tower at your NASCAR Home Track, Meridian Speedway.
Meridian Speedway
Saturday’s Unofficial Results
EMS/Firefighter/Police Officer Night
Presented by Aarons Sales & Lease
06/02/2018
PitStopUSA.com NASCAR Modifieds
Quick Time – Colton Nelson, 13.825 seconds
Main Event #1
1. 70 Bryan Warf Meridian, Idaho
2. 07 Colton Nelson Meridian, Idaho
3. 00 Josh Jackson Nampa, Idaho
4. 92 Casey Tillman Kuna, Idaho
5. 23 Chris Fenton Meridian, Idaho
Main Event #2
1. 07 Colton Nelson Meridian, Idaho
2. 70 Bryan Warf Meridian, Idaho
3. 8 Jonathan Hull Boise, Idaho
4. 92 Casey Tillman Kuna, Idaho
5. 23 Chris Fenton Meridian, Idaho
Teleperformance Claimer Stocks
Quick Time – Todd Seaver, 15.256 seconds*
Main Event 1. 96 Taylor Occhipinti Nampa, Idaho
2. 21 Josh Fanopoulos Boise, Idaho
3. 67 Pat Tully Caldwell, Idaho
4. 99 Kendra Occhipinti Nampa, Idaho
5. 63 Dan Lowther Boise, Idaho
Heat A 1. 21 Josh Fanopoulos Boise, Idaho
2. 12 Todd Seaver Meridian, Idaho
3. 99 Kendra Occhipinti Nampa, Idaho
Heat B 1. 19 Rich Lawson Marsing, Idaho
2. 20 Preston Henderson Nampa, Idaho
3. 03 Jamie Hyde Boise, Idaho
*Track Record
Pepsi Crate Cars/ISRL Super Sixes
Quick Time – Darvin Ackerland, 13.590 seconds
Main Event 1. 68 Mike Anderson Nampa, Idaho
2. 95 Tony Ackerland Star, Idaho
3. 40 Pat Young Kuna, Idaho
4. 25 Kate Jackson Middleton, Idaho
5. 61 Rob Grice Boise, Idaho
Heat A 1. 16 Nate Little Meridian, Idaho
2. 61 Rob Grice Boise, Idaho
3. 95 Tony Ackerland Star, Idaho
Heat B 1. 25 Kate Jackson Middleton, Idaho
2. 40 Pat Young Kuna, Idaho
3. 9 Mecho Segura Caldwell, Idaho
Big Daddy’s Barbecue Hornets
Quick Time – James Pahl, 18.526 seconds
Main Event 1. 10 Neil Wassmuth Nampa, Idaho
Heat A 1. 21 Jett Nelson Meridian, Idaho
2. 10 Neil Wassmuth Nampa, Idaho
3. 82 Chuck Youngblood Nampa, Idaho
Heat B 1. 11 Monica Heath Caldwell, Idaho
2. 38 Brandon Kelley Nampa, Idaho
3. 13 Joe Pettit Caldwell, Idaho
Bombers
Quick Time – James Sheets, 21.710 seconds
Main Event 1. 99 James Sheets
2. 25 Mirinda Miles
3. 20 Chad Atnip
4. 55 Jess Freeman
5. 76 Doug McGarva
Heat A 1. 20 Chad Atnip
2. 25 Mirinda Miles
3. 76 Doug McGarva
