7/23/2020
Magic Valley Speedway
It was a Festival of Speed on Falls Brand Night!!
By DJ Everett
Another great night of racing took place at Magic Valley Speedway on Falls Brand Night! The return of the unbelievably fast Speed Tour Wing Sprint Cars set fans back in their seats!! Exciting racing also took place with the ICCU Modifieds, Denny’s Minis, Valley Office Systems Hornets, and the Quale’s Electronics Jr Stingers!! The fans were definitely not disappointed on this night!!
The Quale’s Electronics Jr Stingers were the first main event of the night and when the green flag flew, Angel Newberry led the field. Kaethyn Gilligan was within striking distance of Newberry throughout the entire race. The two were able to get through the lapped traffic cleanly multiple times. Gilligan tried desperately to take advantage of the lapped traffic but Newberry held her composure to pick up her 4th Quale’s Electronics Jr Stinger main event win of the year.
The Denny’s Minis came out next for their first main event of two. Steve Edens Sr led the first 5 laps of the race but the heavy hitters were working their way through the field. Chad Everett and Cecil Miles were passing cars left and right and before you know it, Miles was the next leader of the race at lap 6. The caution flew for a spinning Mike Audet in turns 3 and 4. Back under green and Miles would resume his lead over Jon Quinton, Everett, and Manda Haye. Quinton put the move on Miles to put himself out in front putting Miles in the runner up spot. Everett and Haye put on a good race for third and Jordan Carpenter joined in to make it a 5 car race at the front of the field. Miles wouldn’t go away as he put it to the high side of Quinton for the lead with Everett, Carpenter, and Haye close behind. As the top 5 rounded turns 1 and 2, Haye’s car started to smoke and when she reached the backstretch, the entire car was engulfed in large amounts of smoke retiring Haye from the race. The field was put under red flag conditions allowing the safety crew to clean up the moisture on the backstretch left by Haye’s car. This setup a green/white/checkered scenario when the field went back to racing. The four cars of Miles, Quinton, Everett, and Carpenter ran side by side, two rows deep on the final lap and as the field rounded turn 4 coming to the checkers in that exact formation, it was Miles edging out Quinton at the line to add another victory to his win total in 2020.
The ICCU Modifieds rolled out for their first of two main events on this night. Tim Fahrner led the field at the green and looked impressive in the first few laps of the race putting distance between himself and the rest of the field. Zach Webster soon put a pass on Pehrson to move himself up into the second spot. Mitch Pehrson and Dan Root Jr ran side by side in close formation through turns 3 and 4 resulting in contact between the two and Root suffering right front damage to his machine. Root was heading straight for the turn 1 wall with very little steering but barely missed the wall by a few inches and came to a rest high in turn 1 bringing out the caution. On the restart, Webster was able to get by Fahrner for the lead leaving Eric Rhead to challenge Fahrner for second. It took Rhead a couple of laps to get by Fahrner for the second spot as Webster started to pull away. Once Rhead moved into second, he started to chase down Webster for the lead. On the final lap, Rhead was able to make up most of the deficit and pull within a car length of Webster but Webster was able to hang on for the win.
The R&A Trucking Big Wheelz race took place during intermission and congratulations to Emersynn Edens for being the first under the checkers.
The Denny’s Minis were out for their second main event of the evening and when the green flew, Mike Audet put it out in front early. That lasted 4 laps as the birthday girl, Hannah Hatch was the next leader of the race. Jordan Carpenter made his way to the front to challenge Hatch for the lead and was able to make the pass and be the race’s third different leader. Carpenter was able to extend his lead by a straightaway over the field but soon after, he went faster than the mandatory breakout time of 16.750 for the Denny’s Minis. That turned the lead over to Jon Quinton with Cecil Miles and Chad Everett knocking on door. Miles found trouble navigating through the lapped traffic and was sent through the infield grass handing the second spot over to Everett. Everett tried to put the move on Quinton on the last lap while weaving through traffic but Quinton was able to beat Everett to the line to pick up another main event win this year.
The Quale’s Electronics Jr Stingers entered the speedway next for their second main event of the night. Jr Flagger, Kenzie Hankins put the field under green flag conditions and JJ Haye was the early leader. As the field entered turn 2, contact between JJ Haye and Gracelyn Schaber sent Haye for a spin collecting Angel Newberry bringing out the caution. On the restart, Kaethyn Gilligan put it on the high side of Haye and got by on lap 2 for the lead bringing Angel Newberry with him up into second. Coming off of turn 2, Newberry took a peak to the inside of Gilligan with the two of them making contact on the backstretch. Gilligan was sent out of shape into the grass and Newberry’s car came to a stop on the track bringing out the caution again. Newberry’s car needed assistance to be pushed back to the pit area ending her race. Back to green flag racing and Gilligan was again the leader in which he would hang on to all the way to the checkers giving him the win for the second week in a row. Jr Trophy Presenter, Justyn Rodriguez joined in on the festivities on track handing the hardware over to winner Kaethyn Gilligan.
The ICCU Modifieds were next with their second main event of the night. When the green flag flew, The Hammer Lynn Hardy, grabbed the lead through turns 1 and 2 from his outside front row starting spot bringing his Redbone Trucking teammate Eric Rhead with him into second. Mitch Pehrson and Jason Quale were now side by side battling for third. Quale was able to grab third from Pehrson as Zach Webster was in tow moving himself up to fourth. The top 4 of Hardy, Rhead, Quale, and Webster started to run away from the rest of the field. Caution flag came out on lap 10 for Tim Fahrner who spun in turns 3 and 4 collecting Dan Root Jr. Root at this point had to exit the track ending his race as well as Fahrner. On the restart, Hardy got back out in front with Webster getting by Quale for third and was now working on Rhead for second. Webster put it to the high side of Rhead and the two ran side by side for multiple laps. As the two went into turn 3, contact between both cars sent both spinning bringing out the caution again. Back under green and Hardy was still leading the way with Quale and Rhead running side by side for second. Quale was able to fend off Rhead and now set sail after leader Hardy. Quale caught Hardy and kept trying the inside line to grab the lead but Hardy used his momentum on the outside to maintain his lead. With 2 laps to go, Quale was able to pull alongside Hardy and the two ran that way coming to the white flag. They went back into turns one and two still running side by side and as they came off of two, Hardy put it to the floor to get back out in front and hold it all the way to the checkers picking up his first win of 2020.
The lightning quick Speed Tour Wing Sprint Cars pushed out onto the track for their main event. The field took the green and Cory Lockwood rolled off of turn 2 as the leader with Colton Nelson running second. As the field entered turn 3, third place driver Mike Straub got sideways and in the middle of trying to gather it back up, Kyle Bergener, Hunter Stanley, and Bryan Warf all got collected. Warf, who was quick qualifier earlier in the day with a 12.002 on the 1/3-mile oval, was able to still drive on getting a piece of it but Bergener, Stanley, and Straub ended up in the turn 4 wall. The scene was cleared and we were back racing again. On the restart, Nelson was able to get by Lockwood for the lead bringing Casey Tillman with him into second. Mel Andrus slowed to a stop a couple of laps later on the frontstretch bringing out the caution again. Back under green again and Warf was able to get by Lockwood for third and the trio of Nelson, Tillman, and Warf started to streak away from the rest of the field. The three of them ran nose to tail for the last three quarters of the race with Nelson at times pulling away from Tillman and Tillman closing back in on Nelson. With two laps to go, Tillman got right on the rear bumper of Nelson and actually made contact going into turn 3. That wouldn’t phase Nelson as he kept his composure and held on to it all the way to the checkered flag picking up his first Speed Tour Wing Sprint Car main event of the year.
The final race of the night was the Valley Office Systems Hornet main event. In true hornet fashion the field used part of the stinger track and part of the 1/3-mile oval. Donovan Pierson led it at the start but as the field reached the backstretch, Zach Rydalch grabbed the lead. Going into turn 3 of the big track, Rydalch lost the back end of his machine sending him for a spin turning the lead back over to Pierson. Pierson held the lead for another lap until Scott Gilligan made his presence known and grabbed the lead away from Pierson. Gilligan led the rest of the laps to score his fourth hornet main event win in a row making it another good night of racing for the Gilligan’s with father and son again winning main events on the same night.
Other winners on the night that we would like to congratulate are Bayley Beus winning the free Shari’s pie and Alan Hite, Jared Masias, and Tori Harger winning the Saturday Race Track Selfie Contest. This Saturday night is Extreme Staffing & Payroll Night! The Cactus Petes Streets 99 will take place with 3 separate 33 lap main events!! Drivers from out of town are planning on participating in this event along with our local drivers!! Also on the card will be the Project Filter Bombers, Valley Office Systems Hornets, Extreme Staffing Double Deckers, and a Legends Car Regional event will take place!! Gates open at 5pm, McDonalds Qualifying at 6:30pm, and Nascar Racing at 7pm!! Arrive early as another big crowd is expected for this exciting night!! We will see you this Saturday at the speed palace………………..Magic Valley Speedway!!
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