8/8/2023
Magic Valley Speedway
Gomez Storms to Super Late Model Victory
The heartiest fans in motorsports turned out in droves to Magic Valley Speedway on Saturday, August 5, for the Magic Valley Pipe 75. The Speed Tour Super Late Models powered by Pit Stop USA contested the night’s namesake race, while the McDonald’s Street Stocks, North West Tour Truck Series, Domino’s Hornets, Project Filter Pro-4s, Domino’s Legends, Hornets, and Bandoleros filled an action-packed night of short track racing.
Nine Speed Tour Super Late Models powered by Pit Stop USA roared to green for Saturday’s Magic Valley Pipe 75. Troy Evans powered to the early lead in his Matt Compton Race Engines, A&E Sharpening entry, but soon fell victim to Thane Alderman’s fast Wulfenstein Construction, Sprint Mountain Motorsports machine.
Behind the lead fight, quick-qualifier Jonathon Gomez got a handle on his brand new racer and methodically picked off car after car on his way to the front. By lap twenty the Twin Falls, Idaho racer held second place, and by lap 25 he arrived on Alderman’s rear bumper. Lapped traffic clogged the track and thwarted Gomez’ first attempt to take the lead, but once in open track Gomez proved his superiority and made the winning pass look easy.
With Gomez out front attention turned to the several mid-pack battles that raged on and off through the rest of the race. One such battle led to contact between Jeff Hillock and Evans. This contact sliced through Evans’ left rear tire and spun him headlong into the back stretch barrier.
But it all happened behind Gomez, who cruised through the races final sixty laps to the checkers.
A full field of thirteen McDonald’s Street Stocks rumbled onto the high banks for their $2,250 to win 65-lap feature. Jeff Peck piloted his machine to the early lead, but was soon set upon by Shawn Lester, Josh Fanopoulos, and quick-qualifier Jesse James Lawson.
Lester was first to make a move but could only hold the lead for two laps before Fanopoulos ran down the Rupert, Idaho racer and put his Certified Services car out front. Lester strained to keep pace with Fanopoulos, but the strain proved too much for his Jackson’s Spuds, Turn Key Realty machine as it lost power and coasted to a stop in turn one.
This left Lawson side-by-side with Fanopoulos on the restart. The green flag waved and the lead duo sped away from the field. Lawson wrestled the top spot from Fanopoulos as wind-driven rain began to pelt his windshield. Just two laps later the caution flag flew and the race was suspended due to the freak storm.
After the Hornets beat and banged their way through a half rain-soaked, and windswept 100-lap feature, the McDonald’s Street Stocks rolled back on track to finish their fight. On the green Lawson took his Flap Jack Flips, Conrad and Bischoff racer back to the lead with Fanopoulos in hot pursuit. Lapped traffic and a late restart kept Fanopoulos close, but Lawson was too strong and the Caldwell, Idaho driver cruised across the finish line to take the victory. Fanopoulos finished a close second, with Ronn McClimans, Andrew Palmer, and Rich Wilson rounding out the top-5 finishers.
Nineteen drivers stormed through the high winds and sheets of rain for 100 wild laps in pursuit of a one-thousand-dollar payday. Chuck Youngblood scooted to the early lead as cars slipped and slid around the track behind him.
As the weather worsened contenders slashed their way forward. At the height of the storm Youngblood led Ryan Adams, Titus Clancy, Ty Garibay, and Dale Bolinger around the treacherous third-mile.
The storm broke just before the race’s halfway point, and Adams used the lull to track down and pass Youngblood for the lead. But Adams wasn’t safe up front, as with 25-laps left contact sent the leader headlong into the turn four wall. Adams was okay after the hit but was forced to retire from the event.
This left the lead to Youngblood with Bolinger and Travis Pavlacky in hot pursuit. Bolinger hooked the inside line and took the lead but soon had Pavlacky and Matuska in his mirrors.
As the laps wound down Matuska’s Neil Alan Fine Jewelry, BC Mobile Repair car grew stronger, and with just a handful of laps left he dispatched Bolinger to battle for second place with Pavlacky. This tussle went south when lapped traffic forced the two drivers together in turn three. Bolinger spun, Pavlacky diverted to the infield, and both were sent to the back of the pack for the restart.
The green flag waved for the final time with four laps remaining, and Matuska cruised through each one to claim the victory. Bolinger and Pavlacky somehow soldiered back to second and third positions respectively, with Clancy and Garibay rounding out the top-five.
The North West Tour Truck Series capped Saturday night’s action with a hard-fought feature. Sam Harris took the early lead but fell to Twin Falls, Idaho’s Roy Boots after a few short laps out front. This dropped Harris into the clutches of Jeff Wade and Andrew Prince.
Wade and Prince had traded blows since the night’s first feature and so neither lifted as they sped toward Harris down the backstretch. As turn three loomed the twosome tried to split Harris, but contact was made. All drivers were able to gather their trucks and continue, but Harris’ Sedona Homes, Reitsma Holsteins pickup suffered significant damage in the exchange.
While this situation resolved itself Drew Reitsma made his move on Boots for the lead. Boot put up a valiant fight, but the division points leader would not be denied and used the inside line to take over the top spot. Prince, finally separated from Wade, followed Reitsma forward and set his sights on a second Saturday night win.
A late race restart lined Prince up beside Reitsma, but when the green flag waved Reitsma wheeled his Reitsma Holsteins, Fields 66 machine around the outside to the victory. Prince held off Jason Quale for second, while Boots and first feature winner Neil Boyle rounded out the top-five.
Boyle made the most of his front row starting position in the night’s first feature. Boyle charged to the early lead and stayed there until the checkers waved.
Roxali Kamper held off a hard-charging Leon Tridle III and quick-qualifier Brok Kidd to win the Domino’s Legends feature Saturday. This was Kamper’s second win of the season at the wheel of her Discount Tire entry.
Andrew Prince and Jordan Harris put on a Project Filter Pro-4 duel for the ages Saturday. Harris got to the lead first in his Allan Marsh RV and Marine, Kim’s Kars machine, but Prince followed in his tire tracks and by lap three was working Harris over on the outside line.
Prince took over the top spot on lap six, but Harris kept the pressure on and eventually forced Prince to tag the wall on the exit of turn two. This impromptu adjustment slowed Prince enough that Harris snatched the lead back through the race’s halfway point.
Prince had to make his move and chose to pin Harris behind Makenzie Wells’ lapped Challenger Auto and Transport, H&H Auto machine. Harris went back on offense and a handful of laps later tried to trap Prince behind Kenny Chandler’s slow Project Filter, Fairly Reliable Bob’s entry.
But Prince forced his way down and the trio bumped and rubbed all the way through turns one and two and down the backstretch. Prince kept his foot hard on the gas pedal to muscle his Picabo Angler, Highline Powersports racer to the lead from the middle groove. Harris tried to give chase but ran out of time to mount a challenge as Prince flashed across the line for the win.
“If you guys aren’t excited for that then I don’t know why you’re here,” Prince said as he collected his YMC Mechanical trophy. “That was amazing from the [driver’s] seat.”
Eleven Bandoleros took the green flag for their feature race Saturday. Mason Martin’s TI Company, Hayden Homes machine was on a rail, and the youngster cruised to the feature win. Alannah Trammel came home in second place, with Alanna Bergseng, Tucker Webster, and P Gomez finishing in the top-5 positions.
The action continues this Saturday, August 12, as the baddest short track speed machines on the planet roar into Magic Valley Speedway for the Supermodified Cup. General admission is just $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and military members, $8 for kids 7-11, and free for kids 6 and under. Gates open at 4:45 p.m. Saturday, while the ground pounding short track action goes green at 6:30 p.m. Log on to www.magicvalleyspeedway.com to purchase your advance tickets now before they’re gone. We’ll see you Saturday, August 12, for the Supermodified Cup and Fireworks at Idaho’s fastest NASCAR Home Track, Magic Valley Speedway.
Submitted By: Tyler Schild
