6/27/2024
Magic Valley Speedway
Carson Punches California Dream Ticket on K&T Steel Night
Racers packed the pits and fans crowded the stands at Magic Valley Speedway on Saturday, June 22, as the high banked third mile oval hosted the K&T Steel Midnight Ride event. The Speed Tour Modifieds powered by Pit Stop USA, Western Mountain Inc. NASCAR Latemodels, McDonald’s Street Stocks, Pepsi Mini Stocks, Domino’s Legends, Magic Valley Speedway Hornets, and Speedway Bandoleros each battled side-by-side for the night’s Guppies Hot Rod Grille feature flags.
A strong field of twenty Pepsi Mini Stocks contested the forty lap ‘Olga’s Prelude to the Dream’ race, a qualifying feature for the Olga’s California Dream 100 to be held at Madera Speedway later in the year.
Action in the opening laps was wild as racers jockeyed for position early. Gary Cagle was the first to establish himself out front in his machine, but soon came under fire from Courtney Green. Green swung low to dispatch Cagle on lap eight before he turned on the jets and motored to a significant lead.
The only thing that could slow Green’s pace was a red flag, and Danny Gilliam delivered as contact with Rich Ennis sent him into a wild series of barrel rolls down the front stretch. Gilliam was okay after his tumble and waved to the crowd as he was chauffeured back to the pit area.
When action resumed Green again powered to the point with James Pahl, Cagle, and his car owner Don Trafford in tow. Trafford made light work of Pahl and Cagle and soon had Green in his sights. But before Trafford could make a challenge for the lead, lapped traffic contacted Green on entry to turn three. This put both racers hard into the barriers and caused Green to express tremendous displeasure with several waves of strong words before he was taken back to the pit area.
On the restart new leader Trafford came under fire from Justin Carson and his Black Rock Auto Sales, DependableTire.Auto racer. Carson tore around the outside of Trafford to take the lead. A late caution flag gave Trafford one last crack at the feature win, but Carson’s car proved too strong and he took the win handily over Trafford and defending division champion Tyler Palmer.
Doyal Moen and Shawn Lester led the Western Mountain Inc. NASCAR Latemodels to green in their twenty lap feature. Action started on lap two when Ryan Phipps looked beneath Lester and Moen in his bid for the lead. Contact then sent Phipps’ Western Mountain Inc., PMT machine sliding through the grass and nearly into Andrew Palmer in turn three.
With minimal damage done Phipps rejoined the race. When the green flag waved Lester bolted to the lead in his white number 22 racer while Moen fell through the field and soon found himself under attack from Phipps. Phipps forced his way low as the pair sped out of turn four and contact was made. More contact followed on the next lap as Moen got into Phipps in turn one. Phipps spun while Moen’s Fast Lane Automotive mount slid to a stop just short of the concrete barriers. Moen would retire from the event while Phipps once again shook off the slide and lined up for a restart.
Up front the battle was between Lester and Palmer. Palmer stalked Lester until lap eleven, then cut low on the backstretch in a bid for the top spot. Contact was made as the pair rumbled into turn three. When the smoke cleared Lester and Palmer sat nose to nose against the outside wall.
Against all odds, this left Phipps in the lead. Lester’s crew affected repairs trackside to get him back in the mix, but Palmer was towed to his pit area for some more extensive work.
No sooner had Phipps taken the green flag than Lester went to work on his rear bumper. Lester wheeled his car hard to keep pace with Phipps, but the damage to his machine proved too extensive and he was forced to settle for the runner up spot. Palmer rejoined the race two laps after the restart and nursed his Bobby’s Transmission mount across the line third.
The Speed Tour Modifieds powered by Pit Stop USA faced a fifty-lap feature Saturday night. Jason Quale motored around Chris Cook to put his Major League Auto Repair modified in the early lead. But before Quale could settle in up front he faced a challenge from Johnathon Gomez. Gomez piloted his Western Mountain Inc., Baxter’s Excavation machine around the inside of the track and took the lead on lap ten. This dropped Quale to second ahead of Zach Webster and Donovan Barr.
As Gomez took over up front Webster and Barr went to war for the third spot. Barr muscled his way through Webster’s quarter panel to take the inside line, but Webster kept his car under control and held off Barr’s advances in the high groove.
But all was not well under Webster’s hood as first white, then blue smoke began to trail from his Advance Maintenance, Idaho Powder Coating and Sandblasting entry. Barr was quick to race around Webster, who faded to fifth at the checkered flag.
But it all happened behind Gomez, who streaked across the finish line a full three seconds ahead of Quale. Barr came home third while Cook finished fourth.
The Domino’s Legends ran a pair of 25-lap features for regional INEX points Saturday. Courtney Weller worked her Yogurtz Grill, LFX Water Solutions entry to the early lead in the night’s first feature and withstood a late charge from Austin Murphy and his ATEL USA, Phoenix Fire Games mount to score her first win in the division.
Leon Tridle II used a daring three-wide pass to take his Knife River, Sticker Status machine from third to first early in the Domino’s Legends’ second feature. Once out front Tridle never looked back on his way to victory. Canyon Ashley brought his Ashley Heating, Granite Excavation entry home second ahead of Murphy, Peyton Weller, and Mike Soiseth.
Eight McDonald’s Street Stocks rumbled to green on their thirty lap feature. Andrew Palmer motored around Jake Altman to take the lead on lap one. Behind Palmer the battle for second raged as Mitch Pehrson and Ronn McClimans dueled. McClimans would get the best of that battle and soon find himself door-to-door with Palmer for the lead.
A caution flag just past the race’s halfway point lined McClimans’ Advantage Archery, Monterey Jacks machine up alongside the Bobby’s Transmission of Palmer for the restart. As soon as the green flag flew McClimans hooked the inside line and ripped around Palmer for the lead.
With eight laps left the handling soured on McClimans’ car and he slid sideways. Palmer pounced to take the lead back, but McClimans reigned his machine in quickly and repassed Palmer to take the lead and five short laps later the win.
Justin Ford zipped to the lead early in his Big Tow-sponsored Magic Valley Speedway Hornet and never looked back on his way to the feature win.
Zach Rydalch flipped on his headlights and made night time the right time as he sped to the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere victory by inches over Peyton Hardenbrook.
The Speedway Bandoleros also ran double features as part of the K&T Steel Midnight Ride festivities. Jhett Phipps outran Bristol Monroe to park his Western Mountain Inc. machine in the Winner’s Circle.
The second feature saw Mariya Soloman and Tayton Monroe lead the field to green. Monroe piloted his Torch Towing, Idaho Wrecker Sales racer to the point while Soloman tangled with Tayton’s sister Bristol as they battled for the runner up spot. This brought Phipps into the lead fight as the race restarted.
Phipps motored to the lead when the green flag waved, but was judged to have jumped the start. Phipps slowed in turn three and allowed Monroe by before he mashed the gas pedal and applied heavy pressure to the leader.
Phipps worked the low line to pass Monroe but spun into the infield as he made his bid for the lead. This left Monroe to cruise across the start-finish line ahead of sister Bristol, Mason Martin, Tucker Webster, and Cayden Barker.
The Magic Valley Speedway season takes off on Wednesday, July 3, with the Fantastic Fireworks Show and Boat Race of Destruction night at the races. Before we light up the sky on Wednesday, the Western Mountain Inc. NASCAR Latemodels, McDonald’s Street Stocks, Magic Valley Speedway Midgets, Project Filter Mini Modifieds, Budweiser Bombers, Quale’s Electronics Stingers, and a Boat Races of Destruction provide plenty of on-track fireworks. General admission to a full night of racing and fireworks is just $20 for adults, $18 for seniors sixty and over and military members, $8 for kids 7-11, and free for kids 6 and under. Gates open at 4:45 p.m. with the first green flag at 6:30 p.m. For advance tickets log on to www.magicvalleyspeedway.com. We’ll see you Wednesday, July 3, for the Fantastic Fireworks Show and Boat Race of Destruction at Idaho’s fastest NASCAR Home Track, Magic Valley Speedway.
Submitted By: Tyler Schild