7/26/2024
Magic Valley Speedway
Murgoitio, Tillman Tussle for Stinker Skunk Cup
The sheer force of Friday night’s field of Speed Tour Sprint Cars powered by Pit Stop USA tore the flags clean off the Magic Valley Speedway flag stand during Stinker Skunk Cup Night One action. Speed Tour Sprint Car point leader Colton Nelson blasted to the early lead but contact on an early restart sent him around and handed the top two spots to Mike Murgoitio and Rob Grice.
As Murgoitio checked out from the field Casey Tillman fought his way forward to make up for an early visit to the pit area. Tillman made gains in his YMC, Inc., TS Fuel and Oil machine, but a misjudged entry to turn three sent Tillman spinning through the grass and, consequently, restarting at the back of the pack.
The green flag waved again and Murgoitio erupted out of the blocks to keep his GM Land and Cattle, Timber Creek Recycling sprinter up front. Behind the leader Tillman went back on the march and dispatched every car between himself and Murgoitio. But Tillman ran out of laps to catch Murgoitio, who powered to the victory.
“The battles were awesome,” Murgoitio said as he collected his Willow Real Estate feature flag. “[There was] a lot of action tonight.”
As an added bonus Murgoitio was awarded his official Neil Alan Fine Jewelry Diamond Cup ring in the Winner’s Circle.
Though he led the Stinker Skunk Cup standings by ten points entering the championship 50-lap race, Murgoitio faced near disaster when his car stalled coming to the green flag. Luckily the issue was minor and Murgoitio was able to fix it from the cockpit and restart.
Once the green flag waved DJ Lyons jumped to the early lead with Natalie Waters and Monty Bergener in tow. But Murgoitio was on the move and after just a handful of laps he sat third with Waters’ Wickless Scentsations, BGraphics sprinter in his sights. A handful more and Murgoitio passed Lyons to take the lead.
A mid-race caution flag bunched the field and brought second place Tillman to Murgoitio’s outside for the start. Murgoitio pulled Tillman into turn one, but Tillman got his Westside Machine powerplant wound up on the backstretch and dove hard into turn three under Murgoitio. Somehow Tillman made the wild move stick and Murgoitio surrendered the lead.
Now out front Tillman slung his sprinter through the turns in a bid to keep Murgoitio at bay. Though Murgoitio closed to within one car length on the white flag lap, he couldn’t find a way around Tillman, who took the Magic Valley Pipe and Steel checkered feature flag.
John Newhouse and Jenna Quale renewed their NASCAR Truck rivalry as the pair traded paint and body blows throughout Stinker Skunk Cup weekend. Newhouse drew first blood as he piloted his The Car Store of Twin Falls pickup to Friday night’s first feature victory. Things looked to be shaping up well for Newhouse in the second feature, too, but Quale had other ideas and wheeled her Quale’s Electronics, Fusion Mechanical and Process machine to the lead. As the laps wound down Newhouse fought hard to retake the top spot, but Quale proved too strong and collected the night’s second Willow Real Estate feature flag.
Saturday night’s NASCAR Truck action started off with a bang as young racers Bentlee Hillock and Tiffany Moen met head-on in turns three and four. Both drivers were okay, though Hillock’s Hillock Performance Emissions Made Easy machine and Moen’s Fast Lane Automotive, The Beach Tanning Company entry were too damaged to continue. With the track cleared the green flag waved and Newhouse again navigated his way to the lead and the win, then repeated the feat again to take home both of the night’s Magic Valley Pipe and Steel feature flag trophies.
Lucky 13 Racing teammates Chuck Groat and Devin Westover dominated action in the Magic Valley Speedway Midget ranks. Friday night Groat powered to the win with Westover second. Saturday night saw Westover park his Grip Suspension, Idaho Sandblasting and Powder Coating machine in the winner’s circle ahead of hard-charging Michael Daniels and Groat.
‘No fender, no problem’ was the motto for Western Mountain Inc. NASCAR Latemodel competitor Andrew Palmer after a dustup with Dan Root, Jr left him minus some right front bodywork. Despite the damage Palmer raced back around Shawn Lester and Coleman Green to take the victory, his fifth feature win in one week.
Saturday night Palmer faced another kind of adversity when contact in a heat race sent his McDonald’s Street Stock hard into the frontstretch wall. But Palmer and his Bobby’s Transmission, Durbin Towing crew worked fast to repair the damage and he was able to start the feature.
As though the heat race incident never even happened Palmer marched through the field and by the race’s halfway point was side-by-side with T. Roy for the lead. Roy drove hard to keep Palmer at bay, but Palmer was too strong, and he motored to his sixth feature victory in one week.
Danny Gilliam outplayed his Budweiser Bomber competition Friday night and scored the victory over Brandon and Tyla Adams and Edward Vilie.
Alex Fitterman gave Tiffany Moen all she could handle in Friday night’s Quale’s Electronics Stingers feature. But Fitterman’s Willow Realty Group, Guppies Hot Rod Grille mount succumbed to mechanical gremlins late and he could only watch from the infield as Moen piloted her Fast Lane Automotive, Oxygen Health Spa of Twin Falls car to the checkers.
Jonny Wigginton outdueled Joey Layman and Dan Arriola to take home Saturday night’s Idaho Vintage Racers division victory in his Diamondback Motorsports entry.
Magic Valley Speedway Hornet competitor Adam Roth clawed his way to the front of the pack and stayed there to collect the night’s Magic Valley Pipe and Steel trophy.
The Magic Valley Speedway season continues Saturday, August 3, with Pacific Steel and Recycling Lucky Rides Night, where kids can catch a ride with their favorite driver all around the high banks. The Western Mountain Inc. NASCAR Latemodels, Speed Tour Modifieds powered by Pit Stop USA, Project Filter Mini Modifieds, McDonald’s Street Stocks, Budweiser Bombers, and Quale’s Electronics Stingers race in pursuit of the night’s DataTel trophies. Log on to www.magicvalleyspeedway.com for more information and to purchase advance tickets to any of our upcoming events. We’ll see you Saturday, August 3 for Pacific Steel and Recycling Lucky Rides Night at Idaho’s fastest NASCAR Home Track, Magic Valley Speedway.
Submitted By: Tyler Schild