9/10/2024
Magic Valley Speedway
Newhouse Sweeps Double Feature for Title
Championship season kicked off at Magic Valley Speedway on Saturday, September 7, as three champions were crowned on Fast Lane Automotive Night at the Races. The NASCAR Trucks, Pepsi Mini Stocks, and Magic Valley Speedway Midgets settled their season while the Western Mountain Inc. NASCAR Latemodels, and McDonald’s Street Stocks did battle for crucial late season points.
NASCAR Truck competitor Jenna Quale entered Saturday night’s twin features just 25 points behind standings leader John Newhouse. In the division’s first feature Quale raced her way to the early lead, but couldn’t pull away from Newhouse’s borrowed D.L. Evans Bank, Graphx Signs pickup, who stalked his title foe from the drop of the green flag until the two made contact in turn one at the race’s halfway mark.
This left NASCAR Truck newcomer Pat Tully up front with Neil Boyle and Tyler Phernetton side-by-side for second and third. Quale tried to follow Boyle past Phernetton, but Phernetton proved too strong on the high side, and he kept Boyle and Quale’s Fusion Mechanical and Process, Quale’s Electronics trucks at bay.
A late caution flag re-racked the field and allowed Phernetton to challenge Tully for a handful of hard laps before he lost the handle on his truck and spun in front of Newhouse and Quale. On the ensuing restart Newhouse stormed past Tully and took the lead while Quale lost time as she battled with Boyle. At the checkers it was Newhouse first, followed by Tully, Quale, Boyle, and a resurgent Phernetton.
With his win in the first feature Newhouse just needed to start the night’s second feature to clinch the title. Not only did Newhouse start the season’s final feature, but Quale had a right front wheel go rogue and fall off her truck on the back stretch. Quale kept her machine out of the wall, but this incident sealed the championship for Newhouse.
Once the race started in earnest Phernetton jumped to the early lead but came under immediate fire from Tully and Newhouse. Tully was first to take the lead in his 1st Step Auto Restoration, Pinnacle Appraisals pickup, but he couldn’t fend off Newhouse, who took the high line to the top spot and the victory.
Magic Valley Speedway Midget title hopefuls Devin Westover and Chuck Groat dueled all night for the championship. Groat increased his 22 point advantage over Westover with a runner up finish in the heat race to Westover’s third place.
Westover struck back in the Magic Valley Speedway Midget feature when he took the early race lead from Hunter Stanley. But Groat battled back in his Grip Suspension, Idaho Sandblast and Powder Coat mount while he kept third place runner Preston Peltier at bay.
Groat searched high and low for a way around Westover’s RAL Images, Driven to Save Lives machine, but Westover shut the door on each and every run Groat could muster. Late in the going Groat pulled even with Westover out of turn two, but a caution flag negated his run to the top spot and left him with just a handful of laps to make the winning pass.
When the green flag flew again Stanley came out of nowhere to challenge Groat for the runner up spot on the outside. With Stanley up high Groat couldn’t swing high and challenge for the lead as he expected to, and in the end, Groat was forced to settle for second behind his teammate Westover.
Though he finished second in the race, Groat’s drive was enough to take home the division title.
The Pepsi Mini Stock feature saw Tyler Palmer and Cody Garrett square off for the victory. Palmer got to the lead first, but Garrett’s car was fast, and he kept pace with Palmer until the leader’s car expired late in the going. With the lead firmly in hand Garrett cruised to the victory with Josh Lucero second and Robbie Hyde third.
Despite his absence from the Fast Lane Automotive Night at the Races feature, Jordan Carpenter took the division championship.
Action started early in the McDonald’s Street Stock ranks as a tangle in the heat race left Jamie Hyde and Mitch Pehrson stacked up against the turn three barriers. Luckily the damage proved relatively minor and both drivers were able to continue.
In the division’s Fast Lane Automotive Night at the Races feature Ronn McClimans took over the lead from Alaura McWilliams early and cruised to the win in his Advantage Archery, Kidd Performance racer.
Shawn Lester surged through the Western Mountain Inc. NASCAR Latemodel field to duel with Dan Root, Jr for the feature win. Lester moved his Jackson’s Spuds, Turn Key Realty machine to the lead with six circuits left and never looked back on his way to the winner’s circle.
Six individuals were inducted into the Magic Valley Motorsports Hall of Fame at intermission. Inaugural Magic Valley Motorsports Hall of Fame inductees Bruce Quale, Steve York, and Mark Kidd welcomed new members Tom ‘Pappy’ Kerr, Larry Fairbanks, Mike Minegar, Rich Thompson, Norm Hatke, and Eddy McKean into the Hall of Fame.
Magic Valley Speedway hosts its penultimate event of the year Saturday, September 14, with the Project Filter Twin 25’s. The Western Mountain Inc. NASCAR Latemodels, Project Filter Pro-4s and Mini Modifieds, Quale’s Electronics Stingers, and Magic Valley Speedway Hornets run double duty Saturday as they prepare to conclude their campaigns. General admission to Saturday night’s Project Filter Twin 25’s is just $14 for adults, $12 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, with the first green flag waved at 6:30 p.m. Log on to www.magicvalleyspeedway.com to purchase your advance tickets and skip the line at the ticket gate. We’ll see you Saturday, September 14, for the Project Filter Twin 25’s at Idaho’s fastest NASCAR Home Track, Magic Valley Speedway.
Submitted By: Tyler Schild