Warf, Back in Victory Lane Meridian Speedway Night 1

Warf, Back in Victory Lane

 by Gene Cannon

Meridian Speedway is known for being a tight ¼ mile track with great racing action for fans, but to the drivers of the ASA/NSRA it’s a track where a lot can, and often times do go wrong.  This time was no different, 22 cars took the green flag, but only 14 finished.  After Friday night’s carnage fest, one driver commented, “It’s like this every time we come here.”  Ryan Burdett, Justin Mack, Matt Hein, Ron Larson, Todd Coleman, Andy Alberding and Chris Schmelzle all ended their nights early with severe damage to their cars.  Every driver determined they would be able to fix their cars and rejoin the field for the second night of the two night show.

            One man whom managed to keep his nose clean was Idaho’s Brian Warf, Warf hasn’t won an ASA/NSRA event for the better part of five years, but he utilized his starting pole position to stay up front.  After two unsuccessful starts, Warf’s lead was surrendered to Chris Ratterree who shared the front row with Warf.  But just a short nine laps into the main event disaster struck for Todd Coleman when his left rear tire blew upsetting the car on the backstretch.  Andy Alberding and Chris Schmelzle found themselves stranded with nowhere to go, Alberding drove over the back of Coleman’s car, and all three driver’s were okay but their cars were done for the night.  The excitement of ASA/NSRA’s new double wide restart came into effect and put Warf back on the front row, this time to the outside of Ratterree.  As the cars came out of turn four Warf and Ratterree touched tires just enough to upset Ratterree’s car and giving Warf a clear advantage as the cars entered turn one.  Local favorite’s Sierra Jackson and Johnny Giesler tried capitalizing on Ratterree’s misfortune but both drivers’ were unable to complete any sort of pass before the first big red flag of the night came out. 

            Canada’s Ron Larson was working the outside groove when he touch another drivers’ right rear tire, sending Larson’s car straight to the wall and flipping it along catch fence.  Larson was able to walk away under his own power, his car was not so fortunate; the frame had many breaks throughout the front end and was retired by Larson last night.  During the red flag crews were allowed on the track and were given the opportunity to make adjustments to their cars and add fuel as needed.  The double file restart again came into play with Warf on the bottom and Ratterree to the outside, “The car was really free on the bottom on restarts.  We made a few adjustments and the car was better right off the get go.  So we brought it in a little faster, my crew told me he (Ratterree) was really good coming out of (turn) four, so we decided to bring it in a little harder and get a better jump and we were able to hold it from there.”  Warf commented after the race about his red flag adjustments.

            Towards the back of the field, Central Oregon’s Vern Scevers found himself sitting just outside of a top ten with 29 laps to go.  Southern Oregon’s Matt Hein, also the ASA/NSRA point’s leader going into the night, found himself struggling with his car’s setup.  Springfield’s Rick Brown was able to slip under Hein for the 14^th position, Brown quickly went to work on Utah’s Ryan Burdett.  Burdett bobbled coming out of turn two and it was all the room that Brown needed to slip under Burdett.  Hein then went to work applying pressure to Burdett, that’s when tragedy struck again.  Burdett ended up in the infield and Hein in the wall.  Burdett commented that his left rear nut came loose causing the car to jerk to one side, he quickly tried correcting it, making contact with Hein.  “His car jerked down like something was wrong, so I went to go around him.  About that time I saw him coming up (the track), I knew if I hit the breaks he was gonna hit me so I stood on it and hoped I cleared him.”  Hein said of the accident.  Hein’s car pushed one of the safety barrels from the wall down the track; Justin Mack was trying to avoid the cars sitting on the track, but never saw the water barrel.  Mack’s night was ended due to the damage of the front of his car caused by the barrel.          

            The accident brought out the second red flag of the night, after the dirt crew finished cleaning the water off the track and the cars were all started, ASA/NSRA official scoring system determined that Giesler had completed a previous pass on Ratterree, but they had not completed an entire lap after the pass and were reverted back to the previous lap.  So with eight laps left in the race, the cars would remain single file, with Warf, Ratterree, Giesler and Jackson leading the way.  Giesler instantly worked the rear of Ratterree’s car, and was able to slide under Ratterree coming out of turn two.  With three laps to go Kirk Wartman spun in turn three bringing out his second caution, consequently ending his night.  This put Giesler on Warf’s tail with only three laps remaining.  “I knew he was back there, I kept watching leader board and saw him moving up.”  Warf said of Giesler’s run to second.  Warf got a great jump on the restart and opened a two car length lead coming out of turn two, Giesler quickly closed the gap in turns three and four.  As the white flag flew Giesler was pushing the case and tried finding a crease on the bottom, but Warf violently slammed the door, the two cars made contact.  Both drivers were able to maintain their composure and positions.  “I knew he wanted to try and get me on the bottom, because with the dirt on the top of three and four there wasn’t gonna be much up there.”  Warf said of the last lap contact.

            Giesler would settle for second, Ratterree held off the charges from Sierra Jackson for third, Jackson would finish fourth.  Mike Murgoitio had a quiet night from his fifth starting position; he was in battle the entire main with Canada’s driver Jeff Montgomery.  Murgoitio finished fifth and Montgomery held on with a blistered right rear tire for sixth.  Wyatt King held steady for seventh followed by Vern Scevers, Cody Veenstra and Scott Aumen to round out the top ten.  Darren Spiers stayed clean and finished just outside the top ten in eleventh with Rick Brown, Matt Elliott and Greg Middendorf in tow.  Elliott was running in memory of his father Tom Elliott, a staple of the Meridian Idaho racing community.  The Elliott family also awarded their Tom Elliott Sportmans Award to a driver that signified and stood for the things Tom Elliott himself believed strongly in about racing.  The Elliott family selected southern Oregon’s Andy Alberding, who with great honors and appreciation gladly accepted the award. 

            Meridian Speedway’s $2,000 bounty is safe for one more day after the northwest’s fastest pavement cars failed to capture the prize.  Alberding set fast time with a blazing 11.189, just missing his own track record.  Montgomery got the crowd excited with an 11.327 on his first lap, but lost a couple tenths on his second lap.  Murgoitio was third, turning an 11.355.  Sierra Jackson and Johnny Giesler rounded out the top five.  Of the 24 cars that timed in, there were only 1.771 seconds separating first and twenty-fourth and an impressive .425 separating first and tenth. 

            With 24 cars on hand, ASA/NSRA decided to run four, six car heat races allowing the top four finishers to transfer directly to the A main.  Heat one, was all about Vern Scevers, who used his pole starting position to get a jump on Ryan Burdett.  Scevers battled his power steering the entire eight laps, when the line from the power steering pump started leaking from a small hole.  “Those cars don’t like to turn without power steering,” Scevers laughed about the workout he received on the track.  “That’s why I looked so jerky out there, I saw Sierra down there (on the bottom of the track) but I wouldn’t never come off the bottom is I had my steering.”  Jackson came from the back of the field and challenged Scevers for the lead, but Scevers was able to hold her off at the finish line.  Ryan Burdett was also in the battle with Scevers and Jackson, but would end up third.  Justin Mack took the final transfer spot followed by Chris Schmelzle and Mark Floyd.

            Mitch Holte led the field to the line for heat two, but it was Ron Larson from his outside starting position that would get the jump into turn one.  Wyatt King made an outstanding move to the bottom side of Holte for second.  Scott Aumen and Mike Murgoitio followed King.  Matt Elliott tried to follow the pack but was cut off by Holte, the two would battle until the last lap when Elliott was finally able to complete a pass on Holte.  King eventually ran Larson down, but simply ran out of race, Aumen finished third and Murgoitio took the final transfer spot.

            Kirk Wartman and Greg Middendorf led the way for heat three, with Wartman getting the better of Middendorf.  Cody Veenstra settled into the second spot followed by Warf and Middendorf, but Montgomery drive to the high side of turns one and two pass both drivers.  Hein followed Montgomery around Middendorf, but couldn’t find his way around Warf.  Montgomery was working every part of the track to get around Veenstra, but couldn’t make it happen and transferred from his third position.  Warf occupied the last transfer spot, followed by Hein and Middendorf.

            Todd Coleman and Darren Spiers held the front row of the fourth and final heat of the night.  Spiers looked brilliant from the top of the track, using his run down the front stretch through turns one and two to obtain the lead.  Alberding instantly jumped from his sixth starting spot to the final transfer position, but Johnny Giesler wasn’t going to let him get away that easily.  Working the top side of the track Giesler drove side by side with Alberding before completing the pass.  Coleman fought off Ratterree who was himself fighting off the charging Giesler.  As the cars came around for the checkered flag, Giesler was able to jump to the third spot giving Ratterree the final transfer spot.  Spiers led the entire way followed by Coleman, Giesler, Ratterree, Alberding and Rick Brown.

            ASA/NSRA’s past two champions would be forced to run in a B main to transfer to the A main.  Hein would jump to an early lead followed by Alberding, behind the two Schmelzle fought of Elliott as long as he could, but Elliott would complete the pass on Schmelzle.  Schmelzle held of Rick Brown for what was believed to be the final transfer spot.  Do to a promoter provisionary, Rick Brown and Greg Middendorf were asked to join the field for the A main. 

            All but one of the 24 cars from last night’s show, plan on returning to action for night two of the ASA/NSRA’s second to last stop.  And with the Idaho driver’s dominating night one, you can be sure the boys from out of town are looking to make a strong run.  Idaho driver’s made up 7 of the top 10, and only two drivers in the ASA/NSRA’s top five points race finished the night, Sierra Jackson and Jeff Montgomery.  With points and a possible championship on the line Hein and Alberding are sure to be hungry.