Championship 09-29-07

Alberding takes the 2007 ASA/NSRA season points championship…

Andy Alberding, 2007 NSRA season champion !

Warf wins the final race of the year.

Brian Warf, winner of the main event at Meridian Speedway

September 29, 2007

Meridian, Idaho – Brian Warf, driver of the 91 car, ran the entire 50 lap main event at his home track virtually unchallenged to win the final race of 2007 for ASA/NSRA.  Andy Alberding, finishing 3rd in the A main, secured his first championship with NSRA.

23 cars showed up to race with 10 of them ASA/NSRA cars, the rest locals from the greater Meridian area.  Only one car failed to start the main event making the A Main a 22 car field.

The weekend of the 28th & 29th of September was a 2 day race program with points paid for each race.  Unfortunately, the bastions of the weather would not cooperate on Friday the 28th.  Intermittent showers throughout the afternoon delayed both practice sessions for the winged sprint cars.  Both sessions managed to be run for the drivers but the weather consistently deteriorated as the afternoon wore on.  With the weather radar showing increasing rain activity in the area the track called a halt to the program for the night.  Crews packed up their equipment and cars into their trailers to await the next day and the hope of better weather for racing.

Saturday, the 29th dawned with full sun in the skies but unseasonably cold temperatures.  Adding in the wind all during the day made heavier jackets and gloves desirable items to have.  With numerous other classes to run their race program at Meridian Speedway the scheduling of practice, qualifying, and racing was tightened up considerably.  The winged sprinters of ASA/NSRA were able to get in both their practices.  Todd Coleman, driving the 44 car, had the opportunity to move up from his 10th position in season points to as far as 6th place.  The chances for that were foiled in the 2nd practice of the day.  During the practice session Todd felt a vibration as well as the car being down on power.  He wisely pulled off the track.  Further investigation found number 5 piston burned thus ending his chances early in the day of moving up in the points.

During the practice sessions two other cars had their own problems.  The 49 car owned by Jim & Jan Helm and driven this day by Gary Lynch found the wall in turns 1 & 2.  Gary reported the car was loose both getting in and off the turns.  Meridian Speedway’s practice of lining the entrance through the ½ way point of the turn with water filled barrels allowed the 49 car to receive only limited damage.  After being delivered to their pit stall and assessing the damage the front axle, tie rod, and drag link were quickly replaced, and the front wing massaged back into position, to make the car ready again for racing.  The 28 car owned and driven by Drew Church also found the wall in turns 1 & 2.  His issue was a car that simply would not turn for him.  The push in his car finally caught up to Drew causing his impact with the wall.  Again, the water filled barrels lining the concrete wall saved his car from extensive damage.  Drew, along with his crew, replaced and repaired the necessary parts to be ready for the racing later in the day.

Gary Lynch just after impact with the wall in turn 1

Drew Church sliding down to the infield after impacting the wall in turn 1

After qualifying was completed the top qualifier was local track champion Brandon Johnson wheeling the 14 car to the quickest time of 11.569 seconds around the ¼ mile track.  The only other car in the eleven second range was Andy Alberding (#76) at 11.791 seconds.  The rest of the field of 22 cars lapped at 12 seconds and higher.  The top ten in ASA/NSRA points that made this race qualified as follows:  Andy Alberding (#76) 2nd, Justin Mack (#17) 4th, Monte Zema Jr. (#25) 9th, and Matt Hein (#98H) 12th.

Again, as the two day two race season championship weekend had been reduced to one day the decision was made to start all twenty two of the twenty three cars in the main event, with only Todd Coleman (#44) not being able to start due to engine damage.

As the time approached for the ASA/NSRA winged sprinters to push off and fire up the wind had disappeared but the cold remained.  One by one the cars lit their engines to circulate the track and get their positions for the start of the main event.  With all twenty two cars in their respective positions, the top eight having been inverted, the green flag waved.  In the first turn of the first lap the pole sitter Greg Middendorf driving the 4 car spun.  The rest of the field missed him while the yellow caution was flown.  Greg’s car was undamaged and after being pushed off to get fired again he lined up at the back of the field for the 2nd green flag.  At the fall of the 2nd green the field of twenty two cars roared into action for 50 laps without a single caution.  The winner of the race Brian Warf in the 91 car started on the inside pole for the second green.  He went virtually unchallenged the entire 50 laps.  Brandon Johnson in the 14 car started in 8th and managed to work his way up to 2nd place.  Brandon was slowly closing in on the 91 car but laps ran out before he was able to challenge for the lead.  Season champion Andy Alberding started 7th finishing 3rd, 2nd place in season points, Justin Mack started 5th and finished 5th, 3rd place in season points, Monte Zema Jr. started 16th and finished 18th, 5th place in season points, Matt Hein started 2nd finishing in 4th place.  The only casualty of the race was Sierra Jackson who on lap 26 pulled off the track with an overheated engine.  Talking with owner Mike Jackson after the race, Mike commented the block off plate he used on the nose of the car just wasn’t allowing enough air over the radiator, although there was a slot machined into the block off plate.  Mike believed with the cold air temperature the slotted block off plate would be sufficient cooling for the radiator.  It wasn’t to be.

Sierra Jackson was the only casualty of the race having an over heated engine on lap 26 

At the start/finish line after the conclusion of the race three cars were presented to the crowd.  Andy Alberding, ASA/NSRA season points champion of the 2007 season, Brian Warf, driver of the 91 car and the winner of the race this night, and Brandon Johnson, driver of the 14 car and winner of the local track championship.
Qualifying order:

1. # 14 Brandon Johnson
2. # 76 Andy Alberding
3. # 77 Matt Elliott
4. # 17 Justin Mack
5. # 7v Sara Shaffer
6. # 25 Sierra Jackson
7. # 99 Cory Lockwood
8. # 01 Kenny Hamilton
9. # 25 Monte Zema Jr.
10. # 05 Jim Todd
11. # 91 Brian Warf
12. # 98H Matt Hein
13. # 97 Jim Hamilton Jr.
14. # 93 Austin Hager
15. # 4 Greg Middendorf
16. # 28 Drew Church
17. # 96 Kevin Hill
18. # 26 Cameron McLean
19. # 9 Jimmy Hamilton
20. # 3 Cody Freeman
21. # 49 Gary Lynch
22. # 5 Steve Freeman

A Main finishing order (starting position in parenthesis)

1. # 91 Brian Warf (3rd)
2. # 14 Brandon Johnson (8th)
3. # 76 Andy Alberding (7th)
4. # 98H Matt Hein (2nd)
5. # 17 Justin Mack (5th)
6. # 7v Sara Shaffer (4th)
7. # 28 Drew Church (9th)
8. # 01 Kenny Hamilton (15th)
9. # 05 Jim Todd (17th)
10. # 4 Greg Middendorf (1st)
11. # 77 Matt Elliot (6th)
12. # 93 Austin Hager (19th)
13. # 99 Cory Lockwood(14th)
14. # 26 Cameron McLean (11th)
15. # 96 Kevin Hill (10th)
16. # 9 Jimmy Hamilton (12th)
17. # 3 Cody Freeman (20th)
18. # 25 Monte Zema Jr. (16th)
19. # 97 Jim Hamilton Jr. (18th)
20. # 5 Steve Freeman (22nd)
21. # 49 Gary Lynch (21st)
22. # 25 Sierra Jackson (13th)