8/21/2023
Meridian Speedway
Plybon Outlasts Competition to Win Builders FirstSource Idaho 208
The Northwest Super Late Model Series rocked Meridian Speedway on Saturday, August 19, as twenty-six racers thundered to green for the Builders FirstSource Idaho 208. The Pepsi Sprintcars, North West Tour Truck Series, Project Filter Pro-4s, Idaho CDL Training Street Stocks, and Bandoleros rounded out a full night of short track action on the quarter-mile asphalt oval.
Ashton Cristiani and his sister-in-law Aubree Cristiani led the 26-car Northwest Super Late Model Series field to the Builders FirstSource Idaho 208 green flag. Ashton got to the gas pedal first and roared to the lead in his machine but couldn’t separate himself from Aubree. As the lead duo wound their way through lapped traffic Ashton tangled with a slower car and spun in turn one.
This handed the lead to Aubree Cristiani, who lined up beside Northwest Super Late Model Series points leader Haeden Plybon on the restart. The green flag waved and Plybon zipped to the top of the Pepsi-Cola scoreboard with Jonathon Gomez in tow. Once in clean air Plybon’s Toyota, Muffler Mart mount came to life and the Spokane, Washington youngster set his sights on the tail end of the field.
Plybon carved his way through slower traffic with Gomez and Aubree Cristiani barely able to keep pace. A lap 58 restart brought Gomez even with Plybon, and after a furious eight lap duel Gomez willed his Western Mountain, Precision Aviation entry to the point.
But neither Gomez nor Plybon was safe up front, as both were collected by a spinning lapped car at the 75-lap mark. Plybon escaped with mainly cosmetic damage to his machine, but Gomez’ car was forced into the outside concrete barrier. While not terminal, the damage to Gomez’s machine was severe enough to end his chances for victory.
This left third-place runner Zach Telford with the lead and Aubree Cristiani, the only Cristiani left in the race, in second place. Telford got the drop on Cristiani to put his Project Filter, James Hardie machine out front. But contact deep in the pack led to another stack up, this one involving long-hauler Thane Alderman and his Wulfenstein Construction, Spring Mountain Motorsports Park car out of Las Vegas, Nevada as well as Rookie of the Year contender Zach Riehl’s Lakes Body Shop, Eastside Paving machine and five others. Incredibly, neither Alderman nor Riehl lost a lap after this incident and rejoined the field for the green.
Cristiani fared far better on this restart, and the Meridian, Idaho racer blasted past Telford to put herself in the lead. While Cristiani enjoyed open racetrack out front, Plybon started his march back toward the podium. By the race’s halfway break Plybon had clawed his way back to the fourth position behind Cristiani, Telford, and Nick Gibson’s Gibson Diesel Performance, Karcher Auto Body entry.
Tires were changed, repairs made, and sixteen Northwest Super Late Model Series competitors took the green flag on the Builders FirstSource Idaho 208’s second half.
Cristiani again raced her way to the top spot, but immediately came under fire from Plybon’s taped together machine. Lap after lap Plybon kept the pressure on until finally Cristiani slipped up in turn one and spun into the wall.
Now with just 68 laps left Plybon took back the race lead with Telford, Gibson, and the taped-together remains of Gomez’s car in his rearview mirror. Plybon secured the lead, then managed his advantage over Telford as the laps wound down. Try as the Middleton, Idaho youngster might, Telford couldn’t mount a serious challenge on Plybon down the stretch and was forced to watch as Plybon cruised into the Caleb’s Chop Shop Winner’s Circle. Behind the lead duo Gomez dispatched Gibson to come across the line third, while Cristiani was able to scramble back up to fifth place at the checkers.
In post-race inspection a discrepancy was found with Gibson’s car, and the Nampa, Idaho driver was disqualified. This moved Dave Garber into the top 5, and Dan Lowther into the top ten.
Jason Quale put on a North West Tour Truck Series clinic Saturday night at the wheel of his Quale’s Electronics, Custom Auto Repair truck, as the youngster led wire-to-wire to pick up his first win of the season. Quale finished a full half lap ahead of second through fifth-place finishers Roy Boots, William Ginn, John Wong, and Andrew Prince.
Pepsi Sprintcar racer Nathan Little piloted his Absolute Construction and Consulting, A to Z Pool Supplies sprinter to his second feature victory of the season. Tony Ackerland finished second, followed by Kate Jackson, Jett Nelson, and Jamo Stephenson. The win pulls Little within three markers of points leader Kaleb Johnson, whose night started bad with a freak crash in practice, then stayed bad when he was caught up in an early wreck that left his YMC, Giesler Auto Repair racer on its side.
Casey Tillman made the most of his Idaho CDL Training Street Stock appearance Saturday, as the Kuna, Idaho racer brought his machine home first. Jesse James Lawson, running number four in solidarity with ailing racer Sam Newcomer, finished second, followed by Rupert, Idaho’s Shawn Lester, Tyler Marston, and Taylor Occhipinti.
Alannah Trammel brought her Trammel Construction Bandolero home in first place, followed by the hard-charging Mason Martin, Bristol Monroe, Tucker Webster, and Jhett Phipps
Jordan Harris continued his winning ways Saturday, taking home the Project Filter Pro-4 feature victory.
Racing continues this Saturday, August 26, with the Race for Hunger 125 presented by Neil Alan Fine Jewelry. The Zamp Pro-Late Models face tier toughest test of the year as they take 125 laps around the Concrete Jungle in search of the night’s In Front Motorsports trophy. General admission to Saturday’s full night of racing thrills is only $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 racing starting at 6:30 p.m. Log on to www.meridianspeedway.com where you can purchase advance tickets and stay up to speed with all the latest from around the quarter-mile. We’ll see you Saturday, August 26, for the Race for Hunger 125 presented by Neil Alan Fine Jewelry under the big, yellow water tower at your NASCAR Home Track, Meridian Speedway.
Submitted By: Tyler Schild