SMRA Supermodifieds

Tom and Bob Naylor Memorial Classic at Meridian Speedway

by Rhonda Costa

MERIDIAN, IDAHO – After correcting a loose condition on their supermodified racecar, S&S Motorsports of Carson City went to the tight side of handling only to have it revert to loose during the 40-lap main event at the first of two feature races for the Tom and Bob Naylor Memorial Classic at Meridian Speedway in Meridian, Idaho.

Oil blow off from the 56 car of Kirk Wartman of Boise didn’t help the handling conditions for Troy Regier, driver of the No. 98 S&S racecar, and the others, but as Regier tried an outside pass on Wartman in turn 1 on lap 27, Regier came in contact with the right rear of Wartman and sailed into the wall of turn 1, hitting nearly head on and leaving the car perched at a 90-degree angle on the wall.

“I really was trying hard to pass Kirk on the outside,” Regier said. “And I don’t know, I can’t say for sure if we touched, but the car just went airborne and hit the water barrels and tipped over on its side. I’m sore; it was a hard hit. Harder than the shot I took at Madera back in April. My chest hurts a bit.”

The entire front end of the race car was again demolished similar to the crash of April 4 at Madera Speedway in Madera, Calif. Radius rods, shocks, axle, panhard bar, nose piece, oil tank — everything from the hard chassis forward was destroyed. Another 100-mile per hour crash withstood by the Silsby chassis.

Car owners Steve Shaw and Tom Silsby along with crewman Mike Burts worked on tearing down the wrecked pieces and getting done what they could to prepare the car for Sunday’s race, finally shutting down at 4 a.m. “It (crash) wiped the car out pretty good,” Silsby and Shaw said.“We’re running out of spare parts,” Silsby added. “But we’ll get through this and race Sunday.”“I did not want to go through this (crash) again,” Regier commented after the race. “I was driving my ass off to get what I could in position. But it looks like we got too close.”

The main event was won by AJ Russell of Clovis, Calif., with Kenny White of Fresno, Calif. finishing third. Rounding out the field were: Kirk Wartman of Boise, Bryan Warf of Meridian, Jeff Russell of Boise, Pat Whittet of Ketchum, Idaho, and Regier.

The SMRA continues its two-day stint at Meridian Speedway Sunday with a 35-lap feature event. The S&S Motorsports team was able to continue racing operations with the help of Jeff Russell and the Out Front Racing team

Day Two of Tom and Bob Naylor Memorial Classic at Meridian Speedway

by Rhonda Costa

MERIDIAN, IDAHO — Local driver Bryan Warf keeps the Bob and Tom Naylor Memorial Classic perpetual trophy in Idaho with a big Sunday at Meridian Speedway.

The 50-lap main event honored the late local racers with the families of Bob and Tom Naylor present in Winner’s Circle with Warf after the race.

With four local, winged sprint car drivers joining the SMRA program, the 10-car field was minus Boise driver Jeff Russell, who discovered a bad No. 4 valve in his engine after Saturday’s main event. “This is the second valve gone bad in this engine,” Russell said Sunday. “It’s disappointing not to be racing. So I’m here helping out the 98 team, because they’d do it for us. They’re good guys.” The race began with Kenny White and Kirk Wartman on the front row. White jumped out to an early lead and began to put distance on the field in just a few laps. A few positions back, Warf and Troy Regier were battling for position.

On lap 12 Warf made an inside pass on Regier for the third position setting his sights on White, who was checking out on the field and coming upon the slower sprint car of Cory Lockwood on the back stretch. Just after race director Layne Saxton radioed to Lockwood to hold his line, Lockwood moved his sprinter up the track directly into White’s line putting White into the turn 3 wall. Lockwood spun and ended up in the wall in turn 4.

White got out of the car and walked to the pits. A large swelling and bruise was quickly developing on his left leg, just below the knee.“Both of my legs hurt from the knee down,” White said. “Other than that, I feel alright,” White said.

At the restart on lap 32 it was Warf with the lead, Wartman second, Regier third, AJ Russell fourth and Sierra Jackson fifth.

Earlier in the day AJ’s team discovered a bad push rod in the engine and swapped cars with Pat Whittet for the main event. With the change, AJ drove for “scratch” points, meaning he got points for finishing position only; no passing points will be awarded. Whittet started the race in AJ’s car to receive main event points, also.

Regier got the better start on the green flag and made his move to the second spot putting Wartman to third. One lap later, Russell moves on the outside of Wartman for the third spot. At the checkered flag it was Warf with the coveted win with Regier finishing second and Russell third. Rounding out the field were: Brandon Johnson (sprinter), Sierra Jackson (sprinter), Wartman, Chris Ratterree (sprinter), White, Lockwood and Whittet.

“I was loose tonight,” Warf said. “At the caution I was able to crank on the knobs and adjust the car. “At first I was concerned about Kirk, he’s tough to pass. And after Kenny’s wreck and I had the lead, I kept thinking Troy was right on me. I kept hearing an engine, so I just got on it. “The crew gave me a perfect car tonight. I couldn’t ask for anything better at the start of this race.” “The 98 car was great tonight,” White said of the No. 89. “It was just a little snug in the corner, but working real good.“I don’t know why the 99 car moved up on me. He was running low all night. I know the 89 car was good tonight.”

Lockwood won the first heat over Johnson, Regier and Warf. Whittet did not make the call for the heat. White won the second heat over Wartman, Jackson, Ratterree and Russell.

With Warf’s win, he makes the fifth different driver to win in as many SMRA races this year.

The SMRA next races June 13 at Madera Speedway.