Meridian’s Giesler collects sixth sprintcar win of season

From Meridian Speedway

MERIDIAN, Idaho — The young guns’ rivalry ignited Saturday at ASA-sanctioned Meridian Speedway’s Eve of Destruction IV presented by Canyon Honda.
Two friends bumped and banged their way through an exciting Mtn. Dew Winged Sprints main event. Driving a new machine, Johnny Giesler held off Mike Murgoitio after 40 laps.

Giesler survived Murgoitio’s determined pursuit over the last half of the race to pick up his sixth main event victory of the season.

Giesler was driving the No. 23 sprintcar owned by Adrian, Ore.’s Darren Spiers after driving a different sprintcar to the first five wins this season, including three victories on the Canadian-American Western Winged Sprintcar Series. The WWS next runs at the two-day Daffodil Cup in Victoria, British Columbia on Aug. 18-19.

One of Giesler’s rivals in the WWS is Murgoitio, the reigning Meridian track champion.

The rivalry heated up Saturday. As top qualifier for the night, Murgoitio had to fight his way through the field, but he eventually deposited his racecar on the rear bumper-bar of Giesler’s racer.

“This thing is still a handful,” Giesler said. “I saw that 80 (Murgoitio) come up through the field, and I knew he would be coming.

“I like racing like that. It’s good for us, and it’s good for everyone here.”
In other main events:

Meridian Speedway
Eve of Destruction IV
Presented by Canyon Honda
Saturday’s unofficial results
Main events
Mtn. Dew Winged Sprints (40 laps) – 1. Johnny Giesler, Meridian, Idaho; 2. Mike Murgoitio, Meridian; 3. Sierra Jackson, Middleton, Idaho; 4. Cody Veenstra, Meridian; 5. Bryan Warf, Meridian
Tates Hornets (35 laps) – 1. Chuck Youngblood, Meridian; 2. Al Russell, Kuna, Idaho; 3. Lynn Sharp, Nampa, Idaho; 4. Monica Heath, Caldwell, Idaho; 5. Steve Woods
B Modifieds (25) – 1. Josh Jackson, Payette, Idaho; 2. Caitlin Stroebel, Meridian; 3. Randy Keckley, Boise; 4. Pete Trammell, Boise; 5. Jay Cook, Nampa
Thunder Dogs Mini Main winner (15 laps) – Bootlegger (Sean Hackworth, Caldwell)
Spectactor Drags final – J.D. “Stacy” Borgman, Boise, Chevrolet Nova, def. Kane Thomasson, Kuna, Chevrolet Luv
World Famous Boat Race of Destruction winner – The Other Woman (Kennon Irons, Boise)
World Famous Boat Race of Destruction Master of Disaster – Art Heath
Tow Mater Reverse Race (for Hornets) – 1. Thomas Harrod, Nampa; 2. Jack Martin, Caldwell; 3. Youngblood; 4. Sharlet Pataro, Mountain Home, Idaho; 5. Allen Arnold, Star, Idaho
Jet Ski Jousting winner – Cody Huddleston, Meridian
Gauntlet result – Hornets pin Melon Cauley after five laps

Trophy dashes
(Four laps each)
Mtn. Dew Winged Sprints – 1. Warf; 2. Sara Henry, Nampa; 3. Jackson; 4. Murgoitio
B Modifieds – 1. Keckley; 2. Rosalee Weller, Caldwell; 3. Caitlin Stroebel, Meridian; 4. Josh Jackson, Payette
Tates Hornets – 1. Sharp; 2. Harrod; 3. Cade Hollon, Riggins, Idaho; 4. Cody Garrett, Boise

Heat races
(Eight laps each)
Mtn. Dew Winged Sprints
A Heat – 1. Veenstra; 2. Henry; 3. Warf; 4. Murgoitio; 5. Jackson
B Heat – 1. Giesler; 2. Matt Elliott, Caldwell; 3. Mark Floyd, Boise; 4. Allan Maclean, Weiser, Idaho
B Modifieds
A Heat – 1. Jackson; 2. Cook; 3. Stroebel; 4. Trammell; 5. Keckley
Tates Hornets
(Six laps each)
A Heat – 1. Sharp; 2. Kevin Johnson, Kuna; 3. Colton Nelson, Meridian; 4. Hollon; 5. Harrod
B Heat – 1. Russell; 2. Youngblood; 3. Jess Ryska, Meridian; 4. Brandon Hild, Boise; 5. Woods
C Heat – 1. Monica Heath; 2. Art Heath, Nampa; 3. Stacy Heath, Nampa; 4. Fred Nagele, Boise; 5. Allen Arnold, Star, Idaho
D Heat – 1. Mike Davis, Boise; 2. Lisa Bahr, Nampa; 3. Alex Duda, Boise; 4. James Pahl, Caldwell; 5. Allen Arnold, Star
Thunder Dogs
A Heat winner – Catfish (John Pinkston, Meridian)
B Heat winner – Bootlegger (Sean Hackworth, Caldwell)

Fast times
Mtn. Dew Winged Sprints – Murgoitio, 11.613 seconds
B Modifieds – Jackson, 14.338
Tates Hornets –Sharp, 16.586 (track record. Previous – Rob Powers, Meridian, 16.912, July 28, 2012)