5/5/2025
Magic Valley Speedway
Boyle, Wade Split NASCAR Truck Double Feature
The fortieth season of racing at Magic Valley Speedway took the green flag Saturday, May 3, with the 2025 Magic Valley Speedway Season Opener. The NASCAR Trucks, Western Mountain Inc. NASCAR Latemodels, McDonald’s Street Stocks, Idaho Vintage Racers, Budweiser Thunderdogs, and Fast Lane Automotive Hornets competed for the first feature victories of their 2025 campaign.
A rough and rowdy field of NASCAR Trucks took the track with their sights set on an early season victory. Pat Tully zipped past polesitter John Harris to take the early lead but brought Neil Boyle with him to the front. As soon as both racers were in open track Boyle ducked to the inside of Tully’s Lissa’s Learning Ladder, Pinnacle Appraisal machine and took the lead for himself. Jeff Wade followed Boyle through to second place and had begun to catch the leader before a mid-race caution flag flew for a turn four spin.
On the restart Boyle got to the gas pedal first and retook the lead while Wade hunted for a way around him. A late race yellow flag re-racked the field and put Wade outside of Boyle for the race’s final restart.
When the green flag waved Wade wheeled his The Car Store of Twin Falls, D.L. Evans Bank truck hard to keep pace with Boyle on the high side. After three tough laps Wade was forced to concede the position and from there could only settle for second behind Boyle.
Race two saw Jesse James Lawson rocket around Harris to lead lap one. But in Lawson’s mirrors lurked Wade. The veteran NASCAR Truck racer bided his time and watched Lawson struggle to get his Antlers Boutique, S Porters, Inc. pickup to run the inside line. After a handful of laps Wade struck in turns three and four to take the lead.
As Wade roared ahead the battle for third heated up as Tully worked to keep ahead of Boyle. Lap after lap Boyle jabbed to the outside and lap after lap Tully fought off the attempt. This back-and-forth fight ended on lap thirteen when the two tangled in turn four.
On the restart Wade checked out from the rest of the field while Lawson fell into the clutches of Montana racer Ron Lawser. Lawson got the better of that battle but now faced a three second gap between himself and Wade. Try as Lawson might through the closing laps he had nothing for Wade, who cruised to the checkered flag more than four second ahead of Lawson. Tully held off Boyle to finish third and Lawser rounded out the top five finishers.
The McDonald’s Street Stocks kicked their season off with not one, not two, but three whole feature races as they contested the first of three Triple Crown events. The first feature saw Jake Altman wrestle his Outlaw Excavation and Construction, All Pro Air machine into the early lead. Behind Altman, Mitch Pehrson and Josh Fanopoulos were on the move early. Fanopoulos was the first to challenge Altman, and after just a handful of laps the Boise, Idaho racer moved his Lee Hackney-built YMC Mechanical, Certified Services racer to the top of the McDonald’s scoreboard.
Fanopoulos’ time up front was short lived, however, as mechanical gremlins forced him to the pit area short of the race’s midway point. This left Pehrson in command with Ronn McClimans second and Altman a close third. Slowly but surely McClimans closed on Pehrson until with four laps left his right rear wheel departed in turn one. McClimans fought his car to a stop just inches short of the barriers but was forced to retire from the event.
When the green flag flew again Pehrson got the jump on Altman and took his Donate Life racer to the point. Try as Altman might around the outside Pehrson’s machine was too strong and he scored the division’s first feature victory.
The second and third features both saw Fanopoulos pilot his newly repaired racer through the field and cruise to victory.
Defending Western Mountain Inc. NASCAR Latemodel champion Shawn Lester dueled with division rookie Peyton Hardenbrook twice for the night’s Overturf Photography hardware. Lester erupted off the line in both features to take the lead in his Jackson Spuds, Turn Key Realty machine while Hardenbrook worked to learn his brand-new J&L Machining Works, Phil Meador Toyota racer. When the nights final checkered flag waved Lester had scored victories in both of the night’s features.
The Idaho Vintage Racers brought their old school sprintcars to bear on a twenty-lap feature. Joey Layman got the drop on fellow front row starter Dan Arriola to lead lap one and never looked back as he sped to the checkers. Lee Rice overtook Arriola for the runner up spot while first-time vintage sprintcar racer Amy Heesch finished fourth.
A full field of sixteen Fast Lane Automotive Hornets crowded the high banks for a chaotic first feature of 2025. While Michael Gann worked his way to the early lead Brayden Sweatfield and defending division champion Justin Ford scrambled forward.
With five laps in the books Sweatfield went to work on now leader Zach Rydalch. After a spirited battle Sweatfield hooked the inside line to put his car atop the McDonald’s scoreboard. But no sooner had Sweatfield taken over the lead than a tangle of slower traffic appeared on the horizon.
Sweatfield motored through the traffic with multiple three-wide maneuvers, but this broke up the slower pack and allowed Ford to dispatch Rydalch to third and set his sights on the lead. As the white flag flew Ford pulled his Big Tow Towing, Elite Detail mount even with Sweatfield before he took the lead in turn three and the feature win.
Eight brave Budweiser Thunderdog pilots took the green flag for their thirty-lap feature. Once the shortcuts were taken, paint was traded, and the dust settled, it was Knight Rider under the control of John Spencer that parked in the winner’s circle.
The Magic Valley Season gains momentum this Saturday, May 10, with the Outhouse Grand Prix presented by Idaho Central Credit Union. The Speed Tour Modifieds headline a full slate of short track racing Saturday, backed up by the Southern Idaho Mini Stocks, Western Mountain Inc. NASCAR Latemodels, McDonald’s Street Stocks, MVS Midgets, and the Project Filter Mini Modifieds as they do battle for the night’s Affordable Appliance Repair Trophy. General admission to Saturday’s Outhouse Grand Prix is just $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, May 10, with the first green flag waved at 6:30 p.m. Visit www.magicvalleyspeedway.com to purchase your advance tickets. We’ll see you on the high banks this Saturday, May 10, for the Outhouse Grand Prix presented by Idaho Central Credit Union at Idaho’s fastest NASCAR Home Track, Magic Valley Speedway.
Submitted By: Tyler Schild