5/4/2026
Magic Valley Speedway
Wade Wins NASCAR Truck Thriller
The Magic Valley Speedway faithful buzzed with excitement Saturday, May 2, as the third-mile asphalt oval hosted the O’Reilly Auto Parts Season Opener powered by YMC Mechanical. After a stirring, crowd-sung rendition of the National Anthem, the NASCAR Trucks, Speed Tour Modifieds, McDonald’s Street Stocks, Pepsi Sprintcars, Fast Lane Automotive Hornets, and Budweiser Thunderdogs took to the high banks for their first features of the season.
The NASCAR Trucks began their maiden season as Magic Valley Speedway’s NASCAR Division 1 representative with a hard-fought double-header. John Newhouse struck first to park his Mountain West Motor, RaceCals pickup in the Zamp Winner’s Circle. Between Meridian and Magic Valley Speedways it was Newhouse’s fifth-straight NASCAR Truck division victory.
The NASCAR Trucks closed the O’Reilly Auto Parts Season Opener powered by YMC Mechanical with a 35-lap battle. Skip Taylor and Shawn Lester dueled for the early lead but were both overcome by Jeff Wade and his quick D.L. Evans Bank, Magic Valley Tire pickup.
Deep in the pack Jason Quale led Newhouse and Jesse James Lawson through traffic. This trio made quick work of their foes and soon arrived at Wade’s rear bumper with twenty laps left.
Quale looked to make a move on Wade, but as he dove to hook the low line, Newhouse also ducked low to challenge Quale and the two made contact. Both drivers hung onto their machines but had lost significant momentum. Newhouse recovered first and took over the runner up spot before he again hunted Wade down.
Side-by-side was the name of the game for the rest of the feature. Whether it was Wade-Newhouse, Newhouse-Quale, or Quale-Wade the top three trucks were constantly in some manner of door-banging battle. With three laps to go the lead trio rocketed into a swarm of lapped trucks. Wade worked the traffic best and scampered to the feature win ahead of Newhouse, Quale, and Lawson. Lester brought his truck home fifth, the last truck on the lead lap.
Fireworks came early in the Speed Tour Modified feature as a battle for second went awry for Tyler Phernetton and Bruce Quale on lap five. The contact would sideline Quale’s Quale Electronics modified for the night and leave Phernetton with a badly battered High Mountain Logistics LLC, Bubbles Cleaners of Twin Falls racer. On the restart Donovan Barr and Rosalee Weller squared off for the feature victory. Weller wheeled her Idaho State Towing, Outlaw Excavation machine as hard as she could, but defending champion Barr was too strong and went on to park his IBEW Local 291, Allied DCS Electrical mount in the Zamp Winner’s Circle.
Eight Pepsi Sprintcars took the green flag for their thirty-lap feature. Jamo Stephenson steamed around Mike Anderson to put his sprinter in the early lead, but Nate Little came on strong in the late going to track Stephenson down, take the lead and, eventually, cruise to the win. Riley Rogers brought his sprinter home third ahead of Daytona Wurtz and Jordan Harris.
Defending McDonald’s Street Stock champion Ronn McClimans picked up where he left off last year as he piloted his bright red Advantage Archery, Kidd Performance machine to victory over Jeff Peck and Jake Altman.
The Budweiser Thunderdogs brought a diverse field to green for their first 2026 feature. After a Mini Cooper of all things led lap one, the Ricky Bobby-themed Crown Victoria and American flag-painted late model Chevrolet called Project Freedom took over control of the race. But when the checkered flag fell, it was over a Saturn called ‘Dum and,’ which played late-race strategy perfectly to collect the win.
Doyal Moen navigated through the swarm to park his Fast Lane Automotive Hornet in the Zamp Winner’s Circle. Behind Moen was a three-wide photo finish for second which was won by Jeremy Adams ahead of Ryan Adams and Sam Trump. Youngster Camden Kerr finished in fifth place.
We’re getting crazy on the high banks Saturday, May 16, as the Boat Race of Destruction and Lucky Rides with Pacific Steel and Recycling takes the green flag. Before the carnage kicks off the Speed Tour Sprintcars, Pizza Hut Legends, and Speedway Bandoleros make their season debuts while the NASCAR Trucks, McDonald’s Street Stocks, Fast Lane Automotive Hornets, and Budweiser Thunderdogs battle for the night’s J&L Machine trophies. General admission for a full night of racing and wrecking is just $22 for adults, $20 for seniors and military members, $9 for kids 7-11, and free for kids 6 and under. Gates open at 4:45 p.m. Saturday, May 16, with racing at 6:30 p.m. Advance tickets are available at www.magicvalleyspeedway.com. We’ll see you on the high banks Saturday, May 16, for Boat Race of Destruction and Lucky Rides with Pacific Steel and Recycling Night at Idaho’s fastest NASCAR Home Track, Magic Valley Speedway.
Submitted By: Tyler Schild