Gilroy driver wins $500 in Shootout
CHOWCHILLA – Having already wrapped up the Watsonville Speedway track championship, Gilroy’s Mike Meazell grabbed the lead from fellow long tow John Harville shortly past the midrace break and he scored a $500 win in the special 50-lap North-South Shootout for the limited late models Friday, August 9 at Chowchilla Speedway.
The win increased Meazell’s Chowchilla point lead to 26 points over Mark Odgers as he chases a pair of track titles. Defending track champion Jerry O’Hagan also got by midway leader Harville for the $250 runnerup slot. Harville won $150 for third place. Meazell’s OK Fire Systems Company put up $50 awards for third place, both at midway and at the end of the race. Since Meazell himself was in third at midway, he gave the award to second place Odgers and Harville earned the end of the race $50 bonus.
On an off weekend for the street stocks at his home track in Watsonville, Chris Messmer, also of Gilroy, made the tow to Chowchilla and was rewarded with the win in the 15-lap super street stock main event ahead of track point leader Nathan Corn and a returning Darren Thomas.
The limited late mode 10-car turnout included Watsonville are racers Meazell, Harville, Fred Lind and Jeff Mead along with Antioch based teams like Mike Slaney and Bobby Motts Jr. Meazell won the first heat race ahead of Odgers and Lind. Harville won heat two ahead of Levi Petersen and Slaney. Slaney had car woes and was a scratch from the 50-lap feature. The first 25 laps of the 50-lapper were run at the start of the six features and the fianl 25 laps closed the race night.
At the midway mark, Harveille led Odgers and Meazell. Meazell took advantage of the more than two-hour race break to make many changes to his car. Just like he did in the most recent Watsonville race, Harville pushed high early in the second segment with both Meazell and O’Hagan racing past. Meazell drove to the win ahead of O’Hagan, Harville, Odgers, Motts, Larry Pedrell and Petersen. While Meazell increased his point lead to 26 over Odgers, O’Hagan is now just five points back of Odgers.
