2010 Super Nationals Notes

The 28th annual IMCA Super Nationals is in the books and we will give a few of our observations. For more detailed information over the course of the six day event, check fellow Positively Racing bloggers, "Tapfan's Tours" and "In Staging" as well as http://www.raceboone/ and http://www.imca.com/.

We saw the usual marathon of racing as 805 cars competed over the six day competition. Monday brought a rain delay of about an hour and a half and racing was not completed until around 3:40 a.m. Friday again brought rain that resulted in the jet dryer being fired up---not once, but twice! For those who have never seen the jet dryer in use on a dirt track, it really does work wonders! The noise, unbelievable amount of heat that then causes the steam to roll up from the track, along with the mud splattering up, means you do not want to be standing anywhere close to the machine in operation! After a couple of passes around the track on the topside, the spring tooth is brought out right behind to start digging up the track, and behind that, the packers and then the dryer moves down to the next groove and the process continues. The dryer consumes 130 gallon of jet fuel in a half an hour.

Monday, Labor Day, kicked off the 28th Super Nationals which highlighted the running of the Deery Brothers IMCA late models. Forty-three late models competed and Ray Guss, Jr. repeated his win from last year. The track was a bit bumpy after the rain delay and resulting track packing and it was a rough go on getting consecutive laps in early on before a yellow flag flew--five yellows, in five laps. Guss advanced quickly, avoiding trouble, and advanced nine positions from his 15th place starting spot, in four laps. He took the win, being the first 2010 Super Nationals Champion crowned. Jeff Aikey came from 19th spot, to finish as the runner up. Rookie Andy Eckrich started 23rd in a provisional spot, to garner third place, fourth went to Tyler Bruening, also from a provisional start, and rounding out the top five was Ryan Giles.

Tuesday's show completed the qualifying for the IMCA Hobby Stocks and IMCA SportMods as they had also run on Monday--a change up in the format from previous years. This night concluded at 11:10 p.m. and allowed for a much earlier bedtime for us from the previous night's 4:30 a.m.....thankfully!

Wednesday brought in 160 IMCA stock cars and 270 IMCA modifieds as they competed for the first time, for a total of 67 races on the night. Radar showed rain just to the north of the track during the night, but tonight Mother Nature was kind and allowed for a rain-free program which ended at 12:20 a.m.

Thursday finished up the qualifying for the IMCA stock cars, and continued for the IMCA modifieds. Of note on this night was heat #8 for the modifieds---nine cars from nine different states! Justin O'Brien from West Union, Iowa, A. J. Ward, Ionia, Michigan, Jerry Lobdell, Jr., Groton, New York, Mark Griffin, Canton, Pennsylvania, Todd Wilson, Spicard, Missouri, Olen Shields, Central Point, Oregon, Chris Burk, Friend, Nebraska, Keith White, Little River, Texas, and Duane Cleveland, Plumas Lake, California. Only at the Super Nationals!

Friday was the weather threat day. Shortly before the 2 p.m. scheduled hot lap time, the raindrops began. Then, it stopped, and even had a peak of sun. Hey, this is Iowa. Wait five minutes and the weather will change! Soon the jet dryer was brought to the track and so began the methodical drying and reconditioning of the track. Racing restarted about 4:15 p.m. However, we heard there was only about a three hour window before rain would come again. With that, the program went into high gear and the first scheduled track prep was not needed. Due to the heaviness of the air and cloud cover, the track remained in good shape and the show continued non-stop.

The show was moving along in good time and the final A qualifier for the stock cars was brought to the track shortly after 8 p.m. Then that three hour window closed! With just one lap down in the stock car qualifier, Mother Nature came calling again. The cars were called into the infield only to be sent to the pits shortly after when the track became shiny slippery. Once again, the jet dryer returned for an encore, did it's job, and we were racing again around 10:30 p.m. and all was wrapped up at 12:31 a.m. Not bad at all for a four hour delay thrown in.

This now brings us to the Saturday show and "The Big Dance" for Hobby Stocks, SportMods, Stock Cars, and the Modifieds. In all classes, first time winners walked away with the trophy.
The Hobby Stock feature went to Jason Wilkinson from Neligh, Nebraska. Second place went to Dustin Larson from Rushmore, Minnesota, third to Robby Marsh from Belvidere, Nebraska, fourth to John Watson, Des Moines, Iowa, and fifth was Michael Murphy from Jefferson, Iowa.

The IMCA SportMod dance was up next. Jesse Sobbing was leading at lap sixteen of the 30-lap feature but by lap 20, it was Lytton, Iowa's Brett Meyer taking over the number one spot. Sobbing would soon develop mechanical problems and exit the track. Meyer sailed home to take his first Super Nationals championship. Eric Flander from Barnes City, Iowa took the runner up position, followed by Randy Roberts in third, Nate Chodur in fourth, and fifth was Brett Moffitt.

The 30 car strong IMCA Stock Cars took to the track next. A disaster was avoided on lap six, when Damon Murty came to a very sudden halt coming out of turn four and sat immobile in the middle of the track. How all of the cars missed him we don't know but they were all very alert and not one car touched the stalled 99D. At halfway, Jeremy Christians, from Horicon, Wisconsin put his bright orange car to the top spot and from there on, never looked back. Christians has always been a top runner everywhere we have seen him run....even from back in the days of the Winner's Series for IMCA Stock Cars. It was an excited Christians who was joined after the race with family and friends, including his 2 month old baby. Second and third places went to Dustin Smith and Donavon Smith in that order, fourth was Marcus Fagan who came from starting in the middle of the sixth row, and fifth was Michael Bruns from Olivia, Minnesota.

The long awaited final feature for the IMCA modifieds proceeded the three-wide parade lap -- always a stirring sight. Forty laps was ahead and what a feature it was! Thirty-two laps straight of non-stop racing, through lap traffic was just awesome. The #9 of Brandon Blochlinger out of Concordia, Kansas was the top dog and looking good until a handful of laps remaining, saw him exit off of turn three....victim of a brake roter failure. Jimmy Gustin was now in the driver's seat...literally...and he would go on to take a very popular win with the crowd. We've seen Gustin race many times and anytime he pulls on to the track, he is a contender for the win. We have written his name amongst the winner's we've seen many times, but feel sure that this just might be his most memorable win to date.

The 28th IMCA Super Nationals is now in the books. It was a grand six day run which we enjoyed tremendously. We have witnessed the previous 23 years of the Super Nationals and have watched it grow into the grand event that it has revolved into. Congratulations to all of the newly crowned IMCA Super National champions and thanks to all the competitors who entertained us all. It was also great to catch up with racing friends and drivers we see each year at the Super Nationals. Good times with good friends makes it special.

There are specials still to be found in Iowa and the surrounding states. Check the calendar at Positively Racing for one that you might want to attend. Happy racing!