Has Spring finally arrived?! It sure felt more like it on Saturday when we headed to the Boone Speedway for another night of regular points racing. Several other area tracks were finally able to get their season underway as well, but with a car count of 138, there was little let down in racing action. Two classes found drivers returning to victory lane, another two classes had drivers that have not seen the checkers at Boone, at least in recent years, in the modifieds, the fans were treated to a thrilling finish at the line.
The MADCRA Mod Lites was one of the classes that found a repeat winner from last week, as Bryan Zehm surged past Joel Keenan with just two laps remaining, sealing the deal on his return to victory lane. Keenan had lead much of the race but twelfth place starter Zehm worked his way through the field quickly as the race went green to checkered. Zehm took the win, while Keenan held on to second place. Tim Hennigar, who had started along side the winner back in row six, took third. Fourth went to Travis Stensland and opening laps leader, Eric Hendrickson, was fifth.
The winner of the IMCA SportMod feature, is a new driver to us....Brandon Williams, who lists Des Moines as home. But with his skill level in a race car, we would say he has had some experience previously. He took the lead as soon as the green flag dropped and only late in the race was he challenged. That was by Cherokee, Iowa's Tim Rupp, who came from the fifth row to pester the leader the last couple of laps, but to no avail, and having to settle for second. Third was rookie Jonathan Logue, followed by Cory Rose and Eric Elliott in fourth and fifth. Earlier in the feature, a red flag brought racing to a halt when the #3 of Bradlee Clark put it on it's lid in corner two, ending his night. He was not hurt.
After seeing a thrilling finish in the Modified feature at Marshalltown on Friday night, it was nearly matched at Boone. Cale Sponsler grabbed the lead from Beau Kaplan just past the half way mark of the 20-lap event and put distance between himself and the rest of pack. However, in that pack coming there was all kinds of action taking place. Jimmy Gustin and Todd Shute had started beside each other back in row six, and they were on the hunt! As the white flag flew, Gustin had moved to the tail of Sponsler, Shute tagging along in third. Coming out of turn four for a run to the checkers, Gustin gave it his usual all, but fell just short, as Sponsler held on for the win. Gustin and Shute took second and third, followed by early leader Beau Kaplan in fourth and Randy Havlik was fifth.
The always entertaining IMCA Stock Cars came next and this one too, had a red flag situation. Lap six saw veteran Wayne Gifford put it upside down, landing partially on Eric Brown's hood, and ending their night's run. Neither driver was injured. When racing got back underway, it was Lonnie Hodges and Craig Carlson upfront, as they had been from the opening laps. Behind them, it was a free for all with cars vying for positions and three and four wide racing entertaining the crowd. Carlson would lose the handle in corner four with just a few laps remaining, sending him back several positions. This made way for the fast approaching cars of Bob Daniels, and his son Josh Daniels (who was high-wheeling it in the corners in spectacular form) to make a bid for the lead. Bob Daniels was able to grab the point spot with just a lap to go, and took the checkers---his first that we can recall in recent memory at least, at the track. Lonnie Hodges held on for second, just ahead of Josh Daniels in third. Fourth and fifth went to guys who made late race surges coming from back in the starting field. Trent Murphy took that fourth spot from starting eleventh, and Jay Schmidt gained the most spots, as he started 17th on the field, and took fifth place.
Closing night's feature was the 12-lap IMCA Hobby Stocks A main. Last week's "hero of the night", the 20T of Richard Yaw, II, who had helped pull fellow racer Danny Watson out of his burning car, was looking for more glory this week, leading the field. Yaw led through lap nine, but last week's winner, Shannon Anderson changed that up when he made the pass on the backstretch, taking over first place. Eric Stanton, followed up Anderson's pass on Yaw, to take over second place. Anderson pulled away from the field, and sealed his win for the second time in as many weeks at the speedway. Stanton took the runner up spot and Yaw held on to third. Tyler Pickett finished a close fourth over Matt McDonald in fifth.
Next week, the Boone Speedway will revert back to it's regular starting times.....hoping that nicer weather is now here to stay. Hot laps are 6:45 and racing at 7:30. The full results as well as more information can be found at www.raceboone.com. Happy racing!
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