Super Nationals must be getting close. One of the largest crowds of the season as well as a huge car count...173 total, came for fun Saturday night at the Boone Speedway. Breaking the car count down, it was 30 Mod Lites, 35 Hobby Stocks, 37 SportMods, 35 Stock Cars and 36 Modifieds. This required a lot of B mains to complete 24 car starting fields! Over a dozen new Modified drivers were on hand, some that have now finished their season at other tracks. Other classes found drivers coming out for the first time this year, and gearing up for the Super Nationals.
The Mod Lite feature ran first. It was refreshing to see it go flag to flag....something that has been far and few between in any class as of late. Travis Stensland and Mike Kennedy duked it out in the early going, Stensland holding the advantage. It didn't take long for Andy Hennigar to make his way through the pack, reeling in the leaders. Hennigar took over the helm with three laps to go with a pass on the backstretch, stretched out his lead on those final laps, and took the win ahead of Stensland in second. Third went to Terry Brown, sporting a new ride and looking his best of the season, Mike Kennedy took fourth and Bryan Zehm was fifth. Hennigar scored his third win at the track this year.
The SportMods went their usual 18-laps in their feature. Brandon Williams, a driver who just showed up this year, but clearly showing that he had experience behind the wheel, took the lead from his front row starting spot immediately. Michael Murphy, his front row starting partner, tucked in behind him, Johnathan Logue tagging him in third. Paul Nagle, who came on strong, took the runner up spot, getting around both Logue and Murphy---Murphy falling back to fourth. A yellow at lap eight, "saved" Logue who had bobbled, losing precious positions, but was realigned in his third spot for the restart, now behind Paul Nagle. As the laps wound down, it was appearing as if the running order would remain, until suddenly the 05 of Nagle exited off of turn one and into the pits. This handed the runner up spot over to Logue. The final lap saw Williams pull away from the field, taking the checkers by a comfortable margin over Logue in second. Third went to Michael Murphy, Cory Rose finished fourth and Carter VanDenBerg came from row six to finish in fifth. Williams, who moved to Des Moines this year from the St. Joe, Missouri area, scored his third feature at Boone this year.
The SportMods ran a King of the Hill competition after their heats were completed. It pitted the top two of each of the four heats against each other...drawing for their starting positions. The final round was a popular win for Tara Longnecker as she beat out Johnathan Logue for title of "Queen of the Hill".
The Modifieds had just gotten started when racing was halted by a yellow flag. Kyle Krampe had led the field, lost the handle in one, and second place runner Mike VanGenderen had no place to go. This sent the two front runners to the back of the pack to restart. The lead was then handed over to Travis Prochaska, the Iowa Falls driver who had made his first appearance last week. Billy Davis, Jr. worked his way into the runner up spot after starting in row four, and this would be the way they would ride the remainder of the way to the checkers. Shay Woods followed them to score third. Matthew Meinecke is still in search of that elusive win, taking fourth place on this night. Jon Snyder, the only driver who took a chance by getting off of the topside chain, dug his way to finish fifth. Prochaska took his first win ever at Boone.
The always fun to watch Stock Cars were up next. Fans leaving before this race is run, are usually missing out on some of the best action of the night. These drivers were jousting for position all through the pack, going three and four wide. Hot Rod Richards puts his 23HR ride to the front by lap five as meanwhile, Jay Schmidt had begun sending "Black Betty" sailing on the top of the track, getting to third after starting tenth. A yellow at lap six, halted the action, Richards still in front, but Schmidt now breathing down his tail pipes. The restart was what Schmidt was looking for, as he flew to the lead. Schmidt would continue that point spot to the checkers, winning for the fifth time at Boone this year. Wayne Gifford took the topside route and finished in second. Third went to Donovan Smith, who chose to be a bottom feeder, Damon Murty finished fourth after starting along side winner Schmidt in row five, and Rod Richards rounded out the top five.
The night ended with the 12-lap Hobby Stock feature. Adel driver, Andrew Burg took the early lead, but Eric Stanton closed in quickly. Meanwhile, multi-time National and Super National's champion Shannon Anderson, though running near the front was being black flagged for "questionable driving" after helping a car around earlier. Anderson did not exit the track after repeatedly being black flagged and with his number showing on the scoreboard. Burg....who races the #78B car, took the feature win, Anderson crossed the line in second, but was shown as the last place in the finish, and Eric Stanton was scored as the runner up. Third went to Matt Hudspeth, Marengo, Iowa's Nathan Ballard who made his first trip to Boone this year and who started back in eighteenth, took fourth and John Watson, back in a Hobby Stock after piloting a Stock Car earlier this season, rounded out the top five. Stanton now takes over the point lead at the track.
As a note, Shannon Anderson had been leading points over Eric Stanton by one point going into the night, making the black flag situation a BIG factor in what will pan out for the track championship and the run for the Natiional Championship this year. Time will tell.
The next race on our schedule is the Southern Iowa Speedway this coming Wednesday night, August 21. It will be "Support American Farmer's" night at the races. The IMCA Late Models will also be running, joining the IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, SportMods, Hobby Stocks and Sport Compacts. Hot laps are 7 and racing at 7:30. Happy racing!
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