Gustin takes first mod win of the year at Boone, it's Jaennette in stock cars

Mother Nature tried to dampen the racing fun at Boone on Saturday night, but it didn't work.  Where in the world that thin line of showers materialized from.....when the weathermen seemed to have no clue in their predictions, I'll never know!  The sun was shining when we left home, but it got blacker and blacker as we got closer to the track---and then the heavy sprinkles came.  The late afternoon rain was done by the time we got to the track, the farming was back in full force, the sun began to peak through, and racing started at it's regular time.  There was only one repeat winner, and the other four classes saw new faces on the year.

The Mod Lite division did not get off to a good start.  Two different incidents in the first two laps found Christopher Weir and Matt Sorenson in roll overs.  Thankfully, both drivers were okay. Charlie Brown is starting his season off well, and took his second win at Boone this year in the Mod Lite class, in as many weeks.  Brown worked his way from starting seventh, up to second by lap four, intent on overtaking leader Travis Stensland.  The two would duke it out, lap after lap, until Brown was finally able to make the pass into the lead with just two laps remaining.  Brown held tight to that top position and scored the win for the second week in a row.  Stensland had to be satisfied with the runner up spot, Bryan Zehm started in row six, and took third place, fourth was Josh May and Terry Brown (I believe a brother to the winner) was fifth.  

The IMCA Northern SportMods saw Johnathon Logue at the helm through much of the race.  Mike Stark, the Des Moines driver who was making his first appearance at the track this year, had worked himself into the runner up spot by lap eleven of the 18-lap event, and was hungry for more. Stark snatched the lead at lap thirteen and sailed home to the victory---his first ever at Boone in the class.  Brandon Williams came from ninth to take the runner up spot, Ben Kates was third, Logue held on to take fourth and Taylor Mussellman rounded out the top five. 

The IMCA Modifieds went their usual 20-laps in their feature.  David Brown held the point the first couple of circuits until high flying Joel Bushore took over as captain of the ship.  Bushore was flying along in the lead untouched until Jammin' Jimmy Gustin came calling.  Gustin, who had started back in eleventh spot, hooked onto second place and was digging on the lower groove, Bushore staying up top.  Gustin tried for the pass at each lap, finally making it work on lap seventeen.  He kept that top spot the rest of the way to the checkers and the win.  Bushore slipped his machine off of the top of four with a lap to go, leaving himself out of the running.  Jon Snyder capitalized on Bushore's misfortune, and took the runner up spot.  Third went to Scott Davis, David Brown hung to the front of the pack and took fourth and Russ Dickerson came from starting thirteenth, to round out the top five positions.  Gustin won for the first time at the track in 2014.

Michael Jaennette and his Pink Panther hot rod, got to the front at the drop of the green in the IMCA Stock Car feature.....never to look back.  Jay Schmidt---who started eleventh on the field as he debuted his "Black Betty car for the first time this season--- was reeling in Jaennette in the late portion of the 18-lap race, but ran out of time to get more than the runner up spot. Third went to Lonnie Hodges who had been locked in a fierce battle earlier with fourth and fifth place finishers, Terry Pruitt and Wayne Gifford.  Jaennette was also a first time winner at the track this year.

The Hobby Stock feature was the only feature going caution free on the night.  Tyler Pickett made his move around early leader CJ Dall at lap five and motored home to his first win of the season at Boone.  John Watson came from starting tenth, to take second, third went to Eric Stanton who started eleventh, Mike Pruitt started twelfth and finished fourth, and Andrew Burg completed the top five.  The #88 of Mike Leffler, claimed the carburetor of Eric Stanton after the race.  

Racing was done at 10:21 by my watch, on a night that reverted back to the regular track's starting times of 6:45 hot laps and racing at 7:30. Thanks for reading and Happy Racing!