Saturdays seem to dawn the same way for weeks on end---with a gloomy forecast predicting rain. This Saturday was no different. Radar was not looking promising for many race tracks around the state, but we headed to our usual Saturday destination---Boone Speedway. We drove through rain on our journey and radar was looking "iffy". We had already received word of some tracks being rained out, then another, and another! But, for the 13th week in a row, the weekly show was completed. Add in the Memorial Day Deery Brother Special where points were awarded to the regular classes that ran, that's 14 shows straight. The only little blip so far, was the Frostbuster pre-season show back on April 12. That one only got one feature completed, but it was called a show and the make up features added to the season opener on April 19.
There were four new winners last night, one coming out of the SportMod class taking his first ever career win. A driver in the Mod Lite division made it three-in-a-row, adding to his achievements on the year.
Features kicked off with the Mod Lite division. Travis Stensland led the opening laps. A yellow at lap five for Amber Coffman sitting in turn four, set up a restart situation--- Stensland still leading, but the "Brothers Brown" sitting right behind him. Terry Brown, who had won the last two features was riding in second, his brother "Chargin' Charlie Brown in third. After the restart, Stensland hung tight to the lead, until lap twelve, when Terry Brown made a pass on the backstretch to take over the helm. Brown would then hold that point spot to the finish and the win----chalking up three-in-a-row victories. Stensland hung tough to finish second over Charlie Brown in third. Fourth was Andy Hennigar and Robert See was fifth.
It was the 18-lap SportMod feature up next. Brian Eppert took advantage of his pole starting spot, jumping to the lead as the green flew. He held off Jake McBirnie until lap six when McBirnie took command. A few laps later, Ben Kates, the point leader, had worked his way around Eppert and gotten to the runner up spot---setting his sights on McBirnie. The race continued the remaining way caution free, McBirnie lengthening his lead. He then raced his bright, metallic blue machine to the flying checkers first and securing his first ever career feature win. Kates took the runner up spot, Johnathon Logue came from starting tenth to take third. Fourth went to early leader Brian Eppert and Randy Roberts finished fifth. McBirnie, who is racing for the first time this year, is the 17 year old son of former Modified racer Joe McBirnie. Congratulations to young McBirnie on getting that first win under his belt....no doubt, just the first of many more to come.
The Hobby Stockers ran their usual 12-lap A main next. Ryan Wells was doing a good job holding off Tyson Overton, Ross Marshall and Tim Barber in the opening laps. At lap four, it was Overton taking over as captain of the ship, Barber following him around Wells and into second. The only caution of the race came at lap ten when Aaron Rudolph found himself up against the outside wall. This set up a green-white-checkered finish. Overton held on to his lead and nabbed his first win at the Boone track. Marshall took the runner up position ahead of Eric Stanton. John Watson, point leader, moved up from starting tenth, to take fourth and Tyler Pickett rounded out the top five.
The IMCA Modified feature was fast and furious......going non-stop to the checkers. Early leader Kent Croskey led the 25 starting cars through the first handful of laps. The Flyin' Dutchman, Mike VanGenderen was quickly up to second place from starting sixth, and was challenging the leader, and John Logue was tagged on his tail. VanGenderen was leading by lap seven, and a lap later, Logue followed to take the runner up spot. Tenth place starter, Russ Dickerson, threw his hat in the ring too, and by lap fourteen, had taken over second, setting his sights on VanGenderen. Tonight though, it was all VanGenderen's race, as he marked his first win at Boone in the books for 2014. Dickerson held second over Logue in third. Croskey hung tough and scored fourth place and Nick Roberts finished in fifth.
The finale was the 18-lap Stock Car feature. This too, went flag-to-flag. Veteran racer Robert Stofer took command at lap seven after getting around Corey Piffer. Stofer scored the win by a comfortable margin over the Gifford brothers, who duked it out behind him. Wayne Gifford finally won out over Jerry Gifford at the finish, as they went second and third in that order. Donavon Smith made his usual low side line work and took fourth. Jay Schmidt, the point leader, worked up from his eleventh starting spot, and took fifth. Stofer scored his first win at Boone for the year.
The rain outs around the state brought in quite a few extra racers for the night. There were 131 cars on hand. New faces in the SportMod class were Brandon Ostwald from Algona, Nick Myer from Whittemore (he scored an impressive sixth place) Jack Housley, Shawn Albers and Jesse McCollough. Minot, North Dakota driver, Brock Beeder competed in the Hobby Stock class as did Jeff Behle and Nate Bonin. Travis Prochaska ran in the Stock Car class in his first appearance at Boone and Terry Cornelison was back in his familiar #556 racing for the first time this year. The Modifieds also had new drivers. Cole Hall from Sheffield, Clint Wendel, Chase Ellingson, Tyler Prochaska and Joey Franklin. Franklin, who is from Las Vegas, usually races a Sprint Car and is also an Elvis impersonator. "Elvis" did make a brief appearance grandstand side during intermission.
My unofficial records show that last night was the seventh different driver to win in the Hobby Stock class, the eighth in the SportMod class, the eighth in the Stock Car class and the tenth in the Modified division. Not the usual case at many of the other tracks around the area.
This upcoming week is going to be hectic. It has been dubbed, "Hawkeye Modified Speed Week". The Modified's all pay at least $1,000 to win. Things kick off tonight with the 20th Hogan Memorial at the Benton County Speedway in Vinton. Monday is the Hawkeye Dirt Tour at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. Tuesday the Hawkeye Dirt Tour visits the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa and the following night, the Fair race at Osky will also pay $1,000 to the winner. Then on Thursday night, it's the prestigious Harris Clash at the famed Knoxville Raceway. It is also a Hawkeye Dirt Tour for the first time.
Thanks for reading and happy racing!
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