Sunday, April 26, 2015

Schmidt goes flag-to-flag for Stock Car win at Boone. Wieben and Bennett take first wins at speedway

Saturday dawned overcast, damp, rainy, breezy, and cold.  Would there be racing anywhere in the state of Iowa?  The rained out alerts kept coming all day, but this week, not for the Boone Speedway. They did have plenty of rain however, but with the good drainage system in place and the top notch track prep crew busy at work, racing went on for race starved drivers and fans.

There were three familiar faces gracing victory lane last night, while the SportMod class and the Hobby Stock class saw first time winners ever at the track.

In the MADCRA Mod Lite class, veteran Jimmy May made it to the winner's circle for the first time in 2015, finishing ahead of his son Josh May.  May led the entire 15 laps on his way to victory. Josh May took the runner up spot, passing Cory Dennis in third, at the finish line in a squeaker.  Fourth was Bryan Zehm and Joel Keenan rounded out the top five.

A driver we see have success at other tracks around the state, finally can add a win at the Boone Speedway to his list.  Sam Wieben, the young driver from Dysart, Iowa, raced his way from tenth starting spot, grabbing the lead at lap ten and never relinquished it.  Jonathan Logue, who had started alongside Wieben in row five, captured a second place finish.  Clint Luellen moved up from starting eleventh, to snag third place, fourth was Randy Roberts, and Ben Wilson was fifth.

The Hobby Stocks were up next, for their 12-lap main event.  Solomon Bennett, who hails from Perry, Iowa, went wire-to-wire to take his first ever win at Boone....and since we have just seen him racing for the first time this year, we venture to guess that it could have been his first ever win anywhere. Andrew Burg started eleventh, and slipped by pole sitter Daniel Haggen on the final lap as they finished second and third respectively.  Aaron Rudolph was fourth and Cody Gustoff was fifth.

John Logue, no stranger to seeing the checkers fly first, won the 20-lap IMCA Modified feature.  Logue led all the race on his way to chalking up another victory.  Kyle Brown came from fifth starting spot, to finish second.  Russ  Dickerson tried the topside in an effort to catch Brown, but had to be content with third place.  Jammin' Jimmy Gustin, who had won the previous two times this year on the track....the Frostbuster and regular season opening night, finished in fourth and Scott Davis took fifth at line over veteran Denny Pittman in sixth.

The IMCA Stock Cars raced their 18-laps caution free.  Jay Schmidt leaped to the immediate lead from starting on the outside front row, and never gave the coveted spot up on his way to the win.  Trent Murphy gave it his all in an attempt to catch and pass Schmidt, but in the end, could only garner the runner up position.  Tyler Pickett, who jumped up this year from the Hobby Stock division, finished a solid third.  Fourth went to opening night winner, Wayne Gifford, and "Hot Rod" Richards came home in fifth.

It wasn't the pleasantest of nights to be sitting at a race track, but those who did brave the elements on a damp, dreary and cold night, saw some good racing.  We were a bit surprised that more than a handful of drivers who had their weekly racing rained out, did not make the trip to race.  Boone had a plentiful rainfall during the day, but when we arrived, and though the track was worked up and looked plenty wet, the water truck did make a couple of trips around the high side before the tractors and equipment went to work and packing it in.

We were joined last night by Jeff Broeg, our partner in crime at Positively Racing.  He opted to make the long drive from southeast Iowa, knowing the reputation of Boone Speedway and their show being  completed in a timely manner, and that it was....the last race was completed at 9:07 p.m.  The usual farming session after the heats and B mains was eliminated, and the first feature quickly came to the track.

Next Saturday night, racing reverts to it's regular starting times.  Grandstands open at 5, hot laps are 6:45 and racing at 7:30.

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