Sunday, August 14, 2016

VanGenderen repeats in thrilling Modified finish at Boone

One hundred and thirty race cars checked into the pits at the Boone Speedway on Saturday night, and the big crowd on hand did not go home disappointed with the racing action.  It was a spectacular finish to the Modified feature, as Mike VanGenderen repeated his win from last week.  Josh May also matched his win from last Saturday night, winning the Mod Lite feature.  John Watson hadn't seen the checkers since the end of May, but returned to the winner's circle in the IMCA Hobby Stock class. Trent Murphy won for the first time this season in the IMCA Stock Cars, and taking his first ever win at the Boone Speedway was IMCA Northern SportMod feature winner, Adam Armstrong.

Josh May started eighth in the 15-lap Mod Lite feature and had to chase down leader Joel Huggins.  He took command at lap ten and never looked back on his way to victory.  Point leader Bryan Zehm finished second after starting ninth, third went to tenth place starter, Mike Morrill, Joel Huggins finished fourth, and Angelo Montgomery was fifth.  May, who also won last week, now has four feature wins this season.

Adam Armstrong, who is from Beatrice, Nebraska, but now calls Carlisle, Iowa home, was dominate in winning the 18-lap IMCA Northern SportMod feature.  Armstrong started eighth and had the lead at lap five, and then pulled away to a healthy lead, taking the win by a near straight away.  Curtis Veber finished as the runner up, and Jonathon Logue came from eleventh starting spot to finish third.  Chad Ryerson started sixteenth and had a great run through the pack, to finish fourth, and rounding out the top five, was first time visiting racer, Chad Shaw. I believe Shaw is from Trimble, Missouri.  Since Armstrong has moved to Iowa, he has been quite successful in his racing campaign.  For a while, he was racing a Hobby Stock and winning with it, while waiting for his SportMod to be repaired. Since back in his black and green SportMod, he has won several times around the state, and just may be a force to be reckoned with come Super Nationals. He had just won the Harris Clash on Tuesday night in Webster City---in dominating fashion.  This was his first time winning at the Boone Speedway.  

Josh Truman led the early portion of the 20-lap IMCA Modified feature but with just six laps in the books, he was having to hold back Al Wolfgram.  A few laps later, point leader Mike VanGenderen, who had started twelfth, was throwing his hat into the ring and up to third.  The remainder of the race was a three-car battle among the three drivers...and it was a shoot out to the finish!  As the three cars came out of turn four with the checkers unfurling, VanGenderen shot from third place, split the two cars, and emerged the winner. The fans were on their feet with the spectacular finish!  Truman had to settle for second, and Wolfgram for third. Fourth and fifth went to two veteran drivers, Randy Havlik, (who has just recently brought out a Modified ride, switching from a Late Model) and Denny Pittman respectively.  VanGenderen repeated his win from last week, and has now been in victory lane six times during the season.  He stretched his point lead by a healthy amount with the win last night.

Trent Murphy came from eleventh starting spot to take the win in the 18-lap IMCA Stock Car class. Murphy, who has not been a weekly competitor at Boone this year, passed Josh Daniels at lap eleven and then pulled away to take the comfortable win, his first this year.  Daniels finished as the runner up, new driver Todd Fisher started thirteenth, and finished third, fourth went to early leader Brad Whitney from Missouri, and Wayne Gifford started twenty-fourth after issues in his heat race and had to qualify through a B Main, and rounded out the top five.

The 12-lap IMCA Hobby Stock A Main completed the evening's races and when all was said and done, it was John Watson taking the win.  Watson had to fight his way past last week's winner Dustin Lynch, taking command at lap nine and then holding it the rest of the way to the flying checkers.  Seth Janssen finished second over Solomon Bennett in third.  Dustin Graham was fourth and Chad Legere was fifth.  Watson won for the second time this year.

There was a healthy contingency of cars last night at Boone, even with the Night of a 1,000 Stars going on at the Hancock County Speedway in Britt.  It appears there are new drivers showing up each week to get a little "test and tune" in before the 2016 Super Nationals.

A new flagman was getting a little practice in prior to the upcoming Super Nationals as well.  Logan Kelly, from Fairmont, Minnesota was assisting Grant Oskvig on the flagstand.  He also helped at last year's Super Nationals I believe.

Find a race to attend in support of the the sport we all love!

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