Monday, September 2 was the first day of the 37th IMCA Super Nationals with the Deery Brothers Late Models on tap, along with qualifying for the Northern SportMods, and the Hobby Stocks and fifty-five total races. You may recall that the Late Models had their entire show scraped last year due to the unrelenting rain. This year, the show went on and by the end of the night, a first time winner was standing on the podium.
Hot shoe Ricky Thornton, Jr., an Arizona native who now calls Adel, Iowa home, showed why he is a contender to win in any class he may strap into. This time, he was piloting the #30 Late Model owned by Todd Cooney. Cooney, who raced the car earlier in the year, but then had some health issues, offered up his car to Thornton. Not a bad choice!
The 50-lap feature found Joe Zrostlik, outside front row starter, leading the first fourteen laps of the race, but Ricky Thornton, who started fifth, had his sites set on the leader from the start. Most eyes were on Thornton as he reeled in the leader. Thornton threw a perfectly timed slider out of turn four and had the lead as lap fifteen was scored. From there on, it was a walk in the park for Thortnton, as he sliced and diced through traffic effortlessly. He won by half a lap to claim the checkers. Justin Kay came from tenth on the starting grid, to claim a distant runner up. Tyler Buening took third place after starting in thirteenth, and Nick Marolf and Terry Neal completed the top five.
After Thornton's clinic in the Late Model show, and being entered in two more classes, the IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Stock Cars, the buzz was now if he could win more than one Super Nationals Championship in the same year....something that had never been done....and maybe even THREE! Racing was completed on the first night at 10:27 p.m.
Tuesday, September 3 and a shower delayed the start of the program, but only by about fourteen minutes from the daily 2 p.m. scheduled starting time. Today the IMCA Sport Compacts, sixty-six of them, were on tap for their complete show and championship run. The SportMods and Hobby Stocks continued their qualifying as well. There were seventy-one races on this night and scheduled 616 laps.
A second-time winner came out of the Sport Compacts. Nate Coopman, Mankato, Minnesota copped this honor. Coopman, started on the outside of the three-wide front row, and ran second to then leader Mitchell Bielenberg, Charlotte, Iowa racer, until he was off power at lap fifteen. Coopman inherited the lead and had no problem keeping it at the front, and took his second Super Nationals title...his previous coming in 2015. Brandon Reu was the runner up, Trent Orwig ran third, Ramsey Meyer was fourth, and Caine Mahlberg came from 19th starting spot, to take fifth.
Tuesday's show was completed at 12:14 even after the fourteen minute delayed start time due to rain.
Wednesday, September 4, the IMCA Stock Cars and Modifieds were on tap for the first time of the week. Sixty-six races were held including the final qualifying for the SportMods and Hobby Stocks. Ethan Dotson took his first step toward winning a potential first-time Super Nationals belt, winning his A qualifier and Ricky Thornton, Jr. took the win in the second A qualifier....with a potential for a second championship in the same year after his earlier Late Model win. Racing wrapped up at 12:07 a.m.
There was a scary incident on the frontstretch of the first A qualifier for the Modifieds when Eric Elliott and Jimmy Gustin got together in just a racing deal. Elliott took a scary ride, ending up upside down just past the flagstand. Gustin was the first person to get to Elliott after the accident. Elliott did get checked out later at the hospital according to what we were told, and released. However, with not only a battered race car, but also a battered body, his run at the 2019 Super Nationals was over.
Thursday, September 5, and qualifying continued for the IMCA Modifieds and Stock Cars along with their qualifying heats for the Race of Champions in their divisions. Seventy-five races done by 11:32 p.m.
Friday, September 6, and more qualifying for the Modifieds and Stock Cars along with the Fast Shafts All Star Invitational feature. This was for drivers who had qualified by winning a $1,000 Fast Shafts race to even get on the ballot. Then fans were able to vote them into the prestigious race. Twenty-nine of the thirty cars eligible ran, with Jason Wolla, the North Dakota racer unable to attend.
Joel Rust would lead all thirty laps of the All Star race to etch his name into the record books. Rust started in the middle of the front row to take the win. Two yellows stopped the action, both at lap four, and from there on the race went caution free. Rust pulled away, even though encountering lap traffic in the closing laps, to take the comfortable win. Tanner Black, Otis, Kansas racer chased Rust the entire distance to finish a distant second. Pole sitter Jesse Sobbing finished third. Another Kansas racer, Steven Bowers from Topeka came home in fourth, and Richie Gustin from Gilman, Iowa rounded out the top five. Rust, picked to be one of the top contenders of the week in the Modified class, now had one title under his belt.
Friday closed with sixty-five races and the show was complete at 11:19 p.m.
There had hardly been a blip in the entire week's racing.....until Saturday, September 7th's Championship night. Rain had been predicted and with that, the show was moved up one hour to start at 2 p.m. instead of 3. There was to be fifteen Modified last chance qualifier heats with the top three from each going to an A qualifier for the Big Dance. That all ended after the fifth LCQ heat when here came the rain!
Six hours and 40 minutes, and two jet dryer sessions later, the racing began again at 8:19 p.m. with an altered format. The announcement was, "The remaining LCQ heats for the Modifieds will not be run, everyone that raced and drew in the first 5 heats will keep their spots. Top 3 based off line up in Heats 6 through 15 will draw for their starting position in their LCQ main....top 3 to the Dance. Stock Car Dance will be lined up off first 6 in points standings." This was good with some, not so with others. Darned if you do, or darned if you don't!
All four classes of the Big Dance were run right after the final Modified LCQs. The Race of Champions for the four classes were moved to last on the program. There were no on track introductions and no winner's interviews in order to keep the show moving. The awards were done in the Fan Zone after all racing was completed for the night along with the motor auction. EDIT: For those wondering about the motor auction the SportMod of Logue went for $3,100, Hobby Stock of Nelson was $3,500, the Stock Car of Smith was $4,500 (and understand he bought it back...Mopar power) and Dotson's Modified was $5,500.
The IMCA Northern SportMods "danced" first. Dylan VanWyk, Oskaloosa, Iowa, a young racer that we watched race at the Southern Iowa Speedway during the season, and that we understand got his racing career kicked off in the go kart ranks, started on the pole of the 30-lap race after claiming a qualifying win earlier in the week. He would lead the opening lap.
Kyle Olson, who started on the outside of the 3-wide feature start, powered his way into the lead at lap two, and middle front row starter, Johnathon Logue, 2014 winner, tucked in behind him to run second. Olson hung on to that lead until lap twelve when he took over the top spot coming out of corner four.
A yellow flag flew at lap seventeen and by this time, Jake McBirnie, last year's Super Nationals champion had gotten to the runner up position and on the restart, was ready to challenge leader Logue. It was not to be however, as Logue motored off on his run to the checkers, and won his second Super National's Northern Sport Mod championship. McBirnie took the runner up position this year as Logue had done to him in 2018. Kyle Olson took third, Kyle Bentley fourth, and Joe Docekal fifth, making it an all Iowa top five.
The Big Dance for the IMCA Modifieds came next. The three-wide front row had two Californians there in Ethan Dotson, and D.J. Shannon. Last year's winner Jeff Aikey from Cedar Falls was sitting outside that front row as they awaited the 40-lap main event.
Ethan Dotson would see a dream come true as he led all 40 laps of the event to win. It was not without any challenge however, as Ricky Thornton, Jr. chased him the entire distance...throwing in a couple of last lap slides for life, but to no avail and had to settle for second place. Cody Laney, another Californian started eighth, and took third place. Defending champion Jeff Aikey was fourth, and Jordan Grabouski, Beatrice, Nebraska and national point leader in the Modified division, came from eleventh, to finish fifth.
The IMCA Stock cars danced next in their 30-lap event. Devin Smith started on the pole and put an exclamation mark on his run....leading all laps and making it look easy. Abe Huls, Carthage, Illinois finished second after starting in tenth position. Kyle Falck started fifteenth, and finished third, David Brandies started twelfth and was third, and Oskaloosa, Iowa's Cayden Carter hard charged from twentieth, to finish fifth. Smith matched his 2014 win in the Stock Car class.
The IMCA Hobby Stocks took to the dance floor last and this 30-lapper was also led from start to finish by winner Dylan Nelson from Adel, Iowa. Nelson started on the outside front row of the 3-wide grid, and was never seriously challenged. Second went to Dunlap, Iowa's Kevin Bruck. Bruck suffered serious damage to his car at the Prelude, taking a dramatic roll on the frontstretch. It was a great recovery to come back with a runner up finish. Worthington, Minnesota driver Malik Sampson drove his hot rod from eighteenth to finish in third place. Corey Madden came from eighth to finish fourth, and Boone Speedway regular, John Watson was fifth, coming from fifteenth starting spot.
All four Race of Champions completed the night's racing. Corey Madden won the Hobby Stocks, Doug Smith took the honors in the SportMod division, Elijah Zevenbergen was first in the Stock Cars, and Alexander, Arkansas driver Drew Armstrong was the R.O.C. champion of the Modified class.
A few notes of the week long event that saw over 800 cars compete that included a record breaking 203 IMCA Stock Cars.
The theme for car wraps this year was "Super Heroes", and the best appearing car went to the #95 of Jeff Bodendorfer out of Waterford, Wisconsin, with the Incredible Hulk on board.
There was an official count of black flags for the week....a total of 73 were flown. Most were for "bad dog, no biscuit" moves.
There was an official count of black flags for the week....a total of 73 were flown. Most were for "bad dog, no biscuit" moves.
"Flo" and "Mingo" the traditional pink flamingo blow ups, were riding along on one of the packers as usual....but disappeared over night....to be replaced again. They ride along on every farming session.
Mike Shulte, the very first IMCA Super Nationals champion joined us one evening. He won the 1983 race that was held in Vinton, Iowa. He remarked as to what a change he's seen!
It's not all about the racing at Super Nationals, but a lot to do with catching up with racing friends that share our love of dirt track racing at the biggest dirt track race in the world. It's so great to see everyone.
The 37th IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals was wrapped up at 12:53 a.m. There is no where else this race could have been completed. It takes all sorts of work, planning, team work, and those working like a well oiled machine to get this accomplished. Hats off to everyone! We are already looking forward to the 38th Super Nationals!
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