Sauerman to victory lane, Nelson goes back-to-back

Boone Speedway saw another big car count for its Saturday night racing program with 199 race cars checked into the pits.  Dylan Nelson repeated his win from last week in the IMCA Pickett Salvage Hobby Stock division.  Cory Sauerman took home the victory in the IMCA Snap-On Tools Modified contest, and it was Jay Schmidt making a last lap pass for the win in the IMCA Arnold Motor Supply Stock Car division.  Jake Sachau took the win in the IMCA Elmquist Towing Northern SportMod class, and Joel Huggins took the checkers, winning in the MADCRA My Race Pass Mod Lites. This was the second week of track points for all the IMCA classes, and the first week for Mod Lites. 

Feature racing kicked off with the Mod Lite 15-lap feature.  Joel Huggins would start on the pole of this one and lead all laps on his way to victory.  He finished well ahead of second place Charlie Brown.  Bryan Zehm came from seventh starting position to finish in third place.  Jeff Stensland and Joe Glick finished fourth and fifth. Only one yellow marred this feature, that coming at lap two.  From there on, the race went unhindered to the checkers. 

Up next was the 18-lap IMCA Northern SportMod feature event.  Ryan King led the first two laps, only to have Jake Sachau, Manning, Iowa, snatch it away on lap three.  From there on, Sachau had little trouble in holding a comfortable lead the remaining way to the checkers in a race that went caution free.  Cam Reimers took the runner up spot, Osceola, Iowa driver Garrett Nelson came home in third place, fourth went to twelfth place starter Doug Smith, and Johnathon Logue took fifth after starting eleventh.

The IMCA Modified 20-lap main event came next.  This one saw pole sitter Tony Hofbauer lead the first nine circuits of the race, but Cory Sauerman changed that on lap ten when he took command.  Sauerman was enjoying his ride at the front of the pack until Tim Ward began to reel him in.  When a yellow flew at lap nineteen,,,the only caution of the race, sending it into over time with a green-white-checkered finish.  It was not what Sauerman was wanting, but JUST what Ward was hoping for.  When the race restarted, Ward moved to the topside hoping the momentum would carry him around leader Sauerman, but it was all for naught as Sauerman sailed across the finish line first to take the win.  Ward had to settle for the runner up spot.  Rookie in the division, Jake McBirnie posted a third place finish, last week's winner Aaron Johnson, Brainerd, Minnesota came from eleventh starting position to finish in fourth place, and Joel Rust came from sixteenth to round out the top five. This was  Sauerman's first win at Boone Speedway since July of 2017 . 

In the 20-lap IMCA Stock Car A main, Kyle Everts was looking to be on his way to victory until he was suddenly off power, handing the lead over to second place runner Bob Daniels.  Daniels was then smelling the roses as he took the white flag....only to have a caution fly for a spinning car.  This would set up another green-white-checkered showdown, and happy to see it was second place runner Jay Schmidt.  Schmidt, who started twelfth and was coming hot on the topside was eager for the restart.  It was a near dead heat as the two flashed across under the final white flag, but Schmidt had the topside momentum that carried him around Daniels, and sent him to victory lane for the first time this season.  Daniels had to be content with second place this night.  Todd Fisher had a good run and finished third, fourth went to veteran racer Robert Stofer, and Devin Smith started twenty-second, coming from a B main, and finished fifth.

As a note, all three Smith brothers in the Stock Car class, Devin, David, and Donavon  all had to qualify through a B main. Something you seldom see! They would finish fifth, sixth, and seventh respectively. 

The IMCA Hobby Stocks ended the night's racing with their 15-lap feature event.  Braden Richards led the troops in the early going of the race but Dylan Nelson was quickly up to challenge him by lap three.  By lap five, Nelson had taken over the top spot, and was successful in warding off Richards the rest of the way to the checkers.  Richards held the second spot, Eric Knutson came from eleventh starting position to take third place, fourth was Solomon Bennett, and Shane Butler completed the top five. Nelson matched his win from last week. Only one caution flew for the Hobby Stocks, that coming on lap two.

At least ten Minnesota drivers were on hand again last night, as they seek to go racing while they await their state opening up their tracks.  As of June 1, Iowa will be allowing fans in the stands at 50% capacity as social distancing for Covid 19 remains.  Boone Speedway will be open for the fans next Saturday night, June 6.   Pits open at 3:30, grandstands at 4, hot laps at 5, and racing at 6. IMCA TV will also be broadcasting PPV as it will each week.