It was a record setting car count for the 39th IMCA Super Nationals held at the Boone Speedway. A whopping 909 race cars checked in to race. The pits were a sea of haulers and it was a good thing that the pit area was expanded this year. It was also a sea of campers, and when fans arrived, it added even more numbers to the scene. "South Boone" had a larger population than Boone itself!
Our "Racin' Vacation" started on Saturday and Sunday for Nights 1 and 2 of the Prelude, and then Monday, Labor Day dawned the first of 6 straight days/nights of Super Nationals racing.
Monday, Day 1
There were 56 races and 564 laps scheduled for the kick off to the Super Nationals. This was the day a champion was crowned in the IMCA Late Models. It was also the night the lights went out at the track....twice! It was not only a track issue, as part of the town of Boone also went dark. Alliant Energy was quick to get things back up and running. Thankfully, power was restored each time within a half hour, and racing proceeded.
There were 36 entries in the IMCA Late Models, and those were narrowed down to a 24 starting field for their "Big Dance" 50 lap feature.
Justin Kay, and Bobby Hansen started on the front row. Kay immediately jumped to the lead, and would dominate the entire race on his way to victory....one that has eluded him several times. He's been so close on several occasions previously, so this was quite sweet for the Wheatland, Iowa racer. Richie Gustin closed in on Kay at about the halfway mark of the race, as well as current National point leader in the division, Cory Dumpert from York, Nebraska. Kay threw off those challengers, and as the laps wound down, pulled away to score the win by a comfortable margin. Dumpert took the runner up spot, Gilman's Richie Gustin went third, fourth place was defending and three-time champion Jeff Aikey, and Blue Grass, Iowa's Andy Nezworski was fifth.
The IMCA Northern SportMod also qualified 8 drivers for the inside row of their A feature on Saturday, and the IMCA Hobby Stocks took 8 from each of two qualifying mains, the first to the inside row, and the second 8 to the middle row for Saturday. Those wins went to Springfield, Missouri's Ryan Gillmore, in the SportMod and Adel's Dylan Nelson, and Nathan Ballard, Marengo, Iowa in the Hobby Stocks.
Racing was completed at 12:01 a.m.
Tuesday, Day 2
There were 65 races today and 588 scheduled laps. Another Super Nationals champion was crowned, this time in the IMCA Sport Compact division. A full show for the compacts brought 70 competitors, those were cut down to 30 drivers qualifying for their Big Dance 25 lap event.
Mitch Bielenberg, Charlotte, Iowa began in the middle of the front row of the 3-wide start. He grabbed the lead as the race went green, and from then on, never looked back on his way to the win. He had also won at the Prelude. He finished well ahead of second place Chuck Fullencamp, West Point, Iowa driver, a close third was Keokuk's Josh Barnes, fourth went to Drake Bohlmeyer, Beatrice, Nebraska, and Blaine Ellis, Sebree, Kentucky, and the first ever from the state to qualify for a Super Nationals event, started eighteenth and finished fifth.
Qualifying continued in the Northern SportMod and Hobby Stock divisions on Tuesday as well. Josh Most and Brayton Carter won the SportMod two qualifying A features to start at the front of the middle and outside rows respectively come Saturday night.
The IMCA Hobby Stock winner of his A feature and qualifying for Saturday's big race was Jeff Ware. He made a late race charge through the field, coming from fourteenth to win.
There was also Race of Champion qualifiers for both the SportMods and the Hobby Stocks.
The final flag fell at 12:58 a.m.
Wednesday, Day 3
Wednesday is the day the IMCA Stock Cars and Modifieds make their first appearance. There were 222 Modified entries and 221 in the Stock Cars, and a total of 78 races for 726 laps.
Two 25 lap Stock Car A qualifiers saw Devin Smith coming from eighth starting spot in the first feature to take that win. The second saw a show put on by 16 year old Dallon Murty. Murty started twelfth and took the checkers.
There were also two qualifying A's for the Modifieds. Cody Laney, Torrance, California led all 25 laps to win the first one, and in the second 25 lap event, it was Boone's own Jake McBirnie with the win.
The Hobby Stocks and SportMods completed their championship qualifying with wins by Austin Schrage, SportMods, and John Watson taking the win in Hobby Stock.
Seventy-eight races later, things were completed at 2:13 a.m.
Thursday, Day 4
There were 62 races and 614 laps scheduled on Thursday. Qualifying continued in the Modifieds and the Stock Cars. It was also the Inaugural Stock Car All-Star Invitational. The drivers qualified earlier in the week through quick times in time trials. Veteran Modified racer, Kelly Shryock, who has been having fun the last few years by doing double duty in the Stock Cars, added this trophy to his many accomplishments.
Dylan Thornton, Santa Maria, California took the win in the first A to put himself upfront in the middle row come Saturday night. Tom Berry, Jr., driving the Jeff Wollam car, will start P1 or P2 in the middle row for Saturday's Big Dance. Both drivers are doing double duty as they are better known for piloting a Modified.
The Modifieds also had two A qualifying features. The first one was won by Jeff Aikey, and the second went to Tim Ward. Aikey had qualified the previous night, being a top 4 in that night's qualifier, but turned it down, not wanting to start so far back. The decision turned out to be the right one for Aikey, as this night with his win, he would be starting P1 or P2 of the middle row on Saturday. Sometimes, things work out!
The final green flag fell at 1:33 a.m.
Friday, Day 5
How could it already be Friday? Time had flown by, but yet here we were, with only two days left of the Super Nationals. Fifty-three races and 514 laps were scheduled.
The Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational Championship race was held today. Thirty cars qualified through fast times earlier in the week. They started their 30 lap race 3-wide. Early leader Dakota Sproul had a steering belt issue eliminate his run, handing the top spot over to Nick Roberts, with Kyle Brown hot on his heels. Those two went at it lap after lap, and with one to go, Brown made the pass for the lead, and took it home to the checkers and the win.
Two more Stock Car A qualifying features were run, taking four each to the outside row of Saturday's Big Dance. The two winners were Zach Madrid, Phoenix, Arizona, and Derek Green, Granada, Minnesota who came from fifteenth starting position, to win his A.
There were also two A qualifiers for the Modifieds. Susanville, California's Riley Simmons took the first A, and Ethan Dotson, Bakersfield, California won the other.
This was our earliest night with the racing winding up at 10:58 p.m.
Saturday, Day 6 and the Big Dance time!
There was final qualifying for the Stock Cars and the Modifieds. Those qualifying drivers were able to tag the back of the championship features. Twenty-eight races and 414 laps were on tap for the grand finale.
There were also Race of Champions run in the Modified, Stock Car, Northern SportMod, and Hobby Stocks. Zach Olmstead, Overton, Nebraska took the win in the Hobby Stocks. Tony Olson, Cedar Rapids, Iowa won the SportMod title. Veteran racer Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa won the Stock Car title for the second year straight. Todd Shute, Norwalk, Iowa was pretty emotional in victory lane after he won the Modified ROC. He now has a trifecta at Super Nationals through the years, a Super Nationals Modified Big Dance winner, an All-Star Invitational winner, and now a Race of Champions winner. This must have been particularly sweet after Shute flipped off the track earlier in the week, and had to repair the car. He joins Ricky Thornton, Jr, Kyle Strickler, and Jimmy Gustin as the only other trifecta winners.
The Big Dance for the Hobby Stocks was first to run. It was seventeen year old Mike Smith....of the famous Smith clan from the Lake City, Iowa area...taking the win. Finishing second through fifth respectively were Jeff Ware, last year's winner Nathan Ballard, former winner Dylan Nelson, and Malik Sampson. Smith is the son of Stock Car racer David Smith, who was quite emotional after his son won. Mike Smith, at 17 years old, became the youngest driver ever to win the Super National title in the Hobby Stock division. It was quite the sight to see the huge Smith clan running out to join the winner in victory lane!
The Northern SportMod Dance came next. There was sadness to this starting field, as the polesitter, Ryan Gillmore had received word that his father had passed away unexpectedly the night before, and he left to return home. All of the drivers agreed that in his honor, they would leave the missing man pole position empty.
Austen Becerra, Carthage, Illinois racer led the 30 lap race from lap eleven on to take the title of Super Nationals Northern SportMod champion. Brayton Carter was second, third went to Dylan VanWyk, Alec Fett was fourth, and fifteen year old Izac Mallicoat was fifth. In Becerra's post race interview, he said this was his last ever race in the SportMod, as next year he was moving to Modified.
Thirty laps of Stock Car dancing was a clinic of racing by sixteen year old Dallon Murty. Murty took the lead at lap twelve, and then never looked back, taking the win comfortably ahead of second place Dylan Thornton, followed by Devin Smith, Derek Green, and Troy Jerovetz. Dallon's father Damon Murty was also in the race, but an incident sent him sliding into the infield at one point, and out of the race. This allowed dad to be able to watch his son in his championship run. This too was an emotional victory lane with family and fans flooding the infield. Dallon is the youngest Stock Car winner in the Super Nationals. Watch out Modified drivers, he's moving up next year!
The long anticipated Modified Big Dance was the night cap to complete the 2021 Super Nationals. Cody Laney got the lucky pole starting spot for the 33 car, 3-wide starting field. It was all his race from the drop of the green, as he led all 40 laps. He finished a good distance ahead of second place Tim Ward. Completing the top five was third place Justin O'Brien, West Union, Iowa, Farmington, New Mexico's Zane DeVilbiss in fourth, and twenty year old Jerry Flippo, Bakersfield, California in fifth. The race was completed right on the bewitching hour of midnight.
Notes and observations from the 2021 Super Nationals:
How thankful everyone was for the wonderful weather this year.....no rain at all....after last year's nightmare. The young teenage drivers were in abundance in all classes. They get younger and younger every year. Vehicles were being towed again with fans parking where it was a no no. The "wave" by the grandstands and catwalks was a little weak this year, but got done. There were lots of "bad dog, no biscuit" black flags. Wade Aunger, the Aussie announcer added a lot of fun to the show this year, and was well received by everyone. He used the "Boone Spoon" mention for the draw in victory lane, and those with the wins down there, shouted out "Boone Shakalaka" phrase coined by Wade. Jerry Vansickel, and Ryan Clark, our regular announcers, were on their game as always, entertaining everyone with their wit, facts, and wisdom. There was a huge contingency of Western Region drivers, and they did very well, pleasing Western Region Director Paul Vetter to no end. Several are Midwest transplants or at least come back during the summer to race in our area. We heard we had cars from 27 states and BC Canada. Even had a Kentucky and Louisiana entries. I also stuck around for the engine auction afterwards, and both the SportMod and Hobby Stock went for $7000 each, and the Modified and Stock Cars sold for $7500.
We had a great time at the Super Nationals again. Not only seeing the great racing, but meeting up with so many of the racing family. We are catching our breath a bit, and will be back at it this coming weekend for the World Nationals at the Marshalltown Speedway on Friday and Saturday nights. For complete results of the Super Nationals, check out www.raceboone.com, www.imca.com, or www.myracepass.com. Take a look at all the drivers who participated from far and wide.
Our area racing season is drawing to a close, but a few races remain. Check the calendar at www.positivelyracing.com for a race that you can still attend. Keep supporting the sport we all love....dirt track racing!
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