After two consecutive weeks of rain outs, the Boone Speedway sprang back to life with a big show on Saturday night. Drivers from near and far packed the pits with 176 race cars, that included the extra added attraction of the Karl Chevrolet Dirt Trucks racing along with the five regular IMCA classes. And, FINALLY, the weather cooperated without fans having to bundle up to watch the racing action....though the strong winds still continued to persist, thankfully out of the south.
The D & E Outside Services IMCA Modifieds saw a first timer take the win, when Brandon Leeman took the checkers. In the Arnold Motor Supply IMCA Stock Cars, it was Josh Daniels with the victory. Cam Reimers was victorious in the Elmquist Towing IMCA Northern SportMods, while Mike Smith took the honors in the Pickett Salvage IMCA Hobby Stocks. Joel Huggins made it back-to-back wins in the My Race Pass STARS IMCA Mod Lites, and Rod Richards hopped into a Karl Chevrolet Dirt Truck, and came away with a win.
The STARS Mod Lites ran their 15 lap feature first. Joel Huggins dominated, leading all but the opening two laps of the event. He was challenged early by Joe Glick, but that would end suddenly on lap seven when Glick clipped a tire in turn one, nearly rolling, and then three others cars getting caught up in the incident. As the action picked back up, Huggins pulled away, matching his win from opening night. Cory Sonner took the runner up spot. Third went to pole sitter, Austin Gray, Jon Braathun was hard charger, coming from seventeenth starting spot to take fourth, and Steven Kennedy took fifth, after starting fifteenth.
It was great to see Jason Toppenberg back racing a Mod Lite. Toppenberg is a veteran racer who has come full circle over the years according to announcer Jerry Vansickel, having tried his hand first with what was then called the Dwarf car, then trying his hand at several other classes that included Modified, Late Model, and even some drag racing. He looked to not have missed a beat and was running in second place with four laps remaining, when he pulled off during the caution.
Cam Reimers led all laps of the IMCA Northern SportMod feature to take his first win of the season. Colton Nelson chased Reimers for most of the race, but had to be content with second place. The final lap of the race saw Kaylin Lopez and Izac Mallicoat, running third and fourth respectively, have issues, and not finish the race. This put Dusty Masolini to cross the finish line for a third place finish, and Kenny Wyman in fourth. Taylor Musselman started twelfth, and rounded out the top five.
Reimers, in his sharp looking Mystic Lubricant's ride, spent some time racing out West during our off season here, and honed his skills on some different racing surfaces, and being quite successful.
A first time winner in the IMCA Modifieds found victory lane at Boone Saturday night. Roland, Iowa's Brandon Leeman took the lead away from Jamie Anderson on lap five, and kept it the rest of the way to score his first Modified victory at the track. Jake McBirnie made up ground in the closing moments in a late race charge, and fell just short at the checkers, and had to be content with the runner up spot. Jamie Anderson held on for third place, fourth went to Nick Meyer, and Nick Roberts was fifth. Leeman used to race in the SportMod division, and as of recent years has been in the Modified class. A look back through my unofficial records, it appears this was his first time standing on the podium at Boone.
It was a two truck race the entire 20 laps of the Karl Chevrolet Dirt Truck main event. Rod Richards, usually found behind the wheel of his IMCA Stock Car, got the call to pilot the usual ride of Bryan Spangler. He and Indianola's Jeff Johnson dueled it out for the entire race, with Johnson holding the upper hand from lap three on. That is, until the final corner as they were looking at the checkers. Richards took advantage of a lap vehicle, and made the pass to slip by for the win. Johnson had to be content with second place, Rick Clark, Shawn Cooney, and Shonn Mapes completed the top five.
The Class too Tough to Tame, the IMCA Stock Cars found Josh Daniels standing in Victory Lane at the end of their 20 lap feature. He slipped by early leader Nick Roberts just before a caution flag flew on lap six. When the race returned to action, Daniels distanced himself from the pack in the remaining laps, and took the comfortable win. It was a duel for second and third as Donavon Smith and Jay Schmidt duked it out....Smith getting the upper hand and taking the runner up position, Schmidt going third. Matt West was fourth after starting twelfth, and Devin Smith hard charged his way through the field, coming from twentieth starting spot, to take fifth.
The finale of the night was 15 laps of IMCA Hobby Stock action. Mike Smith started on the outside front row, took the immediate lead, and never looked back. John Watson reeled in Smith in the closing laps, but ran out of laps to do more than second place. Curt Reed was third, pole sitter Seth Butler was fourth, and Chad Rigby in fifth.
It seemed strange not to see veteran racer Robert Stofer racing his familiar #50 in the Stock Car division tonight, but lo and behold, there he was racing in the Northern SportMod class! We also noted Tanner Jones, who hails from Ogallala, Nebraska and races in the IMCA Stock Car division, now shows Boone, Iowa as home. It appears he joins a growing number of drivers from the west now calling Iowa home. Another observation of the night saw Taylor Kuehl, the talented lady racer who hails from Arizona and now calls Boone, Iowa home, was doing double duty. She raced her hotrod in the Northern SportMod class, (she won the Frostbuster as well as opening night) and then hopped in Jerry Schipper's Stock Car for some extra racing action.
Boone will keep earlier hours during the month of May, with hot laps at 5, and racing at 6, before returning to "summer hours" in June with hot laps at 6 and racing at 7.
Get out and find a race to attend. Keep the sport we all love, alive and well.
No comments:
Post a Comment