It got to be a struggle at times, but we managed to get nine straight days/nights of racing in recently. We started off at the Marshalltown Speedway on Friday night, August 30 for their Showdown in MoTown special. Right after that was completed, we headed right over to check into our hotel in Ames for the upcoming marathon at the Boone Speedway starting on Saturday for their two-night Prelude to the Super Nationals, and then right into the 42nd Annual Super Nationals that started on Labor Day Monday. We seldom are known to leave a race early, but a few nights of the Super Nationals, we did just that!
Prelude Night #1 on Saturday, August 31 saw 416 cars in competition in the IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, Mod Lites, and Sport Compacts. There were 20 Mod Lites that punched their ticket to their Super Nationals Big Dance on Sunday, with Jaedon McDowell from Murfreesboro, Tennessee winning their first A Main, to start on the pole and Dillon Raffurty won the second A, and would start on the front of the middle row on Sunday.
The Sport Compact Prelude win went to Dyllan Bonk, Hannibal, Missouri who led most of the race, lost the lead on lap 19 of the 20 lapper, but regained it to claim the win.
The IMCA Stock Cars had 157 in the house, and with that car count, two A Mains were run. The first feature went to Troy Jerovetz. Jerovetz started on the pole and led all 25 laps to claim his Prelude Championship. The second 25 lap feature went to sixth place starter John Oliver, Jr. He chased then leader Jay Schmidt through lap ten, but gained the lead at lap eleven and then held it to the flying checkers and the win.
There were 131 IMCA Modifieds checked in, and they too, ran two A Mains. Tim Ward took command from his outside front row starting spot, passing leader Izac Mallicoat on lap five, and never looked back. Ward, who amazingly has won the Prelude for the last four years, once again took the podium, and was dubbed, "Prince of the Prelude". A Main #2 was red flagged on lap one when veteran racer, Russ Dickerson rolled off of the top between turns three and four, coming to a rest jammed against some of the catwalk posts. It was a relief to know when he was out of the car, however the accident would put an end to his upcoming week at the Super Nationals. When the race restarted it didn't take long for Cody Laney to slide his way around Mike VanGenderen and into the lead, and Jake McBirnie followed suite to take over second. The chase was then on as slide after slide was attempted by McBirnie, until he finally made it stick on lap eleven. He kept hold of the top spot then the rest of the race to score the victory over Laney.
The last checkers flew at 1:24 a.m.....and we were already behind the 8 ball with lack of sleep!
Sunday, September 1, and Day #2 of the Prelude to the Super Nationals dawned and another beautiful day. Today would see the crowning of the first of the 2024 Super Nationals champions as the IMCA Mod Lites finished their qualifying and then their Big Dance finale. For a while it was appearing as though Dillon Raffurty would be taking his third championship since it first began in 2021, but mechanical issues put him out of the running just after the halfway point of the race. When he pulled off into the pits, this put Riley Clem, Wildersville, Tennessee to the point, and he would then pull away from the field and take his first Super National's crown.
Other Prelude winners on the night were Matt Looft in SportMod A #1, and Logan Anderson in SportMod A #2. Zach Olmstead won Hobby Stock A #1, and it was Cory Probst, Brewster, Minnesota taking A #2. Racing drew to a close at 12:35 a.m. and we were beginning to run on empty.
Labor Day Monday, September 2, was the official first day of the 2024 IMCA Super Nationals, and as always, was the traditional day for the Late Models and their Big Dance. Also starting their qualifying run were the SportMods and the Hobby Stocks.
There were 39 IMCA Late Models in the house with the starting field of 24 cars being whittled down through B mains. Austin Becerra the driver from Carthage, Illinois was looking strong as he led the troops after grabbing the immediate lead from his pole starting position and held it through lap forty of the 50 lap event. He then suddenly drove off of the track, assuming because of mechanical issues, and this put Cory Dumpert to the lead. Yellows would fly on lap forty-four....twice, and again on lap forty-five, shaking up the field for the restart....Dumpert still in command. However, by that time Dylan Thornton, the Orcutt, California native who is now calling Belle Plaine, Iowa home had worked his way into second place. The final laps were a shoot out between Dumpert and Thornton, sliders being thrown. A slider by Thornton in turn two with just one lap remaining paid off for him, and he raced his machine home to score the win. Cory Dumpert, Anthony Roth, Matt Ryan, and Alex Bank completed the top five.
We wore out before the racing was finished for the night, and headed to our hotel in Ames for some much needed sleep.
Day #2 of the 2024 Super Nationals would crown one more Champion in the IMCA Sport Compact class while the SportMods and the Hobby Stocks continued with their qualifying. There was also the Race of Champions for the SportMods and the Hobby Stocks. Jake Sachau won the SportMods and it was Cory Probst, Brewster, Minnesota in the Hobby Stock class.
We ran out of steam again before the Big Dance for the IMCA Sport Compacts, but it was Brad Chandler taking those honors.
Day #3, and the day the IMCA Modifieds and Stock Cars made their first appearance. The crowd always seems to increase substantially on this day. There were 78 races and 726 laps on this day. Yeah...we didn't see all of that, as once again we had to get some rest. We heard the racing was over around 3 a.m.
Thursday, September 5, and Day #4 of the 2024 IMCA Super Nationals. This was the day we were a bit worried about the "R" word, and as we left Ames to drive to the track, we did run into rain, though not very hard. Thankfully it was only about an hour long, and by 11:30 a.m., it was gone....never to be seen again the rest of the week! It was no issue for the track, in fact, probably good for it, and racing began for the day just a bit after the 2 p.m. announced start. It was cooler and more overcast for those early in the day races, which was also good. The Modifieds and Stock Cars continued their qualifying and the Stock Cars ran their All Star Invitational 30 lap event. Hometown driver, Jake McBirnie got to the lead on lap five, and never looked back to secure that title. We called it a night early once again and headed for our hotel in Ames. We were told the racing ended somewhere after 2:30 a.m.
Friday, and it was Day #5....when it's Monday or Tuesday you are thinking the final days are so far off, but here it was Friday already!
The Modifieds and Stock cars continued qualifying for their Big Dances on Saturday, and The Modifieds ran their 30 lap All Star Invitational. Tom Berry, Jr. started sixth in the three-wide starting field of 30 cars, and by lap two, he had the lead. It was all but over then as Berry kept it up front the rest of the way to the flying checkers. Once again we headed out before the races ended. We heard the final checkers flew about 12:40 a.m.
Saturday, September 7, and it was the Big Dance day for the Modifieds, Stock Cars, SportMods, and Hobby Stocks. Last chance heats and then last chance, last chance A's were run for the the Modifieds and Stock Cars to fill in their 33 and 30 car starting grids respectively. The Modifieds and Stock Cars also had their Race of Champions. Devin Smith led all 12 laps of the Stock Car ROC to claim that honor, as did Mitchell Hunt, Lakeview, Michigan in the 12 lapper for the Modified ROC.
There was a record number of 168 Hobby Stocks this year. When the 30 car 3-wide field began their 30 lap Big Dance, early on there were four former Champions running 1-2-3-4, those being Dylan Nelson, Mike Smith, Nathan Ballard, and Zach Olmstead. With 10 laps remaining, the four drivers were still at the front, but Mike Smith had taken over as the leader. A lap later, Nelson was out of the game with a flat tire. Heavy lap traffic was encountered at lap 25, and that's when the final caution came out, setting up what would be a dash to the checkers...Smith still leading. In the scramble to the finish, Olmstead got eliminated, as did Smith who suffered a flat tire when the two made contact...Olmstead getting the "bad dog, no biscuit" black flag. This put Nathan Ballard to the lead for the final run to the finish....which he held to take the win...matching his win from 2020. Cody Williams, Minneapolis, Kansas moved up twelve spots to finish second, as did Brewster, Minnesota's Cory Probst who was scored third. John Watson hard charged his way to finish fourth after advancing twenty-one positions. Keith Burg rounded out the top five.
The Northern SportMods had 176 entries. Their 3-wide, 30 car Big Dance was also 30 laps.
Tony Olson started on the pole and took the immediate lead, but it was the outside front row starter Logan Anderson leading at lap two. It was quite an entertaining slide job contest throughout the first half of the race, Anderson always able to maintain the lead despite Olson's attempts. A caution flew at lap sixteen and on the restart Olson was able to gain the lead...but only briefly for one lap, and then Anderson came storming back to the front. In the final go arounds, Anderson was able to pull away from the field, and when the checkers flew, took the easy win. Robbie Thome, Spalding, Nebraska came from starting in the middle of the third row and finished a distant second. Dylan VanWyk, Oskaloosa, Iowa took third place, early leader Tony Olson was fourth, and Muscatine, Iowa's Shane Paris was fifth.
The IMCA Stock Cars came up next for their 30 lap, 30 car, 3-wide Dance. The class had a record setting 266 entries this year. They have been one of the largest classes running this year that we've noticed in our area. Many Modified drivers have taken to racing the fendered cars as well, all seem to love it. One of those is veteran racer Kelly Shryock. Shryock, who has tried many times in the past for a Super Nationals win, just falling short one year in the Modified division, finally got that elusive title in the Stock Car class.
Jake McBirnie and Dallon Murty put on the show in the early going as they wrestled back and forth but Kelly Shryock was soon in the picture after starting in the middle of the second row and began pressuring the front two. A caution flew on lap 15, Murty leading, McBirnie in second, and Shryock in third. When the race restarted, Murty and McBirnie made contact going into turn two, and Shryock shot past them both, and into the lead! Murty didn't go away and the closing circuits saw him pestering Shryock to the max....but it was to no avail, and Shryock finally got that long yearned for Super Nationals win. Murty finished as the runner up, Fairmont, North Dakota's Jonny Carter was third, Jeff Mueller was fourth, and Jake McBirnie was fifth.
It was an emotional interview in Victory Lane for Shryock as he mentioned saying a little prayer to his dad as the race was winding down. Shryock was the 26th different Big Dance winner in the Stock Cars....and in his 40th year of racing. He received one of the loudest ovations we have heard at the Super Nationals.
And now it was time for the finale of the 42nd Annual IMCA Super Nationals....the Modified 40 lap, 33 car, 3-wide Big Dance. There were 225 entries in the class of 2024.
Troy Morris III, one of the many Bakersfield, California racers in attendance... and known as "TM3" led the first handful of laps, but it was Dylan "Dilly Dilly" Thornton taking the lead on lap six from starting on the outside of row two. Dallon Murty fell into run second from starting in the middle of the front row, and Zack VanderBeek tagged on to run third after his middle of the second row starting position. The three ran nose to tail for lap after lap, Murty taking peeks under leader Thornton from time to time, but never a real threat. After a caution and subsequent restart on lap thirty, VanderBeek was able to take over second place, and he too, began peeking under Thornton. It was no issue however, as Thornton kept hold of that coveted lead those final ten laps to the flying checkers and secured the Super Nationals Big Dance Modified win. Tanner Black, Otis, Kansas, came on late in the race after starting ninth, and took the runner up title. VanderBeek was third, Murty took fourth, and Austen Becerra, Carthage, Illinois rounded out the top five. Thornton became the 30th different Modified champion in the 42 year history, and was a double Big Dance winner this year after his Late Model win on Monday.
That last checkered flag fell at 11:18 on Saturday night, and yes, we did stay for all of the racing on that night!
Some notes from this year's races:
This year's Super Nationals had one of, if not the best ever, weather runs. The fans filed into the stands late on some nights, and on Saturday night, it was so crowded you could hardly get through the concession area behind the main grandstands.
Former Super Nationals champions are invited back to the event each year, and this year we were privileged to have the 2nd Super Nationals Modified champion spend some time with us. Jack Mitchell was the 1984 SNs champion that was held in Independence, Iowa. The 1993 Modified champion, Ron Pope also spent a short time in the VIP tower.
It was a record 1,036 entries this year, and 506 races were run...including the Prelude. That's a lot of cars and a lot racing! The dedicated track crew did it again this year. After late nights, or rather early mornings before the racing was done, they were back out on the track "farming" in just a few hours...day after day. The scoring tower had little sleep as well, but still got it all done like a fine oiled machine.
We love catching up with racing family we see but once a year, as well as our Iowa racing family we hang with throughout the year. That is one of the best parts of the entire Super Nationals. Of course the racing is great too, and we saw some fabulous finishes that came right down to the wire.
Edit: We often stick around for the motor auctions after the final race on Saturday, but didn't this year. However, this is what we learned they went for. Hobby Stock $7,500, SportMod $8,000, Stock Car $10,500, and Modified $7,000.
We may have a race or two left in 2024, but weather will determine that for us. There are races to be found for those more hardy than us though, so find a track to support and help keep the sport we all love....dirt track racing....alive and well!
