Gilman is "Happy" in Victory Lane

It was a rainout at the Marshalltown Speedway on Friday, getting in just five heats before Mother Nature decided that was enough racing for the night.  Then on Saturday, she tried to stop racing at the Boone Speedway, but the shower in the early evening wasn't enough to end that.  The farming crew had the track back in shape quickly with just an eighteen minute delay in start time. 

The IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods, Hobby Stocks and Mod Lites, were on tap for their regular Saturday night series, and an added King of the Hill for the Modifieds added to the night's race program.  Also making their first appearance in 2021 were the 2 Man Cruisers.  The duo of Don Mason and Jason Miller took the checkers in the five car challenge.

Two drivers returned to victory lane after several year's absence, one driver I believe, made his first ever appearance on the winner's stage at the track and two drivers took repeat wins.

A King of the Hill race for the IMCA Modifieds preceded the feature events.  Sixteen drivers participated with the final four surviving pitted against each other for the $500 winning prize.  Mike VanGenderen, The Flying Dutchman came out on top, besting Todd Shute, Jake McBirnie, and Joel Bushore. Eight drivers were locked into the race for the night through points, and the other eight drivers qualified through their heat races to join the King of the Hill contest.  

Cody Yaw would lead all 15 laps of the IMCA STARS Mod Lite feature event.  Austin Gray, who last year piloted a Stock Car, hung close through the first few laps, but Yaw then pulled away to secure an easy victory....his second of the year.  Gray took the runner up spot, Colby Reid, rookie to the class, and in just his first handful of races, took third.  Fourth went to Josh May and Mike Kennedy was fifth.

Nic Runyan led the first five laps of the IMCA Northern SportMod feature, only to be off power and out of the race and Danny Fye taking over the top spot.  In the meantime, Johnathon Logue had moved from eleventh starting spot, up to run second and began challenging.  By lap eight, Logue had the lead, and then pulled away and secured another win.  Cam Reimers recovered nicely from an early race bobble, and finished as the runner up.  Third was visiting Chowchilla, California racer Kaylin Lopez, Jenae Gustin took fourth, and Izac Mallicoat completed the top five. This was Logue's second weekly feature win, plus also taking the Frostbuster checkers.

The IMCA Modifieds came to the track next for 20 laps of feature racing.  Chase Rudolf and Josh "Happy" Gilman led the field to green, with Gilman gaining the upper hand and taking command.  Gilman was challenged several times by Andy Tiernan, but it was to no avail as Gilman went on to take the checkers.  Tiernan had to be content with second place, Chase Rudolf finished third, Clint Wendel was fourth, and Jimmy Gustin raced from tenth starting spot to take fifth.  The race went green to checkers.  This was Gilman's first weekly win since 2011 at the Boone Speedway, and a "Happy" one he was getting back to the winner's circle after such a long absence. 

The Class too Tough to Tame, the IMCA Stock Cars ran their usual entertaining 20 lap race.  There was lots of close racing action up front with David Smith taking the early race lead. Mike VanGenderen was knocking on the door and Rod Richards, Donavon Smith, and Tyler Pickett were in hot pursuit as well.  A flat tire knocked Richards out of the game before the halfway mark of the race, and now Michael Jaennette had thrown his hat into the ring running in third spot behind Donavon Smith, as they both had their eye on David Smith.  Jaennette reeled them both in and took over the top spot on lap thirteen.  He then went on to hold that lead the remainder of the way to the checkers and the win.  David Smith finished second, brother Donavon Smith took third, Scott Davis started fifteenth, and finished fourth, and Mike VanGenderen snagged a top five finish.  This was Jaennette's first trip back to victory lane for a weekly show at Boone since May of 2014.

The IMCA Hobby Stocks found a first time winner taking a trip to the podium.  Matt McDonald wrestled away the lead from Jack Phillips with just three laps remaining in the 15-lap feature to take home the win.  Wayne Gifford took second place, just getting by third place finisher Eric Stanton in the closing moments.  Fourth went to Mike Smith, and Jack Phillips rounded out the top five. By my records (not always correct of course) it appears this was McDonald's first time winning a feature at Boone though a longtime competitor at the track.  

Find a race to attend and help support the sport we all love, dirt track racing.  

 

Bell takes first ever feature win, and Agee stays perfect

 It was Mahaska Bottling Company Night at the Races on Wednesday at the Southern Iowa Speedway.  It was also Kid's Night where the  youngsters enjoyed a ride around the big ole Monster Half Mile in a race car....and a little later, a candy scramble on the track during intermission.  

At the end of the night, history was made, when a driver who has raced for 30 years, finally got his first EVER feature win.  It also found a driver keep his 2021 record perfect at the speedway, winning for the third week in a row.

Just five Non-Wing Sprint cars were on hand, but this class made history last evening as the #71 of Robert Bell, "The Colfax Comet", put it in victory lane.  Bell, who has been racing for thirty years, was pretty emotional in his post race interview with announcer Jerry Mackey after winning his first feature.  "It means more to me than you'll ever know", was his comment, and the crowd responded with a rousing round of applause.  It was our understanding that he was also recovering from pneumonia, and wasn't sure he'd have the stamina to race last evening.  But race he did, and led all ten laps on his way to that elusive first win.  Congratulations to him!  

The Sport Compacts were the biggest class of the evening, bringing eighteen competitors to try their hand at taming "The Monster".  After an initial no start the 4-cylinder class raced the ten laps to the checkers without a yellow.  

Matt Moore led the first handful of laps but was suddenly off the pace and into the pits after lap five was scored.  This handed the race lead over to last week's winner Jaden DeLonjay with Clayton Webster in hot pursuit, and Jeffrey DeLonjay hanging close by.  Webster made the pass on lap seven to take the top spot away, and Jaden DeLonjay would then be off the pace the following lap and into the pits.  This would pit Webster and Jeffrey DeLonjay in the final run to the checkers.  It was no contest in the closing moments however, as Clayton Webster would take the checkers comfortably over Jeffrey DeLonjay in second.  Billy Cain, Lewie Winkelman, and Nathan Moody rounded out the top five.

Dustin Griffiths, last year's track champion in the Hobby Stock division, got back on track from his great 2020 season, and took the checkers, scoring his first win of the year.  Griffiths nabbed the lead away from Aaron Martin on lap three, and from there on, never looked back.  Martin took the runner up spot, Brad Stephens was third, fourth went to the previous two week's winner, Rick VanDusseldorp, and Keaton Gordon was fifth.

Logan Anderson started in the number one spot, and stayed there the entire 16-lap SportMod feature to make his first stop in victory lane for 2021.  Curtis VanDerWal was quickly up to challenge Anderson early in the race, and was applying pressure. But at the half-way mark, in an attempt to dive under Anderson in corner one, VanDerWal went uncharacteristically spinning out, bringing out a yellow.  VanDerWal tagged the field of eight cars for the restart.  Anderson would hold the top spot the remaining distance to the checkers to secure the win.  VanDerWal flew through the field to take the number two spot. Maguire DeJong, last week's winner, who was a bit late in arriving at the track as he was inducted into his Montezuma High School's National Honor Society, finished third.  Fourth went to Blaine Webster, and Scott Brau was fifth.  

Dustin Griffiths was hoping for a twofer night, as he led the 16 lap Stock Car feature through lap nine.  However, Derrick Agee had his goal of keeping his streak going as he started eighth and was up to challenge Griffiths by the half-way mark.  By lap ten, Agee had made the pass going down the back chute, for the lead.  Griffiths hung close but on this night, it was Agee again taking the checkers, Griffiths having to settle for second.  Todd Reitzler made his first appearance at the track in 2021, and went home with a third place finish.  Nathan Wood and Jason Hall rounded out the top five. Agee is a perfect three for three so far this season.

Next week, Wednesday May 19 will be Memorial Night at the races, where drivers and fans can recognize those who have left us.  

Find a race to attend and keep the sport of dirt track racing alive and well!  

 

100th win by Kay, Carter brothers double up, and Reynolds keeps it perfect

It was a rare Thursday night of Thunder at the Marshalltown Speedway where the 4th Annual Dale DeFrance Memorial was held. The race honored the late racer who started the long line of future racers connected with the DeFrance family that includes Gustins and Murtys.  Not a bad lineage!  

Justin Kinderknecht, the driver out of Salina, Kansas made his trip for racing in the area pay off by winning the 15 lap IMCA STARS Mod Lite feature and led all laps on his way to doing so.  Kinderknecht drew the lucky #1 pill, started on the pole, and had no trouble in taking the checkers.  Josh May took second, third was Cory Sonner, Ed Griggs from Pleasant Hill, Missouri was fourth and Mike Kennedy was fifth.  Kinderknecht had just come off a win at the Stuart Speedway the previous night and is in the area racking up some National points in the new IMCA sanctioned class.  

Kaden Reynolds made it a perfect points season thus far, when he captured his third straight feature win in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock 18 lap main event.  Reynolds started sixth, and had the lead by lap three, never to relinquish it.  Braden Richards crossed the line in second place.  However, a post race inspection handed Richards a disqualification, giving the runner up spot to Eric Knutson.  Kyle Parizek was third, fourth went Luke Schluetter, who recovered nicely after an early race spin, and Jeremiah Andrews took fifth.  Reynolds also won the Frostbuster special that kicked off racing at the speedway back on April 2.  Reynolds, who was initially dq'd last week after his win, was reinstated shortly after due to a question about a shock.  

The Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods went 18 laps for their main event and Brayton Carter went wire to wire in taking his first feature win of the season.  Johnathon Logue came from tenth starting spot to take second, and it was a fight to the finish for third through fifth place, as an intense battle ensued.  Jenae Gustin won out for third place over Dylan VanWyk in fourth, and Izac Mallicoat in fifth as the checkers fell.  Hard charger was Tony Olson, who came from twenty-second starting spot, to finish sixth.

Three yellows would fly in the Northern SportMod class, but thankfully, it was not the marathon that occurred the previous week.  

Damon Murty drew the #1 starting position for the 20 lap Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature.  Murty set sail on the top of the track, his preferred line at the High Banks, and went for a visit to Victory Lane.  Jeff Mueller (piloting a #81 car last evening instead of his usual #77) consistently dug on the bottom of the track like always.   He gave it his all in another nip and tuck finish at the line, but had to settle for second.  A close third went to Chanse Hollatz, Steve Meyer, last week's winner, was fourth, and Dallon Murty came from seventeenth starting position, to finish fifth.

Cayden Carter started seventh and quickly moved up to challenge pole sitter Richie Gustin in the IMCA Modified 20 lap clash.  By lap eight, Carter had the lead, which he would hold the remaining distance to the checkers.  Joel Rust threw a couple of challenges at Carter, but he could do no better than the runner up spot.  Tim Ward made big headway late in the race, finishing third after starting sixteenth.  Last week's winner, Dylan Thornton was fourth and pole sitter Richie Gustin took fifth.

The headline event of the evening was the running of the Dale DeFrance IMCA Late Model 44-lap event.  The 44 laps was another means of  honoring the late racer who ran that number on his race cars.  By the end of the race, the track was a mirror.  

Veteran racer Greg Kastli started on the outside of the front row, and immediately took the lead over Joe Zrostlik.  By lap ten,  seventh place starter Justin Kay had made his way to second place and began reeling in the leader.  Kay took the lead with a move to the outside of Kastli as they came out of corner four as lap nineteen went into the books.  From there on Kay had little trouble in keeping his run at the front of the field, pulling away and taking the victory.  He finished well ahead of second place Zrostlik, Todd Cooney made a late race pass around Greg Kastli as they went third and fourth respectively.  Fourteenth starter Matt Ryan rounded out the top five.  The win was extra special for Kay, as it marked his 100th IMCA Late Model win. 

There is no racing at the speedway this Friday night, but racing returns next Friday, May 14, for Casey's Salute to the Military and Haverhill Social Club Night.  The green flag drops at 7:30.

It was another windy and chilly night at the track.  Seems Mother Nature is not in a hurry to give us race fans some pleasant outdoor setting weather!  We did however enjoy the company of fellow Positively Racing colleague, Danny Rosencrans who made his way up from Missouri with some racing buddies.  Be sure and check his take of last night's action as well as the calendar at Positively Racing, and find a race to attend.  We've got to keep the sport going we all love....dirt track racing!

Agee and VanDusseldorp repeat in just second week at SIS

The Southern Iowa Speedway returned to racing Wednesday night, getting in week #2 of their season.  Two drivers repeated their wins from last week, and two drivers were missing in action.

Just five Non-Wing Sprint cars were on hand last evening and there was a new winner!  Doug Sylvester led all ten laps of the feature event and went home with his first win since the class started in 2019.  Kelly Graham chased him the entire distance and finished a close second.  Lance Silvers was a distant third.  Two cars did not finish.....Robert Bell, and AJ Johnson.  One driver missing in the pits last evening, was usual winner Jonathan Hughes.

Sport Compacts were up next for their 10-lap main event and this class also saw a first time winner at the track.  Jared DeLonjay made the haul over from Quincy, Illinois along with his brother Jeffrey, who also raced, and made it pay off.  

It was three-wide across the finish line as the first lap was scored, and Jared DeLonjay took the lead over Lewie Winkelman and Clayton Webster.  DeLonjay would then go on to lead all the remaining laps and score his first ever win at the track easily.  Clayton Webster took second over Lewie Winkelman in third.  Seth Meinders and Nathan Moody completed the top five.

It was a nip and tuck race in the Hobby Stocks.  Their 14 lap feature was a three car break away and they ran nose to tail most of the race.  Rick VanDusseldorp got the early lead with Dustin Griffiths and Aaron Martin tucking in right behind.  Griffiths ran on VanDusseldorp's bumper and took peeks for a way around, with Martin just waiting for the two to make a mistake as the laps wore down.  Lap thirteen, and VanDusseldorp and Griffiths went side-by-side, but VanDusseldrop's 1R was too much for the competition this night, and he took the win for the second week in a row.  Griffiths was a very close second, Martin went third, and Rick Goldsberry and Tyler Graves were fourth and fifth.

It was no contest in the 16 lap SportMod event as young Maguire DeJong started from the pole and no one could catch him as he swept to the easy win.  Blaine Webster came from row three to finish as the runner up.  Logan Anderson started in row five and took third place.  Casey Lancaster made the haul up from Glenwood, Missouri and took home fourth, and Tyler Heckert was fifth.  

DeJong has had a whirlwind 2021 already.  He just turned sixteen in March and already has an Iowa High School basketball team championship (Montezuma) and also won the SportMod division of the Bristol Dirt Nationals at the famed track.  His quote in Victory Lane was, "this track feels faster than Bristol".  

It was another close finish in the 16 lap Stock Car feature as Derrick Agee held off the challenges of Dustin Griffiths and secured his second win in as many weeks.  

Agee, Griffiths, and Nathan Woods (dubbed "The Racing Educator" by announcer Jerry Mackey) broke away from the pack, racing in that order for most of the feature.  That would be the way they would finish....one-two-three as the checkers fell.  Donnie Pearson took fourth, and Jason McDaniel was fifth.  

Racing was completed by 9:22 p.m. allowing fans to get on their way home for early morning work calls.  Next Wednesday night, May 12, at the Monster Half-Mile will be kids night presented by Mahaska Bottling Company.  Hot Laps are scheduled for 7:15, with racing to follow.

Thornton, Meyer, Peterson, Reynolds, May, and Davis, Jr. take Cliff Chambers Memorial victories

It was UAW Local 893 and Cliff Chambers Memorial night at the Marshalltown Speedway Friday. The race paid honor to Chambers, former promoter and longtime race supporter at the track.  All five regular IMCA classes were in competition along with the addition of the Karl Chevrolet Dirt Trucks. 

Josh May took home the trophy in the IMCA STARS Mod Lite 15 lap event, leading all but the first lap of the feature.  May started fourth, got to the front quickly and had no trouble in keeping a substantial lead through out the race. He finished well ahead of second place Joel Huggins.  Third went to Randy Bryan, Cory Sonner was fourth, and Austin Gray was fifth.

Veteran racer Bill Davis, Jr., stood in Victory Lane at the end of the 12 lap Karl Chevrolet Dirt Truck A main.  Davis was a happy camper in his winner's circle interview, stating that you just never know when it might be for the last time.  Davis led all laps on his way to the checkers.  Following a distant second place was Bryan Spangler, Rick Clark finished third, fourth was Dennis Plain, and Shonn Mapes completed the top five.

The IMCA Northern SportMods could not find their rhythm in their 20 lap main event....with yellow after yellow waving.  Tony Olson, led the first seven laps with Johnathon Logue in hot pursuit.  After several challenges, Logue made it stick and took over the top position on lap seven.  Olson would not go away however, and continued to pester Logue, and momentarily taking back the top spot, only to have Logue snatch it back.  They continued to battle hard and their battling for position resulted in them both spinning out low in corner four with just three laps remaining.  Travis Peterson was the happy recipient of the top spot when the race restarted. It was not an easy run to the finish as he was hounded by last week's winner Kyle Olson, and Austin Schrage, but held on to the top spot and was first to the checkers and the win.  Austin Schrage started eleventh and took the runner up position, and Kyle Olson started twelfth and finished in third.  Tony Olson re-grouped after his spin to garner a fourth place finish, and Thomas Egenberger was fifth.   

Kaden Reynolds, last week's winner in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock 20 lap feature led most of the event, and went on to capture back-to-back wins.  Reynolds took the lead at lap six and would stretch out his lead to finish well ahead of second place Braden Richards.  Richards started nineteenth and took  the hard charger recognition of the night.  Jeremiah Andrews, Solomon Bennett and Kyle Parizek rounded out the top five.  

Steve Meyer made it look easy on his way to the win in the 20-lapper for the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars.  He flew from starting eighth and into the lead by lap three, took to the lip of the track, and pulled away for an easy win.  The "Game Changer", Dallon Murty, came from ninth starting spot, to finish in the runner up spot.  Shawn Ritter started tenth, ran up front all race long, and finished third. Polesitter, Tyler Pickett was fourth, and Damon Murty came from twelfth, to finish fifth.

The night cap was the IMCA Modified main event.  Temporary transplant from Santa Maria, California, Dylan Thornton got to step into the Marshalltown Speedway Victory Lane for the very first time.  He led most of the feature easily to make his first visit to the speedway's winner's circle. Joel Rust ran out of time in his attempt to catch the leader, and had to settle for second place.  Jared VanDeest took third, Hebron, Illinois racer, Dustin Kroening took fourth, and Ronn Lauritzen finished in fifth place.

Up next at the Marshalltown Speedway will be the Dale DeFrance Memorial on Thursday, May 6.  The IMCA Sunoco Late Models will be the headliners, along with the IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods, Hobby Stocks, and STARS Mod Lites.  Please note that there will not be racing on Friday May 7 next week. 

The area racing season is getting started in full force now.  Be sure and check the calendar at Positively Racing, and find a race to attend and help keep the sport we love alive and well.    

  

Familiar faces back in Victory Lane for opening night at SIS

 After last week's weather out, the Southern Iowa Speedway finally got their season opener in the books on Wednesday night.  It wasn't without a bit of Mother Nature showing her hand though, as a passing shower stopped the racing action between heat races.  

Familiar faces at the speedway graced the winner's circle in the Stock Car, SportMod, Hobby Stock, Sport Compact, and Non Wing Sprint classes.  

The Non Wing Sprint Cars were on the docket first for their ten lap event. It only took Jonathan Hughes a brief moment after the green flag dropped to get the lead after starting second.  From there on it was all Hughes as he sailed off, eventually winning by a half a lap over second place Kelly Graham.  Ben Woods, Doug Sylvester, and Lance Silvers completed the top five.  Hughes was clocked going down the backstretch at 118 mph on the big old Monster half-mile.  He has dominated in the Non Wing class every since the division started running at the track in 2019.  

The Sport Compacts, the largest field of cars at the track last evening...sixteen strong, saw the familiar #52 dominate in this class too.  Billy Cain, the defending track champion, started on the pole and led all laps on his way to the checkers.  A late race caution drew the second place runner, Clayton Webster, to Cain's tail for the restart.  Cain would hold the challenger off at the flagstand, and cop his first feature win of the season at Oskaloosa.  Following second place finisher Webster, was James Haring in third place, Nathan Moody in fourth, and Koby Sabin took fifth. 

Longtime racer Rick VanDusseldorp would be yet another driver lead all laps in winning the 14-lap Hobby Stock main event. He didn't have it easy though as he had lots on his plate with the likes of Dustin Griffiths, Keaton Gordon, son of Doug Gordon, Jr. who use to be seen turning laps at the speedway in days gone by, and Brad Stephens.  Stephens run at the front would end when a lap car got in his way, and Stephens went for a spin, bringing out a yellow.  Meanwhile, under the yellow, Keaton Gordon pulled into the work area for some assistance, and then tagged the tail for the restart.  This put defending track champion Dustin Griffiths into second and eager for the restart.  

VanDusseldorp would have no trouble in keeping his lead through the final circuits, and took his first victory at the track for 2021.  Dustin Griffiths finished second and a close third went to Aaron Martin.  Fourth was Travis Bunnell and the T4 of Tyler Graves was fifth.  Graves switched classes this year, going from the Non Wing Sprints, into the Hobby Stocks. 

Logan Anderson looked to be out in front and gone in the SportMod feature, but never count out the 1V of Curtis VanDerWal at the track.  The two fought side by side for several laps before VanDerWal finally claimed the lead for good at lap thirteen of the sixteen lap feature.  He motored off from the field in the final moments and took another easy win.  Anderson had to be content with the runner up position on this night.  Blaine Webster would finish in third place, Maguire DeJong was fourth, and Tyler Heckart was fifth.

The sixteen lap Stock Car feature was mostly a shoot out between two cars, Dustin Griffiths and Derrick Agee. Griffiths started on the outside of the front row, and immediately took the lead as the race went green.  Fourth place starter Agee, was soon on his tail.  Agee, the Moberly, Missouri racer who makes the haul up each week to play at SIS, hounded leader Griffiths, taking peeks in the corners, which finally paid off at lap eight.  Griffiths didn't go away however, and kept fighting, sometimes running side by side down the straightaways.  On this night it wasn't to be though, as Agee took the hotly contested contest and the checkers.  It was a close one at the line with Griffiths going second.  Third went to Donnie Pearson, Howard Gordon, Jr. was fourth, and Nathan Wood taking fifth place.

The track had rain earlier in the day, but the track was groomed and ready to go when we arrived and radar was looking good.  Never count out Mother Nature though, as during the final Hobby Stock heat, the raindrops began to fall and the track began getting a shine.  The heat was completed with the cars tip toeing around the track.  

We had about a 27 minute delay waiting for the rain to stop, and the track repacked.  Then it was right back to racing.  

It was good to back at the Southern Iowa Speedway, setting with racing family, including Positively Racing colleagues Jeff Broeg, and Barry Johnson, and setting a ways down, race chaser Ed Reichert from Wisconsin.  Be sure and check for a couple more takes of the racing action last night at Positively Racing.  Also be sure and check the racing calendar posted on the website, and find a race to attend.  We need to keep the tracks open so we can all continue to enjoy the sport we all love....dirt track racing!  

McBirnie by a nose over Ward in thrilling challenge Modified win

It was weekly racing series #3 at the Boone Speedway on Saturday night with IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods, Hobby Stocks, and STARS Mod Lites in competition.  With more tracks opening up in the area, the car count was down a bit, but 136 was a nice field of cars nonetheless.  

Joel Huggins started on the pole and led all 15-lap of the IMCA STARS Mod Lite feature to take the win. Two yellows would fly during the event, which proved to be no issue for Huggins on his way to the winner's circle. Jon Braathun was second, just beating third place finisher Joe Glick at the line.  Fourth went to Mike Kennedy, and Josh May took fifth.

The 18 lap Northern SportMod feature was marred by yellow flags.  So much so, that the race would end under the time limit with only 14 laps being completed.  Initial leader David Hoover was overtaken by Dusty Lynch at lap three.  Lynch would continue to weather more cautions and was still leading when the drivers were told on a yellow flag at lap ten, they were under the time limit and would race to the checkered flag or the next caution, whichever came first. This was the first time in a long time, we remember this rule being implemented.  By this time, Johnathon Logue had made his way from thirteenth starting spot and into the runner up position.  When the race restarted, Logue applied the pressure to Lynch, and finally made his persistence pay off, getting the lead at lap fourteen. That fourteenth lap would be the final as another yellow flew, and the race was called complete.  Lynch had to settle for the runner up spot, Colby Fett finished third, fourth went to Tyler Titus, and Rocky Caudle hard charged his way to fifth from twenty-second starting position.

The 25 lap IMCA Modified feature was a spectacular event.  D & E Outside Services had put up $3,000 to a driver opting to start at the tail of the feature and win.  Jet Racing threw in an additional $500 making for a possible $3,500 pay off.  Five drivers went to the rear, Jimmy Gustin, Tim Ward, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Joel Bushore, and Paul Nagel.  Another incentive was for those drivers passing the most cars that didn't win, would get $750.  At the end of the feature, only Tim Ward would still be in the race.

Clint Wendel held down the top spot for the first two circuits, but Jake McBirnie came calling on lap three, flying into the lead.  By lap ten, the talent of Ricky Thornton, Jr. was shining through, as he had made his way into third place and just three laps later, had the lead! Thornton then rocketed off....only to drive it off of the top of turn one with a mechanical failure, putting himself out of the game.

When the race returned to action, McBirnie had inherited the top spot, with Nick Roberts, and challenge taker Tim Ward in tow. Ward just nosed out McBirnie for a brief moment, only to have McBirnie come right back into the top spot. The closing laps were tight, but McBirnie held out on this night and took the double checkers with Ward a close, close second. Roberts finished third, last week's winner Cory Sauerman came from tenth spot to finish fourth, and Mike VanGenderen from thirteenth to finish fifth. McBirnie and second place Tim Ward are brothers-in-law ironically.  McBirnie's comments in Victory Lane were, "I stayed on the cushion, and up on the wheel, and let her rip"!

The IMCA Stock Cars followed up with a green to checkered run in their 20 lap feature of the evening. Which was refreshing after the previous yellow flag marathon!  Shane Stoneburner looked to be on his way to a victory as he circled the lip of the track.  But Devin Smith had other ideas as he moved from twelfth starting spot to overtake Stoneburner with five laps to go.  From there on it was all Smith's race, scoring the easy win.  Kyle Everts, who led the opening laps was second, Stoneburner was third, Jeff Mueller started eleventh and finished fourth, and Tony Hofbauer rounded out the top five.  Devin Smith took his second feature win of the regular season, plus also scoring the Frostbuster victory. For the first time ever, Smith has forsaken his Mopar chassis, and is this year driving a Chevy....and he has been fast each and every time we've seen him compete.  Between him and his brother Donavon, they are the only drivers to win at Boone Speedway so far this year.  As an added note, the caution free race was run in 6 minutes, and 29 seconds. 

The IMCA Hobby Stocks also put together a caution free 15 lap main event.  Braden Richards started fourth and had the lead at lap one, never to relinquish it on his way to the checkers.  Solomon Bennett and Jack Phillips ran at the front all race long and finished second and third respectively.  Luke Ramsey and Eric Stanton completed the top five.

Next up at the Boone Speedway will be the World of Outlaws Late Model two-day show on Friday April 30, and Saturday May 1.  As we understand it, the WoO has rented the track and will be running the entire show.  The IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, and Northern SportMods will also be in competition as support classes both days.  For more information check Boone Speedway Facebook page, raceboone.com or the World of Outlaws Facebook or website.