I know that I say this every year, but I guess that I just feel that it is worth repeating. If you have never been to the IMCA Super Nationals at the Boone Speedway, and you are a race fan, then you have something that you MUST add to your “to do” list. One of my goals is to someday test my endurance and spend the entire six days watching each and every race at this spectacular annual event, but for now I will have to settle for what I have done for the past several years, and what I did again yesterday (Wednesday). In my line of work this is one of the busiest times of the year so it is next to impossible for me to take a full week off to enjoy “America’s Racing Vacation”, but I am able to slip away for one afternoon and make the three hour drive up to Boone. And, with the racing action now getting underway at 3 p.m., I get to see six hours of intense racing action before my self-imposed curfew that puts me at home and in bed by midnight ready for another day of work on Thursday. Drivers come from all across the United States to compete, every position in every race counts, the drivers race hard but know that if they get too aggressive the black flag will fly, the scheduled “farming” sessions keeps the track multi-grooved all night long and the Boone Speedway crew along with the IMCA officials somehow run this behemoth like it is a well-oiled machine. My point is this; as a fan you don’t have to invest a full week to get a taste of this event for the first time, try a six-hour “spoonful” and I’ll bet that you’ll be back for more in the future!
Following are my notes and observations from my six hours at the Super Nationals.
Burlington, Iowa, driver Bill Roberts had the honor of drawing the pole position for the first qualifying heat for the Modifieds at the 2009 Super Nationals and he held on for the second and final transfer to Wednesday’s first Qualifying “A” Main behind Sioux City’s Chris Abelson.
Michael Long of Quincy, Illinois, is at Boone for his first time ever and benefited from a spin by early race leader Jay Goosman to take the win in his qualifying heat.
2007 Super Nationals Modified champion Todd Shute was a rocket coming from the eighth starting spot to win heat race number four.
Veteran drivers Dennis Pittman from Jamaica and Rich Smith of Davenport finished first and second respectively in heat race number six. Announcer Blake Anderson noted that Smith was an A-Main qualifier in the first-ever Super Nationals held in Vinton in 1983. And, while drivers do come to Boone from far off distances, Pittman’s hometown is in Iowa ‘Mon.
Greg Cox knew that he was losing oil pressure mid-race, but as he told infield announcer Terry Hoenig when you are leading a heat race at the Super Nationals you don’t quit until it blows. Unfortunately blow it did with just two laps to go handing the win over to Kansas driver Brian Knoell.
Always a threat to win this event John Logue started on the pole of his heat and was driving away from the competition when mechanical issues forced him to the infield three laps from the checkers. North Platte, Nebraska, driver Jay Steffens stepped up to take the win.
Chad’s pick to win this year (he claims that he has ‘em right every other year and he didn’t pick Kevin Stoa last year) Mark Elliott started dead last in eleventh in the 12th heat race and came up inches short of taking the win as Mike McCarthy of Round Rock, Texas, beat him by a nose.
Young David Mayhew of Bakersfield, California, won the NASCAR Grand National West race at the Iowa Speedway on Friday night and then stuck around to drive a Jet Racing Modified at Boone. Mayhew started in row four and was able to pick his way through the field to take second to Waterloo’s Ed Thomas and move on to the second Qualifying “A” Main of the night.
The first twenty-lap Qualifying “A” Main would lock in the first two drivers to Saturday’s grand finale and this race took the green flag at 6:24 p.m. Michael Long started from the pole and looked like he might run away with an easy win despite a couple of cautions mid-race. Track regular Jake Durbin makes it a habit to qualify for the Super Nationals feature each year and he would do it again tonight as he tracked down Long after starting in row four and made the pass for the lead with a lap and a half remaining for the victory. Long would do something that is virtually impossible anymore and that is to make the Saturday show in his first attempt while Rich Smith’s third-place finish would toss him back into the mix on Thursday. Jay Steffens and Jay Matthias would round out the top five.
Nebraska’s Don Hagan Jr. looked to have things well in control during heat fourteen only to spin out handing the win over to Bob Moore. Brandon Rothzen, a regular competitor at Donnellson and Burlington, recovered from an early mishap to finish second.
Jay Noteboom was hooked up and haulin’ as he started eighth and grabbed the lead on lap five on his way to winning the fifteenth heat race.
Brian Calhoon and Adam Larson were set to start from the front row in the 18th heat, but when they were unable to stay side-by-side coming to the green on two occasions, they were both sent to the rear. Larson then fought his way back to the front as he would finish second to Scott Baker.
Jay Schmidt of Marshalltown won both his Stock Car heat and his Modified heat this evening.
A 25-lap Qualifying Feature for the Stock Cars tonight would determine the final ten competitors for Saturday’s finale and Green Bay, Wisconsin’s John Heinz would go flag-to-flag to take the win. Keith Knop kept the pressure on Heinz throughout, but it looked like the drivers who were running in the top eight knew that they didn’t want to try anything that might knock them out of a qualifying spot. Jeffrey Larson would take third, Josh Hohensee fourth, fifth went to Robert Stofer with Brian Irvine, Jesse Colwell and Jay Schmidt next in line. The racing from ninth on back was intense though as Stock Cars ran three and four-wide around the high banked quarter. Mike Jergens made the big moves coming from row ten to take ninth at the checkers while Nathan Burke and Jason Ward crossed the line in nearly a dead heat for tenth. Burke would take the final spot in Saturday’s feature race by just inches over Ward and Jason showed his sportsmanship by shaking Nathan’s hand as they awaited the verdict in the tech area. The race was red-flagged on lap three when Sean Johnson climbed the wall on the front stretch and rolled one time before being clobbered by Jim Mitchell who had no place to go. Mitchell quickly climbed from his car to check on Johnson who also escaped the wild ride unhurt.
The second twenty-lap Qualifying “A” Feature for the Modifieds got off to a rough start when pole-sitter Jay Schmidt’s steering locked up and he spun in front of the field in turn two on the first lap. Jay Noteboom, Bob Moore and others were collected with Noteboom going to the back of the twenty-car lineup for the restart. Local driver Scott Baker took the lead and opened a bit of an advantage as Noteboom made a spectacular charge all the way up to sixth in just five laps, but just after Mark Elliott spun in turn three Noteboom slid to the apron in turn four and stopped just as the caution waved for Elliott. Since Noteboom was stopped for the second time when a caution was out in the event he was sent to the pits for the evening. Back to racing, Baker was in control throughout as the race to watch was for second with Dave Hardesty applying the pressure to Ronnie Wallace. With two laps to go Hardesty slammed into the side of Wallace ripping the driver-side bodywork off of Wallace’s car and causing one last caution for the debris. On the restart Hardesty took one last shot at Wallace, but he could not get by as “Rockin’ Ronnie” would join Baker as qualifiers for Saturday’s big show. Jeff Emerson of Hobbs, Texas, came from row ten to finsh fourth while Wisconsin driver Brian Mullen rounded out the top five. As I headed to my car in the parking lot I could hear Wallace say that he could feel a big hangover coming on as he had never been able to qualify on the first night before, so a big party would be in order.
A big thanks to fellow PR.com bloggers Dick & Joyce Eisle and Kevin Trittien for saving me a spot in the stands and for sharing their line-up sheets with me. They will be in Boone for the entire week so take a look at their thoughts as well. Yes, I know that it may be a pain for some to click a couple of times, but…… (inside joke!)
My next action will be next Friday and Saturday night September 18th & 19th for the Pepsi USA Late Model Nationals at 34 Raceway in Burlington. Hope to see you there!
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