BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 3) – He was driving a new car but the results were the same.
Jacob Ellithorpe repeated as Sport Compact champion at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. He took the $260 checkers more than a straightaway ahead of his closest pursuit Tuesday night at Boone Speedway.
The 25-lapper ran caution-free. Chuck Fullenkamp and Brad Chandler each led a single circuit before the 11th starting Ellithorpe made his way to the front to stay.
2011 champion Nathan Chandler, Brad Chandler and Merv Chandler completed the top four. Mitch Bolton was fifth.
“I knew the Chandlers were back there and that they’d be coming,” Ellithorpe said following his successful return to Boone. “When I got into lapped traffic, I tried to watch five cars ahead of me and then run where they weren’t.”
“I didn’t think I’d be able to get through the middle alive and get to the front,” he added, “but I got lucky.”
A Super Nationals record 63 Sport Compacts vied Tuesday and the 30-car main event field was represented by five states.
Mike Barten and Tyler Whalen advanced 14 positions to sixth and eighth, respectively. Ramsey Meyer moved up 11 places to seventh and hard charger John Whalen was a plus 16 to 10th.
Their story, however, was the same as for the drivers who started closer to the front: Nobody could catch Ellithorpe.
He caught up with the back of the pack by lap eight, led by most of a straightaway before halfway and had four lapped cars – and a lot of real estate – between his back bumper and Nathan Chandler by lap 16.
“It’s great to be able to win this again,” Ellithorpe said. “We watched races earlier in the week and made some changes after we ran second in our heat. Everything just worked out for us.”
Feature results – 1. Jacob Ellithorpe, Maquoketa; 2. Nathan Chandler, Norway; 3. Brad Chandler, Cedar Rapids; 4. Merv Chandler, Urbana; 5. Mitch Bolton, Grand Junction, Colo.; 6. Mike Barten, Maquoketa; 7. Ramsey Meyer, Pierce, Neb.; 8. Tyler Whalen, Riverside; 9. John Whalen, Ainsworth; 10. Chuck Fullenkamp, Fort Madison; 11. Jake Benischek, Durant; 12. Lanny Bolton, Aurora, Colo.; 13. Brannon Bechen, Farley; 14. Cory Flanigan, Storm Lake; 15. Mike Nehring, Ankeny; 16. Cody Thompson, Sioux City; 17. Kimberly Abbott, Camp Point, Ill.; 18. Cory Peters, Spencer; 19. Joe Baker, Omaha, Neb.; 20. Tim Doocy, Swea City; 21. John Gill, Marshalltown; 22. William Michel, Muscatine; 23. Terry Blowers, Waseca, Minn.; 24. Michael Reicks, New Hampton; 25. Dan Markham, Omaha, Neb.; 26. Luke Jackson, Sioux City; 27. Adam Gates, Marion; 28. Brandon Lambert, Carthage, Ill.; 29. Brooke Fluckiger, Columbus, Neb.; 30. Nate Coopman, Mankato, Minn.
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