BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 11) – A straight forward strategy sent Dallon Murty straight into the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s record book.
Get to the front and stay there.
The 16-year, eight-month old nicknamed ‘The Game Changer’ led the last 19 laps in winning Saturday’s Stock Car main event at Boone Speedway, becoming the youngest champion – by two months – crowned in the storied history of America’s Racin’ Vacation.
A record 222 Stock Cars vied at the 39th annual event. Murty earned $5,000 for the win.
“Winning Super Nationals means a lot, so much that I can barely put it into words. I’m grateful for the car I’m in and the support I have behind me,” said Murty, son of 2018 champion Damon Murty. “It’s pretty cool that both of us are Super Nationals champions. It’s not something a lot of fathers and sons have done.”
While other father-son combinations have won Super Nationals titles, the Murtys are the first to do it in the same division.
Two-time champion Devin Smith, part of another family with a rich history in IMCA, started from the pole but it was Minnesotan Derek Green and Californian Dylan Thornton who ran 1-2 through the first nine laps.
Green finally fell off the pace and the fourth starting Murty took over at the front, for good, on lap 12. Thornton cemented himself into second on lap 17. Smith ended in third, Green in fourth.
“I wanted to get to the lead as fast as possible and stay there. I know how good everybody is but I race the race and not the drivers,” said Murty, who followed his Prelude win with the checkers in his career first Super Nationals start. “We didn’t even make a qualifier last year. Seat time has helped a lot since then and our knowledge has expanded. We’ve found a couple setups that worked a lot better this year.”
Damon Murty watched the conclusion of the Super Nationals main event from the infield after getting into the wall before midway and was right there to congratulate Dallon.
“I’d seen him go out and knew he’d be the first one over to me,” Dallon said. “That meant a lot.”
The BGM High School junior was also a first-time Modified qualifier, finishing 20th in that Big Dance.
“We’re going to keep doing what we’re doing,” he promised. “We’re going to keep working hard in the shop and win as many races as possible.”
Hard charger Michael Jaennette motored all the way from 28th starting to sixth, David Smith from 25th to eighth and first-time qualifier Justin Luinenburg from 29th to ninth.
Fourteen drivers were first-time main event qualifiers. Zane DeVilbiss became the first driver from New Mexico to make the show.
Damon Murty and Jay Schmidt both qualified for the 16th time in their respective careers, Donavon Smith for a record-extending 15th consecutive time, and Jeremy Christians, Brandon Czarapata and David Smith each for the 14th.
The previous youngest Super Nationals champion was Nick Roberts, who was 16 years and 10 months old when he won the Northern SportMod crown in 2012.
Feature results – 1. Dallon Murty, Chelsea; 2. Dylan Thornton, Santa Maria, Calif.; 3. Devin Smith, Lake City; 4. Derek Green, Granada, Minn.; 5. Troy Jerovetz, Iowa Falls; 6. Michael Jaennette, Kellogg; 7. Zachary Madrid, Phoenix, Ariz.; 8. David Smith, Lake City; 9. Justin Luinenburg, Reading, Minn.; 10. Johnny Spaw, Cedar Rapids; 11. Brock Badger, Bagley; 12. Chanse Hollatz, Clear Lake; 13. Jay Schmidt, Tama; 14. John Oliver Jr., Danville; 15. Buck Schafroth, Orient; 16. Mitch Meier, Chilton, Wis.; 17. Mike Albertsen, Audubon; 18. Johnathon Logue, Logansport; 19. Tathan Burkhart, Hays, Kan.; 20. Jeremy Christians, Horicon, Wis.; 21. Zane DeVilbiss, Farmington, N.M.; 22. Jake McBirnie, Boone; 23. Damon Murty, Chelsea; 24. Kelly Shryock, Fertile; 25. Jeffrey Larson, Lakefield, Minn.; 26. Dusty Van Horn, Atlantic; 27. Donavon Smith, Lake City; 28. Trent Nolan, Shawano, Wis.; 29. Brandon Czarapata, Pulaski, Wis.; 30. Tom Berry Jr., Des Moines.