By Joyce Eisele
BOONE, Iowa (May 28, 2022) – Boone Speedway saw some of the best racing of the year on Saturday night, with close racing and thrilling finishes all night long among the 161 race cars filling the pits.
Doug Smith scored his first Friesen Performance IMCA Modified victory of the season at the speedway in a close one at the line. It was Michael Jaennette coming out on top of a thrilling IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature and Jake Sachau got win number two of the year in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods. Mike Smith went back-to-back in winning the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature in yet another close finish, and Joe Glick took the win in a Corn Belt Clash Series race for the IMCA STARS Mod Lites.
The STARS Mod Lites ran their second of three weekend Cornbelt Clash races, vying for the $500 prize. Bryan Zehm jumped to the immediate lead and appeared to be gone in the 20-lap feature. His good run ended, however, when he had to exit with a flat right rear with a handful of laps remaining.
This handed the lead over to Joel Huggins. With heavy lap traffic playing into the equation, Glick and Randy Bryan entered into the picture and proved to be Huggins’ nemesis. Glick worked lapped traffic to his advantage, making the pass with just two laps to go. He held it to the checkers and the win. Huggins had to be content with second place and Randy Bryan was third.
The race went caution-free.
Sachau went home with his second feature win of the year in the IMCA Northern SportMods. Waging a great battle behind the winner was Dusty Massolini in second, who just nipped out Taylor Kuehl in third place after her great come back from an early slip-up. Sachau came from the 11th starting spot to score the win.
Jimmy Gustin shot off into the lead when the race went green for the 20-lap main event for the IMCA Modifieds. He soon had Jeremy Mills hot on his tail and Doug Smith reeling them both in. Mills took the lead on lap 11 and just a few laps later, Smith had made his way past Gustin as well to take the second spot.
The closing laps had the crowd on its feet as the two duked it out. Just after the white flag flew, Smith was able to make the pass for the lead in corner two and he would hold on to the flying checkers to seal the win. Mills was a close runner-up. Jake McBirnie took third after starting 11th.
The Class Too Tough To Tame, the IMCA Stock Cars, came next for their 20-lap feature. Justin Nehring started on the pole and led the first seven laps. Then it was eighth place starter Jaennette who came calling, running the top side and snagging the top spot on lap eight.
As the race wore on, Devin Smith began to reel in the leader and brought brother Dave Smith along to make it a three-way shoot out. Devin Smith took the low road and snuck past on lap 14 but Jaennette was having none of that, and rallied back into the lead two laps later.
The closing moments had the crowd on its feet once again, as Jaennette held back the Smith brothers to flash across the finish line first and score the victory. Dave Smith finished second, with brother Devin in third. This race also went caution-free
The nightcap was 15 laps of IMCA Hobby Stock racing. Solomon Bennett looked to be on his way to his first trip to victory lane this year as he led through lap 13. However, Mike Smith who would spoil that vision. Smith had trailed Bennett for most of the race and in the closing laps had drawn to his bumper and was peeking for a way around.
Those looks paid off on lap 14 as Smith grabbed the lead and was then able to hold off Bennett at the flag in another ever-so-close finish. Bennett had to settle for second place and Curt Reed was third.
Saturday night, June 4 will begin the summer hours for weekly racing. Hot laps are 6 p.m. with racing at 7 p.m.
