Jaennette cashes in big with Tanner Pelster Memorial checkers

Michael Jaennette led every lap in topping Sunday’s $5,211 to win Tanner Pelster Memorial main event for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars at Boone County Raceway. (Photo by Nicole Hardwick)

By Anthony Ainslie 

ALBION, Neb. (July 10, 2022) – Michael Jaennette hit all his marks following a late restart and cashed in big in the headline event at Sunday night’s Tanner Pelster Memorial.

Jaennette led the distance of the 30-lap IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature at Boone County Raceway, earning $5,211 and an automatic starting berth in the B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational. Fifty-seven Stock Cars representing five states vied at the second annual event.

“This was career biggest payday, by far, in a Stock Car,” said Jaennette, running more than adrenaline than sleep after finishing second Saturday night at Boone Speedway and getting up early to get the car ready and on the road to Albion. “Our goal for this season was to make Paul Burger’s All-Star race and now we’ve done that.”

“We started sixth and finished second in our heat,” added Jaennette, fourth in the inaugural memorial last year. “We were scrambling right before we went back out for the feature, scratching our heads looking for more speed. We changed gear right before we went back out for the feature and that definitely helped.”

Jaennette broke out to the early lead from his outside front row starting spot with Kyle Vanover right behind. 

The race stayed green for 19 laps before the first caution came out and was stopped again with three laps to go.

Jaennette hit his marks on the top side of the track and the driver from Kellogg, Iowa, motored to his first win at the Boone County Fairgrounds ahead of Vanover, Chanse Hollatz, Casey Woken and defending race winner Jesse Sobbing.

“It was nerve wracking. I felt like a sitting duck out there the last three laps. I knew the 19 car (Vanover) was behind me and he’s always good on the bottom,” said Jaennette. “I was happy I started up front and the track was topside dominant.”

A stout field of 55 IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks was on hand and the feature event saw Boone County Raceway regular Jason Wilkinson jump to the early lead. 

Three cautions slowed the race, the last of them coming with nine laps to go.

It came down to a 3-way battle for the win between Wilkinson, Zach Olmstead and 2021 race winner Dillon Richards.

Olmstead took a shot for the lead coming off turn four with three laps remaining but Wilkinson fended off the challenge and held off everyone for the $1,500 top prize. Olmstead, Richards, Nick Ronnebaum and Sal Hernandez completed the top five. 

Tyler Watts’ first Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod win at Boone County was also worth $1,500.

Making the most of the outside line, Watts took the checkers ahead of birthday celebrant Devyn Peterson, Robbie Thome and Justin Svoboda. Hard charger Jacob Olmstead raced from 18th starting to fifth.