By Ben Deatherage
BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 7, 2026) — Dillon Raffurty added another chapter to his impressive Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s résumé Monday, racing to his third career Stealth Racing IMCA Mod Lite Big Dance victory at Boone Speedway.
The Kansas City, Mo., driver started sixth in the 30-lap championship feature, worked his way to the front on lap 11, and held off Bryce Vowan following a late restart to add the 2026 crown to his victories in 2021 and 2022.
The Big Dance and the final qualifier, originally scheduled for Sunday, were pushed to Monday after heavy rain forced the postponement of Sunday’s program.
Austin Gray, last year’s Boone Speedway track and Iowa State champion, emerged from the three-wide start to lead the opening circuit. A caution slowed the action on lap one, but Gray again took off following the restart.
His bid for the championship ended moments later when he went off turn two and crashed into the wall, bringing out another caution on lap two.
That handed the lead to Chaz Baca Jr., the two-time Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified National champion, wheeling the Joel Huggins-owned No. X50, quickly opened an advantage while 2026 Sugar Bowl winner, Jaedon McDowell, and Raffurty battled hard for second.
Both began closing on Baca using the top of the race track, and McDowell surged ahead to lead lap eight with Raffurty right behind him.
Raffurty spent the next several circuits applying pressure before edging ahead at the line on lap 11. The five-time reigning National champion began working through lapped traffic around the halfway mark before a lap 15 caution gave him a clear race track.
Raffurty remained in command after the restart and again encountered traffic on lap 24. A final caution on lap 27 set up one last opportunity for the field.
Vowan, the three-time and defending Mod Lites of Arkansas champion, briefly challenged on the restart, but Raffurty turned him back and raced to the checkered flag for the win.
Vowan finished second after starting ninth, while Baca was third. Defending Super Nationals champion Jon Padilla of Illinois finished fourth, and McDowell completed the top five.
Three-time Iowa State champion Josh May was sixth. Texas racer Scott Jordan charged from 17th to seventh, and Ben George was eighth.
Missouri’s Michael Raffurty, the 2023 Electric City Speedway track title winner, charged from 28th to ninth to earn hard charger honors. Arkansas racer Blake Wilson, the 2023 Arkansas State champion and 2024 Mod Lites of Arkansas champion, completed the top 10.
At the start of the program, McDowell dominated the third and final 25-lap qualifier to set the outside-lane for the Big Dance.
The Murfreesboro, Tennessee racer grabbed the lead on the opening circuit and quickly checked out before a caution on lap seven erased his advantage.
McDowell again pulled away following the restart and remained comfortably out front until another caution on lap 16. A pair of red flags interrupted the ensuing attempts to get back under green.
Once racing resumed for an extended stretch, Dillon Raffurty began closing on McDowell and challenged for the top spot.
Raffurty pressured McDowell over the closing circuits, but McDowell held him off to secure the victory.
Raffurty finished second, with Vowan third. 2022 National Rookie of the Year Darrick Knutsen was fourth.
California’s Riley Clem, the 2024 Super Nationals champion, charged from 23rd to fifth, while Arizona’s Michael Phay, the 2024 Arizona State champion, advanced from 19th to sixth.
Dillon Bush finished seventh, followed by Arkansas’ James Rollins, the 2024 Diamond Park Speedway track champion, in eighth. Missouri’s Nathan Wolfe was ninth, while Jaxon Carr put together the charge of the qualifier, racing from 30th and last to 10th to claim the final transfer position.
Raffurty wasn’t finished after winning the Big Dance, adding another victory in the Stealth Racing Race of Champions.
He would grab the lead on the opening circuit and quickly separated himself from the field.
Raffurty dominated the remainder of the distance to earn his fourth career Race of Champions victory, adding another trophy to a very successful day.
Jon Padilla finished second, followed by 2026 Boone Speedway track champion Bryan Zehm in third. Scott Jordan was fourth, and Josh May completed the top five
The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV affiliate Advantage Racing TV. Catch every lap again with the IMCA TV Replay Subscription, available for just $25.99/month. And don’t miss Season 3 of the Boone Docuseries, now streaming exclusively on IMCA TV.