By Joyce Eisele
BOONE, Iowa (May 14, 2022) – It was week number three of the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season at Boone Speedway on Saturday night and there were new winners for 2022 in all divisions.
Tim Ward captured his first Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature. Troy Jerovetz won in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Jake Sachau took the checkers in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods. Eric Knutson visited victory lane for the first time this season in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock division and it was Bryan Zehm taking his first win of the year in IMCA STARS Mod Lite action.
In the STARS Mod Lite 15-lap feature, Zehm caught early leader Ben George and took over the top spot at lap six, never to look back. Lapped traffic was no issue for Zehm as he held the pack at bay to capture the win. Joel Huggins, who had won the two previous races, started 10th and finished as the runner-up. Derrick Knutsen was third.
The Northern SportMod 18-lap feature was a no-go on the initial start as several cars did not make it out of turn one. When things got underway, it was Robert Stofer leading the field on lap one. Sachau, who started way back in ninth, made the pass going down the backstretch and was the leader as lap two was scored.
From there on, it was all Sachau as he motored home to his first victory at Boone this season. Rocky Caudle came from 15th starting to take second and Kenny Wyman, Jr. advanced 16 positions to take third.
Ward visited victory lane at Boone for the first time this season, winning the Modified 20-lap main event. He snagged the lead away from Russ Dickerson at lap six and pulled away in the last handful of laps to take the easy win. Nick Roberts finished in second, and third through fifth was a tossup as to the outcome, with Johnathon Logue, Jake McBirnie and visiting Trenton, Mo., racer Cory Wray duking it out for position, sliders being thrown left and right.
Logue won the battle to take third and Wray just made it past McBirnie in the closing moments, as they went fourth and fifth respectively. Those three drivers had started 10th, 11th and 12th.
Earlier in the evening, the Modifieds ran a King of the Hill contest. The top eight in track points were locked in and eight more qualified through heats. The final four drivers left standing after elimination rounds were McBirnie, Randy Havlik, Albert Wolfgram and Jamie Anderson. McBirnie was crowned King of the Hill with his win and took home an extra $500.
The Class Too Tough To Tame, the IMCA Stock Cars, put on their usual exciting racing action for the fans. Dallon Murty had the lead early in the 20-lap thriller, with Jerovetz tagging right behind in second. Donavon Smith joined in the mix and not to be left out, veteran Randy Brands threw his hat into the ring as well.
Jerovetz was able to wrangle away the lead, but those competitors never went away, as they dug for better positions. In the closing moments, Jerovetz hung onto the lead and take the checkers with Murty a very close runner-up. Donavon Smith took third, Randy Brands was fourth and last week’s winner Josh Daniels came from 15th to finish fifth. Three Super Nationals champions finished behind winner Jerovetz.
The night’s racing ended with the 15-lap Hobby Stock feature. Matt McDonald started ninth and snatched the lead from Mark Hidlebaugh by lap four and pulled away. The closing laps then found Knutson come flying on the topside and reel in the leader.
With a lap to go, Knutson was able to gain the top spot and then hold it to the finish line and the win. McDonald had to settle for second place and John Watson came from 11th to finish third.
Weekly points racing continues Saturday night, May 21. Hot laps are 5 p.m. with racing at 6 p.m.
