Dan Engledow

Kay captures elusive IMCA Super Nationals crown in fast, furious Late Model main event

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 6) – What had been an elusive championship became a first-time championship Monday night for Justin Kay. Kay led all but two of 50 laps in winning the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s Late Model main event at Boone Speedway, battling Cory Dumpert in a race that was as fast and furious from the first five circuits as it was to the last five. “A Super Nationals championship has eluded me for years. I don’t know for sure how many years we’ve been coming to Boone but I’ve finished second three times,” Kay said. “It’s so nice to finally get it. This is right up there with the national championships and the Deery Series championships. Super Nationals is the one everybody wants to win. It’s awesome to finally get it.” The checkers were good for $3,000. Kay drew the pole start, chased Dumpert across the stripe on laps two and three, then moved back in front for good the next time around the track. Ninth starting Richie Gustin took [Read More]

50th anniversary season brings Webb to Boone in pursuit of 5th Super Nationals title

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 6) – Gary Webb celebrates his 50th anniversary racing Late Models this season. Monday night, he hopes to celebrate a career fifth IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s championship at Boone Speedway. “I won Super Nationals four times, which I’m very proud of, and I’m a three-time Deery Brothers championship, so I’ve raced a good bit with IMCA,” said the 72-year-old Webb, from Blue Grass and a 521-time winner over the past half century. “All four of my Super Nationals wins (1990, 1993, 1994 and 1996) were very memorable.” “Super Nationals is kind of a cross between a carnival and a fair. I really enjoy the Late Models being a one day event as part of the program,” he added. “The four I won were all on Friday night and there were wall to wall people here.” Webb has qualified for the Big Dance on 13 occasions. Runner-up in 1998 and 1999, he was 10th at Boone last September. “Winning again would be another dimension. I would enjoy becoming the oldest driver [Read More]

Super Nationals sell Fidler on IMCA Stock Cars

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 6) – When Andrew Fidler made his first trips to the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s to watch and help crew, he knew he’d be back and that he’d be bringing his own race car. The Elwell, Mich., driver made his sanctioned Stock Car debut at the Saturday Prelude, running second in both his heat and ‘B’ feature with a mid-pack finish in the main event. “We came to Super Nationals last year and after watching the Stock Cars and seeing what they’re capable of, we decided to do it,” said Fidler, the street stock track champion at Ron Flinn’s Crystal Motor Speedway. “The three and four-wide racing is awesome.” He’s talked to Kyle Brown and Damon Murty about what to expect at Boone – Fidler drives a 2017 Harris and bought a motor from former Super Nationals champion Murty – and is pitted next to buddy and Modified driver Tim DeGroft. “It’s 100 percent awesome here,” he said. “We want to be in the Big Dance on Saturday [Read More]

Californian Daffern looks to turn Boone luck around at Super Nationals

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 6) – Thomas Daffern knows the feeling of running up front at Boone Speedway. He’s hoping to stay up front in Monday Hobby Stock qualifying at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. The Brawley, Calif., driver and Cocopah Speedway regular led the first five laps of his Sunday night Prelude heat race at Boone before his motor let go. He was replacing both the power plant and transmission in the car borrowed from son James, who turns 15 on Tuesday, this morning. “I want to make the show,” stated the first-time Super Nationals competitor. “The car has already proven itself. My driving ability is there. Making the show would make the whole trip worth it.” Daffern is talking up Cocopah’s 2022 Winter Nationals while he’s in town. Older brother Steven ran a Modified at Super Nationals a decade ago while Thomas made the trip last year to help crew. “I love the environment here,” he said before turning his attention back to that new motor. “And I love how [Read More]

Raffurty reigns as first STARS Mod Lite champion at IMCA Super Nationals

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 5) – Dillon Raffurty already had more than 20 feature wins to his credit this season when he loaded up the trailer for Boone Speedway and the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. On Sunday, the Kansas City, Mo., driver raced to his biggest wins of the season, topping both the first-ever race of champions and inaugural Super Nationals main event for IMCA STARS Mod Lites. “It seems like everything was meant to be,” said Raffurty, who battled Bryan Zehm early and then saw Garrett Stonum pull within half a car length late in the contest. “This means a lot to me. I don’t think it gets bigger than winning Super Nationals … no one else can say they were the first-ever Super Nationals Mod Lite champion.” The checkers were good for $2,000, plus a $250 bonus from Yoshimura. Hometown driver Mike Kennedy had started 10th and slipped past Stonum on the last lap for second. Bryce Vowan of Memphis, Tenn., and Zehm, of Ames, completed the top five. “Mike is [Read More]

Danley sprints to RaceSaver Nationals qualifier win

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (Sept. 4) – Sunny skies and low 80 degree temperatures greeted the large crowd for round two of the ninth annual IMCA RaceSaver Nationals at Eagle Raceway Saturday afternoon. Cars that hadn’t qualified Friday ran 12 heats and 6 preliminary features to make their bid for a shot at the “A” main, vying for a top nine finish to earn a place in rows four through six for Sunday’s Big Dance. Trevor Grossenbacher took advantage of his pole position starting spot to grab the lead after the first lap of the feature. Close behind were Claud Estes, Tyler Harris and Danny Wood. Joey Danley advanced from seventh and passed Wood for fourth on lap four. Danley passed Harris for third on a restart. John Carney II cracked the top four with 12 laps to go and Danley and Carney both moved up one spot with nine laps remaining, taking second and third, respectively. Carney got past Danley briefly with four circuits left but Danley got a tremendous run the next [Read More]

Corn Bros bag Sunday cornhole tournament honors

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 5) – Cousins Damon Arehart and Jayden Arehart make up the Corn Bros duo that won Sunday’s cornhole tournament at Boone Speedway. The first champions crowned during the extended week of the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s earned $1,000 for their bag-tossing efforts, defeating the Game Changers pair of Jason Michalec and Chris Blood in the 105th and final game of the Scorezit-sponsored tourney. “We are way far from professional,” said Damon, a Wayne State University graduate. “We usually play once a week, whenever we have time.” Jayden is a student at Wayne State, said their winnings would come in handy toward tuition and shared a bit of the Areharts’ cornhole success. “You’ve got to have luck on your side,” he said. Fifty-plus teams, each of them associated with a driver competing at Super Nationals, vied. The runners-up earned $600 while the aptly named Young Guns, Waylon Estep and Landen Lang, took third and pocketed $240. Fourth and $120 went to Given the L teammates Lee Gard and Reams Lowen. [Read More]

Raffurty, Zehm conquer STARS Mod Lite Super Nationals qualifiers

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 4) – Dillon Raffurty started and ended his night in victory lane while Bryan Zehm ended his own night in the track where he started his racing career. Both topped STARS Mod Lite qualifying features as the division made its IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s debut during the Saturday Wild Rose Casino Prelude at Boone Speedway. Raffurty had won the first race of champions qualifying heat, then started the first qualifying feature from outside row three. Dustin Rude led the first five laps before Andrue Halpain and Clayton Hogie got together in turn three to bring the race to a complete stop. Blake Wilson took charge on the ensuing restart and had pulled away from the pack before back-to-back yellows with six circuits let in the 25-lapper. Raffurty made his move to the front on the higher line with four laps to go. “I couldn’t go anywhere, then about 15 laps in the track came in and I was able to close the gap,” said Raffurty, the national point [Read More]

Ward, Dallon Murty deliver Saturday Prelude wins

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 4) – Tim Ward and Dallon Murty will precede the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s with Saturday night Prelude feature wins. Ward led the last 21 of 30 laps in winning the IMCA Modified feature and $1,080; Murty caught Michael Jaennette with seven circuits left in the 30-lap finale at Boone Speedway, earning $800. One hundred and thirty Modifieds and 115 Stock Cars saw Prelude action while 49 STARS Mod Lites ran race of champions heats and their first night of Super Nationals qualifying. Already Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible, Ward started sixth, was running second by lap seven and was half a car length ahead of Joel Bushore when lap nine was scored. The only caution came on lap 23 to erase Ward’s big lead and he was just fast enough coming out of the final turn to outrun Cody Laney to the checkers. Mike Mashl, Jeremy Mills and 14th starting Todd Shute completed the top five. Mike Stapleton led the first two laps in the Stock Car [Read More]

Martin tops opening night RaceSaver qualifier

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (Sept. 3) – The late-arriving crowd for night one of the ninth annual IMCA Racesaver Sprint Nationals Powered by Sunbelt Rentals Friday at Eagle Raceway found that once again the term ‘Biggest Sprint Car Race in the World’ was in fact true as 100 Sprint teams swelled the pits. The heavy rain that canceled the previous night’s action left the track narrow at the start and tricky as well. The “A” feature saw Ryan Hall, Mark Pace, John Paynter Jr. and Jason Martin the top four on lap one. Junior Jenkins and Ryan King went flipping in turns three and four and the red lights came on in the corners. There were several others involved, including Jay Russell and Trevor Grossenbacher, who suffered front wing damage but returned to the fray. Paynter got past Pace on the restart for second. Martin also passed Pace on lap six and got around Paynter on lap nine to grab second. The next lap saw Tyler Drueke put the no. 12 car into fourth. [Read More]