2022 Super Nationals Archives

Colorado Hobby Stocker in the hunt for Super Nationals success

By Ben Deatherage BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 6, 2022) – Count Hunter Smith among the young lions in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock ranks. The Brush, Colorado teenager, IMCA’s national and Big Daddy Race Cars Northern Region rookie of the year in 2021, has had a roller coaster of a past year on and off the race track but will look to end his 2022 IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s run on a positive note. Tragically he lost his father last winter and is running in his memory this season. “We want to get in the top eight in our qualifier,” said Smith, 15. “We should be good if we can make the dance this week. I’m comfortable with this race track and I feel confident.” Although he didn’t make the Big Dance last year, he did become the first Colorado driver to qualify for the Stephenville Starter Race of Champions. He has already more than doubled last year’s total of 10 wins with the majority of those checkers coming in the Centennial [Read More]

Looft locked, loaded in hunt for Super Nationals title

By Ben Deatherage BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 6, 2022) – Four-time and defending Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod national champion Matthew Looft, is locked and loaded for the 40th annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. The Swea City, Iowa speedster is looking to add Super Nationals to his incredible racing resume. He has amassed an enormous win total as he runs for his fifth national crown. “We’ve accomplished a lot over the years but this would be the pinnacle,” commented Looft. “We don’t come down here very often but when we do, we want to do the best that we can for our supporters, sponsors, friends and fans. It’d be awesome if we could get up there on the stage.” Looft ran fifth in his qualifier on Monday and will be dancing come Saturday night. He has made two dances in his career. He was 18th in 2015 and 10th in his most recent start in 2017. “I wish we had a little bit better of a run. You need to be up [Read More]

Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod Racer Justin Bell Attending 2022 Super Nationals

By Ben Deatherage BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 6, 2022) – The Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod division has assembled nearly 180 of the best pilots that North America has to offer for the 40th annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Among the attendees is Justin Bell of Louisville, Neb. Although he has only been to Boone Speedway a handful of times, he will try his best to make 2022 his best visit running with the best of the best. “I hope I can make the qualifier and see what we can do there,” said Bell. “Our first qualifying night this year, we went forward but we drew bad.” Bell owns qualifying experience from his 2019 visit to Boone Speedway. “This is our third year here and it’s fun to race against so many different drivers that we normally don’t run with every week,” he said. Bell is a regular at Beatrice Speedway and US 30 Speedway in his home state. “This year has been a struggle but we’re hopeful that we can turn it [Read More]

Nielsen is ready to go dancing Saturday at Boone

By Ben Deatherage BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 6, 2022) – Brandon Nielsen scored a major triumph on his IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s qualifying night. The Spencer, Iowa, driver is no stranger to dancing at Boone Speedway but has never won the main event. Could this year be a different story? “We’ve been struggling with this car on getting it up off the corner,” said Nielsen “I’ve always been able to get it to turn, but we’re just not the best coming out of the corner. So we took a couple of swings at it last night and it worked perfectly.” Seven times Nielsen has waltzed on the final night of Super Nationals. His best result was in 2015 when he got third in the Saturday show. Opening night of the 40th annual Super Nationals marked the first time he won a qualifier. “It would mean that little brother (Cody Nielsen in 2011) couldn’t be the only one bragging about being on a T-shirt for this race” he said, when asked what it would [Read More]

Pearce makes textbook run to checkers in IMCA Super Nationals SportMod qualifier

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 5, 2022) – A youngster taught the veterans a thing or two in the final race on opening night of the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Sixteen-year-old Andrew Pearce of Oakley, Calif., led all 25 laps of Monday’s qualifying feature for Northern SportMods. He’ll start on the pole in the championship event Saturday at Boone Speedway. The Labor Day program saw 338 cars – 172 Northern SportMods, 125 Hobby Stocks and 41 Late Models – in action. Pearce won the 17th of 20 heats and started the qualifier from fifth. He caught up with the back of the field 10 laps in and ran with traffic as the race stayed green to the finish. “I was just hoping to make the feature. I still can’t believe it,” the second-year racer said following his latest impressive run at Boone. “My grandfather, my dad Brian and uncle (Kellen Chadwick) got me where I am today. I can’t thank them enough.” Eleventh in last year’s Big Dance and now a senior at Freedom [Read More]

Sampson, Nielsen collect Super Nationals Hobby Stock qualifying checkers

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 5, 2022) – Malik Sampson used the high line on Monday night to put himself in a pretty good spot on Saturday. The Worthington, Minn., driver topped the first of two Labor Day Hobby Stock qualifying features at Boone Speedway to earn the pole start in the Sept. 10 IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s main event. Brandon Nielsen won the evening’s second qualifier and will start at the front of the middle row in the Big Dance. “I was trying not to do anything dumb,” the affable Sampson said from victory lane, after leading the last 23 of 25 laps and beating a tenacious James Johnson to the checkers by .744 of a second. “I’m in a pretty good spot, starting on the pole. We’ll see what kind of track we have on Saturday.” From Spencer, Nielsen led start to finish in the second qualifier, with defending champion Mike Smith motoring from 12th starting to run second the last nine circuits. “We’ve had a good day. We put her on [Read More]

Dumpert makes Nebraska proud with IMCA Super Nationals Late Model crown

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 5, 2022) – Cory Dumpert wrote his name in the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s history book following an epic battle and an epic finish to Monday night’s Late Model championship event. After qualifying out of a ‘B’ feature and starting 11th in the main, Dumpert worked his way to the front through heavy Labor Day traffic, ultimately holding off Jeff Aikey and becoming the first Nebraska driver to win the Late Model crown at Boone Speedway. “Early on, I told myself to be patient and I was able to pass cars one or two at a time. I looked up, saw I was in fifth and thought ‘Holy crap.’ The next thing I knew I was in third,” said Dumpert, who drove past Aikey on the 40th of 50 laps for second and then caught Texan Dean Abbey for the lead the next time around. “Once I got to the front I tried to hit my marks, keep the car straight and told myself it was my race to lose [Read More]

Anderson, Smith score Sunday IMCA Prelude wins

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 4, 2022) – Logan Anderson and Mike Smith will bring momentum to Boone Speedway when qualifying starts for their respective divisions on Labor Day at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Both won Sunday night Prelude features in impressive fashion. Anderson pocketed $750 after topping a Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main that ran 25 laps caution-free while defending Super Nationals champion Smith’s flag-to-flag run to the $400 IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock checkers was slowed by a single yellow. “That was fun … I was happy to see the white flag for sure,” Anderson said, following a Northern SportMod that needed just seven minutes and 47 seconds to complete. “It gets our momentum going. Hopefully we can get a good draw and get in the show tomorrow.” Robbie Thome challenged Anderson and was scored just ahead on a single late-race circuit before ending in second. Cam Reimers and Brayton Carter completed the top four. Smith led Tyson Overton to the lap 10 caution in the Hobby Stock show. Eric Stanton [Read More]

Raffurty is Sunday star at Boone with repeats in ROC, IMCA Mod Lite championship event

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 4, 2022) – Dillon Raffurty had to know his biggest fan had the best seat in the house to watch Sunday’s STARS Mod Lite championship event at the 40th annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Having already repeated as winner of the race of champions earlier in the afternoon at Boone Speedway, the Kansas City, Mo., star made it back-to-back Super Nationals titles after running second much of the 30-lapper behind Brandon Freeburg. The two raced hard with light contact in turn three, Freeburg caught an infield tire and Raffurty somehow avoided becoming part of a calamity at the front of the fast-moving field. He’d hold on after a lap 26 restart, then led Jon Padilla, Austin Gray and Zack Forster the last four times around the oval. “This was really huge,” said Raffurty, $2,000 checkers in hand. “I lost my dad (and fellow Mod Lite driver David) in January due to COVID,” he continued. “Our goal had been to repeat everything we did last year. We won the race [Read More]

Alvarado looks to punch ticket for IMCA Super Nationals Championship Night

By Ben Deatherage BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 4, 2022) – Among the many drivers returning to Boone Speedway for the 40th annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s is Friesen Performance IMCA Modified pilot Ricky Alvarado, who makes the trek from Delta, Colo. Alvarado is hoping to punch his ticket for Championship Night on Saturday. He ran on opening night of the the Wild Rose Casino Prelude at Boone and finished 11th. “We struggled with the car at the Prelude but we found a bit of a problem with the pull bar,” said Alvarado. “That made us feel a bit better that it happened then rather than during a qualifying feature.” Alvarado has raced his way into two Big Dances at Boone, exiting early in the 2012 show and then finishing ninth in 2017. He also has five Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational appearances and a Harris Auto Racing Race of Champions start to his Super Nationals credit. Despite running a limited schedule this season, he has captured two wins. Those came at Sweetwater Speedway in [Read More]