Feature Archives

Not racing for second, Sachau wins second straight BSB Race of Champions

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 5, 2023) – Before the green flag flew for Tuesday’s BSB Manufacturing Northern SportMod Race of Champions, Jake Sachau made it clear he wasn’t racing for second. Twelve laps later, he was holding up the trophy in the infield at Boone Speedway for the second straight year after running three-wide with Spencer Galaway and Tyler Bannister, holding on after contact with Bannister and then beating Galaway to the checkers by less time than it takes to blink. All that, in the last three laps. “That was wild,” said Sachau, already a Double Down Prelude winner on Sunday and IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s qualifying feature winner on Monday. “I told the guys we weren’t here to run second. We’re going to try to win them all.” Joseph Cooper had started outside the front row and led the first three laps. Galaway took charge over the next six circuits with the seventh starting Sachau coming out ahead after that three-wide race out of turn four to end lap 10. Galaway [Read More]

Different routes take Bannister, Sachau to Super Nationals Northern SportMod glory

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 4, 2023) – Both started mid-pack in their respective qualifying features but Tyler Bannister and Jake Sachau ultimately took different routes to victory lane and front row starting spots for Saturday’s IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s main event. Bakersfield, Calif., pilot Bannister was promoted to the top spot in the finish for Monday’s first qualifier at Boone Speedway following the post-race disqualification of Logan Anderson for an engine compartment infraction. Bannister had started the 25-lapper from 12th, was briefly in the lead before midway and then ran behind Anderson the last 14 circuits. He’ll start on the pole in the Big Dance, in front of Hunter Longnecker, Tony Olson, Cole Suckow, Ty Rogers, Alex Smith, Robbie Thome and Braden Richards Prelude winner Sachau made his way to the from 10th starting in the nightcap, passing defending Super Nationals champion Matt Looft just after midway. “I love running the top and that’s where I was running,” he said. “Starting 10th, I wasn’t even nervous. This car is a rocket.” Joining Sachau on [Read More]

Johnson’s run for the record book highlights a record Super Nationals night for Hobby Stocks

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 4, 2023) – On a record setting night for Hobby Stocks at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s, James Johnson made a run into the record book. The Cherokee driver hotshoed all the way from last starting in the field of 30 to win the Monday night qualifying feature, earning the pole start in Saturday’s Big Dance at Boone Speedway. A Super Nationals record 159 Hobbies saw action during the Labor Day show, topping the previous mark of 153 set in 2004 and matched in 2012. Johnson proved to be the fastest of them all after running second in the 12th of 15 heats and starting as far from the front as possible in the evening’s qualifier. “We tried something different and made a little adjustment,” Johnson said from victory lane. “We stayed up ‘til sunrise celebrating after winning the Prelude (on Sunday). We might be up a little later celebrating this win.” He was followed across the stripe and into the inside row of the main event by Cory [Read More]

Aikey adds to hall of fame credentials with 7th IMCA Super Nationals Late Model championship

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 4, 2023) – They’ll be updating Jeff Aikey’s hall of fame plaque to include another IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s championship. The ageless Aikey was a second faster than Corey Dumpert in winning his career seventh Late Model crown, and career eighth Super Nationals title Monday night at Boone Speedway, making good on a promise made earlier in the day to bring home a trophy for his granddaughter. Both the single and multiple division championship totals are Super Nationals records. “I tell you what, I’m getting older but I’m still having a lot of fun,” said Aikey, who celebrates his 61st birthday late next month. “I could feel Cory behind me. I knew he was there. I just kept my momentum up, and wow.” Aikey had started from outside the front row and pulled away from the rest of the field before cautions on laps 14 and 23. Texan Dean Abbey, looking to improve on his third place finish a year ago, charged to the front following that second restart, [Read More]

Huish sprints to IMCA RaceSaver Nationals crown

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (Sept. 3, 2023) – Night four of the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car Nationals presented by Twin Rivers Jeep Dodge Ram and Twin Rivers Ford was a repeat of nights two and three as far as the weather was concerned. Each day of racing saw the temperature rising, much like the action on the high banks of Eagle Raceway. It had cooled off to only 98 degrees at race time, matching the heated action that was to come as the Battle For The Belt began in earnest. Beginning with the “F” Feature, every race meant more and more as drivers tried to advance to the Big Dance where the winner would not only the coveted winner’s belt, the top prize of $3,000 but also the knowledge that they had bested the other 86 drivers in attendance. The spotlight introduction of the 27 warriors, highlighted by 3,000 glow sticks in the stands served to bring the crowd to a fever pitch in anticipation of the battle about to be waged on the high banks [Read More]

Sachau still fast in a SportMod, Anderson repeats at Prelude

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 3, 2023) – Jake Sachau proved he still knew how to wheel a Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod. Logan Anderson had to give a 10 to his win in the division, too, in Sunday’s Wild Rose Casino Double Down Prelude at Boone Speedway. Sachau became the ninth different winner in nine Northern SportMod events in Prelude history before Anderson became the first repeat winner in the nightcap. Both checkers were good for $750. After the STARS Mod Lite championship event, $400 IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock winners were Blake Luinenburg and James Johnson. Pole starter Sachau, currently 12th in national IMCA Sunoco Stock Car standings and challenging for rookie of the year honors in The Class Too Tough To Tame, just edged leader Arie Schouten to the line following the first of three restarts midway through the first SportMod feature. The 2022 BSB Manufacturing Race of Champions winner outran Schouten the rest of the 25-lapper, with Colby Fett, Matthew Looft and 19th starting Kaylin Lopez completing the top five. “We’ve been in a Stock Car most of [Read More]

An IMCA Super Nationals first for Tennessee as Choate claims STARS Mod Lite crown

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 3, 2023) – Ronnie Choate returned to Boone Speedway and the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s to run with the best. On Sunday night, he proved he was the best. Choate, from Cookeville, became the first driver from Tennessee to win a Super Nationals championship in any division, driving past Jon Padilla on the final circuit for the history-making STARS Mod Lite Big Dance victory. “This means a lot to us. There have been several big races we have won and this is one of the biggest,” said Choate, again sharing much of the credit with brother-in-law, crew chief and Precision Bulldog Chassis partner Logan Rittenberry. “There had been times when we weren’t very good and thought about quitting, but I didn’t give up, he didn’t give up, and here we are.” “We’re basically a two-man crew. I couldn’t do this without him.” Choate had started fifth and ran somewhere in the top five all 30 laps. R.J. Gonzales, winner of the final qualifying feature held earlier Sunday, battled [Read More]

Wilson shines in IMCA STARS Mod Lite Race of Champions

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 3, 2023) – The caution Jeromy Wilson didn’t want to see came out with four laps left in Sunday’s STARS Mod Lite Race of Champions. “I was a sitting duck,” the Mabelvale, Ark., driver said from victory lane at Boone Speedway, after holding off Jon Padilla to win the first RoC of the 41st annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. “But I knew there were good, clean racers behind me.” Wilson led the distance from the pole. Padilla made his way from eighth starting to finish just 12 hundreth’s of a second off the pace and two-time defending race winner Dillon Raffurty was third. 2023 track, series and state champions or point leaders, and former Super Nationals champions and race of champions winners – Raffurty, in both the last two cases – were eligible to qualify for the 12-lap race. Ronnie Choate and Bryce Vowan completed the top five. Eight states were represented in the 12-car field. “This is huge,” Wilson said following his win, in the third appearance by [Read More]

IMCA Double Down Prelude checkers are first for Van Genderen

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 2, 2023) – Checkered flag runs by a driver who has been in victory lane at Boone Speedway before and a first-time winner bookended opening night of the Wild Rose Casino Double Down Prelude. A record 402 cars saw action during the Saturday show, which saw former race winner and defending IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s champ Jake Benischek top the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature and Rowdee Van Genderen win for the first time in an IMCA Sunoco Stock Car in the nightcap. In between, Tim Ward and Jimmy Gustin both won Friesen Performance IMCA Modified features and $1,500, and Tyler Wilson won $1,000 and a Stock Car feature of his own. The 16-year-old Van Genderen, in a borrowed ride and in just his second full season in The Class Too Tough To Tame, led the last 27 of 30 laps and was never challenged by a stout field following a restart at midway. “I don’t know what to say. It’s my first win,” admitted Van Genderen, a sure [Read More]

Padilla, Raffurty star in IMCA Super Nationals Mod Lite qualifiers

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 2, 2023) – The drivers who finished 2-1 last year at Boone Speedway will line up 1-2 in this year’s IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s STARS Mod Lite championship event. 2022 runner-up Jon Padilla led start to finish in winning Saturday’s first 25-lap qualifying feature, earning the pole start in Sunday’s Big Dance. Two-time defending champion Dillon Raffurty was just as impressive in the second qualifier, outrunning Ronnie Choate following a late restart in his own flag-to-flag run. He’ll start from the front of the middle row in the main event. “It felt great,” Padilla said from victory lane, admitting he “didn’t know if anyone was keeping up” with him. Joel Huggins did his best, chasing the Silvis, Ill., speedster around the track the last 24 circuits. Following the front pair across the stripe and into the inside row in the main event were 14th starting Brandon Freeburg, Josh May, Justin Kinderknecht, Jeromy Wilson, Garrett Stonum, Tanner Gannon, Blake Wilson and Michael Raffurty. Dillon Raffurty paused to remember his late [Read More]