2017 Super Nationals Archives

Thursday Schedule of Events

SUBJECT TO CHANGE DRIVERS MEETING – 1 pm TRACK PREP (Best Appearing Modifieds on display in Fan Zone) FIRST RACE – 2 pm 10 – STOCK CAR HEATS (8 laps) TRACK PREP 10 – STOCK CAR HEATS (8 laps) TRACK PREP (Wednesday Modified Top 8 Qualifiers to Fan Zone) 10 – MODIFIED HEATS (8 laps) TRACK PREP 10 – MODIFIED HEATS (8 laps) TRACK PREP (Wednesday Stock Car Top 8 Qualifiers to Fan Zone) LATE MODEL HOT LAPS 2 – STOCK CAR B’s (8 laps) 4 – LATE MODEL HEATS (10 laps) TRACK PREP (Casey’s Late Model redraw to Fan Zone) 6 – MODIFIED HEATS (8 laps) 2 – LATE MODEL B’s (12 laps) TRACK PREP 2 – MODIFIED HEATS (8 laps) LATE MODEL “A” (50 laps) TRACK PREP 2 – STOCK CAR B’s (8 laps) STOCK CAR “A1” (25 laps) STOCK CAR “A2” (25 laps) TRACK PREP 2 – MODIFIED B’s (8 laps) MODIFIED “A1” (25 laps) MODIFIED “A2” (25 laps) 5 – MODIFIED B’s (8 laps)

David Rieks

David Rieks of Eldora took the lead on the fifth circuit and checked out on everybody in winning Wednesday’s last-chance feature for the Hobby Stocks. The 25-lapper ran green to checkered and Rieks was more than half a lap ahead of runner-up and defending champion Andrew Burg of Carlisle at the finish. Rieks and Burg will be joined in rounding out the Saturday main event field by Seth Janssen of Ogden, Jeremiah Wilson of Waterloo, Tyson Overton of Carlisle and Drew Barglof of Sioux Rapids. Burg will make his career sixth championship night start at Super Nationals. Rieks, Overton and Barglof are each in the big show for the third time, Janssen and Wilson both for the first. Feature results – 1. David Rieks, Eldora; 2. Andrew Burg, Carlisle; 3. Seth Janssen, Ogden; 4. Jeremiah Wilson, Waterloo; 5. Tyson Overton, Carlisle; 6. Drew Barglof, Sioux Rapids; 7. Kyle Sidles, Algona; 8. Matt Brown, Dysart; 9. Eric Knutsen, Slater; 10. Brian Stich, Topeka, Kan.; 11. Ryan Wells, Runnells; 12. Dustin Graham, Boone; 13. TeJay Mielke, Norfolk, Neb.; 14. John [Read More]

Austen Becerra

Bowen, Ill., speedster Austen Becerra motored from ninth starting to the lead right before midway, then held off Kyle Olson of Cedar Rapids following a late restart to capture the last-chance event for Northern SportMods Wednesday. The rest of the top six advancing to Saturday’s main event are Joe Docekal of Dysart, Jimmy Berkevich of Watertown, Wis., Robert Moore of Maxwell and Vince Engebregtsen of Algoma, Wis. Moore and Engebregtsen got transfers following disqualifications of Trent Roth for failing real end inspection and Jared Waterman for failing rear suspension inspection. Becerra, Olson, Berkevich, Moore and Engebregtsen are all first-time qualifiers for the Northern SportMod dance. Docekal has one previous appearance to his credit, in 2008. Feature results – 1. Austen Becerra, Bowen, Ill.; 2. Kyle Olson, Cedar Rapids; 3. Joe Docekal, Dysart; 4. Jimmy Berkevich, Watertown, Wis.; 5. Robert Moore, Maxwell; 6. Vince Engebregtsen, Algoma, Wis.; 7. Thomas Egenberger, Des Moines; 8. Darin Roepke, LeMars; 9. Chad Shaw, Trimble, Mo.; 10. Robbie Thome, Spalding, Neb.; 11. Thomas Stark, Egg Harbor, Wis.; 12. Tim Warner, Malone, Wis.; 13. Brian [Read More]

Chad Wernette

Sheridan’s Chad Wernette is part of another stout group of Modified drivers making the trip from Michigan for Super Nationals. He’s traveled to Boone every year since 2009 with car owner and cousin Brian Ritz and brother-in-law and crewman Mike Bohn. Their racing vacation is an opportunity to renew old friendships, catch up with what’s new on manufacturers’ row and get faster. “Making the main event would be an accomplishment. It’s what we’ve been working for,” said Wernette, who wheeled a new Rage car at Tri-City and Crystal after getting a late start to his season. “We haven’t gotten any wins yet this year but we’ve been close. We’re getting this car figured out.” Wernette raced at the Saturday Prelude. He’ll start on the pole in the 11th heat tonight. The no. 615 team heads home this weekend – they’ve got to be at work Monday morning – and put the wraps on 2017 at Crystal’s season-ending special. “We’ll end the season at the Great Lakes Nationals,” Wernette said. “Hopefully we’ll end on a $3,000 [Read More]

Rik Gropp

Rik Gropp of Lincoln, Neb., first raced at Super Nationals in 1988. He’s qualified for the Modified main event once, finishing seventh in 2003, and didn’t miss a trip to Boone from 1990 through 2011. “At my age, I don’t know how much longer I’ll be racing. I figured it was time to come back,” said Gropp, 59. “When you get older, you quit doing things like this. It was time to come back.” Most of his crew has been to Super Nationals as spectators and this will be the first time they’ve wrenched at America’s Racin’ Vacation. Gropp competes weekly at Eagle Raceway so they come well prepared for whatever Super Nationals throws at them. “We have a fast car,” said Gropp, who stayed in the points chase at Eagle until late in the season. “The competition there is pretty tough.” Now nicknamed Racing Relic, Gropp got his start in the sport in 1978 and has been in a Modified since 1988. Vermeer High Plains is his sole sponsor and car owner and he’s [Read More]

Modified, Stock Car qualifying begins at Boone

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 6) – Twenty Stock Car heats and 30 Modified heats set the stage for a pair of qualifying features in both divisions Wednesday at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. What’s ultimately at stake this evening at Boone Speedway are the front eight starting spots on the inside row of championship events Saturday. Defending champion Elijah Zevenbergen starts on the pole of the 17th Stock Car heat while 2016 champion Ricky Thornton Jr. starts last in the 23 Modified heat. Last-chance features decide the last six qualifiers for both Hobby Stock and Northern SportMod main events on Saturday.

Fett advances to front row start

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 5) – Another Algona driver will start on the front row in Saturday’s IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s Northern SportMod main event. Colby Fett was promoted to the top spot in the second of two Tuesday night 25-lap qualifying features at Boone Speedway after Jake McBirnie failed post-race rear suspension inspection. Lining up behind Fett on the outside row will be Cory Rose of Boone, Dakota Sproul of Ellis, Kan., Shawn Harker of Nebraska City, Neb., Taylor Musselman of Urbandale, Rusty Montagne of North Sioux City, S.D., Gunnar Pike of South Bend, Neb., and Andrew Inman of Mason City. Cory started 18th, Pike 22nd. Inman advanced to the final transfer spot after Austin Svoboda was disqualified, also for failing rear suspension inspection. Fett had passed Sproul for the front spot on lap 16; McBirnie made his own pass for the lead on the white flag circuit and beat Fett to the checkers by half a car length. Rose and Harker both qualified for the third time in their respective [Read More]

Final front row spot goes to Irvine

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 5) – Benji Irvine will start his career fifth IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals Hobby Stock championship night start from the outside of the front row Saturday night. Irvine, from Oelwein, advanced to the outside pole position after Dustin Gulbrandson failed crate engine inspection following Tuesday’s qualifying feature. Avoca’s Corey Madden, another Super Nationals veteran, will make his seventh Saturday night start and line up behind Irvine. Also lining up on the outside row will be Jeff Ware of Columbus, Neb., Dustin Lynch of Boone, Shawn Slezak of Milligan, Neb., 24th starting Jamie Songer of Ankeny, 25th starting Tory Harazin of Redwood Falls, Minn., and Bryce Sommerfeld of Fort Dodge. Sommerfeld moved up a spot and into the show when Adam Armstrong was disqualified for illegal valve springs. Slezak and Songer are now four-time Super Nationals qualifiers. Ware and Lynch are in for the second time, Harazin and Sommerfeld both for the first. Feature results – 1. Benji Irvine, Oelwein; 2. Corey Madden, Avoca; 3. Jeff Ware, Columbus, Neb.; 4. Dustin Lynch, [Read More]

Dream comes true for qualifying feature winner Efkamp

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 5) – When Brian Efkamp takes the green flag for the final time in his racing career Saturday night, he’ll do so from the middle of the front row of the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s championship race for Northern SportMods. Efkamp, from Ankeny, won the first of two qualifying features during the Tuesday evening program at Boone Speedway. He had started sixth, took over the front spot when leader Justin Addison got into the back stretch wall, then held onto the point through a series of cautions that slowed the 25-lapper. Tyler Soppe of Sherrill and Tony Olson of Cedar Rapids headed the pursuit but had to settle for second and third, respectively. “I can’t believe it. This is just a dream come true,” Efkamp said during the post-race interview, admitting that his thoughts turned to family during caution periods and adding that winning the final race of his career on Saturday would be another dream come true. Efkamp was IMCA’s national Stock Car champion in 1989. He’ll [Read More]

There’s no keeping up with Jones in race for Super Nationals Sport Compact crown

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 5) – After failing to qualify for the main event in his first IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s outing last September, Devin Jones returned to Boone Speedway with a chip on his shoulder. He went home with the championship trophy and a check for $250. “It’s almost unreal,” said Jones, who passed long-time leader Barry Taft on the backstretch with two circuits left in the 25-lapper and then led to the Tuesday night checkers. “It took me a while to find the right line but once I did, that’s where I was going.” Taft had started outside the third row, eked ahead briefly following an early restart and passed Mitchell Bielenberg for good just before midway. The 10th starting Jones was up to third by lap 15 and found himself running second when the 16th lap was scored. It was a two-car race for the crown with five laps left. “I kind of followed him for a bit before I thought ‘This was the lap,’” Jones said. “I passed [Read More]