Newswire

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 7) – Two Modified drivers who definitely know their way around Boone Speed­way won IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s qualifying features Thursday night. 2010 champion Jimmy Gustin of Marshalltown led all 25 times around the track in the first quali­fier, which ran green to checkers after a caution on the initial start. Reinbeck’s Corey Dripps caught Jonathan Snyder for the lead on lap 17 in the nightcap, then held off Kelly Shryock of Fer­tile following a late restart to win by less than a car length. Ryan Ruter of Clear Lake and Josh Most of Red Oak settled into second and third early on be­hind Gustin, who put three lapped cars ahead of his closest pursuit. Paul Stone of Winton, Calif., ran fourth most of the way and finished in the final qualifying spot. “It’s pretty awesome,” Gustin said after punching his ticket to the Saturday night championship event for the 11th time. “I got lucky, got a jump, stayed in the right part of the track and got [Read More]

Drivers who support their weekly track(s) are well represented in starting fields for both Hobby Stock and Northern SportMod main events. The same goes for Wednesday night qualifiers for both the Modified and Stock Car main events. Hobby Stock drivers had a combined 759 starts, the Northern SportMod drivers 749. Totals for first-night Modified and Stock Car qualifiers were 202 and 205, respectively. “The weekly racer has always been and will always been the focus of this organization,” IMCA President Brett Root said. “It’s appropriate that they are recognized at our biggest event.” * Mike Nichols is just as good at winning at Rochambeau as he is at parking his Stock Car in victory lane. Nichols prevailed in the second rock, paper, scissors session to earn the pole start in Saturday’s main event. Lining up second through eighth on the inside row will be Cayden Carter, Dustin Larson, Travis Barker, Donavon Smith, Justin Temeyer, Damon Murty and Brandon Czarapata.

Eric Tomlinson will look to regain the momentum be brought from Texas to Super Nationals when Modified qualifying resumes tonight. The Waco hotshoe capped off his run to the Heart O’ Texas track title with the win on champion­ship night at his hometown track. “We let a good race get away (on Wednesday) when we pulled off after half a lap after starting outside front row,” he said. “But we have more chances.” Tomlinson won three times at HO’T, racing with the likes of long-time friend Kevin Green and for­mer national champion William Gould, and topped three of his four starts at Cotton Bowl Speed­way. He’s raced a Modified since 2009 and won a “B” feature in his first visit to Boone last year. “I like the atmosphere and the people here. This is truly a racing vacation,” he said. “Ideally, we want to win Super Nationals. We don’t go anywhere to run second, but making the show here is an impressive feat in its own.”

Ashley Schaaf made her Modified debut at Super Nationals in 2015. She’s been learning and get­ting faster ever since. From Lincoln, Neb., and a Beatrice Speedway regular, Schaaf is doubling as driver and crew until her father Dennis gets to Boone on Friday. “Super Nationals has been a good learning experience for me. There are no slow cars here. It’s awesome to race with them,” said Schaaf. “My idols are now my rivals. Hopefully I’ll be able to run up front with them some day.” She lists grandfather Dennis Schaaf (who also raced in the no. 95), Jimmy Gustin, Mark Noble and Kelly Shryock among her favorite drivers. Schaaf has battled handling issues over 30-odd starts in her 2009 TRE Chassis this season. When she’s at the track by herself – Schaaf, incidentally, travels to weekly shows and specials in Nebraska and adjoining states with an open trailer – she’ll ask fellow drivers for advice or make a call home or to a friend in North Carolina who is crew chief for a Late Model [Read More]