It was a racin' Labor Day and night as we made the long haul to Boone, Iowa for some IMCA Super Nationals action. We sat down at about 1:00 P.M. just as racing began, and when we packed up ten hours later, there were still eight races to go!
In the meantime we witnessed more than sixty checkered flags, six famous Boone farming sessions, and more than five hundred different cars circling the three eighths mile oval either racing or hot lapping!
Reports supported by photos explained that the Sunday night Prelude to the Super Nationals program was shortened by a downpour which flooded not only the massive pits and campgrounds - eighty plus acres?- but the infield of the track itself. At a lesser event it would likely have been enough to postpone racing for perhaps days. But this is Boone, and the week long show must go on!
The IMCA Mod Lite portion of the week was originally scheduled to wrap up on Sunday, however their thirty lap "Dance" became an early part of the show on Monday and we were off and running. Silvis, Illinois driver started in the middle of row four of the three wide, ten row lineup and took the lead in the second half of the thirty lapper to pick up the first "Big Dance" title of the week.
Twenty heat races in both the Northern Sport Mods (192 cars), and Hobby Stocks (179 cars), whittled down their transfers, and the first Sport Mod twenty five lap feature was perhaps the race of the night. Something close to a half dozen lead changes sandwiched around only two yellow flags saw Lee County Speedway regular Tyler Heckart score a thrilling win. Tyler started in row three, topping eleventh starting Cole Suckow, Austin, Minnesota driver Michael Johnson, early leader Michael Poston and nineteenth starting Brayton Carter. The top eight cars would be locked into the inside row for their Saturday night finale. In typical Super Nationals fashion, ten states were represented in the thirty car feature field!
IMCA Late Models make only one appearance during Nationals week, and for the last several years that has been as a complete show on Monday. Thirty nine cars signed in representing six different states. Four heat races each transferred the top three to the fifty lap finale. Illinois racer Jesse Bodin, Nebraska driver Zack Zeitner and Iowan Jesse Sobbing all picked up wins from the front row while Newman Grove, Nebraska ace Cory Dumpert topped heat three after starting in row four. A pair of B Mains filled out the twenty four car grid, with Carthage, Illinois driver Austen Becerra, and Cody Thompson, Sioux City, Iowa collecting wins.
The Late Model headliner was a wild one, with the caution flag waving five times. Following a pizza box redraw, Zeitner and Bodin fired off from row one, Zach leading lap one and Jesse pacing lap two. Fourth starting Sobbing took over on lap three. While battling for the top spot, Bodin brought out the first yellow on lap eight with a spin likely caused by a flat tire. The field bottled up on the restart, with Iron Man Darrel Defrance looping his ride. As racing resumed, row seven starter Cody Thompson was flying through the field, entering the top five on lap ten. Sobbing continued to lead running high on the track while Zeitner worked down low and Dumpert trailed close behind. With seventeen in the books the caution came as Drew Baker slowed, and as the field reset, Dumpert gave up his third place run, retiring to the pits. Now it was C. J. Horn joining the front two.. As Sobbing pulled slightly ahead, Zeitner did the same in second while Thompson continued his charge to fourth. A final stop came just after halfway as J.J. Rodeman saw his night come to an end. Thompson powered to third on the restart and the top three opened up an advantage on the field. Travis Denning had lined up in the twenty fourth position at the start, but he was now battling hard with Logan Veloz for fourth. Thompson continued to move forward, clearing Zeitner with thirteen laps remaining, and the leaders caught slower traffic at lap forty, just as Denning pulled off the speedway. The final eight laps was edge of your seat racing as Thompson and Sobbing exchanged slide jobs and crossovers, but this one belonged to Sobbing and his #99. Going down the backstretch on the final circuit Thompson suddenly slowed, with Zeitner wheeling around him to claim the runner up spot. Horn and Veloz rounded out the top five. South Dakota racer Kole Nordquist ran sixth, chased by twelfth starting Matt Ryan. Andy Nezworski advanced a dozen spots to eighth while Kale Kosiski gained ten positions to run ninth. Jake Bridge completed the top ten.
As mentioned, there was still lots of racing to be had at this juncture, but Tuesday was a workday for three in our group, and this writer was four hours from home! So we took our leave, pleased with the action we had seen!
The Super Nationals event, with over 1100 total entries is like no other, a spectacle that must be seen to be believed! And now for a nap...
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