A sea of white T-shirts dominates...
A sea of white T-shirts dominates the viewing areas. Seats are at a premium, and some prime viewing spots are occupied well before the first green flag falls.
When it's Labor Day in the Midwest, all roads lead to Boone Speedway in Iowa, and for good reason. The week-long events that make up the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals give the racing world a healthy dose of activity.
The latest version was no exception. On the first day, there were over 360 cars on hand to get it started. The first day is the only day for the Late Models, and there were 37 of them. The first A main for the week went to IMCA Deery Brothers Series Ironman Darrel DeFrance, competing in his 283rd consecutive series event. DeFrance was also the 1992 Super Nationals champion.
Throughout the pit area, there were plenty of Hobby Stocks and IMCA Stock Cars on hand for that first day. Each division came up four cars short in tying the record car count.
Day one saw 36 heat races, 18 B features and five A mains. It's a good start.
Wide-open races in wide-open...
Wide-open races in wide-open spaces. The wide and well-prepared track surface at Boone (Iowa) Speedway allows the traditional three-wide starts and gives racers plenty of room to charge to the front.
With the Late Models departed, the Jackpot Junction Tour Sprint Cars entered the grounds for their last series event. The points battle was close as Neil Stevens held a one-point advantage. When it was all said and done at Boone, Stevens won the title, but Scott Winters won the A main. The presence of the Sprint Cars brought the total car count up by another 21.
The Hobby Stocks had their last-chance events, which consisted of eight heats and an A main. Stock Cars had 16 more heat races, eight B features and a pair of A mains. There were five heats held for the Stock Car division's Race of Champions.
Modifieds rolled in on Wednesday and brought nearly 340 more cars to the roll call. There were 25 states represented in the Modified ranks from Florida to California and points between. Modifieds endured 40 heat races, eight B mains, and a pair of A mains while Stock Cars got into last-chance mode with 12 heats and an A main.
Despite a rainy day on Thursday, which saw 2 inches of precipitation and winds near 60 mph, the show rolled along. Modifieds matched their race count with an added attraction being the Dirt Works Ron Efkamp Memorial Race of Champions qualifiers. A total of 70 eligible drivers tried their hand at earning a starting spot in the Saturday special.
The appearance of the Northern SportMods brought more attention to the show on Friday. Karl Fredrickson became the first SportMod champ with his victory. Jay Noteboom started last in the 10-car Lucas Oil All-Star Invitational and used the high line to scoot to victory. Another 50 events were held for the Modifieds to determine another group of starters for the Saturday main.
A look at the spacious facility...
A look at the spacious facility at Boone. You need to have plenty of room when over 300 cars are on the grounds at any given time.
Saturday proved to be a busy day with the last batch of crowns for IMCA Speedway Motors Super National champions. Kevin Stoa prevailed in the Dirt Works Ron Efkamp Race of Champions. Modifieds used 18 last-chance heats and three last-chance A mains to determine the final starting spots for their upcoming main.
Andy Boeckman came from outside the first row in the three-wide starting grid to claim his second Hobby Stock title. Kansas racer Jason Schoenberger became the first racer from outside Iowa to stake a Stock Car victory, coming from Thirteenth to take the win. The Sunoco IMCA Stock Car Race of Champions went to David Smith.
In Modified racing, Third-starting Benji LaCrosse became the first Wisconsin driver to win in the division. LaCrosse, who had made the main in Modifieds and Stock Cars in 2004, bested a strong 33-car field to claim the title.
For the fifth straight year, more than 700 race cars came through the gates for competition. It proves the sport is alive and well at the grassroots level.