Eastern Iowa racers run well at IMCA Supernationals

BOONE - The IMCA Supernationals means a lot to racers and race fans.

The dirt racing event may not resonate in the national spotlight like the World 100, Knoxville Nationals or King's Royal might, but to IMCA racers it's the biggest event of the year.

Racers come from all corners of the country each September to a tiny town in central Iowa and a ¼-mile track in Boone Speedway to compete for stature and bragging rights as much as the $250,000 awarded to the 11 main event and all-star race winners on Saturday night. The meaning is etched on the faces of the winners, all of whom stood atop their cars and celebrated with nearly uncontrollable happiness.

'We've been coming out here for four years now, and this has definitely been on my list as a huge, huge accomplishment in my racing career,” said IMCA Modified main event winner Kyle Strickler, who made the trip from Mooresville, N.C. because of what the event means. 'I can't even fathom it, the people who have won this race - the guys who I've watched that are my heroes and I look up to.

'It's probably the greatest race in the country as far as I'm concerned. … This event is so huge, people in other parts of the country don't realize until they come here. It's amazing to look around and see all the people and cars that are here.”

Anyone who's been to Boone during Supernationals understands exactly what Strickler said.

Boone essentially doubles in size during the Tuesday-Saturday event, with 866 cars entered in six different divisions (with five all-star or Race of Champions events) this year, its 32nd edition. The Speedway grounds become its own little town - and this year prompted parody Twitter accounts.

It's where little pockets of racing communities travel together as a sort of de facto tribe, working together because they're from the same area or run the same chassis.

Scores of racers who either live or often race in Eastern Iowa made the trip to Boone last week, and represented themselves well. There were 16 drivers who beat out hundreds of others for one of 30 or 33 spots in a main event, three who qualified for both a main event and an all-star race and two only an all-star event.

Not only that, but many of those who made it qualified well, proving over the course of several qualifying races they were to be taken seriously. Marengo's Nathan Ballard (Hawkeye Downs, Benton County Speedway, Independence Motor Speedway) was one of seven to qualify in the top 10, starting 10th in Hobby Stock before driving up to a sixth-place finish.

'It's the best equipment, best drivers here - you aren't really going to out-drive anybody,” Ballard said. 'It just shows you the kind of competition we have back there. It shows we have strong runners back there. We have fast cars, just wish we had a little bit better finishes.”

That's not to say all Eastern Iowa drivers didn't finish well. Marion's Adam Gates won the Sport Compact main event on Wednesday night with Norway's Nathan Chandler sixth, and six others notched top-15 finishes.

Gilman's Richie Gustin (Marshalltown Speedway, Independence Motor Speedway, Hawkeye Dirt Tour) finished second in the Modified main event, with West Union's Justin O'Brien 13th (from 29th starting position) and Dunkerton's Troy Cordes (Benton County Speedway, Independence Motor Speedway) 15th. In Stock Cars, Chelsea's Damon Murty (Marshalltown Speedway, Benton County Speedway, Independence Motor Speedway, West Liberty Raceway) was second as well, with Independence's Justin Temeyer (Independence Motor Speedway, Marshalltown Speedway) fifth and Elberon's Scott Pippert (Benton County Speedway, Independence Motor Speedway, Marshalltown Speedway) was sixth.

Cordes, who lost the tip of his left index finger in a pit area accident on Tuesday and raced the whole week with it heavily bandaged, said Supernationals week is as difficult a test as racers will face anywhere.

A top-15 out of nearly 300 cars is a solid accomplishment, but that doesn't stop a racer from wanting more.

'It's huge here. There's, what, 280 Mods here trying to get in a 33-car field, so we're pretty happy we made it in - just not the finish we wanted,” Cordes said. 'We race with a ton of good cars in Eastern Iowa. There's a lot of Iowa guys in the show. We've got the toughest region in IMCA as well.

'We'll just keep our head up and try again next year.”

But as rewarding as Supernationals can be for some, it can also be intensely frustrating.

There are the guys who barely miss out on the main event - like Jesup's Ronn Lauritzen (Benton County Speedway, Independence Motor Speedway, Marshalltown Speedway), who missed the main event by one position in his last chance qualifier in Modifieds. Or Stanley's Benji Irvine (Benton County Speedway, Independence Motor Speedway), who started fifth but had a flat tire in the opening laps that relegated him to 30th in the Hobby Stock main event.

Or Cedar Rapids' Tony Olson, who started fifth as well, drove to the lead in the first two laps, but made contact with another driver and suffered a flat tire - ruining his chances at a good finish and ending up 26th.

Every driver who doesn't finish atop the podium will say they want something more next time, but those who feel one slipped away have as much or more motivation to make up for it.

After all, it's Supernationals. It's the 'Big Dance,” and everyone wants it bad.

'We had a great car, but it's a little bit of luck, I guess, and people using their head (to be successful),” Olson said. 'You kind of spend all year dialing your car in for these races at the end of the year.

'This is one of the big ones we want to do well at, and that's kind of what we work all year for - to get the car figured out. It'd be huge to win it. It kind of makes the year, how this show goes, pretty much.”

Feature Results

Modifieds - 1. Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, N.C.; 2. Richie Gustin, Gilman; 3. Dylan Smith, Osceola, Neb.; 4. Aaron Turnbull, Estevan, Sask.; 5. Mike Jergens, Plover; 6. Josh Gilman, Earlham; 7. Johnny Saathoff, Beatrice, Neb.; 8. Jay Noteboom, Hinton; 9. Ricky Thornton, Chandler, Ariz.; 10. Jason Cummins, New Richland, Minn.; 11. Ricky Stephan, South Sioux City, Neb.; 12. Paul Stone, Winton, Calif.; 13. Justin O'Brien, West Union; 14. Adam Larson, Ankeny; 15. Troy Cordes, Dunkerton; 16. Jeremy Mills, Garner; 17. Troy Jerovetz, Green Bay, Wis.; 18. Joel Rust, Grundy Center; 19. Scott Drake, Joplin, Mo.; 20. Tyler Droste, Waterloo; 21. Jared Siefert, Luxemburg, Wis.; 22. Hunter Marriott, Brookfield, Mo.; 23. Josh Truman, Indianola; 24. Todd Shute, Des Moines; 25. Adam Johnson, Independence; 26. Mike Van Genderen, Newton; 27. Jimmy Gustin, Marshalltown

; 28. Nick Roberts, Des Moines; 29. Chris Mills, Sioux City; 30. Johnny Whitman, DePere, Wis.; 31. Dustin Smith, Lake City; 32. Ryan Ruter, Kanawha; 33. Josh Most, Red Oak.

Stock Cars - 1. Devin Smith, Lake City; 2. Damon Murty, Chelsea; 3. Jerry Gifford, Boone; 4. Travis VanStraten, Hortonville, Wis.; 5. Justin Temeyer, Independence; 6. Scott Pippert, Elberon; 7. Brandon Czarapata, Pulaski, Wis.; 8. Rick Mahlberg, Denmark, Wis.; 9. Brian Blessington, Breda; 10. Trent Murphy, Scranton; 11. David Smith, Lake City; 12. Perry Misner, Garden City, Kan.; 13. Derek Green, Granada, Minn.; 14. Terry Pruitt, Dexter; 15. Kyle Vanover, Beatrice, Neb.; 16. Michael Jaennette, Newton; 17. Heath Tulp, Belmond; 18. Casey Werkmeister, North Platte, Neb.; 19. Troy Woelber, Hull; 20. Jesse Brown, Nashua; 21. Roger Ciesielski, Waterloo; 22. Chris Pruitt, Stuart; 23. Mike Nichols, Harlan; 24. Stefan Sybesma, Sanborn; 25. Abe Huls, Carthage, Ill.; 26. Donavon Smith, Lake City; 27. John Heinz, Green Bay, Wis.; 28. Jake Masters, Graettinger; 29. Jay Schmidt, Tama

; 30. Shaun Bruns, Danube, Minn.

SportMods - 1. Johnathon Logue, Boone; 2. Randy Roberts, Boone; 3. Jake Simpson, Algona; 4. Ethan Dotson, Bakersfield, Calif.; 5. Jared VanDeest, Holland; 6. Cory Rose, Boone; 7. Nelson Vollbrecht, Stanton, Neb.; 8. Shawn Harker, Nebraska City, Neb.; 9. Tim Rupp, Cherokee; 10. Benji Legg, Beatrice, Neb.; 11. Tina McGowan, Bakersfield, Calif.; 12. Brian Miller, Grand Junction; 13. Brandon Long, Green Bay, Wis.; 14. Tim Love, Kelley; 15. Tyler Afrank, Norfolk, Neb.; 16. Chad Ryerson, Wellsburg; 17. Michael Murphy, Jefferson; 18. Ryan Hiscocks, Britt; 19. Alex Zwanzinger, Nashua; 20. Levi Kiefer, Bakersfield, Calif.; 21. Clinton Luellen, Minburn; 22. Carter VanDenBerg, Oskaloosa; 23. Jake McBirnie, Boone; 24. Daniel Gottschalk, Ellis, Kan.; 25. Jerry Hoffman, Oronogo, Mo.; 26. Tony Olson, Cedar Rapids

; 27. George Nordman, Mason City; 28. Taylor Musselman, Norwalk; 29. Ben Kates, Tonganoxie, Kan.; 30. Kaid Calhoon, Beloit, Kan.

Hobby Stocks - 1. Shannon Anderson, Des Moines; 2. Mike Pruitt, Redfield; 3. Jesse VanLaningham, Beatrice, Neb.; 4. Eric Stanton, Carlisle; 5. Austin Luellen, Minburn; 6. Nathan Ballard, Marengo; 7. Gary Pesicka, Burt; 8. John Watson, Des Moines; 9. Andrew Burg, Adel; 10. Jason Kohl, Missouri Valley; 11. Kyle Bond, Gibbon, Neb.; 12. Brandon Beeter, Minot, N.D.; 13. Jeremy Auten, Clarinda; 14. Malik Sampson, Worthington, Minn.; 15. Mike Traskowsky, Woodbine, Kan.; 16. Matt Olson, Morton, Minn.; 17. Corey Madden, Avoca; 18. Derek Moede, Casco, Wis.; 19. Colby Langenberg, Norfolk, Neb.; 20. Derek Hodges, Des Moines; 21. Tyson Overton, Carlisle; 22. David Rieks, Eldora; 23. Tiffany Bittner, Norfolk, Neb.; 24. Tyler Pickett, Boxholm; 25. Dillon Thompson, Hastings, Neb.; 26. Justin Nehring, Storm Lake; 27. Kyle Parizek, Belle Plaine; 28. Weston Koop, Rockwell; 29. Dustin Van Horn, Atlantic; 30. Benji Irvine, Stanley.

Race of Champions for Modifieds

- 1. Keith White, Little River Academy, Texas; 2. Mason Big Eagle, Manor, Sask.; 3. Todd Shute, Des Moines; 4. Eric Dailey, Armstrong; 5. John Logue, Boone; 6. Jesse Sobbing, Glenwood; 7. Mike Van Genderen, Newton; 8. William Gould, Calera, Okla.; 9. Rich Lewerke, Mason City; 10. Levi Nielsen, Mason City; 11. Dustin Smith, Lake City; 12. Mike Petersilie, Hoisington, Kan.

Race of Champions for Stock Cars - 1. Devin Smith, Lake City; 2. Dan Mackenthun, Hamburg, Minn.; 3. Mike Nichols, Harlan; 4. Scott Pippert, Elberon

; 5. Kevin Opheim, Mason City; 6. Travis VanStraten, Hortonville, Wis.; 7. Michael Jaennette, Newton; 8. Todd Reitzler, Grinnell; 9. Matt Guillaume, Haslet, Texas; 10. Nathan Wood, Sigourney.

Race of Champions for SportMods

- 1. Clinton Luellen, Minburn; 2. Kyle Griffith, Taft, Calif.; 3. Brandon Long, Green Bay, Wis; 4. Tracy Wassenberg, Shawano, Wis; 5. Sam Wieben, Dysart; 6. James Kleinheksel, Columbus, Neb.; 7. Doug Smith, Lanesboro; 8. Alex Zwanzinger, Nashua; 9. Tyler Soppe, Sherrill; 10. Harvey Vande Weerd, Alton.

Race of Champions for Hobby Stocks

- 1. Austin Luellen, Minburn; 2. Kyle Bond, Gibbon, Neb.; 3. Shannon Anderson, Des Moines; 4. John Watson, Des Moines; 5. Dustin Griffiths, Ottumwa; 6. Dillon Thompson, Hastings, Neb.; 7. Jason Kohl, Missouri Valley; 8. Justin Wacha, Vinton; 9. Derek Moede, Casco, Wis.; 10. Mike Traskowsky, Woodbine, Kan.

All-Star Invitational - 1. Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, N.C.; 2. Todd Shute, Des Moines; 3. Chris Abel¬son, Sioux City; 4. Troy Cordes, Dunkerton; 5. Ricky Thornton, Chandler, Ariz.; 6. Jimmy Gustin, Marshalltown; 7. Cory Sample, Winnemucca, Nev.; 8. Jeff Taylor, Cave City, Ark.; 9. Cody Gear¬hart, Turpin, Okla.; 10. Jason Murray, Hartford; 11. Dean Abbey, Waco, Texas; 12. William Gould, Cal¬era, Okla.; 13. Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup; 14. Mike Jergens, Plover; 15. Keith White, Little River Academy, Texas; 16. Brad Pounds, Bakersfield, Calif.; 17. Scott Hogan, Vinton

; 18. Ryan McDaniel, Olivehurst, Calif.; 19. Jeremy Frenier, Fort Morgan, Colo.; 20. Chris Fleming, Union Springs, N.Y.; 21. Chase Hansen, Myton, Utah; 22. Robert Hellebust, Minot, N.D.; 23. Joe German, Aber¬deen, Wash.; 24. A.J. Ward, Ionia, Mich.; 25. Tim Ward, Gilbert, Ariz.; 26. Jason Noll, Peoria, Ariz.; 27. Jesse Sobbing, Glenwood; 28. Jared Siefert, Luxemburg, Wis.; 29. Corey Lagroon, Sa¬lina, Kan.; 30. Dustin Smith, Lake City.

Sport Compacts - 1. Adam Gates, Marion; 2. Austen Becerra, Carthage, Ill.; 3. Drew Johnson, North Sioux City, S.D.; 4. Jay DeVries, Spencer; 5. Joshua Barnes, Keokuk; 6. Nathan Chandler, Norway; 7. Ramsey Meyer, Pierce, Neb.; 8. Luke Benischek, Durant; 9. Kimberly Abbott, Camp Point, Ill.; 10. Mitch Bolton, Grand Junction, Colo.; 11. Brannon Bechen, Farley; 12. Tyler Thompson, Sioux City; 13. Michael Grossman, Keokuk; 14. Trent Orwig, Eldon; 15. Cody Thompson, Sioux City; 16. Scott Johnson, Green Bay, Wis.; 17. Alec Stapleton, Denison; 18. Danny Sassman Jr., Fort Dodge; 19. Jake Benischek, Durant; 20. Mick Rykhus, Manhattan, Kan.; 21. Brooke Fluckinger, Columbus, Neb.; 22. Kaytee DeVries, Spencer; 23. Ryan Bryant, Mason City; 24. Nate Coopman, Mankato, Minn.; 25. A.J. Myott, Early; 26. Alex Davis, Denison; 27. Brandon Lambert, Carthage, Ill.; 28. John Gill, Marshalltown; 29. Dallas Chandler, Cedar Rapids

; 30. Aaron Miller, Marshalltown.

Deery Brothers Summer Series

- 1. Jeff Aikey, Cedar Falls; 2. Justin Kay, Wheatland; 3. Charlie McKenna, Clear Lake; 4. Andy Eckrich, Oxford; 5. Tyler Bruening, Decorah; 6. Joel Callahan, Dubuque; 7. Brian Harris, Davenport; 8. Richie Gustin, Gilman; 9. Scott Fitzpatrick, Wheatland; 10. Todd Cooney, Des Moines; 11. Todd Frank, Montrose; 12. Jason Hahne, Webster City; 13. Jason Rauen, Farley; 14. Joe Zrostlik, Long Grove; 15. Jon Passick, Waterloo; 16. Jeremy Grady, Story City; 17. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown; 18. Ryan Dolan, Lisbon; 19. Paul Nagle, Nevada; 20. Darren Ackerman, Readlyn; 21. Greg Kastli, Waterloo; 22. Al Johnson, Story City; 23. Ray Guss Jr., Milan, Ill.; 24. Allan Hopp, Harlan; 25. Tyler Droste, Waterloo.

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