Super Nationals info for Saturday, September 11
Hatlestad, Meyer dominate Friday qualifiers at Boone
BOONE, Iowa – Another Minnesotan will start the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals Modified main event from the front row.
Clint Hatlestad checked out twice on the rest of the field in Friday’s qualifying event at Boone Speedway, first after taking over the lead on lap 10 and again following a restart with three circuits left in the 25-lapper.
Clint Hatlestad won Friday's Super Nationals qualifying feature for Modifieds at Boone Speedway. (Photo by Bruce Badgley, Motorsports Photography)
He’ll make his career first Saturday night start at the front of the outside row, ahead of top eight finishers Reese Coffee, Kellen Chadwick, Cale Sponsler, Luke Wanninger, Todd Shute, Chris Derenne and Rich Smith.
Derenne drew the outside row one start and led the first nine times around the track. Back to back cautions came out on lap five. The third starting Hatlestad moved into second on lap nine and zipped past Derenne the next time around.
Once in front, Hatlestad pulled away from everybody. Coffee was into second on lap 15 and Chadwick into third on lap 16 but neither could mount a challenge before or after the late yellow.
Shute qualified from the 19th starting spot. Wanninger made his way up from 21st.
Coffee and Smith both made the big show for the fifth time. Smith took the green flag at the first Super Nationals in 1983 and most recently in 1987, so this is the first time he’s qualified since the event moved to Boone.
Shute, the 2007 champion, is in for the fourth time while Chadwick and Sponsler each make their third Saturday starts. Joining Hatlestad as first time starters in the Modified show are Derenne and Wanninger.
Wanninger joins a unique fraternity as a Super Nationals qualifier in three different divisions over the course of his career. He’d previously raced in Hobby Stock and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod mains
Minnesota’s Kevin Stoa has the pole and home state favorite Jimmy Gustin starts at the front of the middle row in the main event.
Steve Meyer prevailed in what was surely the longest Stock Car qualifying feature timewise in Super Nationals history, earning the outside front row spot in the Saturday main event for that division.
Steve Meyer topped the Friday Super Nationals qualifying feature for Stock Cars. (Photo by Bruce Badgley, Motorsports Photography)
One lap was in the books and the race was under caution when the clouds opened up. Cars were parked in the infield, then directed to the staging area after the rain stopped and work on the track could begin.
The race resumed after a delay of more than two hours. Meyer promptly said see ya’ and built up most of a straightaway advantage over second running Damon Murty.
The race stayed green through lap 18. Meyer stayed in that fastest line and beat Murty to the checkers by more than a car length.
Rounding out the top 10 and the outside row starters are Josh Daniels, Paul Shepherd, Stefan Sybesma, Ryan Rose, Merlyn Hegland, Justin Jacobsen, Nathan Burke and Dave DeGrave.
Hegland and DeGrave made it in after starting from the back row.
Burke is in the main event for the seventh time.
Another qualifier in three divisions during his career, Murty will make his sixth start in the Stock Car main. The 2002 and 2008 runnerup, he also made the Hobby Show four times and the Northern SportMod main once.
Rose will make his fourth Saturday night appearance. Meyer, Daniels, Shepherd, Sybesma, Hegland, Jacobsen and DeGrave are all in for the first time.
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Everything goes right for Murray in Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational
BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 10) – A night after getting upside down at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals, everything went right for David Murray Jr.
David Murray Jr. led all 12 times around the track Friday night in winning the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. (Photo by Bruce Badgley, Motorsports Photography)
Luck of the draw put Murray on the pole for Friday’s 12 car, 12 lap Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational at Boone Speedway. He took advantage of the prime position to lead start to finish and pocket $1,000, plus another $600 in lap money.
Brad Pounds chased Murray every time around the track. Dave Hardesty, Keith White and Michael Smith rounded out the top five.
“The front row start didn’t hurt,” Murray said between victory lane photos. “After we got upside down in our heat race on Thursday the whole crew really pitched in to get the car ready for this race. Everything went right for us tonight.”
He’s the first three time All-Star winner, adding the 2010 trophy to hardware from 2004 and 2007. Murray was 10th in his only other All-Star appearance, last year.
“As hard as this week has been, winning this race for the third time feels as good as it did the first time we won it,” he said.
Friday’s Invitational was also a qualifying event for the 2011 All-Star ballot.
By vocal vote of the grandstand crowd, the starting formation was switched from six rows of two to four rows of three.
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Pre-race ceremonies underway Saturday at Super Nationals
BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 11) – Pre-race ceremonies are underway on the sixth and final day of the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals.
Hot lap sessions for both the Hobby Stock and the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod Arnold Motor Supply Race of Champions qualifiers precede the first five last chance heats for Modifieds.
Following on the tentative schedule – the sun is shining and there’s nary a dark cloud in sight in the skies above Boone Speedway, so rain won’t be a factor today – are:
Track prep;
Sunoco Race Fuels Stock Car Race of Champions hot laps;
10 lap Arnold Motor Supply Hobby Stock Race of Champions;
Five last chance Modified heats;
Track prep;
Harris Auto Racing Modified Race of Champions hot laps;
10 lap Arnold Motor Supply Northern SportMod Race of Champions;
Five last chance Modified heats;
Track prep;
Hobby Stock hot laps;
Northern SportMod hot laps;
12 lap Harris Auto Racing Modified Race of Champions;
10 lap Sunoco Race Fuels Stock Car Race of Champions;
Three last chance Modified features;
Track prep;
Stock Car hot laps;
30 lap Hobby Stock feature;
30 lap Northern SportMod feature;
Track prep;
Modified hot laps;
30 lap Stock Car feature;
Track prep;
40 lap Modified feature.
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Jim Roach of Canton, Mo., is the driver of the Modified selected for Woody’s Hot Shot honors at Super Nationals. Fans voted for one of six finalists, with their pick announced today.
Appleton’s Brandon Czarapata added to the Wisconsin tradition of bringing sharp looking rides to Boone and was rewarded with the Hot Shot award for Stock Cars.
