By Joyce Eisele
BOONE, Iowa (Aug. 3, 2024) – It was Elmquist Towing & Recovery night at the Boone Speedway on Saturday where six divisions took to the track for a full night of racing action.
History was made at Iowa’s Action Track when Mike Smith found his way to victory lane, marking his 100th career win in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. Tim Ward returned to the winner’s circle when he won the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature and Devin Smith got the win in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars.
Randy Havlik got his first win at Boone in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, Austin Gray repeated his win from last week in the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites and visiting class on the night, the IMCA Mach-1 Sport Compacts saw Cristian Grady take the win.
The Mod Lite 15-lap feature was first on the track.
William Nobles led the troops through the first three laps until Ben George snatched it away on lap four. Meanwhile, Gray had been making his way through the field from 10th starting and on lap five, flew around George to take over the lead.
From there on out, it was Gray’s race as he pulled away from the field to take the comfortable win. Bryan Zehm took the runner-up spot, coming from ninth, and third went to George.
The Northern SportMod 18-lap feature had problems getting the first lap in the books. Before the initial lap was scored, there was a big pile up of cars coming out of corner three. The kerfuffle eliminated six cars and it took some time to clear the track.
The second attempt to start the race got as far as turn one when another incident took out two more cars.
The third time was the charm and the race finally got underway with Kenser Ellis grabbing the lead. Ellis was still leading when yet another yellow flag flew on lap two. Havlik was hot on the leader’s tail when the race went green and soon had the lead.
Havlik took command of the race which continued caution-free and pulled away from the field. He put his first Northern SportMod feature win in the books after previously racing in the Modified division in years past. Logan Veloz made his trip worthwhile, racing from 11th starting to finish second. Dusty Lynch took third.
The Modified 20-lap feature came to the track next.
Jimmy Gustin started fourth, snatched the lead as the race went green, with visitor Jesse Patterson, from Marana, Ariz., sniffing at his heels. Patterson grabbed the lead on lap three, only to have Gustin come right back to the lead as he made the topside his own.
Gustin continued to lead through cautions at lap five and another at lap nine. When the race restarted after the caution at lap nine, he had Izac Mallicoat and seventh place starter Ward right behind him and ready to change things up.
The restart was not Gustin’s friend and when lap 10 went into the books, it was Ward leading and Mallicoat in second, Gustin falling to third. The race then would continue to the checkers caution-free as Ward and Mallicoat flew around the rim of the track.
Ward, the defending IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s champion, took the flying checkers to secure his win, his first at the track in 2024. Mallicoat finished in the runner-up spot and 11th place starter and last week’s winner Jake McBirnie got around Gustin in the closing laps as they went third and fourth respectively. Owen Barnhill, the Florida hotshoe who has called Iowa home for the summer, rounded out the top five.
Sport Compacts were in the house last night for a tune-up for their upcoming Super Nationals run. They ran a 15-lap feature.
Gilbert Aldape went from starting fourth and into the lead on lap one. Seventh place starter Grady was soon into second place and beginning to pressure the leader. Aldape seemed to lose power coming out of turn two and Grady got by him to take over the top spot on lap nine.
After his falter, Aldape regained his momentum and soon got back to second place. The only caution of the race came at lap 12 with Grady still holding down the top spot. It was no issue for him on the restart and he kept hold of the lead the rest of the way to the checkers to take the win.
Aldape held on to score second and third went to Kolby Sabin.
The 20-lap feature for Stock Cars came to the track next and for much of the race it was looking like an Indiana racer was going to be going to victory lane as Sheldon Oberle of Battle Ground, Ind., grabbed the lead from the pole as the race went green.
Sixth place starter Doug Smith was soon chasing him as he ran second. Oberle was still leading with just two laps to go when Smith made a bit of contact with Oberle, causing him to spin, and bringing out a caution.
This knocked both Oberle and Smith out of the game, handing the race lead over to brother and 12th place starter Devin Smith when the race restarted. Smith then held on to the top spot the final circuits to the checkers and scored the win, his second of the season. Another Smith brother, David, came from eighth starting to take second and third went to last week’s winner Troy Jerovetz.
Finale of the evening was 15 laps of Hobby Stock feature racing.
Christian Cook started on the pole and grabbed the immediate lead when the race went green. On lap four, some contact coming out of corner four made for mayhem on the frontstretch, Cook took a tumble, and the race was red flagged. Cook was okay, but his night was over.
When the race restarted, Seth Janssen had the lead but it didn’t take long until Mike Smith, who had restarted in fourth place, took to the outside going down the backstretch, and had the lead on lap five.
It was all but over then. Smith pulled away from the field as the rest of the race continued to the checkers caution-free and took his 100th IMCA Hobby Stock win. Janssen took second and third went to Keith Burg.
It was a big party in victory lane as the Smith clan, 100th win banner and all, celebrated Mike’s win. It took less than five years to get the milestone after his first racing debut in 2019.
Saturday night, Aug. 10 will be another night of IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing action regular series of racing with the Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods, Hobby Stocks and Mod Lites in action. Pits open at 4:30 p.m., grandstands at 5:30 p.m., with hot laps at 6 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m.
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