By Joyce Eisele
BOONE, Iowa (May 25, 2024) – It was a great night of racing at the Boone Speedway Saturday. There were 172 cars checked in for the Memorial Day Holiday weekend event that included extra money on the line for the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, celebrating their 45th anniversary and the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, celebrating 19 years of racing.
It was also a Stealth Racing Corn Belt Clash race for the IMCA STARS Mod Lites.
It was Tom Berry Jr. taking top honors in the IMCA Modifieds, in an exciting race for the fans that witnessed a “slide fest.” Austin Bouzek got his first win at the track when he took the checkers in the IMCA Sunoco Stock car “A” main. Logan Anderson went home with the trophy in the IMCA Friesen Performance SportMods and once again, it was Mike Smith back in victory lane for the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. Corn Belt Clash winner for the STARS Mod Lites was Bryan Zehm.
Mod Lites were running for a $1,000 payday that would come at the end of their 25-lap feature.
Zehm got the luck of the draw, starting on the pole of the feature, and then never looking back. He maneuvered through lapped traffic in a race that went flag to flag and finished comfortably ahead of second place Jon Padilla. Joe Glick finished in third.
Zehm was happy to finally get back to the winner’s circle after more than a year’s absence.
This is the 19th anniversary season for the IMCA Northern SportMods and they ran a 23-lap feature for the $1,000 awaiting them for the victory.
This race was led from start to finish by Anderson. He didn’t let the heavy lapped traffic in the last portion of the race hinder him, as he pulled away in the closing laps to take the twin checkers.
Dylan VanWyk started 15th on the field and made his way through the pack to take the runner-up spot. hird went to Hunter Longnecker.
Logan Anderson led green to checkered in the Anniversary main event for Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods Saturday at Boone Speedway. (Photo by Bruce Badgley, Motorsports Photography)
IMCA Modifieds celebrate their 45th Anniversary this year, and the winner pocketed $3,500. They went 25 laps for their “A” Main.
Trevor Fitz, the California racer who is calling Iowa home this season, started on the outside front row and quickly established the top spot. Meanwhile, it was Tim Ward and Zachary Madrid challenging for second.
By lap ten, lapped traffic was awaiting the leaders as Fitz maintained the lead. Fitz was still leading when a yellow flew at lap 18. Another yellow came out on lap 19 when Nick Roberts and Jerry Flippo had issues on the backstretch.
When the race went green, Ward was able to take command but soon had to contend with Berry who was quickly on his tail. A lap later, Berry had the lead.
Then … the sliders began! Berry and Ward made it quite entertaining as they threw sliders in the corners. Berry, who had started 10th, was the one who would come out on top as the checkers flew, capturing the night’s anniversary trophy and the big pay day. Ward took second and Dallon Murty raced his way from 11th to finish third.
Up next were the IMCA Stock Cars and their 20-lap main event.
Bouzek, from Trenton, Mo., started fourth and had the lead with a handful of laps in the books. He would weather four cautions in the remainder of the race but held on to the top spot to claim his first-ever trip to victory lane at Boone.
Eleventh place starter Jimmy Gustin raced his way through the pack, challenged the leader in the closing moments, but had to settle for second. Trailing a good distance behind in third was 13 place starter Tyler Pickett.
The IMCA Hobby Stocks ran a 15 lap feature. Andrew Burg was the early leader but when the second yellow of the race flew at lap six, he had young Mike Smith anxiously awaiting the restart right behind him.
As the race went green, Smith was able to get by Burg on the backstretch and was scored the leader on lap seven. In the final portion of the race, it was 11th place starter Eric Knutson trying to mount a challenge to the leader, but he fell short, and had to be satisfied with second place. Burg was third.
Smith, who started ninth, claimed his third regular season feature of the year, after having also won the Frostbuster special.
Racing continues next Saturday night, June 1, with racing in all five IMCA divisions with the first heat at 6 p.m.
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