![Champion Jake Bubak VL-2 His string of even numbered year triumphs continued Sunday night as Jake Bubak followed 2020 and 2022 victories with the plush 2024 RaceSaver Nationals checkers. (Photo by Joe Orth)](https://www.imca.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Champion-Jake-Bubak-VL-2-678x381.jpeg)
By Greg Soukup
EAGLE, Neb. (Sept. 1, 2024) – The 2024 IMCA Racesaver Nationals is in the books, and what a story it was as Jake Bubak’s career third crown came with an event record $12,000 check.
Bubak led Joey Danley across the Sunday night stripe at Eagle Raceway to add another trophy and custom made belt to his collection from 2020 and 2022 triumphs.
Third in the Saturday qualifier and winner of the BlueMax Pay Race of Champions the same night, Bubak passed John Carney and then Danley following the scheduled stoppage on the 30th of 50 laps.
“It took us a little while to get going. I’m actually glad that it was a long race because it benefited the way our car was,” Bubak said, during the combined victory celebration and birthday party for car owner Ben Aufill that followed the 12th annual event. “I think the biggest part of the win was getting up to third and being able to choose our line on the restarts during the two-wide restarts in the second stage.”
There was a change in the main event this year as the lap count jumped from 35 to 50 with the stop after 30 circuits to allow teams to fuel up and check air pressure in the tires or grind them. There was an option for drivers to go to the back stretch and make any and all changes that they wished to.
All this was done within a five minute time limit and only two crew members per car were allowed to do the necessary work with no jacks allowed. In addition, the driver on the pole, in this case Gunnar Pike, chooses where to start; either inside, in the middle or outside the starting grid.
Pike had put his no. 25 in the lead after lap one with Danley second, Brandon Bosma and 2015 RaceSaver Nationals winner John Carney hot on his push bumper.
Debris slowed action on lap two. The restart saw Ethan Barrow pass Carney for fourth and then move up to third on lap four. Danley passed Pike to take over the top spot on lap 10. Bosma got past Barrow for third on lap 12 but lost the position back to him on lap 15.
Carney again joined the top four on lap 17 as Bosma fell back several spots. Lap 20 saw Barrow pass Pike on the low side to move up to second. Carney got past Pike for third on lap 23.
The yellow lights were lit in the corners the next time around when Jack Thomas slowed and then stopped by the back stretch pit entrance.
Carney passed Barrow for second on the restart. Lap 25 saw Trevor Serbus and Maverick Elkins come to a halt after Elkins hit the Armco in turn three, started flipping and collected Serbus.
Carney passed Danley for the lead on lap 28 as Bubak got past Pike for fourth place. Danley retook the top spot after another lap.
The following circuit saw Trevor Grossenbacher go for a spin after making contact with Pike’s push bumper. Bubak got past Barrow on the restart to move to third. Brandon Bosma spun out in turn three to end the first stage of the race and may have been the luckiest driver on the track at the time because the yellow flag had already come out and he didn’t lose his position.
The two-wide restart saw Bubak pass Carney for second and grab the lead from Danley the next lap.
Barrow jumped past Carney on lap 37 to advance to third but lost the spot back to Carney the following circuit. Jason Danley stopped on the front stretch on lap 40 and the yellow was thrown and from the restart to the checkers it was just a matter of how much Bubak was going to win by.
The final change in the top four came with nine to go when Pike got past Barrow for fourth place. The top four were Bubak by nearly three seconds over Joey Danley with Carney third and Pike in fourth.
Making the transfer to the main event grid from the “B” feature earlier in the program were Jeremy Huish, Bosma, Joey Danley, Carson Bolden, Elkins, Steven Richardson, Thomas, Koby Werkmeister and 2018 race winner Kevin Ramey.
Kyle Vanover was the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car winner.
Race Saver Nationals main event results – 1. Jake Bubak, Lincoln; 2. Joey Danley, Martell; 3. John Carney, Amarillo, Texas; 4. Gunnar Pike, South Bend; 5. Ethan Barrow, Bloomington, Ind.; 6. Jeremy Huish, Ness City, Kan.; 7. Brandon Bosma, Rock Rapids, Iowa; 8. Steven Richardson, Liberal, Kan.; 9. Trevor Grossenbacher, Panama; 10. Carson Bolden, Quinlan, Texas; 11. Chase Brewer, Waxahachie, Texas; 12. Kevin Ramey, Fort Worth, Texas; 13. Cole Vanderheiden, Papillion; 14. Ryder Laplante, Calera, Okla.; 15. Koby Werkmeister, Armour, S.D.; 16. Cole Wayman, Lincoln; 17. Gene Ackland, Martell; 18. Claud Estes, Godley, Texas; 19. Dusty Ballenger, Harrisburg, S.D.; 20. Chad Koch, Murdock; 21. Jason Danley, Lincoln; 22. Mike Boston, Lincoln; 23. Clint Benson, Papillion; 24. Maverick Elkins, Bryan, Texas; 25. Trevor Serbus, Olivia, Minn.; 26. Jack Thomas, Bates City, Mo.; 27. Cody Ledger Omaha.
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