boonespeedway Archives

Braaksma best at Boone in IMCA Modified Frostbuster

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (April 3) – Boone Speedway opened its doors for the 2021 season with the running of the Frostbuster special and 178 race cars put on a show for the crowd on hand. Already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, Ethan Braaksma put $1,000 in his pocket as he dominated the IMCA Modified feature, leading all laps on his way to victory. Todd Shute finished in the runner-up spot, Kyle Brown came from 10th to finish third, Tim Ward was fourth, and veteran racer Kelly Shryock was fifth. Johnathon Logue took home the trophy in the 25-lap Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod feature, capturing his first-ever Frostbuster win at Iowa’s Action Track. Logue started fifth and quickly was battling early leader Dustin Lynch. The two raced side-by-side for several laps before Logue was able to establish the lead for good on lap nine. Polesitter Cam Reimers took the runner-up spot and Dustin Lynch, Cole Fenske and Austin Schrage rounded out the top five. Luke Ramsey looked to be on his way to taking [Read More]

Too cold, too windy at Indee: Next Frostbuster is Friday at Marshalltown

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa – Cold and wind get the blame for cancellation of Thursday’s Frostbuster at Independence Motor Speedway. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods now see their next Frostbuster action Friday, April 2 at Marshalltown Speedway. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5 p.m. The draw closes at 6:15 p.m. with hot laps at 7 p.m. and racing to follow. Frostbusters follow Saturday at Boone Speedway and Sunday at Benton County Speedway.

Benton County Frostbuster rescheduled to Sunday, Stuart opens tonight

VINTON, Iowa – Wednesday’s scheduled IMCA Frostbuster at Benton County Speedway has been rescheduled to Sunday, April 4. Track officials made that announcement after determining they could not get the dirt oval at Vinton race-ready for the number of cars expected to compete on the original date. Along with IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods, Mach-1 Sport Compacts will be on the Sunday card. Racing starts at 5 p.m. and there will be Easter eggs for the kids. More information about the Benton County Frostbuster is to be announced. Frostbuster Week starts tonight (Tuesday) at Stuart Speedway. IMCA Modifieds, Stocks, SportMods and Hobbies also run at Frostbusters Thursday, April 1 at Independence Motor Speedway; Friday, April 2 at Marshalltown Speedway; and Saturday, April 3 at Boone Speedway.

Days don’t get better than this: Logue sweeps RoC, Super Nationals SportMod main event

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 13) – When Johnathon Logue woke up Sunday morning, his first thought was that it was going to be a good day. He just had no idea how good. Logue won the BSB Manufacturing Race of Champions for the first time, then won his career third IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s Northern SportMod championship. “When I woke up, I was thinking it was going to be a good day. There was no rain in the forecast so maybe we would be able to get some racing in,” he said. Logue led 35 of the 42 laps he’d run Sunday at Boone Speedway, the last eight in the RoC and the last 27 of the 30-lap main event. He was inches ahead of Brett Berry when the fourth lap was scored in the main. He pulled away from the field following each of five restarts, getting a lapped car ahead of Cody Thompson before winning by half a straightaway. “The track transitioned very quickly. Brett beat me on the start [Read More]

A win for the Super Nationals record book as Thornton ends week with Modified crown

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 13) – Ricky Thornton Jr.’s race to the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s record book began on Monday and ended Sunday, with another visit to victory lane in between. Thornton became the first driver in the 38-year history of dirt track racing’s biggest event to win two championships at the same Super Nationals, the Late Model feature on Labor Day and the Modified feature on Sunday at Boone Speedway. He passed Cody Laney in lapped traffic on the 24th of 40 laps, then checked out on the way to the $7,000 win in the final event of the week. “This track really suits my driving style and we’ve been very successful here. We work hard and our equipment is always well prepared,” said Thornton, also winner of Saturday’s Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. “I flipped in my (Wednesday) Stock Car heat and that was really the only bad luck we had all week.” Defending champion Ethan Dotson led the first two laps before giving way to fellow Californian Laney. The only [Read More]

First-time champion Ballard impressive in Super Nationals Hobby Stock title run

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 13) – Nathan Ballard was impressed by the competition when he won his qualifying feature to make the Hobby Stock main event at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Then he impressed everyone at Boone Speedway by leading all 30 laps of Sunday’s $2,000 to win main event. The Super Nationals crown was Ballard’s career first and came after a season that had seen him make just 18 weekly starts. “It’s kind of hard to believe. To win an ‘A’ main and get into the dance, you have to race against so many good drivers,” he said, pointing out that the competition got even better in the main event. Ballard was chased early by defending champion Dylan Nelson. The green flag stayed out the last 24 of 30 laps and Ballard eased away from all challengers, leaving Nelson, two-time champ Jason Wilkinson and Jeff Ware to fight for second behind him The three ran in that order before Ware eked ahead for third on the last lap. “I wanted [Read More]

Improbable, unlikely, incredible! Donavon Smith is Stock Car king

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 13) – Donavon Smith had the best seat in the house to watch as the improbable became the incredible Sunday afternoon at Boone Speedway. A last-chance qualifier earlier in the day, Smith raced from 25th starting to take the lead with two laps left in the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s Stock Car main event. When those two laps were complete, Smith had a career-best $5,000 payday and career third Super Nationals championship to show for his day’s work behind the wheel. “We had showed up Sunday morning just hoping to make the main event. I had a streak going (a division record 13 consecutive Super Nationals starts) and that was really our only goal. It really weighed heavy on us,” Smith said. “After the last chance race, I was probably as laid back as I ever was.” After a Super Nationals record 207 cars vied for the 30 starting spots, Jared Siefert led much of the way, chased by Jesse Sobbing while Jeff Mueller and Ricky Thornton Jr. duked [Read More]

2020 Super Nationals in history book after extended run; record 207 Stock Cars at 38th annual event

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 13) – Ricky Thornton Jr. raced to wins at the beginning and the end of a history-making week, Donavon Smith and Johnathon Logue became three-time champions while Nathan Ballard motored to his first title at the 2020 IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. In all, 834 cars – including 245 Modifieds and an event record 207 Stock Cars – saw action during a socially distanced week at Boone Speedway that also saw more than its share of rain and rescheduled race programs. The Sunday conclusion for what is always the biggest event on the IMCA schedule was the first for the Modifieds since 1996 and first-ever for the Stock Cars, Northern SportMods and Hobby Stocks. Thornton earned $3,000 when he repeated as Late Model champion on Labor Day, qualified for the Stock Car feature, won the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational on Friday and then became the first driver to win two championships at the same Super Nationals by running away from the rest of the field after midway of the [Read More]

Boone holds Season Championship night races

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (Aug. 29) – Saturday was Season Championship night at Boone Speedway. The Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods ran 23 laps in their championship feature. Johnathon Logue had the track title wrapped up before he started the main event but he would also go on to dominate the feature as well, leading the entire race and winning comfortably ahead of the rest of the field. Jake McBirnie sat alongside new brother-in-law Tim Ward for the start of the IMCA Modified main. Ward had the track title wrapped up before the race began but it was a battle between the two for much of the race with McBirnie holding the upper hand. Ward’s challenge for the lead disappeared when he slipped off the rim of the track, losing several positions. As the race continued on, McBirnie pulled away and take the checkers well ahead of the competition. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars went 25 laps for their feature. David Smith and brother Donavon Smith finished one-two in this contest. It was David Smith’s first [Read More]

McBirnie posts first IMCA Modified victory at Boone

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (Aug. 15) – The IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s are in sight, and the drivers are already prepping for the 38th annual event at Boone Speedway as 228 cars packed the pits on Saturday night that included an IMCA Sport Compact shakedown along with all of the regular divisions. Jake McBirnie grabbed the lead from Joel Bushore with a handful of laps in the books in the 20-lap main event for IMCA Modifieds. Just a lap later, it was 12th place starter Joel Rust who was challenging him for the lead. The two swapped the top spot back and forth for several laps until Rust suddenly pulled into the infield with mechanical issues. McBirnie then pulled away from the field and took his career-first win in the division well ahead of second place Nick Meyer. Bushore took third. The Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts were in town for their Shakedown prior to Super Nationals. Mitchell Bunch and Jake Benischek put on a good battle as they fought for the lead. Benischek finally [Read More]