boonespeedway Archives

Schmitt’s Super Nationals goal is to be competitive in Saturday night Modified, Stock Car main events

SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (Aug. 12, 2024) – Brandon Schmitt isn’t coming to Boone with a goal of making the Saturday night show. He’ll make the trip to the Sept. 2-7 IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s looking to qualify for both Modified and Stock Car main events and, most importantly, being competitive in each. “I’ve made it in the show before and that was cool,” said the Sun Prairie, Wis., speedster, 21st in the Modified Big Dance two years ago. “Obviously, everybody wants to get in the main event but I want to make both big shows, be competitive and run in the top five or top 10.” “To get into an All-Star race would be special, too, because of the amount of talent. To get in those races would be special.” Schmitt is one of a handful of drivers eligible to qualify for both the B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational events, doing so on back-to-back nights July 19 and 20 at home track Beaver Dam Raceway. [Read More]

Reed follows first feature win with first trip to IMCA Super Nationals

WOODLAND, Wash. (Aug. 9, 2024) – Devon Reed got into a Friesen Performance IMCA Modified so he could race more often and at more tracks. Coming off his career-first feature win in the division, the Woodland, Wash., hotshoe is finalizing plans for his first-ever trip to Boone Speedway and the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. “It’s going to be a new experience for me,” said Reed, who will make the bulk of the 1,850 mile one-way trip to Iowa’s Action Track on Interstates 84 and 80. “I‘m looking forward to watching some good racing and hopefully being part of it.” “I don’t have super high expectations, given that this is my first trip and the level I’m at,” he added, “but I’m definitely going to give it a try. I’d like to win a heat and get into one of the qualifying features. I’d be pretty happy with that for my first time.” Forty-one years old and the owner of an auto repair shop, Reed followed grandfather Frank Manley, who raced midgets in the [Read More]

Ogles bring dreams of dancing on Saturday back to Super Nationals

LUBBOCK, Texas (Aug. 7, 2024) – The family that races together at Abilene Speedway will do so again at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Veteran Vince Ogle, son Kade and daughter Kenzington make the 900-plus mile trip from Lubbock, each looking for glory and a berth in Saturday’s night IMCA Modified main event at Boone Speedway. “It would be the greatest thing if all three of us would make the main,” said Ogle, who qualified for the Big Dance through an exciting last-chance feature at Super Nationals in 2000. “I know that’s a pretty high expectation, but that’s our dream. Realistically, our goal is to go and be competitive. If we happen to make the show, that’s a plus.” Vince has run a limited schedule this season while crewing for Kade, 23, and Kenzington, 18. They made their first racing vacation to Super Nationals last year, when Vince and Kade started in same heat one night, multiple cars got sideways in a hurry and both ended up getting sent to the [Read More]

Mike Smith nabs 100th, Ward among other Saturday winners at Boone

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 [Read More]

Career 100th IMCA Hobby Stock win sends Mike Smith back to victory lane at Boone

LAKE CITY, Iowa (Aug. 3, 2024) – The track that’s already been the scene for so much of Mike Smith’s success saw him in victory lane again Saturday night. Smith raced to the 100th win of his IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock career at Boone Speedway, becoming at 20 the youngest driver to reach that milestone number. He also joined his father David, now knocking on the door of 200 career IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature wins, and uncles Dustin, Devin, Donavon and Doug in the IMCA Century Win Club. “I wanted to be in that club. It’s quite impressive,” said Smith, “and it means a lot to do it at Boone Speedway, especially because we race there weekly. It’s one of the tracks that’s closest to home and it was cool to have so much of our family there for it.” A two-time champion of the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s, Smith also owns hardware from the 2022 Junior National Championship, six track titles and back-to-back Iowa State crowns. “I never thought I’d get to 100 wins this [Read More]

B & B All-Star eligible list adds 10 drivers

VINTON, Iowa (Aug. 1, 2024) – Another 10 drivers have become eligible to qualify for the B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational. Hunter Domagala won Dacotah Speedway’s Governor’s Cup. Race Fisher and Robert Reed were Stock Car special winners at Fairgrounds Speedway. Patrick Linn paced Batesville’s JD Garrison Stock Car special, Brandon Schmitt topped the Twin 25 at Beaver Dam Raceway and Travis VanStraten scored big at Shawano’s Too Tough To Tame. County Fair show winners were Layne Bellm, Maguire DeJong and David Murray Jr. William Nusser was a weekly winner. Dallon Murty’s King of the Katwalks checkers secured him a starting spot in the B & B race; Kelly Shryock was already a guaranteed starter and won four qualifiers in the last two weeks, among them the rich Jim Larson Memorial. Other drivers already qualifying eligible earning $750 or more for recent wins were David Brandies, Race Fisher, Troy Jerovetz, Damon Murty, Mike Nichols, Bo Partain and Kenny Richards. Drivers on the B & B All-Star eligible list now include: Jeffrey Abbey, Mike [Read More]

Ten new to Fast Shafts All-Star eligibility

VINTON, Iowa (Aug. 1, 2024) – Ten more Friesen Performance IMCA Modified drivers have put their names on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational eligible list, with feature wins paying $1,000 or more. Tyrone Yazzie and Wyatt Howard were winners at Diamond Mountain Speedway’s Modified Mania. Casey Jo Gemmill collected the $1,000 checkers at Saltcity Racing and Russ Reinwald rocketed to the win at 141 Speedway’s white race. Aaron Turnbull ruled at Dacotah Speedway’s Governor’s Cup, Brandon Schmitt was a winner during Beaver Dam Raceway’s Stock Car Twin 25 and Chris Mills collected the big checkers at Interstate Speedway’s Dave Riley Memorial. Troy Cordes topped Benton County Speedway’s Urbana 5 special. Fair week winners at Dubuque County Fairgrounds Speedway were Ryan DeShaw and Jason Schueller. Drivers already All-Star eligible winning recent qualifying events included Chaz Baca, Ethan Braaksma, Cole Czarneski, Zane DeVilbiss, Keith Lamphere, Jake McBirnie, Jeremy Mills, Rodney Morgan, Troy Morris III, Tim Ward and Chris Zogg. The current list of All-Star eligible drivers includes: Chris Abelson, Chase Allen, Curtis Allen, Tyler Allen, Ricky Alvarado, [Read More]

Improvements, updates continuing at Boone ahead of 42nd annual IMCA Super Nationals

BOONE, Iowa (July 31, 2024) – Finish one project, check it off the list. Start another project, add it to the list. That list, as IMCA President Brett Root notes, is everything that has been done, is getting done or will be done before the start of the 42nd annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. “There are non-stop improvements and updates at Boone Speedway which bring their own set of challenges ahead of the Sept. 2-7 Super Nationals,” said Root. “Getting ready for Super Nationals is like farming for a living in that there’s always something to be done.” A new-look infield victory lane incorporating popular jumbotrons is currently in the works, as is an updated scale pad and additional VIP pit stalls to accommodate large trailers. “Those are the most visible projects if you’re driving through Boone on Highway 30,” notes Root. “We’re also well underway with numerous other behind the scenes projects, like designing and ordering Super Nationals apparel and souvenirs, the Boone Bound social media promotion and everything the IMCA.TV crew needs [Read More]

North Carolina rookie has Saturday racing goal at IMCA Super Nationals

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (July 31, 2024) – His latest racing vacation to Iowa started with the Salute to Veterans. Griffin Taylor’s next visit to the Hawkeye State will bring him back to Boone Speedway and the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified rookie, a senior to be at A.L. Brown High School in his hometown of Kannapolis, N.C., got his on-track introduction to the class and the competition during the early-season Clash on the Coast Series in Florida. Taylor then ventured to early April Frostbusters at Stuart, Marshalltown and Boone, returning for four more Iowa outings last month. “Tracks back home are more of a sandy red clay. They’re a black dirt or brown clay here,” said Taylor, who wheels a 2019 Harris Chassis. “The biggest thing I’ve learned so far is you don’t get to get away with mistakes racing with the best. The competition is tough. I’m trying to learn the tracks and get better as a driver.” He’s a third generation driver, following grandfather Thomas and [Read More]

Former Modified champion Murray comes back to Boone with high Stock Car hopes

OBERLIN, Kan. (July 31, 2024) – Twenty years after winning dirt track racing’s ultimate championship, David Murray Jr. returns to the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s in pursuit of new glory in a new division. The 2004 Modified champion and an 11-time qualifier for Saturday night’s Big Dance, Murray will be back at Boone Speedway for the first time in a dozen years. And this time, it’ll be in a Stock Car, a 2016 B & B ride he describes as “a pretty good car” that has taken him to victory lane twice in just four starts so far this season. “I’ve never driven a Stock Car there and I’ve been racing one a little bit again this year,” said Murray, 56 years old and from Oberlin, Kan. “Every time Super Nationals rolled around in September, we either raced it or watched it from some place and I’ve always felt disappointed when I wasn’t there.” “There are a lot of good people at Super Nationals, friends from years ago, and it will [Read More]