6/29/2024
Boone Speedway
McBirnie, Avila, and Stensland return to Victory Lane, Mueller, Burg, and Kilwine see first checkers
It was a full night of racing entertainment for the fans at the Boone Speedway on Saturday night, with 183 cars packing the pits. Repeat wins went to Jake McBirnie in the IMCA Friesen Performance Modified class, Matt Avila in the IMCA Friesen Performance Northern SportMods, and Travis Stensland went back to Victory Lane in the IMCA Stealth STARS Mod Lites. First time winners were Jeff Mueller in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, and Andrew Burg in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. Also on the docket last evening were the visiting Outlaw Mini Mods with Nathan Kilwine, Glenville, Minnesota taking that win.
Things got off to a great start with the flag to flag running of the 15 lap feature for the Mod Lites, presented by Carquest Auto, Truck, and Farm.
Polesitter Jamie Bailey led the opening lap, but Cliff Barber took over when lap two went into the books. By lap eight, it was eighth place starter Travis Stensland who was captain of the ship. When Stensland got the lead, he drove off from the rest of the field, and scored the easy win. Cliff Barber was a distant runner up, followed by Austin Gray in third, Ben George in fourth, and visiting racer Justin Raffurty, Kearney, Missouri rounded out the top five. This was Stenslands fourth win of the season, and the first of any division to do so.
It was 18 laps of Northern Sport Mod racing next, presented by Elmquist Towing.
Zander Kelland, the Bakersfield, California racer who is spending his summer racing in the area, took the lead as the race went green. He was soon being pestered left and right by Jessiah Taylor, Matt Avila, and Brett Thomas. Avila, who started tenth, took the lead coming out of turn four as lap six was scored. Avila was about to enter big lap traffic at lap thirteen, when the yellow flag waved when a couple of cars got together in the corner, and while under the yellow, second place runner Brett Thomas exited into the pits, putting him out of the running.
Three more yellows would fly, one that would put the race into "overtime" with a green-white-checkered finish, with Avila still at the helm. The final circuits were no issue for Avila as he took the comfortable win, scoring his third of the season. Seventh place starter Chris Burke was second, third went to early leader Zander Kelland, fourth was hard charging Hunter Longnecker, who started twenty-second, and Dusty Masolini was fifth.
It was 20 laps of Modified feature racing, presented by D & E Outside Services next. It was marred by five yellows before the checkers flew.
Greg Elliott, Webster City, Iowa was the early leader but Brandon Leeman was soon up to challenge him. Then Jake McBirnie, who started tenth made his presence known and started pressuring them both. A perfect slide out of turn four as lap seven was scored, and McBirnie had taken over. McBirnie would never give up that top spot, weathering three more cautions, the final one that put this race into overtime as well with a green-white-checkered finish, as he snagged his third feature win off the season. Jimmy Gustin tried his best to run down the leader, but to no avail, and had to settle for second place. Third place went to ninth place starter Paul Nagle, fourth to sixteenth place starter, Cory Sauerman, and Izac Mallicoat completed the top five.
The visiting Outlaw Mini Mods had 29 entries that required a B main to whittle their starting field to 24 cars for their 15 lap A Main.
The early laps were all a Daniels show running upfront...Chase Daniels, Robert Daniels, and Lucas Daniels running one-two-three. A yellow flew on lap eight, bunching the field, and by this time Nathan Kilwine, Glenville, Minnesota had made his way from tenth starting spot, to run in third. When the race restarted, it took him only one lap to take over the lead. A red flag flew on lap eleven when a couple of cars got together at the bottom of turn two, sending Bobby Ruehlow, Mason City in an easy roll, landing on his top. He was okay and when the race restarted, it was no issue for Kilwine who easily kept his lead to the checkers to score the win. Early race leader Chase Daniels took the runner up spot, third was eleventh place starter Ben Kraus, Kanawha, Iowa, fourteenth place starter Wyatt Medlin, Rockford, Iowa came on late in the race to score a fourth place finish, and Kaden Rice, Bondurant, Iowa was fifth.
The IMCA Stock Cars, The Class too Tough to Tame, saw their 20 lap feature, presented by Boone Moose Lodge, go caution free.
Jeff Mueller started on the pole, took immediately to his preferred line on the bottom of the track, stayed there, and went home with his first win of the year at Boone. Troy Jerovetz, Iowa Falls, Iowa started tenth, and chased Mueller from a distance for much of the race to score second place. Third went to Kyle Everts, eighth place starter Michael Jaennette was fourth, and Scott Davis started ninth, and finished in fifth place. This was Mueller's first victory at the track this year.
The finale of the evening, 15 laps of Hobby Stock racing, presented by Pickett Salvage, also went flag to flag.
Keith Burg took the lead when the race went green, with his dad, Andrew Burg soon on his tail. By lap seven, Andrew Burg was leading the race, Keith Burg had exited the track, and Lake City's Daniel Smith was now in second place and eleventh place starter Eric Knutson was now in third and looking for more. With just three laps remaining, Knutson was now running second, and trying to reel in the leader. He closed in on the final run to the checkers, but to no avail, as Burg held on to snag his first feature win of the year. Knutson finished a close second, third place went to Mike Smith, John Watson, and Curt Reed went fourth and fifth, and hard charger of the race, Calvin Dhondt started twentieth and finished sixth.
Next up at the speedway will be the annual 4th of July Eve of Destruction. Gates open at 6 and racing at 7:30 for the IMCA Stock Cars and Northern SportMods who will be running for National, Regional, and State points, but not track points. Fans will also be entertained by a roll over contest, pit bike race, and trailer races, along with a huge fireworks show. Then on Saturday, July it will be another weekly series of racing with the Modifieds, Stock Cars, SportMods, Hobby Stocks, and Mod Lites in action.
Photo Credit: Motorsports Photography
Article Credit: Joyce Eisele
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