8/13/2022
Boone Speedway
Ward takes checkers at Boone, McBirnie, Sachau, Martin, and Huggins also see Victory Lane
It was another regular weekly series of racing at the Boone Speedway on Saturday night. One hundred forty-five cars in five classes were all wanting to see the checkered flag first.
Tim Ward took the win after grabbing the late race lead in the IMCA Friesen Performance Modified division. It was Jake McBirnie getting his first IMCA Sunoco Stock Car checkers of the year. Jake Sachau saw win number five for the season in the IMCA Friesen Performance Northern SportMod. Sigourney, Iowa's Aaron Martin made it to Victory Lane in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, and Joel Huggins returned to the winner's circle in the IMCA STARS Mod Lite class.
Feature racing kicked off with the 15 lap Mod Lite A main. Jeff Stensland would lead this one for the first ten laps, and then a caution flew. On the restart, Joel Huggins got the drop on Stensland, and flew into the lead. Huggins then kept hold of the number one spot the rest of the way to the checkers.
Jeff Stensland kept the runner up spot, Austin Gray started eighth and finished third, fourth went to Randy Bryan, and Josh May took fifth place. Huggins, who started tenth, made this his third visit to Victory Lane this season.
The IMCA Northern SportMods hit the track next for their 18 lap feature event. Roland, Iowa's Bryan Johnson was looking strong as he led the early portion of the race. Jake Sachau then began pestering the leader and on lap eleven, took over the top spot. From then on, it was all Sachau as he pulled away and took the comfortable win as the checkers flew. Following a distance behind in second was rookie Aiden Webb, Dustin Lynch finished in third place, fourth went to early leader Bryan Johnson, and Mike Munson was fifth. Sachau snagged his fifth feature win this year at the speedway. The race went flag to flag.
New Mexico visitor, Regan Tafoya had one slip through his fingers in the 20 lap feature for the IMCA Modifieds. Tafoya started on the pole, jumped to the lead, and began his run at the top of the track. He was keeping the field at bay, when a yellow flew at lap five.
On the restart, Tafoya was again able to hold the top spot, and then weathered three more caution flags and subsequent restarts, as he ran the top of the track.
Meanwhile, Tim Ward had run the leader down with just five laps remaining. He flung off a couple of sliders by Ward, but with three laps left, Ward was able to take command and then go home first to the flying checkers.
Tafoya was still running a close second place until just after the white flag flew. He got a bit too high in turn one, jumped the cushion, and fell out of the top five. Russ Dickerson then came home in second place, Troy Morris III, Bakersfield, California started fifteenth, and had a great run to finish third. Randy Havlik came from sixteenth starting spot and finished fourth, and Johnathon Logue was fifth. This was Ward's second weekly feature win of the year, after also winning the Frostbuster special.
The IMCA Stock Cars ran their 20 lap event next. Jake McBirnie would come away with the win in this one....his first in the Stock Car class after numerous wins in the Modified division, and prior to that, in the SportMod class.
McBirnie had chased down leader Donavon Smith when an incident on lap ten took Smith out of the running, and now put McBirnie at the helm. Two other Smith brothers, Devin and David then gave chase but it was to no avail as McBirnie took the checkers and earned his trip to the winner's circle. Devin Smith, who started eleventh, gave it his all, but had to settle for the runner up spot. Mike VanGenderen ran at the front of the pack all night long, and finished in third place. Buck Schafroth took fourth after starting in twelfth spot, and David Smith rounded out the top five.
The night's racing ended with the 15 lap A main for the IMCA Hobby Stocks, which went non-stop. Aaron Martin, Sigourney, Iowa took over the lead from Aron Fye on lap five, and never looked back. He pulled away to a comfortable lead in the final handful of laps, and put his first ever win at Boone in the books.
Mike Smith started in tenth position, and finished as the runner up, early leader Fye finished in third place, Seth Janssen was fourth, and John Watson took fifth.
Next Saturday night, August 20, is Season Championship night that will close out the regular season at Boone. Five track champions will be crowned for 2022. Grandstand open at 4:30, hot laps at 5, and racing at 6.
Photo Credit: Motorsports Photography
Article Credit: Joyce Eisele
Article Media
