Becerra, Gaylord top Modified Wednesday features at IMCA Super Nationals
Photo by IMCA
BOONE, Iowa — Austen Becerra forgot about a mid-pack finish on Monday after an exciting one on Wednesday, while Tripp Gaylord almost ran out of adjectives following his own Modified qualifying feature win at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s.
Becerra reeled in and regained the lead from Collen Winebarger late in the first 25-lap qualifier. Gaylord handled four restarts in winning the second feature at Boone Speedway.
Top four finishers in each advance to the inside row for Saturday’s Big Dance. Becerra and Winebarger were followed across the line by 2022 champion Tom Berry Jr. and 17-time qualifier Kelly Shryock; Austin Kuehl, Trevor Fitz and 16th starting Drew Janssen completed the top four behind Gaylord.
Becerra, the 2021 Super Nationals Northern SportMod champ, had impressed with his Labor Day start from the pole in the Late Model main event before ending that race in 17th.
He started sixth, ahead of a multi-car melee on the initial start and led the first nine laps before Winebarger drove by.
Racing with a wrap remembering his father Tony, who passed away last week, Becerra chased Winebarger into traffic and made his way to the front on the 22nd circuit.
“I moved down for one of the lappers, they were all on the top there, and I found a little something in the middle,” he explained. “I told myself to just do what I needed to, Collen came down right in front of me and I was able to roll the outside. He went back to the top and I got underneath him.”
“What a deal.”
“We tried hard in the Late Model and came up a little short,” he’d add, “but to be able to win this, potentially start on the front row and win it in a Modified is just awesome.”
Gaylord followed Regan Tafoya and Jake Nightingale to the front of the second feature. Kuehl ran second from lap seven to the finish.
“I finally won at Boone, this is awesome. This is what we’re all here for right, starting in the front two rows of the Saturday main,” said Gaylord. “I honestly can’t believe it right now.”
“The car was phenomenal”
He’d built a lead of almost three seconds and caught up with the back of the field before the first of four yellows over the last half dozen laps. A late mishap took Nightingale out of contention and Janssen completed his run to a transfer spot.
Who starts where on the inside row will be determined by a quick cornhole tourney Thursday at the NAPA Fan Zone.
Two hundred and twenty-two Modifieds competed Wednesday at Boone. The complete week of Super Nationals is broadcast by IMCA.TV.
1st qualifying feature – 1. Austen Becerra; 2. Collen Winebarger; 3. Tom Berry Jr.; 4. Kelly Shryock; 5. Cole Czarneski; 6. Jaxon Saathoff; 7. William Gould; 8. Kaden Cochrun; 9. Brint Hartwick; 10. Tanner Black; 11. Jake McBirnie; 12. Clay Money; 13. Dallon Murty; 14. Lucas Lamberies; 15. Grey Ferrando; 16. Cody Knecht; 17. Ashton Wilkey; 18. Cory Sauerman; 19. Izac Mallicoat; 20. Brandon Schmitt; 21. Mike Goodson; 22. Cody Thompson; 23. Tim Ward; 24. Jimmy Gustin; 25. Ben Chapman; 26. Ronnie Wallace; 27. Eddie Belec; 28. Brandon Beckendorf; 29. Jerry Flippo; 30. Adam Hommerding.
2nd qualifying feature – 1.Tripp Gaylord; 2. Austin Kuehl; 3. Trevor Fitz; 4. Drew Janssen; 5. Jacob Hobscheidt; 6. Jeff Reay; 7. Chris Abelson; 8. Wyatt Block; 9. Matthew Meinecke; 10. Zane DeVilbiss; 11. Ronn Lauritzen; 12. Ricky Stephan; 13. Regan Tafoya; 14. Kaylin Lopez; 15. Braxton Yeager; 16. Mike Van Genderen; 17. Trent Loverude; 18. Austin Wonch; 19. Jordan Rogotzke; 20. Richard Michael Jr.; 21. Rob Sanders; 22. Jake Nightingale; 23. Wesley Wise; 24. Tyler DeBouche; 25. Josh Long; 26. Troy Morris III; 27. R.J. Merchant.; 28. Dustin Wilwert; 29. Jace Whitt; 30. Josh Most.
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FORMER SUPER NATIONAL CHAMPS MCBIRNIE, SMITH TOP STOCK CAR QUALIFIERS
BOONE, Iowa – Two drivers who have already stood on the top step of the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s podium took the next step to returning to that lofty position Wednesday night.
Jake McBirnie worked his way to the front from 11th starting and weathered three attempts at a green, white, checkered finish to win the evening’s first Stock Car qualifying feature while Devin Smith stayed out front and ahead of the calamity behind him in topping the nightcap.
Jonny Carter, Jeffrey Abbey and 23rd starting Brandon Schmitt chased McBirnie to the checkers, Jeff Mueller, Shelby Williams and Curt Lund ran 2-3-4 behind Smith.
The top four finishers from each feature decide who starts where on the inside row come Saturday night by friendly games of cornhole on Thursday at the NAPA Fan Zone south of the main grandstand at Boone Speedway.
A record 264 Stock Cars saw time on the track Wednesday as the all-time Super Nationals car count mark reached 1,032.
Derrick Agee led through four restarts in the opener, the first of those yellows waving when defending champion Dylan Thornton came to a stop on the top of turn four.
2018 Super Nationals Northern SportMod champion McBirnie was up to second by lap 15 and passed Agee for the point on lap 22, just before Andrew Claus rolled in turn three.
A trio of late yellows waved and Schmitt raced his way into the top four before the checkers flew.
“It was getting a little crazy there. Just to be standing here is phenomenal. I love it,” McBirnie said post-race. “I was a little worried about my right front tire, it got a little smashed up coming through there and I was hoping everything would hold up.”
“Last year I led one of these qualifiers ‘til about five to go and popped an engine, then led one again the same week and got passed with a couple to go, added McBirnie, who would race for a berth in the Modified later in the program. “We’ll soak it in and keep digging. It’s been a lot of fun so far.”
Smith won Super Nationals Stock Car crowns in 2014 and 2019 and led all 25 laps of a qualifier that saw side-by-side-by-side and even closer racing throughout.
“Holey Moley, I never thought I’d pull that off,” he admitted. “I’m glad I had the 77 behind me, he’s a nice guy, he races clean, knows when he can go and when he can’t go, I couldn’t have a better guy behind me than Jeff Mueller.”
Mueller ran second all but the opening circuit. He and Williams were right behind Smith at the finish, with Lund in fourth. Blake Clark tried the extreme high line and advanced 19 positions, one short of a transfer to Saturday’s show.
“I knew the lower I was the better I was, but it’s just so hard to hit your marks. We’ve been trying different setups with the car every single night, trying to make it better and better and better,” Smith said. “We hate when the left front tire is off the ground but that’s what the car wanted tonight and that’s what got the job done.”
Stock Car qualifying continues on Thursday, along with the B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational.
IMCA.TV broadcasts the entire week of the Sept. 2-7 IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s
1st qualifying feature – 1. Jake McBirnie; 2. Jonny Carter; 3. Jeffrey Abbey; 4. Brandon Schmitt; 5. Jason Rogers; 6. Dustin Vis; 7. Derrick Agee; 8. Jeff Ware; 9. Cameron Starry; 10. Chris Pruitt; 11. Quinton Yutterman; 12. Josh Steele; 13. Reid Keller; 14. David Moriarty; 15. Jimmy Gustin; 16. Russell Damme Jr.; 17. Trent Nolan; 18. Stefan Sybesma; 19. William Gould; 20. Randy Brown; 21. David Brandies; 22. Bob Daniels; 23. Andrew Claus; 24. Bryan Snell; 25. Chad Shaw; 26. Gary Pesicka; 27. Dakoda Sellers; 28. Dylan Thornton; 29. Jake Kubik; 30. Chris Oliver.
2nd qualifying feature – 1. Devin Smith; 2. Jeff Mueller; 3. Shelby Williams; 4. Curt Lund; 5. Blake Clark; 6. Troy Foulger; 7. Michael Jaennette; 8. Jason Ward; 9. Matt Guillaume; 10. Elijah Zevenbergen; 11. Clint Wendel; 12. Hesston Shaw; 13. Troy Burkhart; 14. Heath Tulp; 15. Rod Richards; 16. Loren Pesicka Jr.; 17. Justen Yeager; 18. Braxton Franks; 19. Tathan Burkhart; 20. Travis Hatcher; 21. Jackson Vsetecka; 22. Danny Cavanagh; 23. G.W. Egbert IV; 24. Dallon Murty; 25. Nick Roberts; 26. Jeffrey Larson; 27. Joel Rust; 28. Cody Gustoff; 29. Todd Reitzler; 30. Doug Smith.
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IMCA NORTHERN SPORT MODS
Last Chance Feature (25 Laps): 1. 122-Adam Birck[4]; 2. 01-Brayton Carter[3]; 3. 9-Matthew Looft[6]; 4. 7J-Jonah Chinn[9]; 5. 11D-Danny Wagner[14]; 6. 9JR-Brendyn Nordyke[1]; 7. 181-Charlie Stevens[22]; 8. 25XX-Derek Fehling[20]; 9. 162-Cory Pestotnik[19]; 10. 51-Bill Smith[11]; 11. (DNF) 42-Tyler Heckart[7]; 12. (DNF) 193-Jessiah Taylor[24]; 13. (DNF) 11QR-Austin Price[17]; 14. (DNF) 7X-Casey Murdoch[18]; 15. (DNF) 65G-Frank Gasperini[5]; 16. (DNF) 18C-Ryan Moser[16]; 17. (DNF) 00X-Kyler Girard[13]; 18. (DNF) K3-Kyle Olson[23]; 19. (DNF) 84-Jorddon Braaten[10]; 20. (DNF) 1-Doug McCollough[8]; 21. (DNF) 17V-Coy Vlies[21]; 22. (DNF) 22S-Jared Spaulding[12]; 23. (DNF) 74-Zachary Raab[2]; 24. (DQ) 65-Tim Eaton[15]
IMCA HOBBY STOCK
Last Chance Feature (25 Laps): 1. 4W-John Watson[1]; 2. 3Z-Zach Hemmingsen[2]; 3. 27G-Brad Graham[3]; 4. 2X-Chuck Madden Jr[7]; 5. 01F-Jeff Fink[11]; 6. 9C-Colby Christensen[15]; 7. 43-John Thomas[9]; 8. 00-Cody Hubbell[23]; 9. 27B-Tyler Ball[4]; 10. 32J-Austin Jahnz[21]; 11. 98-Dan Hanselman[12]; 12. 51XX-Dustin Filloon[20]; 13. 72-Joey Young[6]; 14. 13-Brian Ashburn[8]; 15. (DNF) 23Z-Zach McNeese[19]; 16. (DNF) 1-Scott Siems[22]; 17. (DNF) 99X-Josh Sidles[18]; 18. (DNF) 47-Sam West[17]; 19. (DNF) 32V-Chad Volk[13]; 20. (DNF) 45J-Kyle Jared[10]; 21. (DNF) 45-Drew Barglof[14]; 22. (DNF) 06S-Adam Streeter[16]; 23. (DQ) 9B-Les Lundquist[5]
COMPLETE WEDNESDAY RESULTS
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