5/20/2023
Boone Speedway
McBirnie from 19th to the win at Iowa's Action Track
It was a beautiful night for racing at the Boone Speedway Saturday as the nice crowd of fans on hand saw 158 cars in competition. Jake McBirnie outclassed the field in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified division. Devin Smith took home the honors in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature. Matt Avila took the win in the IMCA Friesen Performance Northern SportMod class, it was Mike Smith in the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks, and IMCA STARS Mod Lites saw Austin Gray take the checkers. The 2-Man Cruiser winners were the duo of Ed Clearwater and Max Allen.
The 15 lap feature event for the STARS Mod Lites came to the track first.
David Bailey was looking strong in the early going and was still at the helm when a red flag came out at lap eight when Erick Knutsen took a violent roll in turn four. Thankfully, he was okay. When the race went back to green flag racing, Bailey was still holding on to the top spot, but that run would be short-lived. Bad luck reared it's ugly head on lap ten when his car went spinning just after the lap was completed. This handed the lead over to Austin Gray, and that was a lead he would hold the remainder of the way to the flying checkers and the win. Riley Clem, the Bakersfield, California racer who is back here racing for the summer, came from ninth, to finish as the runner up. Third went to tenth place starter, Josh May, Randy Bryan started eleventh and finished fourth, and twelfth place starter, Garrett Stonum, from Lawson, Missouri completed the top five.
A new face stepped into the winner's circle at the Boone Speedway in the IMCA Northern SportMods, when Matt Avila scored the win. Avila, from Prescott, Iowa led all 18 laps of the feature event. This one had its issues with numerous yellows flying, but it didn't deter Avila as he captured his first win at the track. Cam Reimers chased Avila for most of the race, but had to be content with second place. Third went to twelfth place starter Cole Fenske, fourth was Braden Richards, and Dusty Masolini was fifth.
The IMCA Friesen Performance Modifieds ran next for their 20 lap main event, and quite a show it was for the winner.
Nick Roberts jumped to the lead from his outside front row starting spot when the green flag flew. Izac Mallicoat started third, and tucked in behind the leader. A caution flew on lap thirteen, and on the restart, Todd Shute got around Mallicoat to take over the second spot. A couple of laps later, bad luck would bite Shute, when he spun in corner one. As the restart of that caution went green, suddenly it was Jake McBirnie sitting in second place after making his way from nineteenth starting spot. A lap later, McBirnie threw a perfectly executed slider in turn two, and had the lead with three laps remaining. It was all McBirnie's race the final circuits as he captured his first win at the track this season. Mallicoat kept second place, third went to Nick Roberts, it was veteran racer Russ Dickerson in fourth, and Jimmy Gustin came from fifteenth to take fifth.
Devin Smith had little trouble in taking home the trophy in the IMCA Stock Car 20 lap feature. He started fourth, took command on lap three, after getting around then leader Michael Smith (no relation) and from there on out, never looked back. Brother Donavon Smith came from ninth to finish as the runner up. Austin Bouzek, Trenton, Missouri got around Michael Smith in the dash to the checkers, as they finished third and fourth respectively. David Smith made it a family affair as brother number three took fifth.
The IMCA Hobby Stocks ran a 15 lap feature, and it was another Smith family member in Victory Lane. Mike Smith, son of David Smith, took the win. Smith started eleventh, ran down then leader Riley Christensen and had the lead on lap seven. He would then pull away in the closing laps and take the comfortable win. Trailing a distant second was eighth place starter Eric Knutson, Eric Stanton came from sixteenth to finish third, John Watson started tenth, and finished fourth, and early leader Riley Christensen rounded out the top five. This was Mike Smith's second regular season win at Boone this year, after also taking the win in the Frostbuster special.
Next Saturday, May 27, the Boone Speedway will be in action once again, with racing in the IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods, Hobby Stocks, and Mod Lites. Hot laps are 5 with racing at 6.
Photo Credit: Motorsports Photography
Article Credit: Joyce Eisele
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