Sunday, September 9, 2012

Champions Crowned at 30th Annal IMCA Supernationals

It's always the "unofficial" end to the race season when the IMCA Supernationals come to a close.  Sure, September and October provide a vast amount of special events sprinkled throughout the calendar, but the abundance of choices usually means a lesser chance of seeing some of the people you've spent a lot of time with over the course of the year.

Saturday marked the sixth and final day for the week-long event and anticipation was growing throughout the day for the championship features at the end of the night.  With a stiff wind blowing, I decided it would be best if I left my notebook in the car as I didn't want the paper flying around in front of people.  So all of the very brief recaps will come from memory, which as you'll find out is why I take notes. Haha!

Adam Armstrong started off the evening by winning the IMCA hobby stock Race of Champions.  If I remember correctly, he is the first driver outside the state of Iowa to win the event.  James Kleinheksel would lay claim to the IMCA sportmod Race of Champions title as he took advantage of Geoff Olson hooking bumpers with race leader Joel Rust.  As those two machines slid up the banking in turns one and two Kleinheksel maneuvered his machine to the inside and drove off to the win.

Donovan Smith would add another feather to his cap as he picked up the IMCA stock car Race of Champions victory.  He outlasted a hard-charging Dustin Larson for the win.  Meanwhile Kevin Stoa added another IMCA modified Race of Champions to his list of many accomplishments.  While a puff of smoke with two laps to go looked like things weren't going to end so well, he was able to cross the finish line ahead of New York driver Michael Smith.

It was then time for the hobby stock finale.  Thirty cars starting in rows of three took the green flag with Shannon Anderson getting the advantage from the middle of the front row.  Anderson would quickly set a fast pace while Brandon Pruitt and Heath Tulp gave chase.  Anderson opened up a comfortable lead as he began to encounter lapped traffic while Tulp tried just about every move he could think of to get by Pruitt.  Tulp managed to find his way around Pruitt, but a slower car allowed Pruitt to regain the position a few laps later.  The race would go green-to-checkered and Shannon Anderson collected his second Speedway Motors IMCA Supernationals title.  Brandon Pruitt finished second, Heath Tulp was third, Corey Madden fourth, and Devin Smith rounded out the top five.

Defending Supernationals champion Scott Davis paced the IMCA sportmod feature to the green flag, but it was outside front row starter Nick Roberts getting the better jump and quickly took command up front.  Austin Moyer, who started in the middle of the front row, was up for the challenge and peaked his nose under Roberts on several occasions but was unable to complete the pass.  Early in the race Davis and Jesse Sobbing made contact that resulted in Sobbing spinning in turn two and tagging the tail following a yellow flag.  With Roberts out front and seeingly untouchable, Sobbing began picking his way through the field and worked his way back up inside the top five when the final yellow flag waved.  On the restart Sobbing drove deep into the corners and picked off a few positions, but it would be Nick Roberts picking up the impressive victory to earn his first Supernationals title.  Roberts became the youngest Supernationals champion in history.  Sobbing made it back up to finish second, followed by Troy Jerovitz, Cory Rose, and Doug Cook.  Jerovitz and Rose put on a heck of a battle for second place throughout the event.

The attention then focused on the IMCA stock car feature.  I will admit I didn't see the first half of the event as I had made a trip to the car to grab a sweatshirt as the winds started to pick up.  I can tell you that Donovan Smith started from the pole and appeared to stay up front the entire race as he pulled off the rare "double", picking up both the Race of Champions and Supernationals title in the same year.  Chad Palmer was second, Trent Murphy was third, Dan Mackenthun fourth, and Shawn Havel completed the top five.

The grand finale would be the forty-lap IMCA modified feature.  Following a trip across the stage for driver introductions and getting a parade lap in the back of pickups around the track, drivers strapped in and things would get serious.  Harris Clash winner Kyle Strickler got the early jump from his middle front row start to grab the early race lead while pole sitter Brandon Blochlinger followed in second.  The action was hampered by a series of yellow flags early on.  With the high side being the preferred groove, Blochlinger would use a slidejob to get past Strickler and slowly pull away from the field.  Jeff Taylor worked his way into the third position, but on a restart the outside proved to be the fast side once again as he powered by Strickler for second and set his sights on Blochlinger.  With ten laps remaining Taylor attempted a slidejob in turns three and four, but Blochlinger would have none of it and remained out front.  While the rest of the field was content with their running positions, Taylor would again tempt fate and pull another slidejob with two laps remaining in turns one and two.  This time he was able to make it stick and Taylor would go on to pick up his first Supernationals title.  Blochlinger followed in second, Kyle Strickler was third, Brandon Beckendorf fourth, and JD Auringer rounded out the top five.

It was announced that a new total car count record had been attained with that number being somewhere around 870.  While the economy may not be what it once was, it appears that the "festivity" known as "America's Racing Vacation" still has the reputation worthy enough to make the trek to the Boone Speedway.

I'd like to thank IMCA, most notably Brett Root, for their hospitality all week.  It was much appreciated.  While this likely marks the end of my blogging temporarily (I borrowed a relative's laptop for the week), I am working on getting a computer up and running.  Perhaps you'll see a few more blogs from me before the season finishes up.  There are still plenty of high-quality events left on the calendar so be sure to get out and enjoy a few before the end of the season arrives.  For a listing of races, check out the Positively Racing website and simply click on the "calendar" link.

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