Season Opener wins to Leytham, Schmidt, Logue, Rudolph, Moore, and Zehm

4-22-17

Boone Speedway held its season opener on Saturday night and the pits were packed with 143 race cars.  There was exciting racing in all six divisions, that this year includes the Race Saver Sprints for the first time.

The defending track champion in the Mod Lite division, Bryan Zehm, picked up where he left off by leading the entire 15-lap feature for the win.   Josh May chased  Zehm much of the latter portion of the race, but had to settle for second. Travis Stensland came from sixteenth starting spot to finish third, fourth went to Joe Glick, and Randy Bryan was fifth.

Johnathon Logue won the time-limit shortened IMCA SportMod feature.  Numerous yellows plagued the race, but Logue was captain of the ship throughout.  Jake McBirnie started eleventh and took the runner up spot.  Third went to Hunter Longnecker, fourth to Brian Efkamp, and Austin Luellen rounded out the top five.

The IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car feature was next on the agenda.  Michael Moore, Des Moines driver, secured the first ever weekly race in the division.  He passed Mike Houseman at lap eleven of the 20-lap event, and never looked back from there on.  Kaleb Johnson was the runner up, Houseman finished third, fourth was pole sitter Michael Johnston, and Justin Allen was fifth.

Gatlin Leytham led the entire 20-lap IMCA Modified feature to win for the first time at the Boone Speedway.  Jimmy Gustin chased him from the beginning, but had his final attempt for a pass fail when he lost a wheel on the white flag lap. This would set up a green-white-checkered finish that saw Leytham hold the lead for the win, as Russ Dickerson followed him across the finish line in second place.  Eric Elliott was third, defending track champion Mike VanGenderen started twelfth, and finished fourth, and pole sitter Matthew Meineke completed the top five.

Jay Schmidt prevailed in the IMCA Stock Car feature, taking the victory.  Schmidt, who started thirteenth, caught up to then leader Todd Reitzler by lap five, continued to pester him, until finally making the pass on lap eleven.  Schmidt never looked back from there until the flying checkers.  Trent Murphy finished second after starting eleventh, tenth place starter Donavon Smith was third, fourth went to Todd Reitzler, and Robert Stofer finished in fifth.

The 12-lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature concluded the night’s racing.  Aaron Rudolph snagged himself the win in this division, holding off Shannon Anderson who finished in the runner up spot.  Dustin Graham finished third, fourth was Dustin Lynch, and Todd Bass finished in the fifth position.

Next week, April 29 will be a regular points night with racing in all six divisions.  Scheduled starting time for hot laps is 5:30, with racing at 6:30.