Young hotshoe takes Tuesday’s Northern SportMod qualifier

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 6) – Now that he’s become the youngest driver to earn a front row start in a main event at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Cenex, Tyler Droste will take aim at becoming the youngest to win a Super Nationals championship.

The 15-year-old raced like a veteran in topping Tuesday’s qualifying feature for Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods at Boone Speedway. He’ll take the green flag from the middle of the front row in Saturday’s big show.

From the ninth starting spot, Droste raced to second and was in the right place at the right time when leader Jeremy Chambers lost his driveshaft on the 13^th of 20 laps.

Austin Lucas, Adam Ackerman, Jeff Brunssen, Jared Hansen, Matt Hoeft, Tanner Powers, Greg Sidles, Seth Schroer and R.J. Merchant also advance to Saturday’s main event.

Lucas will be the most veteran of the bunch coming Saturday night, when he makes his fourth appearance in the main event. Ackerman and Merchant are both three-time qualifiers and Brunssen and Hoeft are both in for the second time.

Joining Droste in making their big show for the  first time are Hansen, Powers, Sidles and Schroer.

A last-chance feature Wednesday determines the outside row of 10.

Qualifying feature results – 1. Tyler Droste, Waterloo; 2. Austin Lucas, Cedar Rapids; 3. Adam Ackerman, Mason City; 4. Jeff Brunssen, LeMars; 5. Jared Hansen, Audubon; 6. Matt Hoeft, For­est City; 7. Tanner Powers, Exira; 8. Greg Sidles, Emmetsburg; 9. Seth Schroer, Cottonwood Falls, Kan.; 10. R.J. Merchant, Sergeant Bluff; 11. Josh Rice, Minneapolis, Kan.; 12. Kyle Brown, Kellogg; 13. Bryan LaRiviere, Wichita, Kan.; 14. Jeremy Chambers, Parsons, Kan.; 15. Rob Charapata, Oconto, Wis.; 16. Leon Mulder, Doon; 17. Jeremy Embrey, Madrid; 18. Marty Stein­bach, Fremont, Neb.; 19. Justin Zimmerman, Cedar Rapids; 20. Ben Kates, Tonganoxie, Kan.