LAKE CITY, Iowa — The track that’s already been the scene for so much of Mike Smith’s success saw him in victory lane again Saturday night.
Smith raced to the 100th win of his IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock career at Boone Speedway, becoming at 20 the youngest driver to reach that milestone number.
He also joined his father David, now knocking on the door of 200 career IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature wins, and uncles Dustin, Devin, Donavon and Doug in the IMCA Century Win Club.
“I wanted to be in that club. It’s quite impressive,” said Smith, “and it means a lot to do it at Boone Speedway, especially because we race there weekly. It’s one of the tracks that’s closest to home and it was cool to have so much of our family there for it.”
A two-time champion of the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s, Smith also owns hardware from the 2022 Junior National Championship, six track titles and back-to-back Iowa State crowns.
“I never thought I’d get to 100 wins this fast, or at all,” he admitted. “I won one feature my first year and the couple years after that it just felt like I was out there making laps and getting seat time. Then everything started clicking, with all the family knowledge and the experiences they were able to share with me.”
“It was a blessing,” he continued, “To be able to share in that, the tips and pointers, and it was just flawless in how that worked out.”
Smith’s racing experience amounted to running a 4-wheeler on the tiny dirt track in his backyard at home before getting into a Hobby Stock.
The combination of good genetics, experience and talent produced a 35-win season last year. He went into this weekend with 98 career wins, topping the Friday show at Hancock County Speedway from 13th starting and then winning from 11th on Saturday at Boone.
“The race last night was red-flagged and I was sitting in about fourth at the time. I hadn’t thought about it too much during the day but that was when I started thinking I had a shot at the win,” Smith said. “Getting my 100th win was one of the reasons why I stayed in the Hobby Stock and I wanted to race this season with my brother Will (15 years old and a rookie in the class). We’ll wait and play what I’m racing next year by ear.”
Smith got help from family displaying the congratulatory banner in victory lane. After “a pretty good night at Boone” – Devin, David and Donavon ran 1-2-7 in the Stock Car feature and uncle Randy Havlik won the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main – he loaded up, towed home and went to bed.
Smith takes five straight wins, and 19 wins in 37 starts, into IMCA Speedweek.
“We’re on cloud nine right now. We’re rolling and have to keep the momentum up,” he said. “I know how life works. When you’re hot, you’re hot and when you’re not, you’re not. You can’t ever get too cocky because it will come back to bite you. You’ve got to keep on digging. You just have to block out the noise and focus on what you’re doing to the best of your ability.”
He is the 13th driver in division history to reach the 100-win mark and the first to do so this season.
Smith’s milestone win, and all weekly race programs at Boone Speedway, was broadcast by SPEED SPORT.TV affiliate IMCA.TV.