BOONE, Iowa – Brandon Nielsen scored a major triumph on his IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s qualifying night. The Spencer, Iowa, driver is no stranger to dancing at Boone Speedway but has never won the main event.
Could this year be a different story?
“We’ve been struggling with this car on getting it up off the corner,” said Nielsen “I’ve always been able to get it to turn, but we’re just not the best coming out of the corner. So we took a couple of swings at it last night and it worked perfectly.”
Seven times Nielsen has waltzed on the final night of Super Nationals. His best result was in 2015 when he got third in the Saturday show.
Opening night of the 40th annual Super Nationals marked the first time he won a qualifier.
“It would mean that little brother (Cody Nielsen in 2011) couldn’t be the only one bragging about being on a T-shirt for this race” he said, when asked what it would mean to win Super Nationals. “We are going to let her eat and see what happens.”
2022 has seen a limited schedule for Nielsen but he has earned four wins at four different facilities, Clay County Fairgrounds Speedway in his hometown, Algona’s Kossuth County Speedway, Buena Vista Raceway in Alta and Boone.
“This year has been pretty good. I went on some school trips with my daughter so we gave up on chasing points and have been chasing some money a bit here and there,” he said. “We gave away more wins than we earned but overall it’s been pretty successful.”
Olmstead chasing Hobby Stock Super Nationals crown
Zach Olmstead is an IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock pilot to be on the lookout for at the 40th annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s.
The Overton, Neb. driver is looking for a stellar run and hopes to post a career-best dance performance after repeating as winner of the Stephenville Starter Race of Champions.
Unfortunately, 2021 was a rough outing despite winning the Wild Rose Casino Prelude to the Super Nationals.
“Last year we won the Prelude,” stated Olmstead. “We didn’t make the qualifier the first night last year and I got wrecked in the second one.”
Olmstead had made one previous dance in his career. That was back in 2018 when he was fourth in the finishing order. He is already in this year’s big show after finishing fourth in Monday’s first qualifier.
“Making it the first night takes a lot of stress off you. It’s always stressful not to make it the first night, and you press your luck the second night and can screw up,” he said.
Olmstead hasn’t raced as often this season as in previous years but when he has, he’s been fast. Four of his triumphs have come at North Platte, Neb.’s Lincoln County Raceway. He hasn’t raced as much in the past, but when he has, he has been fast.
“We have been racing close to home this year,” he explained. “We had a baby so it’s kind of hard to get around now. But it’s been good so far.”
Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod Racer Justin Bell Attending 2022 Super Nationals
The Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod division has assembled nearly 180 of the best pilots that North America has to offer for the 40th annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s.
Among the attendees is Justin Bell of Louisville, Neb. Although he has only been to Boone Speedway a handful of times, he will try his best to make 2022 his best visit running with the best of the best.
“I hope I can make the qualifier and see what we can do there,” said Bell. “Our first qualifying night this year, we went forward but we drew bad.”
Bell owns qualifying experience from his 2019 visit to Boone Speedway.
“This is our third year here and it’s fun to race against so many different drivers that we normally don’t run with every week,” he said.
Bell is a regular at Beatrice Speedway and US 30 Speedway in his home state.
“This year has been a struggle but we’re hopeful that we can turn it around,” said Bell. “What better place than to do it here?”
Looft locked, loaded in hunt for Super Nationals title
Four-time and defending Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod national champion Matthew Looft, is locked and loaded for the 40th annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s.
The Swea City, Iowa speedster is looking to add Super Nationals to his incredible racing resume. He has amassed an enormous win total as he runs for his fifth national crown.
“We’ve accomplished a lot over the years but this would be the pinnacle,” commented Looft. “We don’t come down here very often but when we do, we want to do the best that we can for our supporters, sponsors, friends and fans. It’d be awesome if we could get up there on the stage.”
Looft ran fifth in his qualifier on Monday and will be dancing come Saturday night. He has made two dances in his career. He was 18th in 2015 and 10th in his most recent start in 2017.
“I wish we had a little bit better of a run. You need to be up in the first few rows to have a really good shot but we will still give it the best shot we can,” he said. “Hopefully, we can relax a little bit this week.”
2022 has been fantastic for Looft and the team. He has visited victory lane 36 times during the current campaign, getting his first IMCA Sunoco Stock Car win as well. Most of the wins have been at Murray County Speedway in Slayton, Minn., Algona, Iowa’s Kossuth County Speedway and Arlington Raceway in Minnesota.
“This is by far the best year that we’ve ever had,” said Looft. “We have over 30 wins and 10 or 12 seconds, so it’s been a dream season.”
Colorado Hobby Stocker in the hunt for Super Nationals success
Count Hunter Smith among the young lions in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock ranks.
The Brush, Colorado teenager, IMCA’s national and Big Daddy Race Cars Northern Region rookie of the year in 2021, has had a roller coaster of a past year on and off the race track but will look to end his 2022 IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s run on a positive note.
Tragically he lost his father last winter and is running in his memory this season.
“We want to get in the top eight in our qualifier,” said Smith, 15. “We should be good if we can make the dance this week. I’m comfortable with this race track and I feel confident.”
Although he didn’t make the Big Dance last year, he did become the first Colorado driver to qualify for the Stephenville Starter Race of Champions.
He has already more than doubled last year’s total of 10 wins with the majority of those checkers coming in the Centennial State at El Paso County Raceway in Calhan, Holyoke’s Phillips County Raceway and I-76 Speedway in Fort Morgan.
“Our year has been really good,” he said. “I have had a perfect season with only a few bad nights.”
The entire week of the Sept. 5-10 Super Nationals is broadcast by SPEED SPORT.TV affiliate IMCA.TV.