BOONE, Iowa — Two STARS Mod Lite drivers with some unfinished business at Boone Speedway took care of business Saturday night.
Jaedon McDowell raced from 10th, Dillon Raffurty from 12th in winning their respective IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s qualifying features.
McDowell, from Murfreesboro, Tenn., will start on the pole in Sunday’s $2,000 to win big dance, while Kansas City, Mo., ‘shoe Raffurty takes the green from the front of the middle row.
Both nights of the NAPA Auto Parts Double Down Prelude and the entire week of the Sept. 2-7 Super Nationals will be broadcast by SPEED SPORT.tv affiliate IMCA.tv.
A Super Nationals record 78 Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites were among the 416 cars competing at Iowa’s Action Track, another new mark for opening night of the NAPA Auto Parts Double Down Prelude.
“It felt amazing. Last year we came out here and couldn’t even get a heat win. Tonight we came out and did both. Hopefully tomorrow will be even better,” McDowell said following his qualifying win. “I tried to find a lane that nobody else was using and kept this (car) moving.”
He needed just seven laps to race his way to the front. Bryan Zehm completed his drive from 14th starting to second with two circuits left in the 25-lapper while Riley Clem’s climb from 18th starting ended in third.
Also advancing to the inside row of the main event grid are Charlie Brown, Jon Padilla, 21st starting Jason Masengarb, Justin Raffurty, Jeromy Wilson, Blake Wilson and Jace Reid.
Joe Isabell and then Randy Bryan set the fast pace before Dillon Raffurty, the 2021 and 2022 Super Nationals champion, charged ahead on lap 14.
He’d hold off 18th starting Ed Griggs and Bryan in a green, white, checkers finish. James Rollins started 25th and finished fourth.
“Boone is something different. If you don’t like how the track is, just wait five laps and it’ll be something different,” said Raffurty, looking to atone for a 25th place showing at Boone last year. “I just waited and it came alive at the end.”
Defending champion Ronnie Choate, Austin Gray, Justin Kinderknecht, Ben George, Isabell and Tyler Furrell also advance to the middle row of the main event.
The outside row of 10 qualifies and the Mod Lite race of champions is also on tap during Sunday’s Prelude program.