BOONE, Iowa — Prelude winner Cory Probst knew all about the talent he’d be racing against in the Stephenville Starter Race of Champions.
Then he went out and beat those cars, leading start to finish of the 12-lap Hobby Stock RoC Tuesday during the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s show at Boone Speedway.
Probst drew the outside pole start and had Nathan Ballard on his back bumper or right alongside when every one of those dozen laps was scored.
“Ballard is one hell of a driver. This was a great field of drivers and I was lucky enough to hold them off,” said Probst, who’d enjoyed a dose of Boone success topping the second of two Prelude features for the Hobby Stocks on Sunday. “You never take anything for granted here. It was until I got straight out of the (last set of turns) I thought I was set.”
His margin of victory in the caution-free contest was all of three tenths of a second.
Dillon Richards, Kalyb Brunssen and Calvin Dhondt completed the top five.
Zach Olmstead was looking to extend his streak of Stephenville Starter RoC wins to four and was on his way toward the front after starting 11th, then got too high on turn two and exited before midway.
Former national and regional champions, Super National champions and RoC winners, as well as state and track champions and track point leaders were eligible to qualify for the Stephenville Starter race.
2020 national champion Probst had finished third in his one previous RoC start last September.
Super Nationals is broadcast by SPEED SPORT affiliate IMCA.tv.
Feature Finish (12 Laps)
1. Cory Probst, Brewster, Minn.; 2. Nathan Ballard, Marengo; 3. Dillon Richards, Beatrice, Neb.; 4. Kalyb Brunssen, Le Mars; 5. Calvin Dhondt; 6. Joel Magee, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; 7. Dan Hanselman, Algona; 8. Jimmy Doescher, Hollandale, Wis.; 9. Zach Olmstead, Overton, Neb.; 10. Brayden Hilzer, Fort Morgan, Colo.; 11. Dylan Nelson, Adel; 12. Luke Phillips, Wapello.