BOONE, Iowa — The family that celebrated when Sport Compacts made their first-ever appearance at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s got to celebrate again Tuesday night.
Brad Chandler made the most of a restart with five laps to go, motoring from third to the lead and ultimately the $1,250 checkers in the 4-cylinder headliner at Boone Speedway.
“This means a lot to my family,” said Chandler, runner-up to brother Nathan when the division debuted at Super Nationals in 2011, a race that also saw brother Dallas finish fifth and father Merv end in 10th.
“I took a couple years off. I’d finished second twice or third the next couple years and never thought I’d come back and be able to win here,” Chandler said, emphasizing his family’s support on and off the track. “It takes a lot of people to be able to do that.”
2016 champion Josh Barnes, long-time race leader Mick Rykhus and early leader Randall Martin completed the Tuesday podium.
Martin was fastest the first three times around the track, giving way to Rykhus the next time around.
A long green flag run followed with Chandler making it to third on the 14th of 25 laps. Rykhus had the field covered, building a lead of nearly two seconds, before Devin Jones, a two-time Super Nationals champ, went off the track to bring out the yellow and set the stage for Chandler’s heroics.
“The caution came out, I knew it worked on the high side, they (Barnes and Rykhus) both left it open and I just went in there hard as I could out and came out on top,” said Chandler, planning to deliver his trophy to a pre-schooler at home.
The Chandler family has a number of connections to IMCA and Super Nationals that pre-date the Sport Compact division: Merv was among the first drivers in the earliest years of the Modified division and finished third in the inaugural Super Nationals in 1983.
Eighty-four drivers from a dozen states were in Boone to make their own history at the 42nd annual Super Nationals.
Jason Kohl and Mike Smith each claimed 25-lap features in the Hobby Stock division. Kohl won the opener over 30th-starter Keith Burg, while Smith edged Calvin Dhondt in the nightcap.
The IMCA SuperNationals continues Wednesday through Saturday and all events are broadcast live by SPEED SPORT affiliate IMCA.tv.
The finish:
Sport Compacts: Brad Chandler, Josh Barnes, Mick Rykhus, Randall Martin, Tyrel Jones, Spencer Roggentien, Dyllan Bonk, Gilbert Aldcape, Taylor Brown, Johnny Thomas, Dalton Cullinan, Nate Coopman, Shannon Mahlberg, Oliver Monson, Kaylee Richards, Baylen Rooker, Jay Crabill, Jason Weber, Chevy Barnes, Jeremy Williams, Dylan Whitley, Jerry Coopman, Stephen Stiteler, Seaon Leasure, Devin Jones, David Kimmel, Tyler Housley, Christian Grady, Matt Moore, Jake Anderson.