BOONE, Iowa — A night after coming oh-so-close, Zane DeVilbiss got on the roof of his race car and celebrated his qualifying feature win at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s.
And 30 years after winning his first Super Nationals championship, Curt Lund celebrated a qualifying feature win of his own, only a little more quietly than the driver known as Zippy D had done minutes before.
All this after another Stock Car entry joined in Thursday at Boone Speedway, nudging the division total to a record 258 and the new Super Nationals mark to 1,014.
DeVilbiss had watched Cody Laney steal the lead away late and finished second in his Modified qualifier on Wednesday. An odd twist of fate saw the New Mexico pilot drive by Troy Burkhart with six laps to go for the Thursday checkers.
“He was in the same situation I was in last night. The front isn’t always where you want to be and I had the bird’s eye view,” reasoned DeVilbiss.
“We got lucky two years ago and got both cars in (the main events). We came back last year and didn’t have any luck in the Stock Car, he continued. “We went back to the drawing board and got old Betsy to roll.”
David Smith will start his career 16th Super Nationals Big Dance after being promoted to second by Burkhart’s DQ out of the tech tent. Seventeenth starting Buck Schafroth was third and Casey Woken raced from starting last in the field of 30 to fourth.
30 Years Later
Lund won his first of three sprint car titles in 1993, when the winged division was part of the Super Nationals program in Boone. He led start to finish in Thursday’s second qualifier and was scored eight tenths of a second ahead of Jeffrey Abbey at the end of the 25-lapper.
The only caution came on lap four and Abbey worked his way to second with five to go. Jake Sachau, another two-division star, and Luke Lemmens were promoted to third and fourth, respectively, when Tanner Pettitt was disqualified in post-race tech.
“I was just going to hit my marks until somebody got around me,” said Lund, who also qualified for the modified main event in 1993. “I’m old and I have to breathe harder. I was just talking to a guy before we started and told him I hoped there were a couple cautions so I can make all 25.”
SPEED SPORT.TV affiliate IMCA.TV broadcasts the entire week of the 41st annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s.
The finish:
First feature: 1. Zane DeVilbiss, Farmington, N.M.; 2. David Smith, Lake City; 3. Buck Schafroth, Orient; 4. Casey Woken, Altoona; 5. Austin Carter, Jamestown, Kan.; 6. Jeff Ware, Columbus, Neb.; 7. Scott Davis, Lenox; 8. Jeremy Richey, Medford; 9. Austin Bouzek, Trenton, Mo.; 10. Austin VanHoff, Chowchilla, Calif.; 11. Mike Coel, Pulaski, Wis.; 12. Braden Richards, Madrid; 13. Jason Ward, Sioux City; 14. Shawn Graham, Shreveport, La.; 15. Taylor Kuehl, Cave Creek, Ariz.; 16. JJ Baumli, Lathrop, Mo.; 17. Garrett Corn, Marshalltown; 18. Jason Rogers, Selden, Kan.; 19. Dylan Thornton, Keystone; 20. Austin Brands, Boyden; 21. Tyler Wilson, Little Suamico, Wis.; 22. Robbie Thome, Spalding, Neb.; 23. Wayne Landheer, Buffalo; 24. Lance Hanson Jr., Palmer, Texas; 25. Jordan Grabouski, Beatrice, Neb.; 26. Danny Holt, Topeka, Kan.; 27. Jeremy Christians, Horicon, Wis.; 28. William Gould, Calera, Okla.; 29. Randy Brown, Chowchilla, Calif.
Second feature: 1. Curt Lund, Redwood Falls, Minn.; 2. Jeffrey Abbey, Comanche, Texas; 3. Jake Sachau, Manning; 4. Luke Lemmens, Green Bay, Wis.; 5. Michael Jaennette, Kellogg; 6. Nathan Ballard, Marengo; 7. Abe Huls, Carthage, Ill.; 8. John Oliver Jr., West Burlington; 9. David Brandies, Wilton; 10. Todd Decker, Edmond, Okla.; 11. Kole Nordquist, Beresford, S.D.; 12. Mike Stapleton, Denison; 13. Mike Albertsen, Audubon; 14. Doug Smith, Lake City; 15. Tom Cannon, West Branch; 16. Danny Cavanagh, Blanchard, Okla.; 17. Jordan Zillmer, Cleveland, N.D.; 18. Austin Brauner, Platte Center, Neb.; 19. Blake Clark, Joshua, Texas; 20. Jeff Byers Jr., Milo; 21. Chase Parker, Hortonville, Wis.; 22. Elijah Zevenbergen, Ocheyedan; 23. Jerry Flippo, Clear Lake; 24. Boone Evans, Bullard, Texas; 25. Dustin Larson, Rushmore, Minn.; 26. Nick Roberts, Des Moines; 27. Mathew West, Kellerton; 28. Kaden Reynolds, Cedar Rapids; 29. Jay Schmidt, Tama.