BOONE, Iowa — Two drivers who have already stood on the top step of the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s podium took the next step to returning to that lofty position Wednesday night.
Jake McBirnie worked his way to the front from 11th-starting and weathered three attempts at a green, white, checkered finish to win the evening’s first Stock Car qualifying feature while Devin Smith stayed out front and ahead of the calamity behind him in topping the nightcap.
Jonny Carter, Jeffrey Abbey and 23rd-starting Brandon Schmitt chased McBirnie to the checkers, Jeff Mueller, Shelby Williams and Curt Lund ran 2-3-4 behind Smith.
The top four finishers from each feature decide who starts where on the inside row come Saturday night by friendly games of cornhole on Thursday at the NAPA Fan Zone south of the main grandstand at Boone Speedway.
A record 264 Stock Cars saw time on the track Wednesday as the all-time Super Nationals car count mark reached 1,032.
Derrick Agee led through four restarts in the opener, the first of those yellows waving when defending champion Dylan Thornton came to a stop on the top of turn four.
McBirnie, who was the 2018 Super Nationals champion in the Northern SportMod class, was up to second by lap 15 and passed Agee for the point on lap 22, just before Andrew Claus rolled in turn three.
A trio of late yellows waved and Schmitt raced his way into the top four before the checkers flew.
“It was getting a little crazy there. Just to be standing here is phenomenal. I love it,” McBirnie said post-race. “I was a little worried about my right front tire, it got a little smashed up coming through there and I was hoping everything would hold up.”
“Last year I led one of these qualifiers ‘til about five to go and popped an engine, then led one again the same week and got passed with a couple to go, added McBirnie, who would race for a berth in the modified later in the program. “We’ll soak it in and keep digging. It’s been a lot of fun so far.”
Smith won Super Nationals Stock Car crowns in 2014 and 2019 and led all 25 laps of a qualifier that saw side-by-side-by-side and even closer racing throughout.
“Holy Moley, I never thought I’d pull that off,” he admitted. “I’m glad I had the 77 behind me, he’s a nice guy, he races clean, knows when he can go and when he can’t go, I couldn’t have a better guy behind me than Jeff Mueller.”
Mueller ran second all but the opening circuit. He and Williams were right behind Smith at the finish, with Lund in fourth. Blake Clark tried the extreme high line and advanced 19 positions, one short of a transfer to Saturday’s show.
“I knew the lower I was the better I was, but it’s just so hard to hit your marks. We’ve been trying different setups with the car every single night, trying to make it better and better and better,” Smith said. “We hate when the left front tire is off the ground but that’s what the car wanted tonight and that’s what got the job done.”
Stock Car qualifying continues on Thursday, along with the B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational.
SPEED SPORT.TV affiliate IMCA.TV broadcasts the entire week of the Sept. 2-7 IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s
The finishes:
First feature; Jake McBirnie, Jonny Carter, Jeffrey Abbey, Brandon Schmitt, Jason Rogers, Dustin Vis, Derrick Agee, Jeff Ware, Cameron Starry, Chris Pruitt, Quinton Yutterman, Josh Steele; Reid Keller, David Moriarty, Jimmy Gustin, Russell Damme Jr., Trent Nolan, Stefan Sybesma, William Gould, Randy Brown, David Brandies, Bob Daniels, Andrew Claus, Bryan Snell, Chad Shaw, Gary Pesicka, Dakoda Sellers, Dylan Thornton, Jake Kubik, Chris Oliver.
Second feature: Devin Smith, Jeff Mueller, Shelby Williams, Curt Lund, Blake Clark, Troy Foulger, Michael Jaennette, Jason Ward, Matt Guillaume, Elijah Zevenbergen, Clint Wendel, Hesston Shaw, Troy Burkhart, Heath Tulp, Rod Richards, Loren Pesicka Jr., Justen Yeager, Braxton Franks, Tathan Burkhart, Travis Hatcher, Jackson Vsetecka, Danny Cavanagh, G.W. Egbert IV, Dallon Murty, Nick Roberts, Jeffrey Larson, Joel Rust, Cody Gustoff, Todd Reitzler, Doug Smith.