BOONE, Iowa — The driver might get older but the winning never gets old.
Veteran Kelly Shryock, the winner of more than 700 races over a career that spans four decades, drove from 11th starting to win the first Stock Car qualifying feature during Thursday’s IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s program at Boone Speedway.
He’d be followed to the top of the podium by Justin Luinenburg, who led every lap of fast-paced nightcap. Top four finishers from both features move on to the middle row of Saturday’s Championship Night show.
Donavon Smith and then Austen Brauner ran in first as Shryock made his way toward the front. He caught Riley Christensen for second with seven laps to go and Brauner for the point with four to go.
Kaden Reynolds and Buck Schafroth each made late charges, relegating Brauner to fourth.
“I love this more than ever. “You never know when a win is going to be your last,” said Shryock, also qualified for the Modified Dance. “I’m still having fun.”
The only caution in feature two came on the second circuit and Luinenburg stayed smooth as silk at the front of the field, never seriously challenged in his run to the checkers.
“I’m not big on this big stage. I just try to run my race,” he said. “I didn’t feel anybody or see anybody and we were lapping cars, so we must have been doing something right.”
“I was just trying to stay focused and hit my marks every time,” he continued. “To race with the crowd that’s here, it really says something that our program has really come along.”
Drivers with Super Nationals titles already on their resumes rounded out the top four behind him, 2012 SportMod king Nick Roberts and Stock Car champs Brandon Czarapata (2013) and Damon Murty (2018).
Two more Stock Cars joined for qualifying Thursday, pushing the new division record to 266 and the new Super Nationals car count record to 1,036.
SPEED SPORT.TV affiliate IMCA.TV broadcasts each night of the Sept. 2-7 Super Nationals.
The finishes:
First feature: Kelly Shryock, Kaden Reynolds, Buck Schafroth, Austin Brauner, Riley Christensen, Donavon Smith, Johnathon Logue, Casey Woken, Paul Stone, Chad Krogmeier, Tyler Pickett, Rob Gallaher, Aaron Stolp, Sheldon Oberle, Cole Czarneski, Austin Meiners, Brent Fielder, Matt Guillaume, Scott Olson, Taylor Kuehl, William Gould, Justin Nehring, Blake Cole, Eddie Ingram, Blake Peeler, Nick Beckman, Dustin Larson, Chase Alves, Darren Otto, Justin Kinderknecht.
Second feature: Justin Luinenburg, Nick Roberts, Brandon Czarapata, Damon Murty, Jared Siefert, Braden Richards, Jeremy Christians, John Oliver Jr., Jeff Ware, Rowdee Van Genderen, Mike Albertsen, Abe Huls, Kyle Clough, Vern Jackson, Josh Daniels, Jeffrey Larson, Troy Foulger, David Brandies, Justen Yeager, Rod Richards, Brett Vanous, Troy Burkhart, Brandon Gritz, Shaun Bruns, Elijah Zevenbergen, Kevin Opheim, Adam Goff, Bo Eads, Reid Keller, Maguire DeJong.