BOONE, Iowa — Austin Gray and Chaz Baca Jr. dominated their respective Stealth Racing IMCA Mod Lite qualifiers Saturday night, securing prime starting positions for Sunday’s Big Dance at the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s.
The top 10 finishers from each 25-lap qualifier advanced to Sunday’s championship feature, with the first qualifier setting the inside lane and the second determining the middle lane.
Gray grabbed the initial lead in the first 25-lapper before a red flag brought the field back for another attempt at the opening circuit.
Once racing resumed, Gray again went to the front and quickly checked out. A lap five caution erased his advantage, but the 2025 Boone Speedway track and Iowa State champion was strong on the restart and again built a comfortable lead.
Another red flag stopped the action on lap eight, but Gray continued to control the pace when racing resumed.
The complexion of the race nearly changed on lap 17. Just as Gray began working into lapped traffic, he made contact with a slower car. Gray managed to keep going despite sustaining heavy damage.
Following another red flag on the ensuing restart, Gray again powered away. Defending Super Nationals champion Jon Padilla began reeling him in during the closing laps, but the Story City chauffeur, Gray, stayed out front to secure the victory and the Eibach Pole Award for Sunday’s Big Dance.
Padilla finished second, while 14-year-old Landon Elliott charged from 21st to third to earn hard charger honors.
2023 Super Nationals champion Ronnie Choate of Tennessee finished fourth. Texas racer Christopher Buxton advanced from 15th to fifth, while 2024 National Rookie of the Year Tracen Glick charged from 26th to sixth.
Ben George was seventh, Mike Kennedy raced from 25th to eighth, Grant Anderson advanced from 23rd to ninth, and Missouri’s Michael Raffurty recovered from a late-race spin to claim the final transfer position in 10th.
Baca, driving the Joel Huggins-owned No. X50, wasted little time taking command of the second 25-lap qualifier and led the opening circuit.
The two-time Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified National champion quickly separated himself from the field before a red flag halted action on lap seven.
Baca immediately took off again on the restart, and another caution on lap 11 did little to slow his charge.
Behind him, Bryan Zehm and Josh May waged a spirited battle for second while Baca continued to stretch his advantage.
Baca, originally from Mesa, Arizona now residing in Jewell, encountered lapped traffic on lap 17 but was never seriously challenged and dominated the remainder of the distance to earn the middle-row pole for Sunday’s Big Dance.
Zehm, the 2026 Boone Speedway track champion, won the battle for second. Three-time Iowa State champion and 2026 IMCA TV Winter Nationals champion May finished third. Tennessee’s Layton Bennett was fourth, followed by Missourian Ed Griggs in fifth.
Texas racer Scott Jordan advanced from 12th to sixth. Wilson, the 2023 Arkansas State champion and 2024 Mod Lites of Arkansas champion, came from 16th to seventh, while Garrett Barber charged from 25th to eighth.
Garrison Anderson finished ninth, while Jon Braathun completed a run from 20th to 10th to secure the final transfer spot.
The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV affiliate Advantage Racing TV. Catch every lap again with the IMCA TV Replay Subscription, available for just $25.99/month. And don’t miss Season 3 of the Boone Docuseries, now streaming exclusively on IMCA TV.
