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Stoa delivers Modified qualifying feature win at Super Nationals 

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 8) – No matter where he gets his mail, Kevin Stoa always delivers at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals. 

Racing again out of Minnesota, the two time Super Nationals champion took the lead on the eighth of 25 laps and ran in front to the checkers in Wednesday’s Modified qualifying feature. He held off challenges from the likes of David Murray Jr., Jay Noteboom and finally 24^th starting Brandon Blochlinger to earn the pole for Saturday’s main event at Boone Speedway. 

Chasing Stoa across the stripe were Blochlinger, Noteboom, 2009 runnerup Craig Reetz, Mike Molle, Chris Alcorn, Paul Stone and Jake Durbin. They’ll line up behind him again on the inside row Saturday. 

Stoa won his first Super Nationals crown in 2000 as a resident of Minnesota, moved to Iowa and then to North Carolina, returning to Boone to win his second championship in 2008. He’ll make his 10^th career main event start this year. 

After two early cautions, Dennis Pittman led the first seven circuits before Stoa worked his way up from eight to take away the front spot. Former champions Murray and Todd Shute got together in a lap 11 incident that sent Murray to the back of the field and Shute to the pits. 

Noteboom, who’d had last year’s main event in hand before mechanical issues on the last lap, tried to close the distance on Stoa before Murray went off the second set of turns to bring out the final caution of the race on lap 20. 

Blochlinger got by Noteboom following the restart and ran behind Stoa the rest of the way. 

Both Blochlinger and Reetz moved up 22 positions from their original starting spots. Durbin drove all the way from the back row to finish a plus 21 on the night, Stone advanced 19 spots, Noteboom 13 and Alcorn a dozen. 

Durbin is in the main event for the seventh straight year. Noteboom is also in his seventh career show, Molle his sixth and Alcorn and Reetz both their second. Blochlinger and Stone are first time qualifiers.  

Dustin Smith ran at the front all 20 laps in winning the Stock Car qualifier and Saturday’s pole in the main event for that division. Jeffrey Larson took over the runnerup spot late in the race while Dustin’s brother and defending champion Donavon ended his run in third, after starting 16^th. 

Rounding out the top 10 advancing to the inside row on Saturday are Dan Mackenthun, Kenneth Tietz, Justin Temeyer, Lynn Panos, Jeff Mueller, Jesse Colwell and Ned Kalis. 

Dustin Smith took charge from the initial green, pursued most of the way by Jeremy Christians. Christians had slipped to fourth before getting caught up with Steve Meyer on the last lap. Both cars slowed and finally came to a stop in turn four. 

Larson made the biggest charge toward the front, 16 spots after qualifying from his “B” feature. Donavon Smith avoided a lap 14 pileup that involved four other cars to restart in fourth. 

Eight of the 10 Stock Car qualifiers have been to the big Saturday night dance before, with Temeyer’s six career appear­ances the top individual total.  

Both Smiths are former Hobby Stock kings at Super Nationals and will make their fourth starts in the Stock Car show. Mueller and Tietz are both in for the third time, Colwell, Larson and Mackenthun each for the second. 

Kalis and Panos are first time qualifiers. 

Modified qualifier – 1. Kevin Stoa, Albert Lea, Minn.; 2. Brandon Blochlinger, Concordia, Kan.; 3. Jay Noteboom, Hinton; 4. Craig Reetz, Dunlap; 5. Mike Molle, Glidden; 6. Chris Alcorn, Lincoln, Neb.; 7. Paul Stone, Winton, Calif.; 8. Jake Durbin, Perry; 9. Chad Estes, Troy, Texas; 10. Kelly Lyons, Boone; 11. Dennis Pittman, Jamaica; 12. Jeff Conner, Panora; 13. Jay Steffens, North Platte, Neb.; 14. Jerry Luloff, Independence; 15. Michael Long, Quincy, Ill.; 16. Greg Dinsmore, Kerrville, Texas; 17. Ryan Ruter, Kanawha; 18. David Murray Jr., Oberlin, Kan.; 19. Josh Gilman, Earlham; 20. Brad Williams, Lytton; 21. Johnathan Thimmesch, Independence; 22. Jordy Nelson, Marysville, Kan.; 23. Todd Shute, Des Moines; 24. Joren Boyce, Minot, N.D.; 25. Eric Dailey, Armstrong; 26. Ryan Watnem, Humbolt; 27. Matt Brack, Mead, Colo.; 28. Dan Ratajczak, Luxemburg, Wis.; 29. Troy Cordes, Raymond; 30. David Elliott, Eastland, Texas.

Stock Car qualifier – 1. Dustin Smith, Lake City; 2. Jeffrey Larson, Lakefield, Minn.; 3. Donavon Smith, Lake City; 4. Dan Mackenthun, Hamburg, Minn.; 5. Kenneth Tietz, Belle Plaine, Minn.; 6. Justin Temeyer, Independence; 7. Lynn Panos, Calmar; 8. Jeff Mueller, New London; 9. Jesse Colwell, Wrightstown, Wis.; 10. Ned Kalis, Wells, Minn.; 11. Nathan Burke, Minot, N.D.; 12. Merlyn Hegland, Rudd; 13. Jay Schmidt, Tama; 14. Abe Huls, Carthage, Ill.; 15. Jeremy Christians, Horicon, Wis.; 16. Steve Meyer, Grundy Center; 17. Marcus Fagan, Adair; 18. Justin Jacobsen, Black Creek, Wis.; 19. Larry Portis, Nora Springs; 20. Damon Murty, Chelsea; 21. Cory Bushnell, Madrid; 22. Corey Strothman, Mount Union; 23. Andy Bryant, Clemons; 24. Matt Greiner, Washington.