BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 5) – Smith is first in photo finish for Stock Cars

Smith is first in photo finish for Stock Cars

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 5) – Inches made the difference when Donavon Smith won the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals Stock Car championship in 2009.

That modest margin of victory was the same in Wednesday night’s qualifying feature at Boone Speedway.

Electronic timing showed Smith beat Dan Mackenthun to the checkers by all of .043 of a second in the race for the pole start in Saturday’s main event. Wayne Gifford was third, a similar fraction of a second behind Mackenthun.

Smith had started the 25-lapper from the 16th spot, Mackenthun from 11th.

The rest of the top eight finishers advancing to Saturday’s inside row are Casey Werkmeister, Trent Murphy, Jason Ward, Jason DeShaw and Abe Huls.

Werkmeister led the first 17 circuits. Both Gifford and Smith drove by following a lap 18 restart. Two-time Super Nationals champion Jeff Anderson had started on the pole, ran in the top four most of the way and, along with Damon Murty, got caught up and slowed down in traffic on lap 21.

Gifford was a half a car length ahead of Smith taking the white flag. The finish was so close that just a second separated first from fifth place.

Smith will start his sixth straight main event and Murphy his fifth consecutive feature on Saturday night. Mackenthun and Ward are now three-time qualifiers.

Gifford, Werkmeister, DeShaw and Huls all are in the Stock Car show for the first time. Huls is the first driver from Illinois to qualify for the Stock Car main at Super Nationals.

Feature results – 1. Donavon Smith, Lake City; 2. Dan Mackenthun, Hamburg, Minn.; 3. Wayne Gifford, Boone; 4. Casey Werkmeister, North Platte, Neb.; 5. Trent Murphy, Jefferson; 6. Jason Ward, Sioux City; 7. Jason DeShaw, Hopkinton; 8. Abe Huls, Carthage, Ill.; 9. Josh Daniels, Des Moines; 10. Dustin Larson, Worthington, Minn.; 11. John Oliver Jr., Danville; 12. Eric Brown, Boone; 13. Ryan Rose, Boone; 14. Kenneth Tietz, Belle Plaine, Minn.; 15. Ty Hill, Dallas Center; 16. Jeff Anderson, Atlantic; 17. Damon Murty, Chelsea; 18. Rod Staats, Columbus Junction; 19. Randy Killen, Des Moines; 20. Casey Woken, Ogallala, Neb.; 21. Ryan Leeman, Roland; 22. Ned Kalis, Wells, Minn.; 23. Bob Daniels, Des Moines; 24. Shawn Wagner, Shawano, Wis.; 25. Troy Woelber, Hull; 26. Keith Knop, Avoca; 27. Mike Nichols, Harlan; 28. Jim Lynch, Donnelson; 29. Lance Borgman, Beatrice, Neb.; 30. Adam Silvey, Iowa Falls.

Category: Boone Speedway, Iowa, News