BOONE, Iowa – Cody Laney and Jake McBirnie secured preliminary victories in the IMCA modified division on the third night of the IMCA Super Nationals at Boone Speedway Wednesday evening.
Laney started second in the first prelim feature and took the lead from the outside on the opening lap. Only one caution flag on the second lap slowed the action, allowing Laney to distance himself from the field for the rest of the feature.
He crossed the finish line well ahead of second-place Dylan Thornton, with Jerry Flippo coming from 13th to finish third. Jacob Dahle was fourth to earn the final automatic berth into Saturday’s IMCA modified finale at Boone.
“That was probably the best this thing has ever been,” Laney said of his car. “Honestly we’ve struggled with it for awhile. This weekend, or at least the past month, we’ve kind of turned it around. It was a really fun race car to drive.”
In the second prelim feature, McBirnie began his march to victory from fourth and was up to third after the opening lap. He made his way to second at the start of lap six and began his pursuit of leader Troy Cordes.
With 16 laps left McBirnie made his move, rolling the bottom through turns one and two to snatch the lead away from Cordes. Cordes tried to return the favor, but McBirnie held serve to retain the lead.
McBirnie led the rest of the way despite a number of caution periods in the second half of the race. He crossed the finish line more than three seconds clear of runner-up Kelly Shyrock, with Cordes taking third. Lucas Lamberies was credited with fourth to earn the final guaranteed sport in Saturday’s finale.
“What an unbelievable race car. Bob Harris Enterprises is all I’ve got to say. Those guys over there have got me dialed in. This last half of the season we’ve been hooked up,” McBirnie said.
Fans who can’t be at Boone Speedway in person can watch every lap of both the Prelude and the complete week of Super Nationals via SPEED SPORT TV affiliate IMCA.TV.
The finishes:
First Modified Prelim: 1. Cody Laney, Torrance, Calif.; 2. Dylan Thornton, Santa Maria, Calif.; 3. Jerry Flippo, Bakersfield, Calif.; 4. Jacob Dahle, Morristown, Minn; ; 5. Dallon Murty, Chelsea; 6. Nick Meyer, Whittemore; 7. Kollin Hibdon, Pahrump, Nev.; 8. Bobby Hogge IV, Salinas, Calif.; 9. D.J. Shannon, Merced, Calif.; 10. Randy Havlik, Ankeny; 11. Jared Siefert, Luxemburg, Wis.; 12. Jordy Nelson, Marysville, Kan.; 13. Mitchell Hunt, Kent City, Mich.; 14. Drew Janssen, Pella; 15. Terry Hurt, Omaha, Neb.; 16. Tim Ward, Harcourt; 17. Shane DeMey, Denison; 18. Darrell Hughes II, Manteca, Calif.; 19. Bill Roberts Jr., Burlington; 20. Jeff Taylor, Cave City, Ark.; 21. Justin O’Brien, West Union; 22. Joel Rust, Grundy Center; 23. Hunter Parsons, Green Bay, Wis.; 24. Jon Snyder, Ames; 25. Bob Moore, Sioux City; 26. Josh Ruby, Lakota; 27. Scott Olson, Blairsburg; 28. Ethan Braaksma, Newton; 29. Russ Dickerson, Boone; 30. Ronnie Burkhardt, Topeka, Kan.
Second Modified Prelim: 1. Jake McBirnie, Boone; 2. Kelly Shryock, Fertile; 3. Troy Cordes, Dunkerton; 4. Lucas Lamberies, Clintonville, Wis.; 5. Jeremy Mills, Clear Lake; 6. Todd Shute, Norwalk; 7. Cody Thompson, Sioux City; 8. Dakota Sproul, Hays, Kan.; 9. Anthony Hofbauer, Huxley; 10. Jake Pike, Pahrump, Nev,; 11. Anthony Roth, Columbus, Neb.; 12. Troy Morris III, Bakersfield, Calif.; 13. Cory Sauerman, Johnston; 14. Matthew Meinecke, Jamaica; 15. Tim Watt, Beloit, Kan.; 16. A.J. Ward, Ionia, Mich.; 17. Jay Noteboom, Hinton; 18. Ronn Lauritzen, LaPorte City; 19. Chad Porter, Madison Lake; 20. Cody Knecht, Whittemore; 21. Jim Thies, Mapleton; 22. Chris Simmel, Valley View, Texas; 23. Keaton Atkinson, Hot Springs, Ark.; 24. Tom Berry Jr., Des Moines; 25. Jimmy Gustin, Marshalltown; 26. Eric Barnes, Colona, Ill.; 27. Brian Pearce, Oakley, Calif.; 28. Milo Veloz, Colona, Ill.; 29. Joel Bushore, Boone; 30. Jeff Aikey, Cedar Falls.
This story is part of the LIVE From the IMCA Super Nationals Presented by MyRacePass.com.
