BOONE, Iowa – Nathan Ballard went on a Sunday afternoon cruise in his hobby stock en route to claiming his first IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s championship at Boone Speedway.
Ballard led every lap of the 30-lap hobby stock championship feature. He was only briefly challenged during a series of early restarts before eventually pulling away to a dominant victory at the third-mile dirt oval.
“I don’t believe it. We had a good car all week. We didn’t make the show Monday night but we switched a couple things and this thing was on a rail,” Ballard said.
Starting on the outside front row of the three-wide start, Ballard took the lead into turn one over defending hobby stock Super Nationals champion Dylan Nelson and Carter Koop. Ballard was briefly challenged on the third lap by Nelson before a caution for a car stopped in turn two slowed the action.
Racing resumed and Ballard again held serve with Nelson hot on his heels, but another caution waved with five laps complete for two cars hooked together at the bottom of turn two.
On the ensuing restart Ballard again held serve, but not without a challenge from Nelson, who attempted to pull a slide job but was unable to clear Ballard. Once he escaped the challenge from Nelson, Ballard pulled away and quickly drove into his own zip code.
With no more cautions to slow the field, Ballard easily drove to victory and the $2,000 top prize for the hobby stock class.
“About five to go I could see my old man up there (in the pits) just saying, ‘Calm her down.’ I was hitting those ruts and bouncing,” Ballard said. “I just thought, ‘Every time I’ve ever let up at a race I always blow a tire or get passed.’ So I wasn’t letting up. It is what it is. I drove that sucker as hard as it would go.”
Nelson settled for second, with Jeff Ware finishing third after starting ninth. Jason Wilkinson was fourth, with Mike Smith completing the top-five.
The finish:
Nathan Ballard, Dylan Nelson, Jeff Ware, Jason Wilkinson, Mike Smith, Kaden Reynolds, Dawson Deboer, Eric Stanton, Brandon Cox, Wayne Gifford, Jake Benischek, Jesse Vanlaningham, Malik Sampson, Matt Olson, Chuck Madden Jr., Darin Johnson, Shaun Wirtz, Zach Hemmingsen, Parker Larson, Carter Koop, Braden Richards, Jason Kohl, Keeran Sampson, Josh Barnhart, Cody Nielsen, Sal Hernandez, Eric Knutson, Brandon Nielsen, Brett Vanous, Jacob Floyd.
Every night of the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s on Sept. 7-13 will be broadcast live via SPEED SPORT TV affiliate IMCA.TV. Check out all of our coverage of the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals on our coverage index page!