BOONE, Iowa – Devin Smith and Dallon Murty secured front row starting positions in the IMCA Stock Car finale of the IMCA Super Nationals with prelim victories Wednesday night at Boone Speedway.
Smith started eighth in the first of the prelim features and was up to sixth prior to the first caution of the race with 24 laps to go. He jumped to the top on the restart and roared up to third before the field got to turn three.
One lap later Smith blew by Brian Cesar coming out of turn four on the outside to take the race lead. He survived multiple restarts, including restarts with four and two laps left, to punch his ticket to the Big Dance on Saturday.
“I didn’t like all those late cautions, but it is what it is,” Smith said.
In the second feature Murty had his work cut out for him after stating the 25-lap feature from the 12th position. Murty was already up to sixth after five laps and had plenty of time to make it the rest of the way to the lead.
Murty continued his charge and with 14 laps left he made it to second as Jake McBirnie held the lead after starting from the pole. With 12 laps left Murty, using a big run around the top of turns one and two, charged past McBirnie down the backstretch.
McBirnie was able to retain the lead at the line, but his advantage was brief as Murty pulled clear of him in turns one and two to take the lead. Murty led the rest of the way and survived a two-lap dash to the checkered flag to secure the win.
“I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do it there starting that deep in the field,” Murty said. “There are so many good cars that show up to this event. But man, we did it.”
The top-four finishers from each feature earned guaranteed starting positions in Saturday’s finale. Those that qualified for the IMCA Hobby Stock finale included Smith, Troy Jerovetz, Zane DeVilbiss, Brock Badger, Dallon Murty, McBirnie, Dusty Van Horn and Kelly Shryock.
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.
This story is part of the LIVE From the IMCA Super Nationals Presented by MyRacePass.com.
