Murray, Stephens, Deal top Mod Super Nationals quaifiers

[NickHolt]

Murray, Stephens, Deal top Thursday Modified qualifiers at Super Nationals

 

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 10) – David Murray Jr. only needed one race to provide to provide a season’s worth of highlights for the Thursday night crowd at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals.

 

Murray started 19th in the field of 20, went to the high side of the track and checked out on his opponents in winning the second of three IMCA Modified qualifying events at Boone Speedway.

 

Also winning 20-lap Modified qualifiers were Jeff Stephens and 17-year-old Nick Deal. The top two from each qualifier will start in the middle row of Saturday’s main event.

 

The 2004 Super Nationals champion, Murray was already running sixth when the caution flag came out on lap four. He caught Al Hejna on the 14th lap and never looked back, win ning by a straightaway.

 

Both Murray and Hejna will make the ninth main event appearances of their respective Su per Nationals careers.

 

Stephens and pole starter Pat Graham finished 1-2 in the first qualifier, as just a car length separated the front pair at the checkers.

 

Deal, the 2008 national rookie of the year, took the lead on lap six and held off Darin Duffy to win the third feature. Duffy was disqualified in post-race tech so Jeff Taylor, who’d driven off early in the contest with a flat tire and then worked his way back to third, got the Satur day night invitation.

 

Graham qualified for his career third main event, Stephens, Deal and Taylor each for their first.

 

Thursday’s qualifiers meet on the track Friday to determine their starting order in the middle row of the main event.

 

1st qualifying feature –

1. Jeff Stephens, Arion;

2. Pat Graham, Ames;

3. Mark Elliott, Webster City;

4. Paul Stone, Winton, Calif.;

5. Scott Olson, Blairsburg;

6. Brandon Carley, Farmington, N.M;

7. Dale Caswell, Central Square, N.Y.;

8. Jeff Schroyer, Boone;

9. Brett Ladehoff, Marshalltown;

10. Brad Pounds, Bakersfield, Calif.;

11. Jason Estes, Winston, Mo.;

12. Clint Wendel, Mason City;

13. Brian Schmitt, Wall Lake;

14. Tony Schultz, North Platte, Neb.;

15. Chris Burk, Friend, Neb.;

16. Mark Griffin, Canton, Pa.;

17. Tim Stevens, Cedar Rapids;

18. Jim Roach, Kahoka, Mo.;

19. Jim Lynch, Bloomfield;

20. Brent Fielder, Chapman, Kan.

 

2nd qualifying feature –

1. David Murray Jr., Oberlin, Kan.;

2. Al Hejna, Clear Lake;

3. Eric Dailey, Armstrong;

4. Wade Cross, Phillips, Neb.;

5. Brandon Rothzen, Raritan, Ill.;

6. Greg Cox, Altoona;

7. Ricky Stephan, South Sioux City, Neb.;

8. Jeff Feaster, Dakota City;

9. Brandon Blochlinger, Concordia, Kan.;

10. Jay Steffens, North Platte, Neb.;

11. Jason Snyder, Dunkerton;

12. Chad Porter, Madison Lake, Minn.;

13. David Thome, Spalding, Neb.;

14. Randy Brown, Chowchilla, Calif.;

15. Mike Molle, Glidden;

16. Mike Knapp, New London, Wis.;

17. Rich Smith, Davenport;

18. John Logue, Boone;

19. Chris Dawson, Post, Texas;

20. Jeremie Hedrick, Perry.

 

3rd qualifying feature –

1. Nick Deal, Walnut;

2. Jeff Taylor, Jonesboro, Ark.;

3. Reese Coffee, Hinton;

4. Adam Larson, Ames;

5. Nate Caruth, Ames;

6. Sean Jerovetz, Sobieski, Wis.;

7. Dan Nelson, Beatrice, Neb.;

8. Randy Brands, Boyden;

9. R.M. VanPay, Denmark, Wis.;

10. Brad Weaver, Binghamton, N.Y.;

11. Greg Dinsmore, Kerrville, Texas;

12. Mike Wedelstadt, Fremont, Wis.;

13. Mike Petersilie, Hoisington, Kan.;

14. Todd Stinehart, Waseca, Minn.;

15. Jeremiah Asher, St. Joseph, Mo.;

16. J.J. Courcy, Mexico, N.Y.;

17. Ryan McDaniel, Olivehurst, Calif.;

18. Jay Noteboom, Hinton;

19. Nicholas Littlejohn, Fort Worth, Texas;

20. Darin Duffy, Hazleton