Fitzgerald, Noteboom head All-Star Invitational field

BOONE, IA (Aug. 1, 2006) – The current national points leader and the defending race winner head the list of Modified drivers elected to the field of 10 for the IMCA Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational.

Dan Fitzgerald of Las Vegas led 55 candidates in balloting for the third annual event, to be held Friday, Sept. 8 during the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals at Boone. Jay Noteboom of Hinton, winner of last year’s race, was second in voting for the 10 lap, $1,000 to win special.

They’ll be joined in the starting grid by Pat Graham of Ames, Joren Boyce of Minot, N.D., Henry Witt of Waco, Texas, Todd Dart of Algoma, Wis., Kevin Stoa of Polk City, Benji LaCrosse of Luxemburg, Wis., Johnny Saathoff of Beatrice, Neb., and Justen Yeager of Green River, Wy.

All voting this year was conducted through the IMCA website and ran from May 1 through July 31. A total of 18,036 ballots were cast, more than triple the number submitted by mail, fax and email for last year’s invitational. Fitzgerald was named on 5,392 ballots, with Yeager’s 4,059 votes enough to round out the top 10.

All-Star candidates included the winners of sanctioned specials held since May of 2005 that paid $1,000 or more, Super­Flow regional and Smiley’s Racing Products state champions, and drivers winning three track championships in 2005.

Fitzgerald became the latest IMCA Modified driver to reach 100 career wins earlier this season. The two time defend­ing Western Region champion, he was runner-up in All-Star voting last year and also owns eight career track and one state crown.

Noteboom drove all the way from 10th starting to win last year’s race. He has more than 80 IMCA career wins and a track championship to his credit.

Graham’s victory at I-35 Speedway’s Pete Pope Memorial landed him on the ballot. He has 25 career feature wins and is a three time track titlist.

Boyce, also elected to last year’s Invitational, took a streak of six straight North Dakota state championships into the current season. He’s won 95 features and 17 career track championships.

The only driver elected to all three Invitationals, Witt is the eight time defending champion in the South Central Re­gion and six time Texas state king. The 2000 national champ also boasts 230 career wins and a dozen track crowns.

Dart topped the Fall Special at Luxemburg Speedway. His career totals include 47 feature wins and five track champion­ships.

No stranger to victory lane at Boone, Stoa won the 2000 Super Nationals championship and the 2005 Dirt Works Ron Efkamp Memorial Race of Champions. Stoa also has 22 weekly feature wins and a track title on his racing resume.

LaCrosse is the defending Super Nationals champion. He’s won 30 features, one track and one state prize.

Four time national champion Saathoff also topped Central Region standings from 1996-1999 and has won more than 270 features, along with 12 career track and back to back Nebraska state titles. Saathoff is familiar with the infield stage at Boone as well, having won the Efkamp race in 1997 and again in 1998.

Yeager has won 73 IMCA weekly shows, with four track and a pair of state titles to his credit as well.

Drivers will draw for their starting position during the Friday night program at Boone Speedway. Along with his share of the purse and contingency awards, the winner earns a spot on the ballot for the 2007 Invitational.