BUZZ SODEMAN The Buzzman SPECIAL TO THE PVT Modified race cars compete in the Nationals at Boone, Iowa. Advertisement

Every major sport has what it considers its pinnacle of success, that elusive "Holy Grail" that forever puts an exclamation point on the winners' resume. There are several such events in motorsports.

NASCAR has two races that every driver wants in his win column -- the Brickyard 400 and the Daytona 500.

The Indy Racing League has the Indianapolis 500.

Sprint car drivers want their names on the Knoxville Nationals trophy.

The National Hot Rod Association has its Summer Nationals, contested at Indianapolis

A driver may only win one of these events and no others but he will forever be listed as the winner of one of biggest marquee events in that respective sport. Derrick Cope won the 1990 Daytona 500, outracing Dale Earnhardt Sr.

Cope has only won one other race in 16 years.

The International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) is the oldest active automobile racing sanctioning body in the United States, having been organized in 1915 by J. Alex Sloan. In the late 1970's, Keith Knaack introduced the modified division, an innovation that would result in the largest class of race cars in the country.

The IMCA Web site describes the modifieds as the "calling card" of the organization.

"These open wheel wonders push the limits of power and excitement," it is written on the Web site. "With a one-tire rule and the well-known $525 engine claim, the grandstand enthusiast can now afford to strap on the safety belts and have a realistic opportunity to compete and win feature events."

The racing began on Wednesday, the busiest night of the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals. A promotion reads like a classic radio spot, "Hundreds of drivers, 40 heat races, only the winners will have the opportunity to be one of the first eight to advance to the Saturday A main. A modified driver has three days to forge the nerves of steel, a necessary ingredient to start on the pole at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals."

As the voice becomes higher and more animated, you can almost hear, "Be there!"

There were 324 modifieds from 26 states vying for the prestigious 33 positions in the "A" main and Pahrump was well-represented; (Pahrump-area residents can be proud of local racers ).

Leland Hibdon, in his Larry Shaw-prepared car, placed fourth in the Heat 5 and 20^th in the first "B" Main.

Donny Berger, who has been a frequent visitor at Pahrump Valley Speedway, was eighth in Heat 7.

Levi Kiefer, in his BMS chassis, took third in Heat 8 and was 15^th in "B" Main 2. Kiefer bested former national champion David Murray, who was sixth.

Jeff Talley, who has been barred from Pahrump Valley Speedway, took seventh in Heat 23.

Three-time Supernationals champion Mark Noble took Heat 23.

In Heat 25, Jon Jensen placed fourth and was then 16^th in "B" Main 5. Jensen just happened to qualify for the same heat as four-time Supernationals champion John Logue, who finished fourth.

IMCA National Champion Dan Fitzgerald was sixth in Heat 27, finishing right behind the 1992 Supernationals champion, Wayne Graybeal.

Jerry Buesig, Jr. logged a seventh in Heat 28.

Todd Nunnally experienced the best finishes of any of Pahrump driver. Nunnally was second in Heat 31 and was first runner up in "B" Main 7.

Representing northern Nevada was Denny Robblee, who was fifth in Heat 33 and ninth in "B" main 7.

Thursday's racing included another 40 heats, as well as qualifying for the prestigious Ron Efkamp Memorial Race of Champions. More than 130 track champions and runner-ups will attempt to qualify for just 12 positions.

Here is how Pahrump drivers fared.

Only Talley and Kiefer qualified for the B-Mains. Talley placed fifth in Heat 2 while Kiefer was fourth in Heat 12. Talley placed 13th in "B" Main 1 and Kiefer was 19th in "B" Main 3. Fitzgerald was eighth in Heat 9; Hibdon was seventh in Heat 19, finishing just ahead of Berger.

Buesig was seventh in Heat 25, Nunnally also had a seventh in Heat 26 and Jensen continued the trend with a seventh in Heat 35.

The qualifying for the Race of Champions had Fitzgerald fourth in Heat 5 and Hibdon getting an 11th in Heat 6.

Neither made the race; only the top two in each heat qualified.

Robblee was fourth in Heat 40 and 11th in "B" main 8.

Friday evening is the IMCA Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, and Fitzgerald received the most votes over 55 other candidates. He raced against nine other drivers in the 10-lap, $1,000 to win special lineup.

Since he began racing IMCA modifieds, Fitzgerald has earned Western Region Rookie of the Year (1997), Nevada State Champion (2002, 2006), and Western Region Champion (2004-2006), as well as IMCA National Champion (2006).

In qualifying Friday, Berger was sixth in Heat 5, Fitzgerald eighth in Heat and Jeff Talley second in Heat 11 and then 17th in "A" main 1.

Kiefer was first runner-up in Heat 13 and second in "B" main 2, while Hibdon nabbed seventh in Heat 18.

Jensen was fifth in Heat 22 and ninth in "B" main 5, while Buesig was seventh in Heat 37.

Nunnally had to wait until Heat 38 and had his worst showing -- sixth. Robblee was sixth in Heat 19.

Fitzgerald ended up sixth in the Invitational, which isn't too shabby considering he placed ahead of former National champion Johnny "The Jet" Saathoff, from Beatrice, Neb., as well as a couple of hard-chargers in Henry Witt Jr., from Waco, Texas, and Justin Yeager, from Green River, Wyo.

Saturday was "Last Chance" night, which meant it was the final chance for Nevada drivers to qualify for the A-Main.

It wasn't meant to be.

Hibdon placed 11th in Heat 1, Robblee was 14th in Heat 2 and Nunnally was 10th in Heat 9.

Fitzgerald was 13th in Heat 16, while Heat 18 ended the chances for all but one of the remaining participants from Nevada. Their order of finish in that race was Berger fifth, Kiefer seven^th, Talley 10^th, and Buesig 14^th. For whatever reason, Jensen didn't qualify for a berth in one of the last chance races. The 2006 Supernationals champion was Rich Lewerke from Garner, Iowa.