It was Balmer Racing Night at the Marshalltown Speedway Friday night and $1,000 pay off for the IMCA Stock Cars. "The Chelsea Charger", Damon Murty went home $1,000 richer when he took the checkers. Braden Richards took the bounty money in the IMCA Hobby Stocks as well as getting his first career win. Tom Berry, Jr. took the victory in the IMCA Modified division, and Brayton Carter made it back to back wins in the IMCA Northern SportMods. Logan Duffy captured his second win of the season in the IMCA Late Model class, and Tanner Gannon got his first win of the season in the Mod Lites.
Tanner Gannon took the lead on lap three of the 15-lap Mod Lite feature, and from there on, never looked back on his way to the checkers. Cory Sonner, who started eighth, chased Gannon for much of the event, but finished a distant second place. Randy Bryan came from tenth starting place to finish third, fourth went to early leader Jeff Stensland, and Bryan Zehm rounded out the top five.
"Speedy Bray", Brayton Carter started tenth on the grid in the 18-lap IMCA Northern SportMod contest, and with just a handful of laps in the books, he had the lead. He would then hold it the remainder of the way to the checkers and the win...his second in a row. Eleventh place starter Johnathon Logue would finish as the runner up. Third place went to Kyle Olson, a hard charging Austin Schrage came from twenty-first place to finish an impressive fourth, and Jenae Gustin took fifth.
There was a $350 bounty hanging over the head of the unbeaten Kaden Reynolds going into the night's 15-lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature. By the end of the race, that bounty would be claimed, and the driver who did it would have his first ever win under his belt. Always a great thing to witness as young drivers begin their careers behind the wheel.
Braden Richards started on the outside front row for the start of the Hobby Stock race, and immediately claimed the lead. Richards navigated the High Banks at the front of the pack lap after lap as Brett Vanous began reeling him in. A slight bobble coming out of turn four at lap thirteen allowed Vanous to take the top spot away. A late yellow then sent the race into a green-white-checkered finish. Vanous kept hold of the top spot as the white flag flew, but a slide by Richards out of turn four as the checkers unfurled, got him the momentum to push him across the finish line first. Vanous had to settle for second, third went to nineteenth place starter, veteran Bill Bonnett, Solomon Bennett started fifteenth, and finished fourth, and Kaden Reynolds rallied back from an early race incident, had to tag the field, but still finished fifth. Richards not only collected the $350 bounty money, but also his first career win. Richards is the son of stock car veteran, "Hot Rod" Richards.
The IMCA Late Models ran a 15-lap feature next. Jill George took the lead as the race went green, and continued holding that top spot as Logan Duffy started reeling her in. Lap eight found Duffy succeeding in his quest and then pulled away from the field on his way to the checkers and the win. Dalton Simonsen got around Jill George in the closing moments, as they finished second and third respectively. Darrel DeFrance came from tenth starting spot to finish fourth, and Curt Schroeder completed the top five. This was Duffy's second victory at the speedway this year. He is the grandson of Iowa's legendary Gary Crawford.
The IMCA Modifieds ran their 20-lap feature caution free. Zack Rawlins led the field in the early portion of the race, but Jeff Aikey took to the top of the track, and flew by and into the lead with fourteen laps to go. Meanwhile, Tom Barry, Jr. was charging through the field, and caught Aikey and began applying the pressure. Berry made the pass down the backstretch, and took the lead at lap twelve. He then pull away, slicing and dicing through traffic, to score his fourth feature win at the track this season. Aikey finished as the runner up, third went to Paul Nagel, Tim Ward came from thirteenth starting spot to finish fourth, and twelfth place starter Kollin Hibdon was fifth. Tom Barry just may be the next driver with a bounty hanging over his head as he has seemed to claim the track as his own this season.
The featured race of the evening was the 20-lap event for the IMCA Stock Cars, with $1,000 check awaiting the winner. It was a draw/redraw format for the special event. Veteran racer Robert Stofer led the opening laps, but soon had a flying Damon Murty coming fast on the topside, and running him down. On lap four, Murty took command, sailing to the lead. A caution flag at lap nine saw Stofer briefly take back the lead on the restart, only to have Murty come right back around and into the lead, keeping it to the checkers and the $1,000 payday. Dusty Vis took the runner up spot, Steve Meyer made a late race charge to finish third, Kenzie Ritter had a good run and finished fourth, and David Brandies came home in fifth.
It was a warm one Friday night but the drivers came out in full force as did the fans. There were 128 cars checked into the pits....some of which by the end of the night, limped or were towed off the track. A couple of drivers, "left the ball park" as they flew off the track in incidents. New driver to the track, Thomas Stevens in the Late Model class, found himself on his lid when a pesky track tire caused his "oops". SportMod racer Chris Burke also took a roll over ride during the feature. All drivers were thankfully okay.
As we returned to our vehicle after the night's racing, the car parked beside us had just discovered they had a flat tire. Though we could do no more than offer the use of a flashlight, and a bit of moral support, what better place than a race track to get help to change a tire with just a call to the pits!
Racing continues next Friday night when it will be Casey's and Rumors Bar & Grill Salute to Marshalltown Law Enforcement at the races. The green flag drops at 7:30.
Check the calendar at Positively Racing and find a race to attend. Help support the sport we all love, dirt track racing.
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