The Marshalltown Speedway was back in action on Friday night, missing only one week of racing due to the area's devastating derecho. The lights taken down during the storm were replaced with two portable BOSS LTG Stadium Light Towers, and after hours of volunteer help cleaning up the fallen cat walk, and doing other repairs, the show went on! It was KMJ Performance Free Grandstand Night at the races, with two added attractions in exhibition...the North Iowa Vintage Cars, and 2-person Cruisers. The vintage car checkers went to Don Masters from Minnesota, and the Cruiser duo of Corey Vanderwilt and Brett Maasdam in the #55X took the honors there.
Tom Berry put on another dominating performance, winning for the eighth time this season in the IMCA Modifieds. Young Dallon Murty is mastering the High Banks in the IMCA Stock Cars, taking his third trip to victory lane. Johnathon Logue took the checkers for the third race in a row in the IMCA Northern SportMods, and Braden Richards went back to the winner's circle in the IMCA Hobby Stocks. Travis Stensland won his first of the season in the Mod Lite division.
Cody Yaw led the opening laps of the 15 lap Mod Lite feature, seeking what would be just his second ever win. Travis Stensland hustled through the pack from his eighth starting spot, ran down the leader, and took over the top spot at lap eleven. Just after passing Yaw, Yaw spun in corner one, taking himself out of the game and still yearning for his second victory. Stensland pulled away and took the win well ahead of second place finisher Mike Morrill. Joel Huggins took third place, Bryan Zehm came from tenth to take fourth spot, and Randy Bryan completed the top five, in the caution free race. This was Stensland's first trip to victory lane this year at the speedway. It's a tight battle for the track championship going into next week's final points night, with Bryan Zehm leading Randy Bryan by just two points.
Johnathon Logue took the easy win in the 18-lap feature event for the IMCA Northern SportMods. He had to fight past Dylan VanWyk, Austin Schrage, and Brayton Carter who were doing battle in front him. He got the job done at lap six, and from there on, never looked back, finishing comfortably ahead of second place Brayton Carter. It was a hard fought battle for third through fifth place, with Austin Schrage taking third over Jenae Gustin in fourth, and Dylan VanWyk in fifth. This marked the third win in a row for Logue, and his fourth over all in 2020 at the track. Logue holds a healthy 19 point lead over Austin Schrage for the track championship.
Braden Richards, led all but the opening lap of the IMCA Hobby Stock 15 lap A main as he took the checkers. He held back Aaron Martin and Kaden Reynolds who finished second and third respectively. Twelfth place starter Eric Knutson finished fourth, and William Klosterman was fifth. This was Richards second feature win of the year. Solomon Bennett leads Kaden Reynolds by 21 points in the Hobby Stock point battle..
First Shawn Ritter, then Tyler Pickett led the early portion of the 18 laps for the IMCA Stock Cars. But they were no match for Dallon Murty. Murty came flying on the top shelf, and took command with three laps remaining and then took the flying checkers...Pickett taking a close runner up spot. Shawn Ritter finished third, Leah Wroten fourth, and last week's winner, Jeff Mueller rounded out the top five. Dallon, "the Game Changer" Murty looks to have his first track title wrapped up, with second in points, dad Damon Murty opting to take a trip to Columbus Junction track last evening....and winning there. He leads his dad by 14 points after last night, and Steve Meyer 38 points back in third place.
With one lap down in the IMCA Modified 20 lap feature, and Dylan Thornton leading the race, the yellow flew. On the restart, a quagmire of cars piled up in turn four, bringing out another yellow, and eliminating a handful of cars with damage. When the race got back underway, all eyes were on the 11X of Tom Berry who flew to the topside and was coming with a full head of steam. By lap three he passed Thornton, and then it was all Berry's race. He pulled away to finish a half lap ahead of the field to take the checkers. Ethan Braaksma made his way from ninth starting spot to finish as the runner up. Jared VanDeest, Ron Lauritzen, and Zack Rawlins completed the top five. Tom Berry has the track title all wrapped up, leading by a whopping 76 points over second place Ronn Lauritzen.
The portable lights brought in to replace the two poles snapped off behind the grandstand gave great light to the track last night. Many sponsor signs were missing, probably blown far away never to be found after the derecho. The cat walk that was lifted out of it's concrete moorings and toted away, and the debris was cleaned up. A few repairs were done on the VIP booth, and the concession stand, and it was all good to go last night.
It is season championship night next Friday to end the regular season. Then on September 4, it will be Showdown at MoTown. The track will wrap up it's 2020 year with the 14th Annual World Nationals September 17-19.
Find a race to attend, and support the sport we all love....dirt track racing.
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