The IMCA Late Models wrapped up their regular season of racing on Friday at the Marshalltown Speedway, during Shawn's Custom Hay Grinding Night at the Races. Hometown hero Darrel DeFrance would claim the track title in the Late Models as well as winning the feature. Tom Berry continued his domination in the IMCA Modified division, and Johnathon Logue made it two in a row in the IMCA Northern SportMod class. Jeff Mueller got his second win of the season in the IMCA Stock Cars as well as getting his 100th career feature win. Solomon Bennett snagged his first ever win at Marshalltown in the IMCA Hobby Stocks, and Bryan Zehm got his second win of the season in the Mod Lites.
The Mod Lites went fifteen laps for their main event. Joel Huggins was looking strong as he led from the drop of the green and was holding back the field until Bryan Zehm came calling at lap nine. The two ran closely for a couple of laps until Zehm made his move into the lead as they crossed the flagstand with just two laps remaining. Huggins didn't go away, but was unable to regain the upper hand in the closing moments as Zehm took the checkers. Huggins had to settle for second. Third went to Travis Stensland, Cory Sonner was fourth, and Mike Morrill finished fifth. Zehm also won the season opener back on June 5.
The yellow flag reared its ugly head seven times in the eighteen lap IMCA Northern SportMod feature, but in the end of the stop-and-go contest, it was Johnathon Logue repeating his win for the second week in a row. Logue started eighth on the field, passed then leader Kyle Olson on lap eight, and went on to the flying checkers. Brayton Carter started seventh, and finished a close second, giving Logue a challenge in the final laps. Travis Peterson, Kyle Olson, and Austin Schrage completed the top five. This was Logue's third feature win of the 2020 season at the speedway.
A first time winner at the track came out of the fifteen lap IMCA Hobby Stock class when Solomon Bennett took the win. Bennett started tenth, and had the lead by lap five, never to give it up. Braden Richards chased the winner most of the race to finish in second. Hard charger was Jacob Floyd, coming from twentieth to finish third. Aaron Martin and Scott Ellis went fourth and fifth respectively. It was a much different outcome for third through fifth as a melee developed on the frontstretch just as the checkers flew, changing up the finishing order, some cars crossing the finish line backwards.
It was season championship night for the IMCA Late Models who wrapped up their regular season earlier than all other classes. The field started straight up by points with hometown favorite Darrel DeFrance holding a slim two point lead over rookie Logan Duffy after the earlier heat race finish saw Duffy gain a point. The twenty lap feature would determine the final outcome, and DeFrance left no doubt in this one. He would lead from the drop of the green to the checkers in the twenty lap race that went non-stop. Duffy trailed DeFrance the entire circuits to finish second. Dalton Simonsen took third, Ben Seeman was fourth, and first timer at the track, Mitch Manternach, from Dyersville started twelfth, and finished fifth.
There were three racing legends in the grandstand last evening....Ed Sanger, Curt Hansen, and Gary Crawford. Three drivers who have put their names in the record books from days past. Curt Hansen was there to watch son Bobby Hansen, and Gary Crawford was there hoping to see grandson Logan Duffy take a track championship.
Jeff Mueller had to dig around the bottom of the track....his comfort zone...in the IMCA eighteen lap Stock Car feature to get the win, but he got the job done. Mueller started twelfth, caught and passed rim riding Dallon Murty at lap twelve and held the lead to the finish. Dallon Murty came from tenth starting spot to take the runner up position, his dad Damon Murty started eleventh and finished third, Kyle Everts was fourth, and Tyler Pickett was fifth. This was Mueller's second win at the track this season, this one a little extra sweet as it was his 100th IMCA Stock Car feature win.
There seems to be no stopping the hot streak of Tom Berry, Jr. in the IMCA Modifieds. Berry grabbed the lead away from Jared VanDeest on lap eight and then pulled away, slicing and dicing through traffic to take the easy win. VanDeest held second, Paul Nagle, Kollin Hibdon, and Scott Simatovich rounded out the top five. This was Berry's seventh win at the High Banks this year. He has not only been on a roll at Marshalltown, but most any where he goes. He is third in IMCA national points, just a single point separating the top three drivers as the season winds down. I also note that there have only been two different winners out of the Modified class at Marshalltown this year, Berry with seven, and Joel Rust with two.
There were two new California drivers that checked in to the pits last evening. Randy Brown in the IMCA Modifieds, and Kaylin Lopez, both from Chowchilla. The Western Region drivers continue to make their way back to our neck of the woods to do some racing.
Racing continues next Friday night, August 14. It will be Bob Harris Enterprises night and $1,000 to win for the IMCA Northern SportMods.
Find a race to attend....support the tracks and the sport we all love....dirt track racing.
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