Marshalltown Speedway closes out season with triple-header

We weren't fully recovered from our week at the Super Nationals, but managed to get in three nights of racing at the Marshalltown Speedway this past week.  Here are some of the highlights of those three nights.

The 500th and final Summer Series for the IMCA Late Models kicked off the first of three straight nights of racing at the Marshalltown Speedway on Thursday night, September 17.  One hundred seventy-seven cars packed the pits for what was also the 3rd Annual Dale DeFrance Memorial race, honoring the late local racer.  Both races had been rescheduled several times, and on this September night, it was success for both.   

Feature racing started with the Mod Lites that saw Dillon Raffurty, Kansas City, Missouri take a trip to victory lane at the end of the 15 lap feature.   Ninth place starter Cory Sonner chased him from a distance to finish in the runner up position.  Mike Kennedy, Randy Bryan, and Johnathan Braathun completed the top five.  Raffurty also won the Dale DeFrance Memorial race held back in July of 2019.

The IMCA Northern SportMod feature saw "Speedy Bray", Brayton Carter lead the 20 lap main event from start to finish to take the checkers.  Johnathon Logue, fresh off of winning the Super National's title, reeled in the winner, but had to be content with second on this night.  Carter VanDenBerg crossed the line in third, but would be docked two spots for jumping, relegating him to a fifth place finish.  That put Dylan VanWyk in the third spot, and Ryan King in fourth.  However, a post race tech deemed King with a rules infraction and getting him a disqualification for the night, and VanDenBerg was then fourth. Pole sitter Austin Kaplan was awarded the fifth place finish.  

The IMCA Hobby Stock 18 lap feature found Marengo, Iowa's Nathan Ballard, who had just won the IMCA Super Nationals, standing in the winner's circle at Marshalltown Speedway.  Ballard caught and passed early race leader Luke Schluetter, New Hampton to secure the win.  Marcus Wayne, Carter Koop, and Jeremiah Andrews were third through fifth.

The first few laps of the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car race saw drivers swapping the top spot.  Pole sitter and veteran racer Jerry Schipper led the first lap.  By lap two, it was The Game Changer, Dallon Murty crossing the line in first place.  Lap three, Chance Hollatz had claimed the number one spot, and just a lap later, it was Jeff Mueller digging his way around the bottom of the corners to take over the lead.  That was all that Mueller needed, as he kept close to the "huggy poles", and made his way to victory lane.  Dallon Murty was second, dad Damon Murty took third place, Shawn Ritter was fourth, and Steve Meyer was hard charger, coming from twenty-first starting spot, to finish fifth.

Two Gustins sat on the pole for the start of the 20 lapper for the IMCA Modifieds.  Richie Gustin had the pole with Jimmy setting along side him to the outside.  Richie Gustin jumped to the immediate lead but by lap nine, sixth place starter, Cody Laney had taken over.  It was all Laney's race from there on out as he motored his #5L to victory.  Tim Ward was second, Tom Berry, Jr. started fourteenth and finished third, Jeff Aikey came from twelfth to take fourth, and early leader Richie Gustin fell back to finish in fifth.  This was also a Fast Shafts All-Star ballot qualifier for the 2021 Super Nationals.  

Darrel DeFrance, known as the Ironman, was honored earlier in the evening before the racing program began.  Hometown boy DeFrance was about to start his 500th straight IMCA Late Model Deery Brothers Summer Series race.  This would be the series final event for the drivers known as the "Boys of Summer".  

It was quite a turnout for the final Summer Series race that was also the third annual Dale DeFrance Memorial honoring Darrel DeFrance's father, also a longtime racer.  There were presentations by IMCA officials, including a door panel commemorating his 500th start. It all began back on April 11, 1987 at the 34 Raceway in Burlington, Iowa.  

The Late Model 44 lap event....44 being the car number raced by the late Dale DeFrance, saw the 24 car starting field do their emotional 4-wide salute to the fans for the 500th, and very last time for the IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series race.  

Dave Wada led the opening laps of the race, but it was veteran racer Jeff Aikey taking command on lap three.  From there on, he was gone!  No one had anything for Aikey as he motored to his 71st Deery Brothers win.  Matt Ryan took the runner spot, Justin Kay worked his way from seventeenth starting position to finish third,  another veteran, Gary Webb finished fourth, and Ironman Darrel DeFrance was fifth in a strong run from starting twelfth.  

Day 1 of the fourteenth annual World Nationals was held on Friday, September 18, with four classes of IMCA cars....Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods and Hobby Stocks. The drivers were hungry for more racing with 167 cars in the pits in the four classes.  

Northern SportMod racing kicked off the feature events of the evening.  Forty-seven cars had competed and after heat and B main qualifying, the 24 car field was set.  Brayton Carter picked up where he left off the night before, leading all 20 laps on his way to the checkers.  The Olson cousins chased him across the line...Tony Olson in second, and Kyle Olson in third place.  Travis Petersen and Johnathon Logue competed the top five. Carter matched his win from the previous night's Dale DeFrance Memorial. 

The IMCA Hobby Stocks had 32 cars check into the pits, and through qualifying heats and a B main, their 20 lap feature was ready with a 24 car starting field.  Rookie Braden Richards led much of the race as another rookie to the class, Carter Koop reeled him in.  Koop started sixteenth and hustled through the pack of cars and took the lead briefly, only to have Richards snatch it back.  While that was going on, Eric Knutson had weaved his way through traffic and caught them both.  On the final lap, it was a three-wide contest down the back chute.  In the mad dash to the finish line, Knutson would take the win at the line, Richards going second, and Koop third.  Aaron Rudolph and Matt Brown went fourth and fifth respectively.  Knutson won the hard charger for the night, coming from twenty-first starting spot, to step into victory lane.

In the IMCA Stock Cars Shawn Ritter was looking to put his hotrod in the Shawn's Hay Grinding victory lane, but young Dallon Murty had other ideas.  Ritter led from the drop of the green, only to have young Murty set sail on the topside of the High Banks, and take the lead with five laps remaining in the 20 lap event.  Murty took the win, and Ritter had to settle for the runner up spot on this night.  Chance Hollatz was third, fourth went to dad, Damon Murty, and in his IMCA Stock Car debut, Tom Berry, Jr. drove it from twenty-first to fifth, in the Jeff Wollam car.  Dallon Murty, this year's track champion came from tenth starting spot, to take the checkers.

Forty-seven cars vied for a starting spot in the IMCA Modified main event and the $2,000 pay off. When qualifying was complete, it was Jeff Aikey who drew the pole for the 25 lap feature.  It was as good as over when the green flag dropped.  Aikey had no problem even with the three yellow flag restarts, leading the entire race to take the win.  Cayden Carter and Ethan Dotson challenged Aikey several times, but he fended them off and took the flying checkers.  Carter finished in second, Dotson took third, followed by Todd Shute in fourth, and eighteenth place starter Tim Ward, was fifth.  Aikey took his second win of the three day show, having won the IMCA Summer Series race on Thursday night. 

Saturday was day #2 of the World Nationals with 160 cars checked into the pits in the four classes.  

Kyle Olson went home with a World Nationals title under his belt after winning the IMCA Northern SportMod 20 lap feature.  Olson started fifth and snatched the lead away from Austin Kaplan just before the halfway mark of the race. From there on, held that top spot the rest of the way to the checkers. Tony Olson started eighteenth and chased his cousin across the line in second.  Third went Austin Kaplan, Devyn Peterson, Milford, Nebraska started twenty-first and took fourth place, and Ryan Shilling from Graf, Iowa was fifth.  The previous night, Olson had been caught up in an incident that sent him to restart at the tail, and still finished in third.  All in all, a very successful, two night run.    

Following up next was 20 laps of IMCA Hobby Stock feature racing and a driver who had much success at the track during the season, winning five features, put it back in the winner's circle.  Kaden Reynolds fought past Carter Koop on lap eleven, and then never looked back on his way to victory.  Following a distant runner up was Eric Knutson.  It was a three-wide battle to the finish for third place, with Carter Koop taking third, Miciah Hidlebaugh going fourth, and Braden Richards in fifth.  

The Game Changer, Dallon Murty appeared to be headed back to victory lane in the IMCA Stock Car 20 lap feature event, in an attempt to match his win from the previous night.  That all ended when contact was made in a fierce close battle among several cars, and Murty was sent spinning, bringing out a yellow.  Two of those drivers locked in an intense battle were Tom Berry, Jr., driving the Jeff Wollam "rent a ride" and Jeff Mueller.  On the restart, with just two laps to go, it was Berry to the point for the restart, and a green-white-checkered dash to the finish line.  Berry held the lead when the white flag flew, but Mueller timed the winning move out of corner four to perfection, and took the checkers at the finish line.  Berry took second, still looking for his first IMCA Stock Car win, Steve Meyer finished third, Scott Rice charged from fifteenth starting spot to finish fourth, and hard charger of the event was Shawn Ritter finishing fifth after starting in twenty-second spot.  

The final event of the evening was the 25 lap A main for the IMCA Modifieds.  Another $2,000 pay day awaited the winner. 

JD Auringer, piloting the #12x "Simon Sez" car led the opening laps, but Cayden Carter quickly moved from his fifth starting position and into the lead with just a handful of laps in the books.  Carter never relinquished that lead, though Tom Berry, Jr. reeled in the leader and attempted a challenge only to be denied, as Carter swept across the finish line under the flying checkers.  Berry took his second runner up position of the evening, matching his finish in the Stock Cars.  JD Auringer took third place, Ethan Dotson came all the way from twenty-first starting spot to take fourth, and Cody Laney rounded out the top five. 

This concluded the 2020 racing season at the Marshalltown Speedway.  Time will tell if our racing season continues as there are still races to be found on the Positively Racing calendar.  Please keep supporting the sport we all love, dirt track racing! 

An Unforgettable 38th IMCA Super Nationals

 We are still trying to catch up after our "Racin' Vacation" last week...that at times, didn't seem like it would even happen.  Rain, rain, rain, and more rain!  But, happen it did, and now the 38th Annual IMCA Super Nationals is in the record books.  One that won't soon be forgotten! Here are a few highlights of what we can remember....some of it was a blur!!

Our vacation actually began on Saturday, September 5, at the Boone Speedway, with the running of the sixth annual Prelude to the Super Nationals.  It was a record breaking event with 412 cars there to tune up for the Super Nationals that was to begin on Labor Day Monday, September 7.  The IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods, Hobby Stocks, and Sport Compacts were in competition.  

The first feature was the Northern SportMods for a 25-lap main event.  This one would end in a frantic dash to the finish line with three cars looking for the checkers first.  Rocky Caudle would hold off Brayton Carter by eight one-thousandths of a second.  Couldn't have been much closer.  Guy Ahlwardt, from Anntioch, California placed third.  

The IMCA Sport Compacts made their initial appearance at the Prelude, running a 20-lap feature.  Jake Benischek, the hot shoe in the division out of Durant, Iowa was the victor in this one.  He dominated the entire race, and finished well ahead of Trent Orwig in second, and Mitchell Bunch in third.  Bunch came from 25th starting spot and got the hard charger award.  

One hundred twenty Modifieds checked in for Saturday night Prelude action.  It was a Californian, Riley Simmons out of Susanville standing in the winners circle after the 25 lap run.  He became the first non-Iowan to win the Modified portion of a Prelude.  He lead the entire flag-to-flag race and finished comfortably ahead of second place Jake McBirnie.  Tim Ward, Cody Laney, Torrence, California, and defending Super Nationals champion Ethan Dotson rounded out the top five.

The IMCA Stock Cars followed up with another caution free 25-lap event.  Five drivers put on quite the show up front for the fans, but in the end it was Lake City's David Smith coming out on top.  He just beat Jeremy Christians who finished as the runner up, Kelly Shryock (last year's Prelude winner) was third, Brandon Czarapata, Wisconsonite was fourth, and Ricky Thornton, Jr. was fifth.

The IMCA Hobby Stocks completed the night's action with their 25-lap event.  Local driver Wayne Gifford, who jumped back into the Hobby Stock class from running in the Stock Car division the last several years, finally got to step back into victory lane when he took the checkers first.  This was Gifford's first win of the year.  Polesitter Dylan Nelson was second, followed by Eric Knutson, Tathan Burkhart, Hays, Kansas, and Zach Ankrum.

                                                       Super Nationals

After a day of rest on Sunday, it was Labor Day Monday September 8, for the first race of the 38th IMCA Super Nationals with racing at 2 p.m. That would be the LAST time any racing would begin on its scheduled time for the rest of the Super National's spectacle! My notes, lack of sleep, and just the confusion of when, what was run, is perhaps not very accurate.  But I will give it a stab!

Monday saw qualifying for the IMCA Northern SportMods, Hobby Stocks, and an entire show for the IMCA Late Models.  There were about 395 cars competing for the night, and 66 races, and we witnessed one of the strangest incidents we've ever seen in the Northern SportMod class.  Mother Nature was tuning up for the coming week, giving us just a few sprinkles during the night's racing, but no stoppages.

Hobby Stocks saw two qualifying 25-lap A features, that took eight from each direct to their Big Dance on Saturday night.  A qualifier #1 saw defending IMCA Super National's champion Dylan Nelson put his ride on the pole for the upcoming championship event.  More former SN's champions would follow him across the line, Jason Wilkinson, Neligh, Nebraska, and Cody Nielsen from Spencer, Iowa.  Rookie Braden Richards was fourth, followed by Eric Knutson, Parker Larson, Sal Hernandez, and Zach Hemmingsen.   In feature #2, it was Carter Koop, the driver from Rockwell, Iowa who is leading the National Rookie points, setting it on the pole for Saturday's Big Dance.  Another rookie driver, Mike Smith finished second, Chuck Madden was third, and Kaden Reynolds was fourth. Malik Sampson, Josh Barnhart, Jacob Floyd, and Jason Kohl would complete the middle row for Saturday night.

The Northern SportMods qualified the inside eight positions for championship Saturday.  Cody Thompson won the 25 lap event comfortably ahead of Trevor Baker.  Rounding out the top eight were Cayden Carter, Doug Smith, Colby Fett, Ben Stockton, Tyler Inman and Garrett Nelson.

As mentioned earlier, there was one of the weirdest incidents ever witnessed in the Northern SportMod class.  A fuel cell came loose from a car, catapulted down the race track, and landed on the hood of Chance Huston, East Moline, Illinois driver's car,.....and caught fire! It was a scary incident for sure.  The track crew was there quickly to extinguish the fire, and Huston quickly got out of his "hot" rod.  He was thankfully, uninjured and raced again later.  

The first of the 2020 IMCA Super Nationals Champions was crowned on Monday night in the IMCA Late Model class.  Ricky Thornton, Jr. made it back-to-back championships piloting the Todd Cooney ride.  He caught the leading all-time SN's Late Model champion Jeff Aikey at lap twenty-four of the fifty lap event, and from there on, led the rest of the way to the checkers.  Richie Gustin, Jeff Aikey, Andy Nezworski, and Jesse Sobbing completed the top five.  

Racing ended at 11:31 p.m.   That would be the last somewhat "normal" racing we would see for the duration.

Tuesday, September 8. The first race was adjusted to start at noon instead of 2 o'clock, what with the weather forecast, with continued qualifying in the Hobby Stocks and SportMods, and a complete show for the Sport Compacts. We did begin at noon but very little racing got in when here came the rain.  There was a nine hour delay before any more racing began, starting at 10:17 p.m. Unfortunately, the Sport Compact show had to be scrapped, with no time slot available.  The purse was split among the drivers.  All B's were also dropped for the Hobby's and the SportMods.  The jet dryer made its appearance....using 250 gallons of fuel for just seven times around the track. It was the first of many appearances for the dryer.

The Hobby Stocks completed their A qualifying feature for the outside eight rows for the Dance.  Nathan Ballard, Marengo, Iowa won this one.

The Northern SportMods ran two qualifiers.  Defending SN's champion Johnathon Logue won the first, and Brett Berry out of Colby, Kansas won the second.  

Then came the rain at 12:59 am. and racing was halted. 

Wednesday, September 9 and it had rained all night long! After jet dryer and track prep, we managed to get some racing in.  It drizzled much of the time.  Oh...and did I mention, it turned cold too!!  When cars first took to the track, it was like they were in slow motion on the heavy, slick track!  My note says we stopped racing at 11:32 p.m. on Wednesday.  It ended abruptly as the misty conditions were just not conducive to racing. 

Wednesday qualifiers (though I'm not quite sure when that HAPPENED) were Kyle Vanover, Mitch Meier, Loren Pesicka, and Buck Shafroth in the first Stock Car A.  Second Stock Car A was Abe Huls, Kelly Shryock, Jeff Abbey, and Jeremy Christians.  Modifieds qualifying from their first A were Cody Laney, Trent Loverude, Steven Bowers, and Matthew Meineke.  Second Modified feature was Ricky Thornton, Jr., Jason O'Brien, Clay Hale, and James Goodson. 

Friday, September 11.  Oh my!  No racing at all on Friday and a double show for Thursday and Friday qualifying moved to Saturday. The first cars to hit the track since Thursday night was at 10:20 a.m. on Saturday, September 12.  Sixty-two races were set for the Thursday show, and 57 races for Friday's. It became a foggy one at times...almost obscuring turn four, then it would lift, and do it all over again. 

Thursday qualifiers were: Stock Cars: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Curt Lund, Derek Green, and Ryan Harris in the first A, and in the second A, it was Jeff Mueller, Cayden Carter, Jeff Larson, and Damon Murty.  Modified A-1 qualifiers were Nick Meyer, Zane DeVilbiss, Tanner Black, and Grey Ferrando.  In the second Modified A, it was Todd Shute, Jeff Larson, Kyle Heckman, and Richie Gustin.

Friday's scheduled qualifiers were Modified A-1, Ethan Dotson, Chris Elliott, Troy Cordes, and Jesse Skalicky.  A-2 was Tom Berry, Jr., Darron Fuquay, Anthony Roth, and Zachary Madrid. In the Stock Cars, A#1 went to Jared Siefert, coming from eighteenth starting spot, and in #2, it was Jesse Sobbing.

The Fast Shafts All Star race for Modifieds saw Ricky Thornton, Jr. beat out Jeff Aikey, Jason Wolla, Tim Ward, and Ethan Dotson. 

Saturday's double show that started at 10:20 a.m.,ended at 3:59 am. on Sunday morning!  Yawn!!! Seventeen plus straight hours of racing!  Racing would begin again at 10:32 a.m. on Sunday with a bright and sunny day.  

Finally ....on Sunday, September 13, it was time to go dancing!  This would be just the fourth time in the 38 year history of the IMCA Super Nationals that it would be run on a Sunday.  The 1986 Modified winner was Mike Frieden with the race run at Knoxville, Iowa.  Wayne Larson won the postponed to Sunday Super Nationals in 1987, run at Mason City, and Kelly Boen was the 1996 IMCA Modified champion that ran on Sunday at the Boone Speedway.  We were there for that Sunday 1996 race.  

Final LCQ was completed for the Modified and Stock Cars, and the Race of Champions was held for the Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods and Hobby Stocks.  RoC winners were Cody Nielsen, Spencer, Iowa in the Hobby's.  Johnathon Logue won his first RoC in the Northern SportMod division, Kelly Shryock professed his love of racing the Stock Cars after winning the RoC in that class, and Jesse Sobbing took the trophy for the Modified Race of Champions.

Dancing time!  The IMCA Hobby Stocks ran their 30 lap feature first.  Nathan Ballard won his first Super National's crown....and literally doing it in "out for a Sunday drive" form.  Ballard, the Marengo, Iowa racer finished well ahead of defending champion Dylan Nelson.  Jeff Ware, Columbus, Nebraska was third, another former SN's champion, Jason Wilkinson, Neligh, Nebraska was fourth, and rookie Mike Smith finished fifth.

The IMCA Northern SportMods crowned their 16th Super Nationals champion and it was Johnathon Logue going back-to-back in winning the 30 lap race feature.  Logue led all but the first three laps as he motored off from the field and took the win going away.  Cody Thompson, Tony Olson, Logan Anderson, and Brett Berry completed the top five.

The driver that stood in victory lane at the end of the 30 lap IMCA Stock Car race said he did not deserve it,.....but he'd take it!  That driver was Donavon Smith.  Smith won the race of survival in the contest.  There was chaos and crashing at time during the race, even Smith getting involved in some of the shenanigans and loosing his right side door.  But in the end, it was Smith taking the title.  A yellow late in the game that resulted in a green-white-checkered restart and dash to the finish line, saw Smith go from third, and win the frantic dash to the checkers.  Kyle Vanover, who had run second much of the race, finished in second, and the guy leading on the restart, Buck Shafroth, ended up third.  Loren Pesicka, and Abe Huls rounded out the top five.  This was Smith's third Super Nationals Stock Car title, having also won in 2009 and 2012.  He came from 25th starting spot, to take the win.

It was finally time for the IMCA Modified Big Dance!  We were beginning to think it would never come!  Ricky Thornton, Jr., Todd Shute, and Ethan Dotson, sat on the three-wide front row.  

Dotson, the defending Super Nationals champion leaped to the immediate lead, only to have Cody Laney snatch it away on lap four.  Ricky Thornton, meanwhile was lurking in third place and biding his time.  Thornton moved into the runner up spot a few laps later, and continued to lurk as he pursued leader Laney.  On lap twenty-four of the forty lap event, Thornton became the new leader.  In the closing laps, he pulled away, and took the easy win.  Thornton repeated his win in the Modified division from 2016.  Laney, Dotson, Tom Berry, Jr., and Todd Shute rounded out the top five.

Racing was complete at 6:17 p.m. on Sunday evening, September 13, and the 38th annual IMCA Super Nationals was history.  It is one that we won't soon forget!  Rain, rain, mud, rain, mud, fog, rain.  It was at times a nightmare!  No where else could this show have been completed.  Thanks to IMCA, the Boone Speedway staff, and those dedicated track prep workers and all the behind the scene workers who made this happen.  Many of those people went with very little sleep for days!  We've had rain at many of the previous Super Nationals, but not for days and days at a time.  

According to Mr. Numbersman, Ryan Clark, there were 307 events during the 38th Super Nationals, and 3039 laps run.  It was the 38th IMCA Modified Dance, the 33rd IMCA Stock Car Dance, the 31st IMCA Late Model race, #24 for the IMCA Hobby Stocks, and the 16th IMCA Northern SportMod big Dance.  

It was great to see racing friends and drivers that we see but this one time a year, and even though it was hard on everyone, very few people that we were around were discouraged nor had anything negative to say. They understood how trying it was and appreciated the efforts of all that were just trying to get the races in.  The pits must have been a nightmare with the mud and rain, and not only challenging to get the cars parked, but also to get them out.  Same way with the campers.  As we look back, I think we will just chalk this up to another 2020 deal.  Let's all hope and pray for a better 2021 Super Nationals and year in general.

Still some racing to be had in the area.  Find a race to attend and support the sport we all love....dirt track racing!

  

 

 

Riley Simmons becomes first non-Iowa Modified winner at the Prelude to Super Nationals

Our racing vacation got kicked off yesterday at the Boone Speedway....and what a way to start!  Good racing all night long, the track provided some great racing action with close finishes, and by the end of the night, it was slick from top to bottom.  The sixth annual Prelude to the Super Nationals kicked things off in top fashion.

 There was a record breaking 412 cars tuning up for the 38th Annual IMCA Super Nationals starting on Labor Day, and for the first time, the IMCA Sport Compacts were included, joining the Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods, and Hobby Stocks.

Forty-seven heat races and twenty-two B's later, and it was time for the five main events of the night....or should I say, early morning.  

Feature racing kicked off with the 25 lap IMCA Northern SportMod A main.  Guy Ahlwardt, Antioch, California snatched the lead away from track champion Johnathon Logue, who had led from the start, on lap fifteen. Then with three laps remaining, Rocky Caudle took his turn as the leader.  A caution at lap twenty-three tightened the field for the restart with Ahlwardt running second and fifteenth place starter Brayton Carter setting in third.  It was a frantic dash to the finish line as the three came out of corner four, with Caudle holding off Carter by 8/1000th of a second to take the checkers.  Ahlwardt took third, Nate Whitehurst was fourth, and Johnathon Logue rounding out the top five. There were ninety-six Northern SportMods in competition over the night.

The IMCA Sport Compacts were on the docket for their inaugural Prelude appearance.  They ran a 20 lap feature that found Durant, Iowa's Jake Benischek take the dominating win.  Benischek powered to the lead from his seventh starting spot by lap two, and never looked back.   Trent Orwig, Ottumwa, Iowa trailed a distant second, Mitchell Bunch, Des Moines, was the hard charger, coming from twenty-fourth starting spot, to finish third, Drake Bohlmeyer, Beatrice, Nebraska was fourth, and Danny Vanderveen, Sioux City, was fifth. Benischek followed up his previous night's win at the Marshalltown Speedway, that set a record pay-off of $1,100, with another win.  Look for him to be a favorite for the Super Nationals.  Twenty-four Sport Compacts were in the house.

One hundred twenty IMCA Modifieds were on hand for competition, and standing in victory lane at the end of their 25 lap feature was Susanville, California's Riley Simmons.  Simmons became the first driver to win the Modified Prelude from out of state.  Simmons led from the drop of the green, in the race that went flag to flag. Jake McBirnie chased Simmons the entire distance, but finished a distant runner up.  Tim Ward took third, Cody Laney, Torrence, California finished fourth, and defending Super Nationals Champion Ethan Dotson was fifth.  The race was also a Fast Shafts All-Star ballot qualifier for 2021, and paid $1,000 to win.

The IMCA Stock Cars followed up with another caution free contest in their 25 lapper. The cream came to the top in all the features, with few cautions.  Five drivers put on quite a show up front for the fans in this one.  Two Wisconsin racers, Jeremy Christians and Brandon Czarapata, both former IMCA Super National champions, were joined by Iowans David Smith, Kelly Shryock, and Ricky Thornton in a real barn burner.  David Smith came out on top of the battle, scoring the win over Christians in second place.  Last year's Prelude winner, Kelly Shryock started eleventh and finished third, and Czarapata and Thornton rounded out the top five. Ninety-three stock cars competed in the class.

Wayne Gifford had not been having such a hot year in the IMCA Hobby Stock class after stepping down from his previous Stock Car ride, but he finally found victory lane for the first time at the speedway in 2020.  Gifford was impressive, working himself from sixteenth starting spot and into the lead at lap seventeen of the the 25 lap event.  The final circuits saw Gifford pull away to take a comfortable win.  Polesitter Dylan Nelson finished second, third went to sixth place starter Eric Knutson, Hays, Kansas racer Tathan Burkhart started thirteenth and finished fourth, and Zach Ankrum, Sioux City, was fifth. Gifford bested the other seventy-eight cars in competition on the night.

Labor Day, we begin our week of Super Nationals racing at the Boone Speedway.  By the looks of the drivers already here, it just could be another record breaker.  Drivers, many who were not able to race in their own home state, or had limited racing due to the Covid pandemic, appear hungry for their fix.  Here's to a great, safe, and fun up coming racin' vacation.  Hope to see some of you there....if we can recognize each other behind masks.  Let's go racing!

 

 

Iowa takes all the spoils at Showdown in MoTown

The Safelite Auto Glass Showdown in MoTown found Iowa drivers taking wins in all five classes on Friday night, despite a field of drivers from far and wide. The IMCA Sport Compacts joined the IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods, and Hobby Stocks for a full night of racing action with 141 cars competing on the High Banks.

The IMCA Northern SportMods kicked off the night's feature racing, the winner seeking the $500 pay off.  It didn't take track champion Johnathon Logue long to move his ride to the front, taking command on lap three and then never looking back.  The caution plagued 20 lap feature didn't hinder Logue as he pulled away in the closing laps to take the comfortable win.  Following Logue across the line were Brayton Carter, Brian Osantowski, Cody Thompson, and Travis Petersen.  However a post race inspection deemed third place finisher Brian Osantowski, and fourth place finisher Cody Thompson with a rules infraction and both a disqualification on the night.  This moved Travis Peterson to third, Austin Kaplan was scored fourth, and Guy Ahlwardt, Antioch, California was fifth.

The IMCA Sport Compacts made history at the Marshalltown Speedway when they joined the other classes for a record breaking $1,100 to win. What began as a $650 pay day, more money from various sponsors raised the bar! Forty drivers checked into the pits.

Jake Benischek, the hot shoe from Durant over on the eastern part of the state, started fifth and had the lead when lap one was scored.  He sailed away from the field and took the checkers well ahead of second place Hunter Patrick from St. Charles.  Third went to Jade Lange, Mitchell Bunch was fourth, and Kolby Sabin was fifth.  In their post race inspection, second place finisher Hunter Patrick was disqualified with a rules infraction.  This moved the others up in position, with Curtis Masterson scored fifth. 

Eric Stanton captured his 100th IMCA Hobby Stock feature win when he took the checkers in the 20 lap feature.  Stanton started tenth, and had the lead by lap six.  He held back fifteenth place starter Eric Knutson who finished as the runner up.  Tyler Ollendieck took third placed, Norfolk, Nebraska racer Lance Mielke was fourth, and Aaron Martin started seventeenth, and rounded out the top five. Stanton had been chasing that elusive #100 for a while, but fans were prepared and a banner commemorating the occasion was finally able to be unfurled in victory lane.     

The IMCA Stock Cars ran a 20 lap feature.  Track Champion, young Dallon "Game Changer" Murty wasted no time in showing his mastery of the track, quickly moving from ninth starting spot and into the lead before a handful of laps was scored.  It was all Murty from there on out, as he smoothly maneuvered the high banked oval to perfection on his way to the win.  Todd Reitzler started twelfth, and out ran Steve Meyer as they crossed the line in second and third respectively.  However a post race tech found Reitzler with a rules infraction that also handed him a disqualification.  This moved twenty-first place starter Steve Meyer to the runner up spot.  Third went to Donavon Smith, fourth to Michael Jaennette who was back racing in a #01U car (I believe a Chris Ulrich former ride) after a hiatus, and Peoria, Arizona racer Chase Alves made his long journey pay off with a top five finish. 

The IMCA Modifieds closed out the racing action with a 25 lap main event and a $1,000 pay off that put the winner on the ballot for the 2021 Fast Shafts All-Star race.  It was no surprise that Tom Berry, the track champion who dominated the track this season, winning eight times during the year, once again was stepping into victory lane at the end of the night.  Berry started seventh, and had the lead by lap three.  He then pulled away from the field to take the win easily. He sliced and diced through traffic flawlessly on his way to the winner's circle once again. Twelfth place starter Tim Ward finished as the runner up, Susanville, California racer Riley Simmons took third, and another Californian, Cody Laney from Torrence, California finished fourth.  Abilene, Texas driver Chris Elliott was fifth.

The field of cars last evening had the Western Region drivers out in full force...a big California gathering.  Many drivers were in the area already for the 38th Annual IMCA Super Nationals that begins on Labor Day, and runs through Saturday, September 12 at the Boone Speedway. Many of those drivers had their racing season cut way short due to the Covid 19 pandemic....some not able to run at all.  They were hungry to race!  

Our plan is for our 32nd straight year of attending the upcoming Super Nationals.  We look forward to it, and just hope that things are not too different this year.  We all need some normalcy in our lives! 

Three more races remain on the docket at the Marshalltown Speedway.  September 17 will be the Dale DeFrance Memorial and also the 500th Deery Brothers IMCA Late Model Summer Series final race.  Then on September 18 and 19 will be two full shows at the 2020 World Nationals with $2,000 to win for the IMCA Modifieds each day.