Frostbuster was certainly an appropriate name for Marshalltown Speedway's opening night on Friday. It didn't keep the crowd away but they had to hunker down as the crisp temperatures and an unbelievably strong south wind persisted. The IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods, and Hobby Stocks were in action with 194 race cars packing the pits. Many out of state drivers made the trip to try their hand at the Highbanks.
Feature racing kicked off with the IMCA Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod's 20 lap feature. There were 54 cars checked into the pits, taking three B mains to whittle the field to the starting feature grid.
Austin Schrage led from the drop of the green with Josh Appel, Jenae Gustin, and Alec Fett in tow. Fett worked his way into the runner up spot at lap thirteen and then began hounding Schrage. Schrage managed to hold his lead until that all important final lap. Fett made the pass on the final circuit to take the checkers. Schrage finished a close second, Josh Appel, Jenae Gustin, and ninth place starter Dylan VanWyk completed the top five.
The IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks put on the next feature event for the fans. Their class brought 42 cars to the pits. Kaden Reynolds wasted no time in getting to the front from his fourth place starting spot, establishing the lead by lap one and going on to lead all laps on his way to a Frostbuster win. Eric Stanton took second after starting eighth, Eric Knutson hard charged his way to third from starting sixteenth, Aaron Martin started seventh and took fourth, and rounding out the top five was eleventh place starter Dylan Nelson.
There was a scary moment during the Hobby Stock feature when a car got crossed up right before the flag stand, and Aaron Rudolph had no where to go. The contact sent Rudolph into a roll, landing upside down just past the stand. It took a moment for the driver to get out of the car....hanging upside down belted in, is not an easy situation to get out of. Thankfully the driver was unhurt, but left with a damaged race car.
Defending track champion in the Sunoco Stock Cars found Dallon Murty picking up where he left off last year, taking the dominating win. Veteran racer Kelly Shryock came from eleventh starting spot to take the runner up position. Damon Murty took third place ahead of Malone, Wisconsin racer Tim Warner, and Steve Meyer was fifth. Murty and his dad, Damon just recently finished one-two at the Bristol Dirt Nationals. This kid may be tough to beat in 2021!
There was $1,000 on the line for the winner of the 25 lap IMCA Modified Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier. Cayden Carter and Kyle Brown started on the front row, and this would be how they finished as the final checkers flew on the 2021 Marshalltown Speedway Frostbuster. Cody Thompson, who moved up from the Northern SportMod class this year, took third place. Troy Cordes was fourth, and defending track and National IMCA Modified champion, Tom Berry, Jr. came from tenth starting spot to finish fifth.
Next week the speedway will be holding a two-night special as the IMCA Stock Cars vie for the title of King of the Highbanks and a $5,000 prize. Qualifying beings on Thursday night, April 8 with the final night on Friday April 9. Each night will also include IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA SportMods, and IMCA Modifieds, with the IMCA Stars Mod Lites joining the Friday night show. Wednesday, April 7 will be a practice night for all classes.
It was almost as brutal setting at a race track as we've ever endured. The wind was horrific, but luckily to our backs. We were far from the only ones putting up windbreaks on the top row.....a real lifesaver.
Let's hope for warmer and calmer weather ahead as the Iowa race season gets underway. Check the race calendar on Positively Racing for a race you may want to attend. Let's keep dirt track racing alive and well.
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