August 6, 2021
It was Shawn's Custom Hay Grinding Night at the Marshalltown Speedway Friday night with 105 cars and a full night of racing in the IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods, Hobby Stocks, STARS Mod Lites, and Sport Compacts. After last week's rainout, the Sport Compacts came back for their missed program.
The IMCA Sport Compacts kicked off the feature racing with their 12 lap main event. The race went caution free with the top three running nose to tail the entire time. It was Adam Gates crossing the line first as Briar Kriegel chased him under the checkers in second. Kolby Sabin was third, Marshalltown's own John Gill was fourth, and Mark Smith was fifth. However.....in the post race inspection, the top two finishers, Gates, and Kriegel were disqualified. This handed the win over to Kolby Sabin, John Gill taking second, and Mark Smith was third. Rounding out the top five then was Blake Driscol credited with fourth, and Alec Gill fifth. No word on what the discrepancies were for the top two as of yet. This was Sabin's second win at the track this race season.
The IMCA STARS Mod Lites ran their 15 lap feature next. Mike Kennedy led the opening lap, but it didn't take long until Randy Bryan came calling, racing on the rim of the track, and flying into the lead. The first yellow flag of the night came out on lap five with Bryan still in command. On the restart, Byran was able to keep hold of the top spot, but it was Travis Stensland making great headway, coming from restarting in fourth, and into the runner up spot. Stensland tried several peaks for a way around the leader as the race wore on, but on this night it was all Bryan's race as he took the checkers. Stensland had to settle for the runner up position, Josh May was third, fourth went to Ben George, and early leader Mike Kennedy rounded out the top five. This was Bryan's first trip to victory lane this year.
The IMCA Northern SportMods ran 18 laps for their A feature. With just one yellow flying prior to this contest, this one would be marred with cautions! Seven cautions in all fell, all before lap ten was in the books. It was no issue for winner Jenae Gustin however, as she led all but the opening laps on her way to her third feature win in a row. She drove off on the restarts, never to be seriously challenged. Johnathon Logue came from tenth starting position into second, chasing Gustin from lap seven on, but could muster no more than a second place finish. Third went to Tyler Inman who started eleventh, seventh place starter Izac Mallicoat was fourth, and Travis Petersen was fifth.
The top three finishers in the IMCA Hobby Stock 15 lap feature started 12th, 10th, and 11th. Early leader Luke Bird had disaster strike when he was suddenly off power at lap five, bringing out the yellow and out of the hunt. When the race restarted, it was twelfth place starter Kaden Reynolds now holding down the top spot when the race went green. Meanwhile, Braden Richards had made his way into second from his tenth place starting spot, and Solomon Bennett was in third. Richards reeled in leader Reynolds, but a last ditch slider fell short at the finish line, with Reynolds taking another win, and Richards taking second place. Third was eleventh place starter Solomon Bennett, fourth went to Trevor Tanner, and William Klosterman was fifth. This made it win number nine on the season for Reynolds, plus he also won the Frostbuster special.
Josh Foster would lead all 20 laps of the caution free IMCA Stock Car feature to flash under the flying checkers first. Damon Murty started sixth, took to the rim of the track, and was in second by lap two. Murty could get no closer however, as Foster maintained his run at the front easily, and finished in second. Kyle Everts crossed in third, and twelfth place starter Dallon Murty was fourth, with Steve Meyer in fifth. The finishing order was shook up however, after the post race tech deemed Foster and Meyer with infractions, and disqualified. This sent Damon Murty back for another visit to Victory Lane. Everts was credited with second, third then went to Dallon Murty, Jeff Wollam and Tyler Pickett were awarded fourth and fifth respectively. Hearsay is that Foster did not have a weld on a front right mud plug ring, and there was a shock issue with Meyer's car. This was the third win of the season for Damon Murty.
The IMCA 20 lap Modified feature ended the night's racing in spectacular fashion! Jimmy Gustin leaped to the lead from his pole starting spot, and looked to be on a mission as he sought his first trip to the winner's circle this year. Just before the halfway mark of the race, Todd Shute got to second and began his quest to catch the leader as he took to the top side of the High Banks. Shute drew closer and closer, but Gustin was holding him at bay as he took the white flag. A perfectly timed slider out of turn four dashed Gustin's dream however, as Shute was able to beat him to the checkers first, and take the victory. Gustin had to settle for the runner up spot, third went to Tony Hofbauer, Californian, Paul Stone was fourth, and Zach Rawlings rounded out the top five. Shute, who is not a regular at the track has often chased the checkers there in the past though. The last time he saw Victory Lane at Marshalltown, was when he won the Frostbuster back in 2015. It was a well earned win last night.
It was a pretty pleasant night to be setting at a race track last night. Let's hope the rest of the race season continues to be so. Even a flock of Canada geese decided to stop by and land in the infield prior to the green flag dropping. They hung around for a bit for some racing action, but then thought better of it, and took off for a calmer night's resting spot!
Find a race to attend and help support the sport we all love....dirt track racing!
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