It was night #1 of the 15th Annual World Nationals at the Marshalltown Speedway on Friday evening. It was a windy and chilly night and by night's end, I was glad to have my winter coat!
The IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods, and Hobby Stocks were in competition with many traveling heavy hitters trying their hand on the High Banks. One hundred and forty-two cars checked in for the night's racing.
The IMCA Hobby Stocks ran their 20 lap main event first with polesitter Austen Mehmen grabbing the lead. Mehmen continued to hold down the top spot well past the halfway mark of the race, fending off the advances of Jeremiah Andrews and then Eric Knutson as the laps wound down. Right after lap eighteen was in the books, Knutson was able to power around Mehmen in corner two, and take over the lead. Mehmen's attempt to come back had the door slammed by Knutson, and he went home to the checkers and the win. Mehmen finished as the runner up, third went to Independence, Iowa driver Jim Ball, fourth was Jeremiah Andrews, and twelfth place starter Solomon Bennett finished fifth. Knutson, who started thirteenth on the grid, went home with the $500 prize. Twenty-seven IMCA Hobby Stocks were in the house.
The IMCA Northern SportMods had forty cars vying for a chance at the $1,000 in their division. This required two B mains to whittle the starting field down to 24 cars.
Fifteen year old Boone, Iowa hot shoe Izac Mallicoat grabbed the immediate lead from his outside front row starting spot, but by lap five, it was fourth place starter Logan Anderson who was now at the helm. Anderson was extending his lead until a yellow at lap twelve erased all of that. By this time, Jenae Gustin had moved into second place after getting around Mallicoat, and Oskaloosa's Brayton Carter had hard charged through the field from starting fifteenth, to run in third. When the race returned to green, Carter executed a perfect slide out of corner four to take over the top spot as lap thirteen went into the books. From there on it was all Carter's race as he motored home to the flying checkers. Jenae Gustin took the runner up spot, third was Anderson, Mallicoat took fourth, and fellow Oskaloosa driver, Dylan VanWyk was fifth.
There were twenty-seven IMCA Stock Cars checked into the pits, and all were allowed to run their A. They had a hard time getting their 25 lap feature started. Four cautions flew in the first two laps, leaving only fifteen cars running after the on track incidents eliminated so many cars. In my humble opinion, a little patience would have kept those cars still in competition.
Todd Reitzler held down the top spot until lap five, when Wisconsin racer Derek Moede in the 99KK hot rod, took command. By this time, Dallon Murty, in his 99X had moved into the runner up spot after starting tenth. Murty, no stranger to the High Banks, established the number one spot on lap eleven, and that was all she wrote as he pulled away in the closing laps to secure yet another feature win. Moede took second, Damon Murty in his 99D raced from eleventh starting spot to finish third, making it a 1-2-3 win for number 99's. Fourth went to Austin Kaplan, and Dave Atcher finished fifth after starting fourteenth. Murty earned the win, and a $1,000 pay day.
Murty now had to hop into his rent a ride for the IMCA Modified 30 lap feature. He was racing the 222 car out of California I believe. He started on the outside of the front row, and immediately claimed the lead. He would then go on to lead all laps on his way to his first ever Modified victory. Dylan Thornton, Santa Maria, California, caught Murty as the laps wound down, but never posed a real threat, and had to be content with second place. Third went to Drew Janssen, the Pella, Iowa rookie Modified racer who ran up front all race long, and Cody Laney, Torrence, California, and Kyle Kudick, Mishcot, Wisconsin rounded out the top five. This time, Murty earned $2,000 for his achievement which he just keeps racking up! He is fresh off of his Super National's Stock Car win, among other prestigious wins this past year, including the Bristol on dirt win.
It's back to Marshalltown tonight for Night #2 of the World Nationals. That name by the way, comes from the sponsor, World racing products. There will be complete shows once again for the Modifieds, with $2,000 to win and $200 to start. Both the Stock Cars and Northern SportMods will be after the $1,000 top prize, and the Hobby Stocks, $500. The IMCA Sport Compacts join the show tonight, racing for $300. Racing is scheduled for 7 p.m. Hope to see you there for Marshalltown Speedway's last hoorah of the 2021 racing season. Come out and help support the sport we all love....dirt track racing!
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