It was a full night of racing at the Marshalltown Speedway on Friday night, with seven classes in competition and 139 cars checked into the pits. It was also a much nicer night to be setting at a race track, those being pretty scarce this season.
Johnathon Logue took the checkers in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified class...his first career win in the division. Damon Murty got back to his winning ways and won the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature. It was Brayton Carter with the win in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main event, and John Watson captured the top spot in the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks. The STARS Mod Lites had one of their Corn Belt Clash Series races, and it was Justin Kinderknecht making his trip over from Kansas pay off, and went home $500 richer. Kolby Sabin won the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact A main, and joining in the racing action were the Karl Chevrolet Dirt Trucks that saw Bryan Spangler take the checkered flag.
The STARS Mod Lites were racing one of their Corn Belt Clash Series races, and a $500 pay off for the win. This brought in quite a contingency of drivers from near and far.
Jason Masengarb, Colona, Illinois had the lead early in the 20 lap feature, but at lap nine, it was Salina, Kansas racer Justin Kinderknecht in the lead. From there on out, it was Kinderknecht the rest of the way for the win. Randy Bryan mounted a good late race challenge but could only manage a close runner up finish. Masengarb held down the third spot, followed by Joel Huggins in fourth, and Austin Gray in fifth. Kinderknecht also won last year at Marshalltown when he paid a visit back on May 6 during the Dale DeFrance Memorial.
The Karl Chevrolet Dirt Trucks were an added attraction Friday night. Bryan Spangler would go home the winner of their A Main event. He got the lead on lap two, after getting around Shonn Mapes, lost it for only a brief moment to Jeff Johnson, and then regained the top spot and held it the rest of the way to the checkers. Jeff Johnson, who was a strong competitor in the IMCA Stock Car class in days gone by, and then spent some time in a Sprint car, finished a close second, Mapes took third, Shawn Cooney was fourth, and Dennis Plain completed the top five.
The IMCA Northern SportMods came next, and they were all wanting to take home the $500 prize of the night. Ryan Gillmore, Springfield, Missouri started on the outside of the front row, and immediately shot to the lead. Fourth place starter Brayton Carter tagged in to run second. Gillmore and Carter duked it out in a heated battle until Carter was able to get the lead and was then able to distance himself from the pack. Meanwhile, Gillmore had his hands full with Logan Anderson who had reeled in the front runners, and managed to get the upper hand on lap fourteen, taking over second spot. But it was all Carter's race in the final laps as he went home to the flying checkers and the win. Anderson had to be content with the runner up spot, Gillmore took third, fourth went to polesitter Travis Peterson, and veteran racer Vern Jackson was fifth.
There was still plenty of racing to be had with the IMCA Hobby Stocks coming to the track next for their 20 lap A main. This saw good battles going on throughout the event. Tom Killen, Jr. led the opening laps, but Jake Nelson had the #1 spot on lap five. A lap later Killen was back in the lead and now John Watson had thrown his hat into the ring and was challenging them both. Watson got the lead on lap seven, and from there on kept the pack at bay and went home to seal the win. Sam West had his best run of the year and took the runner up spot, Bradley Graham came from eleventh starting position to finish third, Solomon Bennett made a late race surge and finished in fourth, and Seth Butler started tenth, and finished fifth.
The IMCA Stock Cars always put on a good show wherever they go, and they proved it once again with close racing going on the entire 20 laps.
Jay Schmidt held the lead through lap four, but it was the Chelsea Charger, Damon Murty coming to call on the topside, his preferred line at the High Banks, and took away the lead. Schmidt rallied back again for the lead, but only for a couple of laps before Murty got the lead for good. Murty took the comfortable win, with Michael Jaennette trailing for second place. Kaden Reynolds took third, just beating out Austin Kaplan in fourth. Tyler Pickett completed the top five.
The IMCA Sport Compact 15 lap feature saw Kolby Sabin take the win. David Kimmel chased Sabin for much of the race, but Kimmel had to be content with the runner up spot, third went to seventh place starter Blake Driscol, John Gill was fourth, and Mark Smith was fifth. This was the only feature of the night that went flag to flag.
The Friesen Performance IMCA Modfieds, put a night cap on the racing action with 20 laps of ground pounding fury.
Paul Nagel grabbed the immediate lead from his outside front row starting spot, and was looking strong. He was quick to have company breathing down his neck however in the likes of Johnathon Logue, Ronn Lauritzen, and Tim Ward. Logue was able to take command on lap nine, and Ward followed suite to run in second. Ward took the brief lead on lap eleven, only to have Logue come right back and take over the top spot once again. Logue was then able to hold off his challengers the rest of the way to the finish and log the win. Ward finished in second, Nagel was third, Ronn Lauritzen was fourth, and Dallon Murty was fifth. This marked Johnathon Logue's first career win in an IMCA Modified, moving up this year after his successful run in the SportMod division, and looking to follow in his dad John Logue's successful career in the division.
Jerry Vansickel opted to have all Victory Lane interviews and pictures delayed until after all the races were completed....a much appreciated move as far as most of the fans were concerned.
There were quite a few new faces racing last evening. Ethan Dotson, the California native who races in our area during the season, was among the first time racers this year, as was Tanner Black, Otis, Kansas, and Kelsie Foley, Tucson, Arizona, all in the Modified class. A couple of Kansas drivers were in attendance in the Stock Cars, Jason Rogers, and Trace Ayers. The Mod Lites had several traveling drivers what with the Corn Belt Clash Series. Winner Justin Kinderknecht, Clayton Hogie came from Kansas. The Illinois racers were Jason Masengarb, Jon Padilla, Jacob Copley, and Brandon Freeburg. I probably missed more, but the above gives you an idea of the racers who travel quite a distance to get in some racing in our area.
Find a race to attend, and help support the sport we all love....dirt track racing!
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