Marshalltown Speedway Season Points Opener wins to Shute, Kaplan, Olson, Watson, Padilla, and Driscol

The Marshalltown Speedway sprang back to action on Friday night with their season points opener.  A threat of rain was in the forecast, which turned out not to be an issue, but Mother Nature turned on a dime. The beautiful low 70's with a light southerly breeze the entire day, turned into low 60's and a stiff northwesterly wind by showtime...dipping lower as the show progressed.  The field of 118 cars and the show they put on however, won out.

The IMCA Friesen Performance Northern SportMods ran their 20 lap feature first.

Kyle Olson started on the pole and took it home to the checkers after a good battle with Jenae Gustin for much of the race.  He held off seventh place starter Travis Peterson who finished as the runner up.  Hometown racer Jenae Gustin and early leader took third, followed by Madrid, Iowa's Braden Richards in fourth, and Kaylin Lopez completed the top five. Olson is the defending track champion in the division.

The Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars were up next for their 20 lap A feature. 

Austin Kaplan started third, and had the lead by the time lap one was scored.  From there on he never looked back on his way to the checkers.  He did have big time company dicing it out hot and heavy behind him however, with Michael Jaennette, Steve Meyer, Dan Mackenthun, and Dave Atcher duking it out.  When the dust settled, it was Mackenthun, the driver out of Hamburg, Minnesota capturing the runner up spot.  It was a fierce battle for the next positions as well, with Meyer taking third, Atcher was fourth, and Jaennette rounding out the top five.  

The IMCA STARS Mod Lites came next in their 20 lap feature shoot out.

Jon Padilla, Silvis, Illinois racer, would lead all laps to capture his win #1 of the season.  A big snafu on the start, realigning some of the front starting cars who were involved, may or may not have helped get Padilla the win, as he looked remarkably strong all night.  Padilla finished well ahead of second place Riley Clem, Bakersfield, California who had to fight back after being involved in the "no go" start, Josh May took third, fourth went to Jason Toppenberg, and Bryan Zehm was fifth.

The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified 20 lap feature gave the fans their money's worth as Dallon Murty, and Todd Shute put on quite a show!  

Murty started second, and immediately took over the top spot.  Todd Shute soon tucked on to Murty's tail after starting in third place.  Then the two began the show for the fans, as lap after lap, Murty, holding court on the top of the track, and Shute looking under him went at it.  It was a relentless battle between the two with Murty managing to keep the upper hand as each lap was scored.  That is until Shute's persistence paid off at the line with one lap to go, as he was scored the leader.  He would then keep the top spot the final circuit to take the win....Murty an ever so close second.  Jake McBirnie put his ride into third after starting eighth, overtaking Jerry Flippo in the closing laps who finished fourth, and Corning, Iowa's Jesse Dennis made the trip to the High Banks worth his fifth place finish after starting fifteenth. 

The Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks came up next for another 20 lap feature for the fans in the stands.

Calvin Dhondt started fifth and shot to the lead, only to have his night turn ugly.  He went spinning in turns one and two just after the first lap was scored.  This brought out a yellow, sending Dhondt to realign at the tail, and handing the lead over to Tom Killen, Jr. 

Killen's lead was short-lived however, as John Watson took over the following lap. Watson never relinquished that top spot the remainder of the race, as he took his ride home to the checkers and the win.  He did however have to fight off the advances of twelfth place starter Eric Knutson for the latter part of the race, Watson keeping his momentum up top in turns three and four, while Knutson dug along the underside of the track.  Knutson tried sticking his nose under Watson several times in turns one and two, but he was never able to make it pay off, and had to settle for the runner up spot.  Tom Killen, Jr. held on to third place, fourth went to Lynnville, Iowa's Corey van der Wilt,  and Luke Ramsey, Bedford, Iowa, was fifth.

The 15 lap IMCA Mach-1 Sport Compacts wrapped up the night's racing.  

Blake Driscol started fourth and wasted no time in taking the top spot, flying to the lead by lap three.  From there on, he drove off from the field, content to let them fight it out behind him.  It would be seventh place starter, Mitchell Bunch taking a distant second place.  Third went to Terry Bickford, who started eighth, fourth was Cutis Masterson, and Kolby Sabin held on to fifth place with an ill-running ride.

What started out to look like a really short field of cars, much to do with the forecast, turned out to be 118 cars on the dreary, cold, and windy night.  We assume many were playing a bit of a waiting game to see just what the weather was going to do.  It certainly did change!!  When we left home it was a beautiful 72 degrees, and a slight south breeze.  When we got to the track, it was 61 degrees, and the winds had changed to the Northwest and stiff!  Some fans came prepared, some did not....or were just oblivious to the chill with their shorts and sandals!

Next Friday night, May 5, will be UAW Local 893 Cliff Chambers Memorial Weekly Racing Plus Outlaw Min Mods. Hot laps are 6:55 and the green flag drops at 7:30.

Hopefully with May just around the corner, the weather will be more friendly for drivers and fans.  Check out the racing calendar at Positively Racing, and find a race you may like to attend.  Help keep dirt track racing alive and well!  

Abbey takes King of the High Banks crown back to Texas

The Inaugural running of the King of the High Banks for IMCA Stock Cars got in the books on Friday night at the Marshalltown Speedway, as Night #2 crowned the king.  There were 170 cars filling the pit area, that also included the IMCA Modifieds, Northern SportMods, Hobby Stocks, Sport Compacts, and the Karl Chevrolet Dirt Trucks. Qualifying for the big $5,000 to win Stock Car title was completed, while the other classes ran a full show.

The Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods kicked off the feature racing for the night, running a 20 lap feature. Logan Anderson led the race through lap nine, constantly being hounded by Brayton Carter, Jenae Gustin, and Tony Olson.  Carter made the move to the outside in turn four, and found his way into the lead as lap ten was scored.  Carter never looked back from there on until the checkered flag, and repeated his Frostbuster win from last Friday.  Logan Anderson threw off the late race challenge of tenth place starter Tony Olson, as they went second and third respectively.  Fourth went to Marshalltown's own Jenae Gustin, and pole sitter Cole Fenske was fifth.

The Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks ran next with their 20 lap main event.  "The Mayor" John Watson led from the drop of the green, but seventh place starter Eric Knutson was soon on his tail.  The two drivers then began an exciting battle with Watson working outside, and Knutson digging on the bottom.  The bottom finally worked for Knutson as he took command on lap six, and would keep it to the flying checkers and the win.  Brandon Bombardo, New Prague, Minnesota came from sixth to finish as the runner up.  Adel, Iowa's Dylan Nelson raced from eighth starting spot to take third, fourth was early leader John Watson, and Luke Ramsey, Bedford, Iowa rounded out the top five. Calvin Dhondt crossed the finish line in second place in a near photo finish, but was later disqualified in tech.  

The Mach 1 IMCA Sport Compacts hit the track for the first time this year, and ran a 15 lap feature.

Kolby Sabin started on the pole, and was never seriously challenged as he sailed home to the checkers.  Terry Bickford chased Sabin for most of the race, but had to be content with second place. Marschall Robinson from Arlington, Minnesota took third place, pushing around Matt Miller as the cars came to the checkered flag, and it was eleventh place starter Curtis Masterson taking fifth.   

The Karl Chevrolet Dirt Trucks made their first appearance of the year at the Marshalltown Speedway, running 20 laps for their A main.

Otho, Iowa's Brandon Toftee took the lead from his pole position as the green flag flew.  He was able to hold off the challenges of Brandon Cox, and Jeff Johnson through the halfway point of the race. Then a lap or two later, Jeff Johnson made the low side of the track work to his advantage, taking over the top spot. Johnson, who is the defending Karl Chevrolet Dirt Truck Champion, and a former IMCA Stock Car driver and Sprint car racer, pulled away and scored the win at the High Banks.  Brandon Cox held on to finish a distant second, Toftee was third, fourth went to Shawn Cooney, and tenth place starter, Jared Myers was fifth.  

The IMCA Friesen Performance Modifieds came next for their 25 laps of pounding fury.  Hometown favorite, Jimmy Gustin had his fans excited as he looked to be on his way to victory. He leaped to the lead from his pole starting spot, and held it through lap seventeen. That's when a hole low in corner one sent him bouncing (two holes developed there through the night, and became a nemesis to more than one driver) and Tim Ward was Johnny-on-the-spot, seeing his way into the lead as Gustin regained control.  When Ward saw the front of the field, he was gone, pulling away to score the win.  Ward won last week's Frostbuster special, and Thursday night's King of the High Banks, giving him a perfect three-for-three at the speedway in 2023. Gustin held on to the runner up spot, finishing a good distance behind the winner.  Jeremy Mills took third, Jake McBirnie was fourth, and Johnathon Logue completed the top five.  Ward came from twelfth starting spot to score the win.  

The long awaited running of the 50 lap feature for the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and the subsequent crowning of the first ever King of the High Banks for the division was now at hand. The fifth year of trying to get the big show in, finally came to fruition.  

Ten cars were locked in through passing points from Thursday night's show, and then they completed qualifying through five heats, with two going to the feature, and two Last Chance B Mains, taking two each, to round out the starting field of 24 cars, out of the 58 checked in.  

Jim Horejsi, Marshall, Minnesota who had looked strong on Thursday, started on the outside front row, and sprang to the lead when the green flag dropped.  He soon had the company of Dallon Murty and Dylan Thornton to contend with.  Thornton found his way around on lap four, taking over the top spot.  

Thornton continued to lead with 20 laps down, but by this time, Comanche, Texas racer, Jeffrey Abbey had worked his way from seventh, into second place and began his quest to reel in the leader.  Abbey worked his way methodically to the tail of Thornton, and got under him to take over the lead at lap 28.  

Two late race yellows allowed some close racing in the final circuits, but in the end as the checkers flew, it was Abbey, taking the crown home to Texas.  Thornton held on to score the runner up spot. with Troy Jerovetz, Iowa Falls taking third place.  Fourth went to Little Suamico, Wisconsin's Tyler Wilson, and "The Chelsea Charger", Damon Murty was fifth.

Drivers from across the country came to try their hand on the famed High Banks of Marshalltown Speedway.  There were drivers from at least eleven states, which included Louisiana, Wyoming, North Dakota, California, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Texas, joining our Iowa racers. The weather was also more cooperative, though the wind was once again blowing strong out of the south, dying as the night wore on, and temperatures staying in the 60's. The big crowd on hand certainly got their money's worth  as well, with the full slate of racing action.    

There will be racing next Friday night, April 21, billed as the IMCA Friday Night Spectacular.  IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods, Hobby Stocks, and Sport Compacts will be running.  Hot laps are 6:45, and the green flag drops at 7:30. The following Friday, May 28, will be the season opener for points racing at the track.

Check out the racing calendar at Positively Racing, and find a race to attend as our racing season starts.  Help support the sport we all love, dirt track racing!

Ward, and Dhondt repeat Frostbuster wins as King of the High Banks kicks off Night #1

Night #1 of the $5,000 to win King of the High Banks for the IMCA Stock Cars is finally in the books, after five or six years of trying!  Weather outs and Covid 19 had not allowed even one night of the two day show to be run.  Thursday night, it happened!  Ten Stock Cars locked themselves in for their big 50 lap feature tomorrow night.  The IMCA Modifieds, Northern SportMods, and Hobby Stocks each ran a full show. One hundred eleven cars checked into the pits for the weekday show.  

The IMCA Friesen Performance Northern SportMods ran 20 laps for their feature event, with a $500 payday. 

Tony Olson took command of the race on lap four, quickly moving to the top spot after starting ninth.  Logan Anderson and Brayton Carter gave Olson a few challenges but to no avail.  Olson sailed home to the checkers, and the win.  Anderson took the runner up spot, after starting eleventh, and Carter came from tenth starting position, to take third.  Fourth went to Sam Wieben, and Jenae Gustin rounded out the top five. According to IMCA, this was win #150 for Olson.

The IMCA Friesen Performance Modifieds were running for $1,000 as well as a Fast Shafts All-Star qualifier.  

Last week's Frostbuster winner, Tim Ward started third, and had the lead after passing Dylan Thornton on lap two. He never looked back from there as he took home his second win in two weeks at the Speedway.  Early leader Thornton took second over fifth place starter, Jake McBirnie.  Todd Shute came from ninth, to finish fourth, and Zack VanderBeek, piloting the Maguire DeJong hotrod, was fifth. 

Ward appears to be on a roll, taking back-to-back wins at Marshalltown, as well as winning at Boone last Saturday.  

The IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks ran a 20 lap feature that paid $500.  

Luke Ramsey, Bedford, Iowa was the early leader, but he soon had company.  Eric Stanton, in his flashy new hatchback signature car, started sixth, and was knocking on his door quickly, taking over the lead at lap seven.  Calvin Dhondt meanwhile, had thrown his hat into the ring, and was challenging, along with Eric Knutson.  Knutson grabbed the lead away on lap ten, and then it was a thrilling three-way battle of Knutson, Stanton, and Dhondt.  Dhondt took to the top of the track, and was able to make the momentum up top work on lap sixteen.  He then held that top spot the rest of the way home, and score his second win at the track in as many weeks as well.  Knutson finished as the runner up, with Ramsey getting by Stanton in the closing laps as they went third and fourth respectively.  Solomon Bennett rounded out the top five.

The headliner IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, 57 in all, ran six heats, and then six inverted start heats, scoring passing points.  Top ten in passing points are locked in to tomorrows 50 lap King of the High Banks feature.  Those ten drivers are: Dallon Murty, Chelsea, Iowa, Jim Horejsi, Marshall, Minnesota, Troy Jerovetz, Iowa Falls, Iowa, Tyler Wilson, Little Suamico, Wisconsin, Dylan Thornton, Orcutt, California, Damon Murty, Chelsea, Iowa, Jeffrey Abbey, Comanche, Texas, Buck Schafroth, Orient, Iowa, Tom Berry, Jr., Des Moines, Iowa, and Jeff Mueller, Albion, Iowa.  The Stock Cars will complete their qualifying tomorrow.

Thankfully, it was warmer than last week at Marshalltown, but the incessant wind was STRONG...luckily out of the south, allowing the rolling dust at times, to avoid the stands.   

Tonight, Friday is Night #2 of the King of the High Banks for the IMCA Stocks, and full shows for the IMCA Modifieds, Northern SportMods, Hobby Stocks, Sport Compacts, and the Karl Chevrolet Dirt Trucks will also be running.  Hot laps are 6:55, racing at 7:30.  

Marshalltown and Boone Frostbusters, and three repeat winners

We got our first races of the season in for two IMCA Frostbuster.  The first night....and a chilly one it was, was at the High Banks of the Marshalltown Speedway on Friday. Saturday found us at the Boone Speedway for an early start time for the second Frostbuster.  

Marshalltown Speedway held its first race of the season on Friday night with the running of its Frostbuster.  Thursday was to have been night #1 of the Frostbuster series, but predicted below freezing temperatures, forced the cancellation of that race night.  Many in attendance of Friday night's race would have said Frostbuster was a fitting name for Night #2 as well, as the strong south winds made it more than a bit chilly.  It still brought out the race cars however, as 166 swelled the pits.  

The IMCA Friesen Performance Modifieds were running for $1,000, and the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars were seeking a $750 payday.  Those two winners also were eligible to qualify for Fast Shafts and B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitationals.  

The IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, IMCA Friesen Performance Northern SportMods, and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts ran for $500 each.

First on the track were the IMCA Northern SportMods, running a 20 lap feature event.  Alec Fett and Brayton Carter put on a good battle for the lead in the early laps, with Fett having the upperhand.  A yellow at lap seven and subsequent restart, saw Carter overtake the leader and take command of the race.

Fett continued to chase Carter the remainder of the race, but to no avail, as Carter swept home to the comfortable win.  Following second place Fett in third place was hometown favorite, Jenae Gustin who had started in eight position.  Malone, Wisconsin's Timothy Warner started eleventh and took fourth, and Dorchester, Nebraska's Trevor Noonan drove from sixteenth starting spot, to round out the top five positions.  

The IMCA Stock Cars, "The Class too Tough to Tame" ran a 25 lap A main.  It was no contest as Tom Berry, Jr. jumped to the lead on lap one, after starting sixth.  Berry pulled away from the field until Troy Jerovetz closed in at the halfway point, but could not overtake the leader.  Berry crossed first under the checkered flag, with Jerovetz taking second.  Dan Mackenthun, Hamburg, Minnesota crossed in third place, Johnathan Logue was fourth, and Cole Czarneski, Denmark, Wisconsin racer was fifth.  However, a post race inspection deemed that Berry and Logue had rule infractions, and both were disqualified.  This handed the win over to Troy Jerovetz.  Mackenthun was awarded second place, Czarneski took third, Buck Schafroth, who started twentieth, was fourth, and David Brandies was fifth. 

Tim Ward, the Arizona native who now calls Harcourt, Iowa home, was the class of the field in the IMCA Modified 25 lap feature event. Ward passed lap one leader Jimmy Gustin on lap two, and never looked back.  Ward captured the Frostbuster $1,000 win, finishing well ahead of second place, Todd Shute.  Gustin held third place, holding back fourth place Jeff Aikey.  Jake McBirnie completed the top five.

It was the "Flying Fireman", Kellogg, Iowa's Calvin Dhondt capturing the victory in the IMCA Hobby Stock 20 lap feature.  Dhondt started fourth, and quickly caught leader Eric Knutson.  Dhondt snatched the lead on lap five, only to have Knutson come right back and have the lead on lap six.  The two ran tightly, sometimes going side-by-side until Dhondt took the lead for good on lap thirteen, and then took it home to the checkers.  Knutson had to be content with the runner up spot.  Third went to Scott Herron, Brainard, Minnesota, fourth was Blake Luininberg, Reading, Minnesota, and Bedford, Iowa's Luke Ramsey raced from sixteenth starting spot, to capture fifth place.  

The night cap was 15 laps of IMCA Sport Compact racing.  Blake Driscol took home the $500 and the win in this contest.  He had to hold off the hard charging of Kolby Sabin in the closing laps, but Sabin had to settle for second on this night.  Newton, Wisconsin's Adam Broehm took third, fourth went to Josh Barnes, and James Riske, Newton, Wisconsin, was fifth.

Next week there are two nights of racing scheduled for the Marshalltown Speedway as they run both Thursday and Friday night.  It will be the two night special for IMCA Stock Cars as they vie for $5,000 in the running for the King of the High Banks.  

Thursday, April 13 will be the first night for Stock Car qualifying with full shows for the IMCA Modifieds, Northern SportMods, Hobby Stocks, and Sport Compacts.  Then on Friday, April 14, the Dirt Trucks will also join in the fun.  There will be a practice night on Wednesday, April 12. The green flag drops both race nights at 7:30.

We headed to the Boone Speedway on Saturday where they kicked off their 2023 racing season with race #2 of the IMCA Frostbuster specials, that saw 161 racing machines checked into the pits. Early start times prevailed with hot laps at 4, and racing at 5.

The IMCA Friesen Performance Modifieds, Sunoco Stock Cars, Friesen Performance Northern SportMods, and Sunoco Hobby Stocks were in competition.

The Northern SportMods kicked off the feature racing with the running of their 20 lap main event.

Brayton Carter started second on the lineup grid, and immediately grabbed the lead when the race went green.  Carter had the field covered as he would go on to lead all laps on his way to victory.  Taylor Kuehl, last year's Frostbuster winner, had to be content with the runner up position this year.  Cam Reimers came home in third place after starting eleventh.  Beatrice, Nebraska driver, Adam Armstrong started twelfth, and finished fourth, and thirteenth place starter, Braden Richards, completed the top five.

Carter won the first night of the Frostbuster series on Friday at the Marshalltown Speedway, and earned the double bonus payout of $1,000 for tonight's win.

Tim Ward won the Modified 25 lap A Main, and he too earned the double bonus of $2,000 after his win at the Marshalltown Frostbuster Friday.  Ward started seventh, and worked his way to the lead with fifteen laps in the books after a dandy battle with Johnathon Logue and Todd Shute....haymakers being thrown.  The final laps of the race found Ward pulling away, and scoring his second win in as many days.  Shute took second place, Jimmy Gustin was third, and Jerry Flippo, the Bakersfield, California native who now calls Clear Lake, Iowa home, came from fourteenth to nab fourth place.  Cory Sauerman drove his machine from fourteenth to score a fifth place finish. Ward also won the 2022 Frostbuster at the track.  I also note that ironically enough, the top three finishers in the Modifieds were the same for both nights!  

The IMCA Stock Cars, came to the track next for 25 laps of feature racing, and for the third time of the night, a repeat winner from Frostbuster #1 the previous night, grabbed the double bonus payout.

Josh Daniels led the race through lap twelve but Troy Jerovetz by this time had raced his way from twelfth, into the runner position.  A well-timed yellow and subsequent restart was just what Jerovetz had hoped for.  On the restart, Jerovetz was able to nose under leader Daniels in turn two, and take over the number one spot.  In the closing laps, Jerovetz drove off and finished under the checkers a comfortable distance ahead of Daniels who took second.  Third was Tom Berry, who tried to make the topside work where very few opted to venture, fourth was Minnesota racer Dan Mackenthun in his brightly wrapped hotrod, and Jay Schmidt was fifth. Jerovetz went home with $1,500 for his repeat 2023 Frostbuster wins.

The night's racing ended with the 20 lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature.  Mike Smith started sixth, and had the lead by lap one after a called back restart for a pileup in corner four worked to his advantage.  Smith never looked back from there as he sailed home to the win.  Curt Reed took second after starting tenth, third went to Bedford, Iowa's Luke Ramsey, fourth was Chad Rigby, and John Watson came all the way from eighteenth, to finish fifth. Mike Smith repeated his Frostbuster win from 2022.

Next Saturday night, April 15, will be opening points night at the speedway.  Pits open at 3:30, Grandstand at 4:30, Hot Laps at 5, and racing at 6.  Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods, Hobby Stocks, and STARS Mod Lites will are on the program.