Friday, April 14, 2023

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.  



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