It was Minute Man Printing Night at the Karl Auto Group Marshalltown Speedway on Friday night and three drivers saw checkers for the first time this season. Kaden Reynolds took the checkers in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Solomon Bennett won in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, and Mike Zemo, Jr. saw his first victory lane at the speedway in the IMCA STARS Mod Lites. Joel Rust returned to the winner's circle in the IMCA Friesen Performance Modifieds, and it was Brayton Carter winning in the IMCA Friesen Performance SportMods.
The IMCA SportMods, presented by Rugged Radios kicked off the feature racing with their 20 lap main event. Five yellows would mar the race, but it was successfully completed before the time limit was up.
Matt Avila held the lead through the first five laps, but that's when bad luck bit him as he spun in corner one. Avila who hails from Prescott, Iowa, has been having much success as of late, but this night, his good streak came to an end. His spin brought out a yellow, and handed the lead on the restart over to ninth place starter Brayton Carter. Carter never relinquished that lead from there on out. He withstood several more cautions, but was never seriously threatened and scored the win. Tony Olson started eighth, and took second, and cousin Kyle Olson started fifteenth, and finished in third. Logan Anderson and Jenae Gustin completed the top five. Carter also won two pre-season races at the track...the Frostbuster and Night #2 of King of the High Banks.
The IMCA Modifieds, presented by Tire Demon by Love Tap were up next for 20 laps of racing action.
Joel Rust started fifth, and was leading by lap two. He had big time company behind him most of the contest with Todd Shute and Dylan Thornton on his tail. However, Rust never faltered as he ran his high line in turns three and four, dipping low in turns one and two. Todd Shute started seventh, and had to be content with the runner up position, and Dylan Thornton took third. Ronn Lauritzen finished in fourth place, and tenth place starter Tripp Gaylord was fifth. Rust took the checkers for the second time this season.
The race was halted at lap eleven, when Dustin Kroening, Hebron, Illinois and who has been a regular weekly racer at the track, and the "Monte Missile", Maguire DeJong got together in a racing incident on the backstretch, and their two cars got "welded" together. It took some time to get the two cars apart without further damaging their racing machines.
The Class too Tough to Tame, the IMCA Stock Cars, presented by Drury Automotive came next for 20 laps of feature racing.
Kaden Reynolds started on the pole, and shot off to the lead as the race went green....never to look back. Ninth place starter, Troy Jerovetz dug on the bottom of the track most of the race, closed the gap, but had to settle for second place. Marengo, Iowa's Nathan Ballard hustled from eleventh starting spot to take third place, and tenth place starter Austin Brands, Boyden, Iowa, was fourth. Michael Jaennette hard charged his way from eighteenth, to finish in fifth. This was Reynolds' first win at the track in 2023.
Three yellow flags flew in the 20 lap race, the final one coming late in the race that set up the green-white-checkered finish. That caution was for the #14 car...a red,white, and blue car that was being piloted last night by Dallon Murty. Murty had pushed his rent-a-ride to third place when he went spinning in turn one, ending his entertaining run.
The IMCA Mod Lites, presented by Knight Sanitation ran their 15 lap feature flag to flag.
Mike Zemo, Jr., Davenport, Iowa led all but the opening lap to take home his first win at the track. He started fifth, and had the field covered quickly, taking the checkers comfortably over second place Joe Glick. Jon Padilla, Silvis, Illinois regular at the track, started ninth, and raced his way to a third place finish, and a close fourth went to the previous three week's winner, Josh May. Alex Eischeid completed the top five.
Twenty-eight cars of the thirty-one checked in, started the IMCA Hobby Stock 20 lap feature, presented by Big 8 Tyre Center. Refreshingly, the race went caution free!
Dustin Filloon started sixth, avoided a skirmish on the start of the race... but with all cars continuing on with no caution...and came out the leader. By lap six, he had Solomon Bennett breathing down his neck. He held the lead until lap thirteen when Bennett took over the top spot. By this time, Bradly Graham had also closed in on the leaders, running the high line. Bennett held on to take the checkers, and Graham passed Filloon in the closing laps as they finished second and third respectively. Corey Van Der Wilt came from tenth starting position to take fourth, and thirteenth place starter, Eric Knutson took fifth. This was Bennett's first win this season at the High Banks.
There were new faces racing last night...some due to the rain outs at CJ Speedway in Columbus Junction, Independence was off for the night, and Davenport was also rained out. There was also nine states represented...though some of those are now finding summer homes in Iowa.
There was an issue with My Race Pass earlier in the evening...which seemed to be country wide...and everyone was finding out just how much we all rely on that information it provides! Thankfully, it was rectified by race time.
July is here! Time is flying and the race season is on the downhill side. Get out and find a race to attend, and help support the sport we all love....dirt track racing!
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