It was North 3rd Avenue Dairy Queen Larry Wollam Season Championship Night at the Marshalltown Speedway on Friday. Feature wins went to Todd Shute in the IMCA Friesen Performance Modified division. It was Austin Kaplan winning the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main event and Logan Anderson took the honors in the IMCA Friesen Performance Northern SportMod class. Bradly Graham won the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature, and Joe Glick won the IMCA Stealth Racing STARS Mod Lites, and Mitchell Bunch saw checkers in the IMCA Mach-1 Sport Compacts. Only one feature winner of the night was also crowned a track champion, that being Todd Shute in the Modifieds. One track champion will not be crowned until next Friday night. More on that later.
The Sport Compacts, presented by Marshalltown Hy-Vee were the first on the track for their 15 lap feature, with out of car introductions prior to the start. Those on track introductions, done all night long, gave the fans an opportunity to see the driver behind the cars that put on a show for us weekly.
Mitchell Bunch would lead all 15 laps on his way to the checkered flag. He had pulled away from the field when a yellow flew at lap ten. This put Kolby Sabin on his tail for the restart. Bunch maintained his lead when the race went green, but a couple of laps later, he drifted a bit up the track, allowing Sabin to draw close and ready for his chance. It wasn't to be however, as Bunch would take it home to the checkers and seal the win, his second of the year at the track. Sabin, who claimed the track crown had to settle for second place. Third went to Blake Driscol, Chad Larson came home in fourth, and Marshalltown's own John Patterson was fifth.
The Mod Lites, presented by Knight Sanitation ran next and went 15 laps for their A feature. Since they had missed a night of racing, their track championship will be decided at next week's races.
William Nobles led lap one, but on lap two, it was Joe Glick in command. Then, the following laps saw a great battle up front as Glick, Jason Masengarb, and Jon Padilla jostled back and forth. Masengarb got to the front on lap seven, only to have Glick regain the lead on lap nine. From there on out, Glick would rip the lip and take his ride home the rest of the way to the flying checkers. Masengarb finished as the runner up, third went to Padilla, Josh May was fourth, and Cory Sonner rounded out the top five. This was Glick's first trip to Victory Lane at the speedway this year.
The Hobby Stocks, presented by Big 8 Tyre Center were next on the docket for 20 laps of racing after their on track introductions.
Ben Newhouse led the troops through the first six laps until Morning Sun, Iowa's Tucker Richardson took over at lap seven. Richardson stretched out his lead until a caution flew at lap twelve, which then saw Bradly Graham setting in second spot, and anxious for the restart.
When the race restarted, Graham kept looking under for a way around, time after time. When those peeks didn't pay off, he opted for a slider out of turn four, and was scored the leader when lap sixteen went in the books. He would then hold that lead, stretching it out, and take the comfortable win. Eric Knutson got around Richardson in the closing laps as they went second and third respectively. Fourth went to Sam West, and Calvin Dhondt came all the way from twenty-fourth starting position, to finish in fifth. This was Graham's first feature win of the year. The track champion for 2023 is Lynnville, Iowa's Corey Van Der Wilt.
The Northern SportMods, presented by Rugged Radios ran a 20 lap main events, and after their kudos from the crowd it was time for their feature.
There was a lot of moving and shaking in this race the entire time. Zach Hovell led the opening two laps, but it was Jenae Gustin taking over on lap three. Gustin, now driving her own car after several weeks prior in a borrowed hot rod, then had Logan Anderson to contend with as he hounded her lap after lap. Meanwhile, Brayton Carter had moved into third place and was challenging for position.
Gustin held her lead as more drivers joined in the chase...Matt Avila, and Tony Olson. Gustin was still leading when a caution flew with just two laps remaining. That dreaded caution....you love them, or hate them, was her undoing. On the restart, there was contact as they exited turn two, causing Gustin to falter, and Anderson took advantage, flying into the lead. Anderson kept the top spot in the closing moments, and took the win...his first of the year. Matt Avila took the runner up spot, Brayton Carter was third, Jenae Gustin recovered nicely and took fourth, and Travis Peterson was fifth. Kyle Olson would claim the track title crown in the division for 2023.
The 20 lap Stock Car feature, presented by Drury Automotive was no less exciting...with lots of, " moving and shaking, and chocolate cake baking", as Jerry Vansickel would say. Cars were going three, four, and five wide in the opening laps, with Dave Atcher leading the mass. Austin Kaplan, who started tenth, gained the upper hand at lap nine, as Atcher, Michael Jaennette, Tyler Pickett, and Steve Meyer duked it out behind him. Kaplan would never give up his lead however, and went home to the win. Steve Meyer finished in second, Tyler Pickett was third, Michael Jaennette was fourth, and Scott Rice rounded out the top five. This was Kaplan's third win of the year. Steve Meyer claimed the Stock Car track championship.
The finale of the night was 25 laps of Modified racing, presented by Tire Demon by Love Tap. Two drivers, Todd Shute, and Joel Rust were separated by only two points going into the race. Both drivers were offered extra money to go to the tail on the start, Shute choosing to stay at his seventh starting spot as point leader, Rust turning down his eighth place starting position, for a chance at the extra cash.
Polesetter, Dustin Kroening leaped into the lead as the race started, but by lap four, he had Shute on his tail. Shute managed to get under Kroening going down the backstretch, and grabbed the lead on lap eight. It was all Shute's race from there on out as he distanced himself from the pack, rim riding flawlessly on his way to the checkers. Tripp Gaylord took second, Joel Rust fell a bit short, but put on a great show to finish in third place, fourth went to Ronn Lauritzen, and Maguire DeJong came on strong in the closing moments to finish in fifth. This was Shute's fourth win of the year, and he is the 2023 Modified track champion.
There will be racing next Friday night, August 25 at the Marshalltown Speedway where it will be KIX 101.1 KFJB Night. The Mod Lites will have their Season Championship and a track champion will be crowned. It will be a draw/redraw show for all other classes.
It was a great night for racing and the track was perhaps the best it's been all year long as several of the winning drivers even commented. There was a breeze from the south that by the time the final checkers fell, had many fans wishing they had brought a jacket or even more! Now comes the heat for the next few days, and all will be wishing for that cooling breeze.
Keep supporting the sport we all love...dirt track racing!
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