April 5, 2024
April in Iowa, and it's time for some racing! Last night was the first race of the season in our local area.
The Karl Auto Group Marshalltown Speedway held its first race of the season on Friday night, with the running of its Frostbuster special. Sponsor of the night was H & H Tiling, Dozing, and Excavating. Frostbuster was an appropriate title with fans bundling up before the final checkers flew.
A huge field of entries spilled into and nearly filled the over-flow pits, 213 cars checking in.
The Class too Tough to Tame, the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars brought 45 entries to test the High Banks at Marshalltown, and ran a 30 lap feature that paid $1,000.
Jimmy Gustin, changing things up this year, was piloting a stock car last evening instead of his usual Modified. He held down the lead as lap one went into the books. By lap four, it was the Chelsea Charger, Damon Murty taking command....never to give it up in the race that went flag to flag. Son Dallon Murty chased his dad much of the race, and drove his hot rod from tenth starting spot to claim second place. Jimmy Gustin in his 2024 Stock Car debut was third. Veteran racer Kelly Shryock, who was doing double duty last night, also racing in the Modified division, hard charged through the field to claim fourth, and Marshalltown's own Garrett Corn rounded out the top five.
Glad to see Dallon Murty show up with his Stock Car. He had a BAD wreck not long ago while doing some racing out of state, and had to be cut out of his car.
The IMCA Friesen Performance SportMods came to the track next for their 25 lap main event. They had 38 cars checking in to race on the evening.
Drake Bohlmeyer, Beatrice, Nebraska was the early leader, but it didn't take long until Speedy Bray, Brayton Carter was hot on his tail after starting seventh.
On lap five, Carter took command of the race, and never looked back on his way to the checkers. He finished well ahead of second place Brayden Ahlers, Slayton, Minnesota who had started on the pole. Regular competitor at the Speedway, Tony Olson finished third, fourth went to Dorchester, Nebraska's Tyler Nerud who started fourteenth, and early leader Drake Bohlmeyer was fifth. Carter repeated his Frostbuster win from last year at the track.
The IMCA Friesen Performance Modifieds ran 30 laps for their main event with a $1,000 to the winner. They brought 35 cars to compete at the Frostbuster.
Tom Berry, who now calls Des Moines, Iowa home, and who is no stranger to the track, started second, and had the immediate lead. From there on out, he dominated the field, and took the win easily. Ethan Braaksma, who has had a great start to his 2024 season, was going for his sixth straight win of the year. He was hoping to match his win from the previous night's Frostbuster at the Stuart Speedway. He started eighth, and closed at times on Berry, but on this night had to settle for the runner up spot. Jake McBirnie took home third place, fourth went to eleventh place starter, Dylan Thornton, and it was fourteenth place starter, Tripp Gaylord, rounding out the top five.
The IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks took the prize for having the most cars entered....56 strong. They ran a 20 lap feature.
Calvin Dhondt started on the pole and jumped to the lead and was looking strong. That all ended for him on lap seven when an incident on lap seven put him out of the game and he brought out the yellow.
Joren Fisher inherited the lead when the race returned to green, but shortly it was Bradly Graham taking over as captain of the ship. An incident on the backstretch coming out of turn two halted the action on lap eighteen. The two machines of Curt Reed and Eric Knutson got "welded" together, and there was a long delay before action returned.
A green-white-checkered determined the finish of the race when action picked back up. Graham held on to that #1 spot, and was a happy camper to match his previous night's Frostbuster win at Stuart. Following him across the line in second place was hotshoe Dillon Richard out of Beatrice, Nebraska who had started fifteenth. Seth Butler drove it from twelfth starting spot to capture position three, fourth went to Joe Doran, Paton, Iowa, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa racer, Dave McCalla took fifth.
The IMCA Mach-1 Sport Compacts brought 38 cars to the High Banks on Friday.
Things did not start off well for the Compact's 15 lap feature. Curt Masterson started second, and rolled it off of the backstretch after getting up on the berm. After the third roll he landed wheels down in the Martin Marietta property. Thankfully he was not injured. Again, a delay to get things back to racing.
When racing action returned, it was Oliver Monson, Thornton, Iowa leading the pack. The race continued caution free the remainder of the way with Mitchell Bunch getting past Monson at lap ten, and then hanging on to take the feature win. Monson held second place, Anthony Clark, Omaha, Nebraska was third, fourth went to eighth place starter Cristian Grady, and pole sitter Jake Paysen, Wall Lake, Iowa finished in fifth.
Next week, the Marshalltown Speedway will be holding a two-night special with the running of the King of the Highbanks for IMCA Stock Cars, paying $5000 to the winner. Also in competition will be the IMCA Modifieds, SportMods, Hobby Stocks, Mod Lites, and Sport Compacts. Night #1 is Thursday, April 11, and the final night on Friday April 12. Hot laps at 6:45 and racing at 7:30 both nights. There will be a practice on Wednesday, April 10 at the track from 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Tonight, Saturday April 6, will be another IMCA Frostbuster special. It will be at the Boone Speedway, and will be the final night of the series. Mother Nature canceled Night #1 that was to be at Independence Motor Speedway, and the final night that was scheduled for the Benton County Speedway.
It's been a while since I've been back to writing on here, but with the racing season now starting off in our neck of the woods, look for our take on the racing action. Find a race to support, and keep dirt track racing alive and well.
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