King of the High Banks Night #1

April 11, 2024

Thursday night, April 11, Marshalltown Speedway held Night #1 of the King of the High Banks 2-night show. Drivers from all over the United States made their way to the fast quarter mile.  There were 150 cars in competition with 55 IMCA Stock Cars on hand to start qualifying for their $5,000 to win finale tomorrow night. Also on the docket were the IMCA Modifieds, Northern SportMods, Hobby Stocks, Mod Lites, and Sport Compacts. 

The IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars ran two sets of heat races as they tried to earn passing points for their big 50 lap feature coming up tomorrow.  Passing points were earned and the top 10 in passing points are locked in to tomorrow's race.  They are : Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Dallon Murty, Chelsea, Iowa, Jeffrey Abbey, Boyd, Texas, and last year's winner, Dylan Thornton, Orcutt, California, Elijah Zevenbergen,Ocheyedan, Iowa, Derek Green, Granada, Minnesota, Cole Czarneski, Denmark, Wisconsin, Joel Rust, Grundy Center, Iowa, Austin Kaplan, Collins, Iowa, and Jake McBirnie, Boone, Iowa. Last Chance Qualifying races Friday will complete the starting field for the $5,000 to win race which pays $500 to start. 

Feature racing kicked off with the STARS Mod Lites 15 lap A Main.

Jaedon McDowell, who lists his hometown as Murfreesboro, Tennessee made his run at the Speedway pay off as he would lead all laps on his way to victory.  Riley Clem, Bakersfield, California got by Josh May in the closing laps as they went second and third respectively.  Ben George, Altoona, Iowa finished fourth, and it was Nathan Wolfe, Holt Summit, Missouri completing the top five.

The IMCA Friesen Performance SportMods ran 20 laps for their feature.

Dylan Van Wyk led the troops through the first seven laps when a yellow flew.  When the race restarted, he was suddenly off power on the backstretch, which handed the lead over to Kelley, Iowa's Cam Reimers. It was all Reimers race from there on out as he led the remaining laps all the way to the flying checkers.  Oskaloosa's Brayton Carter chased Reimers for most of the race but on the final circuit, Logan Anderson, who started tenth, was able to make the pass to take second.  Carter had to be content with third, followed by eighth place starter Maguire DeJong in fourth, and ninth place starter, Shane Paris, Muscatine, Iowa in fifth.  

The IMCA Friesen Performance Modifieds came to the track next for their 20 lap feature.

Tom Berry was piloting his own car this week, after winning last week's Frostbuster in a borrowed car.  He kept his winning ways, starting on the pole, and leading all laps to see checkers for the second time in the early season at Marshalltown. He pulled away as the race drew on, and took the easy win.  Tim Ward started seventh, and took the runner up position.  Cody Overton, Thomson, Georgia finished third, fourth went to Camarillo, California's Trevor Fitz, and tenth place starter Todd Shute, Norwalk, Iowa, was fifth.  

It was 20 laps of feature racing for the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks.

Cody Williams, Minneapolis, Kansas took the lead as the race went green and he held the top spot through lap fifteen when a yellow flew.  By this time, it was Nathan Ballard, Marengo, Iowa who was happy to see the caution fly as he had worked his way into second place. It took him a couple of laps as the race restarted, but Ballard was able to get the lead with just three laps remaining and keep it to the checkers. Williams held on to finish second, with Dylan Nelson, Adel, Iowa taking third, John Watson was fourth, and the "Flying Fireman", Calvin Dhondt, Kellogg, Iowa hard charged his way from fifteenth starting spot, to finish fifth.

The night cap was 15 laps of IMCA Mach-1 Sport Compact racing.  

David Kimmel, New Virginia, Iowa started on the pole and grabbed the lead as the green flag flew. He was able to hang on to that top spot until lap ten when Oliver Monson, Thornton, Iowa took command.  He would then hold on to the lead the rest of the laps to take the win.  Mitchell Bunch, Des Moines, Iowa got around Kimmel on the final circuit as they finished second and third respectively.  Hometown driver, John Gill took fourth, and it was Jeremy Williams, Oskaloosa, Iowa taking fifth.  

Friday's races will also have complete shows for the IMCA Modifieds, ($1,500 to win) SportMods, ($1,000 to win) Hobby Stocks,($1,000 to win) Mod Lites, ($750 to win) and Sport Compacts ($500 to win). Grandstands open at 5:30, hot laps at 6:45, and racing to follow. 

Keep supporting the sport we all love....dirt track racing!