It was quite a change from our recent hot and humid weather we've endured at races, as it was a beautiful night at the Marshalltown Speedway on Friday night with a spectacular sunset that is always something I love. It was VESSCO/BHE/RBF Electric night at the track with those sponsors adding extra money to the SportMod, Hobby Stock and Mod Lite classes, all paying $1000 to win. Visiting driver in the IMCA Friesen Performance Northern SportMod class, Tyler Inman took the checkers in that division. It was another visitor on the night, Brandon Nielsen, taking the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock win, and Jon Padilla was back in victory lane in the IMCA Stealth STARS Mod Lites. Tripp Gaylord matched his opening night win when he took the checkers in the IMCA Friesen Performance Modifieds, and Michael Gardner won the IMCA Mach-1 Sport Compact feature.
The Northern SportMods 16 lap feature, presented by Rugged Radios ran first.
Tyler Inman, Altoona, Iowa who was a hired gun for the evening racing the Thomas Behle car, redrew the outside front row starting spot, and from there on out, never looked back on his run to the checkers and the win. Cory Van Zante, Sully, Iowa and Oskaloosa's Brayton Carter chased Inman for the entire race but Inman never faltered and took the flying checkers and the win. Carter and Van Zante finished second and third respectively. Kyle Olson and Colton Livezey rounded out the top five. Inman went home with the $1000 pay day thanks to Bob Harris Enterprises (BHE). From the post race interview, Inman said the car had gone from the frame shop to victory lane on Friday. Brayton Carter holds a nine point lead over Kyle Olson as we go into next week's season championship
The Mod Lite 15 lap feature, presented by Knight Sanitation also paid $1,000 thanks to VESSCO, Inc.
Joel Huggins, who was racing for the first time last night after being absent from the scene in 2024, drew the outside front row. His bright yellow machine quickly grabbed the lead as the race went green with third place starter Jon Padilla tagging to his tail. Padilla harassed Huggins immediately and by lap four, snatched the lead away. Two yellows would fly....one at lap five and another at lap thirteen....but it was no issue for Padilla on the restarts as he stretched out the lead in the final circuits and took the comfortable win. Joel Huggins had to be pleased with his second place finish on just his first start of the year, third went to tenth place starter Bryan Zehm, fourth was Josh May, and twelfth place starter Ben George completed the top five. This was Padilla's third feature win of the season. Padilla leads the point chase by 26 over Josh May as the season concludes next week.
The Stock Cars ran a 20 lap feature, presented by Drury Automotive. Scott Rice started third on the grid, had the lead immediately, was running strong and looked to be on his way to seeing checkers for the first time this year. Michael Jaennette started fifth and tucked in to run second. Jaennette continued to chase Rice lap after lap, taking a peek on lap thirteen in corner four, but it wasn't until lap fifteen that he got the job done, making the pass on the backstretch and taking the lead. Jaennette then kept that top spot the rest of the way to the finish to score his first win at the speedway this season. Rice held on to take the runner up spot, third went to Steve Meyer, Jimmy Gustin started tenth, had to recover from avoiding an incident on the track, and came back up to finish a close fourth, and Austin Schrage was fifth. Jimmy Gustin is way out in front of the points chase for the track title, leading by 84 points going into next week's final season race.
The IMCA Modifieds came to the track next for their 20 lap main event, presented by Tire Demon by Love Tap.
Scott Simatovich started on the outside front row, led the first lap, but it was eighth place starter Dallon Murty taking over at lap two. Seventh place starter Tripp Gaylord followed suit, and was soon on Murty's tail. Gaylord took the lead on lap four with Murty looking determined to regain the lead. That would happen on lap seventeen but it was a brief moment as Gaylord came storming back to take command once again and hold it the final two times around the track to score the win. Murty had to be content with the runner up spot. Third and fourth place put on a great contest running neck and neck in the final laps with Kellogg, Iowa boys Zack Rawlins just beating David Brown at the line. Visiting driver from Springfield, Missouri, Ryan Gillmore, started thirteenth, and finished fifth. This was Gaylord's second time in victory lane at the speedway as he also won the season opener back on May 3. Gaylord is up twelve points on Zack Rawlins for the run for the track title in the Modified division.
The Sport Compacts ran a 15 lap feature, presented by Hy-Vee of Marshalltown.
Michael Gardner, Des Moines, Iowa started seventh, and had the lead on lap two. He had to hold off point leader Cristian Grady most of the race with Grady taking a brief lead on lap twelve, only to have Gardner come right back to the top spot. Gardner wasn't about to give it up again as he kept the lead the final three laps to score the win. Grady took second place, third went to Oskaloosa, Iowa's Katlynn Watts, fourth was Corwyn Whisler, and David Kimmel rounded out the top five. This was Gardner's first ever win at the Marshalltown Speedway. Grady is up 29 points on second place David Kimmel for next week's finale.
The night's racing action drew to a close with the 16 lap Hobby Stock $1,000 RBF Electric feature, presented by Big 8 Tyre Center.
Solomon Bennett started fourth and had the lead by lap one with Calvin Dhondt giving chase. It wasn't long until visiting Spencer, Iowa racer Brandon Nielsen, in his Blue Angel's tribute car was joining in the run for the front after starting seventh on the field. It was a close race up front with those three drivers, but it was Nielsen who finally got the job done on the backstretch and was scored the leader when lap twelve went in the books. He would then hold that lead and go home to the flying checkers and the win. Solomon Bennett took the second place, Dhondt going third, fourth went to visiting Morning Sun racer, Tucker Richardson, and eleventh place starter Eric Knutson made a good comeback after an early incident put him far back in the field, and took fifth. Calvin Dhondt holds a nine point lead over Bradly Graham for the track title.
Where did the season go? Next Friday night, August 16 is N 3rd Avenue Dairy Queen Larry Wollam season championship night. Should it be needed due to a rain out, the following week, August 23 will be used for season championship night. If not needed on the 23rd, there will be no racing that night.
Find a track to support, and help keep the sport we all love....dirt track racing....alive and well!
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