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Six Track Champions Crowned at Marshalltown Speedway

August 16, 2024
MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA

It was the N 3rd Avenue Dairy Queen Larry Wollam Season Championship Friday night at the Marshalltown Speedway and six track champions were crowned. Out of car introductions were made for all features. The point leader in each division drew for the way the feature would be lined up...4, 6, 8, or complete field inverted.

First to the track was the IMCA Friesen Performance Northern SportMods, presented by Rugged Radios. The draw was for the "field" to be inverted. Six extra laps were added making it a 22 lap main event, and putting point leader Brayton Carter to start at the rear.

When the race went green, it was outside front row starter Ryan Leeman taking the lead. A yellow flew on lap three when Will Wolf lost a wheel, and by this time, Brayton Carter had already made his way up to third place. When the race picked back up Carter wasted no time in moving forward again and had the lead when lap five went in the books. It was all Carter's race from there on out as he took the checkers and the win, as well as the track championship for 2024. It was Carter's fourth regular season win of the season after having also taken the Frostbuster win. Leeman held on to take the runner up spot, Colton Livezey was third, fourth went to Keith Simmons, and Hunter Clement completed the top five.

The IMCA Stealth STARS Mod Lites had point leader Jon Padilla, who had the track title all wrapped up, make the call without even drawing, He opted to invert the entire field of cars, putting him to start tail end Charlie. The feature, presented by Knight Sanitation, went 23 laps.

Mike Pershing and Michael Mann, both from Colchester, Illinois were the lucky front row starters due to the field being inverted for the start. Mann led lap one, Pershing took over on lap two, and Colona, Illinois's Jason Masengarb took over on lap three. Masengarb pulled his lead to a full straight away when a yellow flew on lap sixteen. By this time Jon Padilla was up to second place and battling with Josh May who was running third. When the race returned to action, Masengarb maintained his lead, but briefly lost it to Padilla on lap eighteen, but then came right back to reclaim the top spot. He never gave it up the remaining distance to the finish, and sealed the win, his third of the season. Padilla started twentieth and had to settle for second, nineteenth place starter Josh May came home in third place, fourth went to Colona, Illinois racer Mike Morrow, and twelfth place starter Cory Sonner was fifth.

Point leader in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars was Jimmy Gustin....who had the point title all wound up before the green even fell....drew a six, to invert for the 20 lap feature, presented by Drury Automotive.

Last year's track champion, Steve Meyer took the lead when the race went green, Scott Rice falling in to run second, and Jimmy Gustin was already up to third at lap one. A yellow flew at lap four when Rice had the misfortune of an incident that left him stopped at the top of turn four, ending his good run. When the racing action picked back up, Meyer continued to hold down the top spot, and now Gustin was on his tail in second place. Michael Jaennette had now tossed his hat into the ring, and was throwing challenges at Gustin. He got to the second spot and then with an attempt at a slide on leader Meyer, got a bit too high in turn four, and slipped off the edge. He gathered it back in but was now running a distant third, Gustin now in second place and looking to challenge leader Meyer. The final circuits however, saw no change in the front running order, as Meyer went home to the flying checkers and the win, Gustin having to settle for second. Meyer held the third place position, fourth went to seventeenth place starter Paul Stone, Winston, California, and Damon Murty, racing a borrowed car for the evening, was fifth. This was Meyer's second feature win of the season.

The luck, or in some cases, the bad luck of the draw for the starting line up in the IMCA Friesen Performance Modified feature, saw point leader Tripp Gaylord draw six to invert. Lucky recipient of the pole then went to Kyle Brown, with visiting Bates City, Missouri driver Cody Brill sitting alongside for the start of the 26 lap feature, presented by Tire Demon by Love Tap.

Brown grabbed the lead when the green flag flew with Brill giving chase. Brown continued his run at the front, but just before lap sixteen went into the books, he drove off of the track on the backstretch, and into the pits....his night ended. This put Brill to the point position and soon he had a pair #77s reeling him in. Austin Kuehl, Cave Creek, Arizona, and Tripp Gaylord, were duking it out for second place, and putting on a spirited battle. Brill never gave up his lead of the pack spot however, and went home to score the win...his first time at the Marshalltown Speedway. Gaylord finished second and sealed his track championship, third went to Austin Kuehl, fourth to Kaylin Lopez, and veteran racer David "Blue" Brown rounded out the top five.

The IMCA Mach-1 Compacts saw point leader Cristian Grady pull an eight to invert for their 15 lap feature, presented by Hy-Vee of Marshalltown. Corwyn Whisler, Des Moines, Iowa got to start on the pole and Mark Smith sat alongside.

Whisler held down the lead for two laps until last week's winner Michael Gardner, who had started fifth, took command. Gardner was never threatened from there on out as he sailed home to a comfortable win. Point leader Cristian Grady, who took the track championship, was second. Third went to early leader Corwyn Whisler, fourth went to David Kimmel, and Mark Smith was fifth. Gardner captured his second feature win of the season.

Feature racing concluded with the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. Point leader Calvin Dhondt pulled a 4 to invert on the start of their 16 lap feature, presented by Big 8 Tyre Center.

The race did not get one lap in before it went red flagged when Eldora, Iowa's Derrick McNeece spit out a driveshaft and went for a spectacular tumble at the top of turn three. Thankfully, he was not hurt, but the car was not as fortunate.

Eric Knutson took advantage of his outside row starting spot, thanks to the four car invert, and immediately took the lead. It would be a lead he would never relinquish as he went home to the flying checkers and the win. Bradly Graham started third, and took the runner up spot after getting around Solomon Bennett, who was third. Sam West came from sixth starting spot to finish fourth, and Calvin Dhondt secured his track championship with a fifth place finish. This was Knutson's third feature victory of the year.

At the conclusion of the feature racing, some Powder Puff racing entertained the fans. Kathryn Jenkins won in the SportMod division racing Boe Jenkin's car. The Stock Car winner was Rylea Kriegel piloting Kylie Rawlins ride, Addy Stevens won the Hobby Stock class racing Brad Graham's car, Natalie Barber piloted Cliff Barber's Mod Lite to take checkers, and Nikole Kimmel won the Sport Compact contest in David Kimmel's car.

The next race at the Marshalltown Speedway will be on August 30....no racing next Friday, August 23 as it was a rain date only for the Season Championships. The August 30th race is the Showdown at MoTown with the Karl Chevrolet Dirt Trucks joining the other six regular classes. Note the earlier start times. Hot laps are scheduled for 6:15, with racing at 7.

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