9/2/2024
Marshalltown Speedway
ShowDown at MoTown wins to Laney, Kaplan, Gustin, Graham, Freeburg, Gardner, and Inman
August 30, 2024
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa
The Karl Auto Group ShowDown in MoTown was held at the Marshalltown Speedway on Friday with a whopping 178 cars from all across the United States tuning up for the upcoming IMCA 42nd Annual Super Nationals. Cody Laney would take the honors in the IMCA Friesen Performance Modifieds, and Austin Kaplan won the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car class. Jenae Gustin repeated her win from last year's ShowDown in MoTown when she took the checkers in the IMCA Friesen Performance SportMod division. Bradly Graham won the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature, Brandon Freeburg won the IMCA Stealth STARS Mod Lites, Michael Gardner won the IMCA MACH-1 Sport Compacts, and the Karl Chevrolet Dirt Truck win went to Tyler Inman.
Feature racing kicked off with the 16 lap Northern Sport Mod feature, presented by Rugged Radios.
Hometown racer Jenae Gustin started third on the grid, grabbed the lead immediately, and held that top position the entire run to the checkers. Jake Sachau started seventh, and tried chasing down Gustin but had nothing for her, and had to settle for second place. Third went to Brayton Carter, Jason Bannister, Bakersfield, California was fourth, and David Schwartz, Greenfield, Iowa was fifth. Gustin matched her ShowDown in MoTown win from 2023.
The Mod Lites ran a 20 lap feature, presented by Knight Sanitation, paying $1000 to the winner.
Brandon Freeburg, Metamora, Illinois started on the pole for the feature, and that would be all she wrote. Freeburg led every lap on his way to the victory. Track champion Jon Padilla, Silvis, Illinois started third and attempted to run down the leader, but it was all in vain as he had to be content with second. Third was Joe Glick, fourth went to eleventh place starter Ben George, and Alex Eischeid started sixteenth and finished fifth.
The IMCA Stock Car came to the track next for their 20 lap main event, presented by Drury Automotive.
Hesston Shaw, Hennessey, Oklahoma started from the pole and grabbed the lead as the race went green. Before the halfway point of the race, Austin Kaplan had tracked down the leaders, and was applying pressure. Then he was able to make the pass on the backstretch, passing then leader Scott Rice, and took command. It was all Kaplan's race from then on, as he stretched it out and went home to the easy win. Shaw finished a distant second, third went to twelfth place starter, Troy Foulger, Oakley, California, Daniel Eckblad, St. Peter, Minnesota was third, fourth went to Scott Rice, and eighteenth place starter, Mike Albertsen, Audubon, Iowa rounded out the top five.
The IMCA Modifieds were also vying for a $1000 to win in their 20 lap event, presented by Tire Demon by Love Tap.
Ricky Alvarado, Hotchkiss, Colorado was the polesitter and grabbed the immediate lead as the race started. By lap five, Cody Laney, Torrance, California was challenging the leader after coming from tenth starting spot. The rest of the race was a battle between the two. A slide job failed for Laney just past the halfway mark, but another on lap fourteen did the trick, with Laney taking over the lead. After Laney got that lead, he drove off and went home to the flying checkers taking an easy win. Alvarado followed a distant second. Third went to IMCA defending national champion Chaz Baca, Mesa, Arizona, Mitchell Hunt, Lakeview, Michigan was fourth, and Troy Foulger, the Californian doing double duty after just racing his Stock Car, took fifth,
The Sport Compacts ran 15 laps for their feature, presented by Hy-Vee of Marshalltown.
The entire race was between two cars up front, Cristian Grady, and Michael Gardner, both regulars at the track. Grady held the upper hand until two laps remaining when he was able to sneak by Grady, and then go home to the feature win. Grady had to be content with second place, Anthony Clark, Omaha, Nebraska was third, Kevin Reuter, San Diego, California finished fourth, and David Kimmel was fifth.
The Hobby Stock feature was 16 laps, and was presented by Big 8 Tyre Center.
This race was led flag to flag by regular weekly racer at the speedway, Bradly Graham. Graham was never seriously challenged on his way to victory, and finished comfortably ahead of second place Eric Knutson. Andrew Burg took third, fourth went to Josh Sidles, Emmetsburg, Iowa, and Brandon Nielsen, Spencer, Iowa completed the top five.
The night's racing ended with the Karl Dirt Truck and their 16 lap feature.
Tyler Inman started on the pole and led this race for the entire caution free event. Brandon Cox chased the leader for most of the race, but could do no better than runner up. Third went to Mason Mitchell, fourth was Rick Cox, and Austin Meiners rounded out the top five,
The Marshalltown Speedway now falls silent but not until a final fling on October 25 and 26 for the High Bank Hustle
Article Credit: Joyce Eisele
Submitted By: Jerry Vansickel
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