By Joyce Eisele
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (July 19, 2024) – Marshalltown Speedway was back on its regular Friday night of racing this week and it was one for the record books as Tim Ward captured his career 100th Friesen Performance IMCA Modified victory.
Kaden Reynolds got out in front and was gone in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature and Brayton Carter had no trouble in snagging the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod victory. It was Calvin Dhondt adding to his list of wins in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks as did Cristian Grady in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts and Dillon Raffurty made the trip up from Kansas City, Missouri pay off when he saw checkers in the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites.
The Mod Lite 15-lap feature was up first.
Travis Stensland started on the outside front row and jumped to the immediate lead when the race went green. His nice lead would disappear when a yellow flag flew at lap six, closing the field for the restart.
Raffurty had been closing on the front runners, was in third place when the race restarted and wasted no time in taking his ride topside, and soon had the lead. Another yellow at lap 10 was no issue for Raffurty as he shot off from the field and pulled away in the closing laps to take the easy win.
Jason Massengarb ran near the front the entire race but had to be content with the runner-up spot. Third went to 11th place starter Jon Padilla.
It was 16 laps of SportMod feature racing up next.
Chris Burke led the first four laps of the race but a slide job by Eddie Ingram put him in the lead on lap five. Meanwhile, Carter had been working himself forward from starting in the ninth position and was eyeing the leader.
Just after lap 11 was scored, Carter nosed by Ingram, only to have a yellow wave and reverting the line up in Ingram’s favor on the restart. It didn’t take long after the green waved, and Carter had the lead. It was all Carter’s race from there on out as he raced his hotrod to the checkers first.
Ingram just held off Colton Livezey at the line as they went second and third, respectively.
The Stock Car 20-lap feature saw Reynolds lead from start to finish in a race that went caution-free after lap one’s yellow.
Kyle Olson tried to reel in Reynolds, but at the checkers, it was Reynold’s winning easily, and Olson taking second place. Following a good distance behind in third was visiting Vinton racer Dakoda Sellers.
The Modified 20-lap main event proved to be one for the record books.
David Brown started on the outside of the front row and held down the lead through the first three circuits. Ward started fifth and had the lead at lap three.
Behind him it was a battle between Dallon Murty and Dylan Thornton for the number two position. Thornton established second place and then began his quest to reel in leader Ward. He got close enough to try a slide in corner four as the white flag waved, but it was to no avail, and Ward went home to the victory, his 100th IMCA Modified win.
Thornton had to settle for the runner-up spot, Murty took third place, Tripp Gaylord was fourth and 10th place starter Todd Shute was fifth.
The Sport Compacts ran their 15-lap feature next.
Kord Sellers led the field on lap one with sixth place starter David Kimmel running in second place. Kimmel passed Sellers for the lead at lap two and now had to worry about Grady, the ninth place starter, running the topside, who was soon breathing down his tailpipes.
A yellow flew at lap four and when the race returned to green, Kimmel was able to hold off Grady for a while but it was Grady taking over on lap seven. It was Grady’s race the rest of the way to the checkers as he won going away, matching his win from last week’s Thursday night race, and his third of the season.
Spencer Roggentien got by Kimmel in the closing laps as they went second and third respectively.
The final event of the evening was the 16-lap Hobby Stock feature.
Eric Knutson started third on the grid and had the lead quickly. By lap two, fifth place starter Dhondt was running second and sizing up the leader. The two ran closely lap after lap, with Dhondt finally able to take over the top spot just past the halfway point in the race.
Cory VanDerWilt was pestering second place runner Knutson for the final circuits as the race wore down. Dhondt held the top spot and snagged his fourth feature win of the year while Knutson held off VanDerWilt as they went second and third.
Friday night, July 26 will be a special night at the speedway when the SLMR Super Late Models come to town for the running of the Dale DeFrance Memorial. The Late Models will run a 44 lap main event…the car number of Dale DeFrance and be on the hunt for the $4,400 to win feature. IMCA Modifieds will be running for $1,500, IMCA Stock Cars for $750, and the IMCA SportMods and Hobby Stocks both for $500 to win.
Hot laps are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. with racing to follow.
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