Rich Marshalltown checkers to Inman, Nielsen, Padilla

By Joyce Eisele

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Aug. 9, 2024) – It was a beautiful night for racing at Marshalltown Speedway on Friday when it was VESSCO/BHE/RBF Electric night at the track.  Those sponsors added extra money to the SportMod, Hobby Stock and Mod Lite classes, all paying $1000 to win. 

Visiting driver in the IMCA Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods 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 Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites

Tripp Gaylord matched his opening night win when he took the checkers in the IMCA Friesen Performance Modifieds, Michael Jaennette was the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car winner and Michael Gardner won the IMCA Mach-1 Sport Compact feature.  

The Northern SportMod 16-lap feature ran first.

Inman, a hired gun for the evening, 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 and 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. Inman went home with the $1,000 payday thanks to Bob Harris Enterprises. 

The Mod Lite 15-lap feature 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 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 13 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.

Huggins had to be pleased with his second place finish on just his first start of the year while third went to 10th place starter Bryan Zehm.

Stock Cars ran a 20-lap feature.

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. Jaennette started fifth and tucked in to run second.

Jaennette continued to chase Rice lap after lap, taking a peek on lap 13 in corner four, but it wasn’t until lap 15 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 and third went to Steve Meyer.

The Modifieds came to the track next for their 20-lap main event.

Scott Simatovich started on the outside front row and led the first lap, but it was eighth place starter Dallon Murty taking over at lap two.  Seventh place starter 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 17 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 Zack Rawlins just beating David Brown at the line.

Sport Compacts ran a 15-lap feature.  

Gardner 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 12, 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 while third went to Katlynn Watts. This was Gardner’s first-ever win at Marshalltown Speedway.  

The night’s racing action drew to a close with the 16-lap Hobby Stock $1,000 to win feature.

Solomon Bennett started fourth and had the lead by lap one with Calvin Dhondt giving chase. It wasn’t long until Nielsen, in his Blue Angels 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 12 went in the books. He would then hold that lead and go home to the flying checkers and the win. Bennett took second place with Dhondt going third.

Friday night, Aug. 16 is N 3rd Avenue Dairy Queen Larry Wollam season championship night.  Should it be needed due to a rain out, the following week, Aug. 23 will be used for season championship night. Hot laps are at 6:45 p.m. with racing at 7:30 p.m.