By Josh Reynolds
STUART, Iowa (March 30) – The engines came to life Tuesday evening with drivers from all around in attendance for the IMCA Frostbuster opener at Stuart Speedway. Feature winners for the night were Cayden Carter, Dallon Murty, Brayton Carter and Brandon Cox.
Tony Hilgenberg and Jake McBirnie led a stacked IMCA Modified field to the green flag with Clay Money getting the jump from his fourth starting spot to lead lap one. Derrick Stewart slid into second on lap three as Money continued to lead.
A couple yellows in the middle of the race tightened the field and set up a great run to the finish. Carter ran down the top two cars and used a slide job coming into turn three on the last lap to take the lead and the $1,000 win.
Already on the Fast Shafts All-Star ballot, Carter earned the win ahead of Money with Stewart third, McBirnie fourth and Tim Ward fifth.
Miciah Hidlebaugh and John Watson showed the way at the start of the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main. Watson led early but it was the youngster Murty taking advantage of a restart to power by on the bottom side of the track on lap five.
Todd VanEaton closed in toward the end but it was Murty taking the easy win. VanEaton finished second with Buck Schafroth, Kyle Brown and Watson rounding out the top five.
The Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod feature saw Brock Beeter and Tim Bergerson on the front row. Beeter led the first lap until fifth starting Brayton Carter sailed by on the high side. Carter led through a couple of cautions and the yellow flew with four laps to go as Jake Sachau closed on Carter.
Sachau left everything he had on the track but it wasn’t enough as Carter took the win. Sachau finished second with 22nd starting Izac Mallicoat third, Skylar Woods fourth and Cole Fenske fifth.
Dillon Richards led early in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature but it was defending track champion Brandon Cox cruising by on lap six to assume the lead.
Several yellows set up a three-lap dash to the finish and Cox was up to the challenge as he held off Solomon Bennett to take the win. Bennett, George Reeh, Randy Lamar and Richards rounded out the top five.
Bryan Vannausdle was the Mach-1 Sport Compact winner. Kolby Sabin made it interesting but had to settle for second with Mitchell Bunch third.
Round two of Frostbuster Week takes the IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks and Northern SportMods to Independence Motor Speedway on Thursday, April 1.