By Joyce Eisele
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (May 27, 2022) – It was a full night of racing at the Marshalltown Speedway on Friday night, with Johnathon Logue taking the checkers in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified class for his first career win in the division.
Damon Murty got back to his winning ways and won the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature. It was Brayton Carter with the win in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main event and John Watson captured the top spot in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. The IMCA STARS Mod Lites had one of their Corn Belt Clash races and it was Justin Kinderknecht making his trip over from Kansas pay off and went home $500 richer. Kolby Sabin won the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact main.
Jason Masengarb had the lead early in the 20-lap STARS Mod Lite feature but at lap nine it was the eighth starting Kinderknecht in the lead. From there on out, it was Kinderknecht the rest of the way for the win. Randy Bryan mounted a good late-race challenge but could only manage a close runner-up finish. Masengarb held down the third spot.
Kinderknecht got $500 for the win, plus an extra $100 from Stealth Racing and a free tire certificate for passing the most cars. Matthew Weiss was the $50 hard luck award recipient, courtesy of Hoosier State Mod Lites, after a late rollover.
The Friesen Northern SportMods came next and they were all wanting to take home the $500 prize of the night. Ryan Gillmore started on the outside of the front row and immediately shot to the lead. Fourth starting Carter tagged in to run second.
Gillmore and Carter duked it out in a heated battle until Carter was able to get the lead and distance himself from the pack. Meanwhile, Gillmore had his hands full with Logan Anderson who had reeled in the front runners, and managed to get the upper hand on lap 14. But it was all Carter’s race in the final laps as he went home to the flying checkers and the win. Anderson had to be content with the runner-up spot and Gillmore took third.
There was still plenty of racing to be had with the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks coming to the track next for their 20 lap main. This saw good battles going on throughout the event. Tom Killen Jr. led the opening laps, but Jake Nelson had the number one spot on lap five.
A lap later, Killen was back in the lead and then Watson threw his hat into the ring and was challenging them both. Watson got the lead on lap seven and from there on kept the pack at bay and went home to seal the win. Sam West had his best run of the year and took the runner-up spot, Bradley Graham came from eleventh starting to finish third.
The IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars always put on a good show wherever they go and they proved it once again. Jay Schmidt held the lead through lap four but it was the Chelsea Charger Murty coming to call on the topside and he took away the lead.
Schmidt rallied back again for the lead but only for a couple of laps before Murty got the lead for good. Murty took the comfortable win with Michael Jaennette trailing for second place. Kaden Reynolds took third.
The Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact 15-lap feature saw Sabin take the win. David Kimmel chased Sabin for much of the race, but Kimmel had to be content with the runner-up spot as third went to Blake Driscol.
The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds put a nightcap on the racing action with 20 laps of ground-pounding fury. Paul Nagel grabbed the immediate lead from his outside front row starting spot and was looking strong. He was quick to have company breathing down his neck however in the likes of Logue, Ronn Lauritzen and Tim Ward.
Logue was able to take command on lap nine and Ward followed suite to run in second. Ward took the brief lead on lap 11 only to have Logue come right back and take over the top spot once again. Logue held off his challengers the rest of the way to the finish and the win. Ward finished in second and Nagel was third.
