By Joyce Eisele
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (July 1, 2022) – It was Capital Sign Company Night at the Races at the Marshalltown Speedway Friday evening and over 130 cars filled the pits for a full night of racing.
Dallon Murty put his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified in victory lane again and it was Steve Meyer going to the winner’s circle in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. Jenae Gustin got a popular win in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and John Watson took the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock victory. Joe Glick won the IMCA STARS Mod Lite feature and Kolby Sabin had the field covered by a big margin in the IMCA Mach-1 Sport Compacts.
Twenty-three drivers were on hand for the STARS Mod Lites. They ran a 20 lap feature that paid $100 just to start, thanks to an anonymous donor.
Glick led from start to finish but had to outlast the constant challenges of Joel Huggins. They ran side-by-side at times but Glick never flinched and kept his cool to take the flying checkers and the win. Huggins took the runner-up spot. Visiting racer Michael Raffurty from Kansas City, Mo., took third after starting 13th.
The Northern SportMods were up next for their 18-lap feature. Jenae Gustin held the lead through several cautions and took the win, much to the delight of the crowd. This was Gustin’s first win at the track this race season.
Shane Paris made his first trip to Marshalltown this year, started 10th and took second. Tony Olson was third.
Watson took home his third victory at the High Banks this year when he won the 20-lap Hobby Stock feature. Bradly Graham, last week’s winner, was looking to repeat though Watson was following in his tire tracks lap after lap.
With just a handful of laps remaining, Graham slipped off the top of turn two, bringing out a yellow and putting himself out of the running. Watson had it well in hand from that point and took the checkers ahead of Seth Butler and Ryan Havel.
Meyer looked strong all race long in the Stock Car 20-lap feature. Meyer had the lead on lap three, then took to the top of the track and was pulling away. A caution stopped the racing action on lap 14, erasing his comfortable lead.
Meyer maintained his lead as the race returned to green but two more cautions would hamper his run. He held off the challenges of two hard charging no. 1’s in the final circuits. Austin Kaplan squeaked by Kaden Reynolds in the closing moments as they took second and third in that order. This was Meyer’s first trip to Marshalltown Speedway’s victory lane this year.
Jimmy Gustin has been getting closer and closer to getting that IMCA Modified win this year and Friday night it was looking to becoming a reality. Gustin started ninth, and was leading by lap three. Gustin broke loose from the pack but brought Murty along to run in second.
The two ran the rim of the track, Murty giving it a look for a way around, and also attempting a failed slider at one point. He then settled back in behind Gustin as they continued to circle the top of the track.
As the laps wound down, lapped traffic was beginning to play a factor and it was lap 15 that became Gustin’s undoing. Two lapped cars were right in front of leader Gustin as he exited corner four and Murty opted for the low road. Gustin was caught behind the slow cars as Murty took the lead and just after the lap was scored, another caution came out.
On the restart, Murty kept command, and held it to the flying checkers, his third this year. Drew Janssen also managed to get around Gustin in the final moments as they finished second and third, respectively.
Sabin had the Sport Compact 15-lap event well in hand from lap two on. He pulled away from the rest of the field and as the checkers flew had a good half-lap from his nearest competitors.
It was a close one at the finish line but John Gill took second, just beating out Tyler Fiebelkorn in third.
