Marshalltown fans salute IMCA Modified winner Rust

By Joyce Eisele

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (May 26, 2023) – Racing was back in action at the Marshalltown Speedway Friday night where it was API Solutions Salute to Military Night.

Joel Rust took the honors in the IMCA Friesen Performance Modified class.  It was Damon Murty taking the win in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car division, and Sam Wieben came home the winner in the IMCA Friesen Performance Northern SportMods.  Sam West took the checkers in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature, Kolby Sabin won the MACH-1 IMCA Sport Compact main event, and it was Jon Padilla topping the STARS Mod Lites by taking the win in the first of a three night run in their Corn Belt Clash series. 

Kolby Sabin started on the pole of the 15-lap feature for the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts and led all laps on his way to the checkers. Terry Bickford and Mitchell Bunch chased the leader the entire caution-free race but had to settle for second and third place, respectively.

The IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks ran next for their 20 lap feature. Sam West started third and took the immediate lead. He was chased most of the way by Calvin Dhondt and John Watson.

West led all 20 laps on the way to his first win at the track this year.  Dhondt held second place with Watson taking third.

The Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods had more than their share of yellow flags flying in their 20-lap main event. The lead was swapped several times between Sam Wieben and Kyle Olson but in the caution-marred event, it was Wieben taking the checkers first.

Kyle Olson took the runner-up position with Taylor Kuehl third.

There was lots of close racing at the front of the pack in the 20-lap A main of the IMCA Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature.

Johnathon Logue led lap one, then it was young gun Izac Mallicoat taking over, with Ronn Lauritzen and Todd Shute throwing themselves into the battle as well.

Bad luck bit Shute, taking him out of the running just past the halfway mark. A yellow flew at lap 11 with Mallicoat still holding down the lead but Zack Rawlins and Joel Rust were in the mix breathing down Mallicoat’s neck for the restart.

It took just two laps before Rust became the man in charge of the troops. He would hold on to that lead the rest of the way to the checkers and grab his first trip to the winner’s circle at the track this season.

Eleventh place starter Tripp Gaylord of Lakewood, Colo., looked strong in the late laps and took the runner-up spot. Mallicoat took third.

The IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars put on their usual exciting show in their 20 lap feature.

There was numerous early lead changes in the race with Kylie Rawlins leading lap one, lap two had Michael Jaennette at the helm and on lap four, 10place starter Dallon Murty was in charge. Jaennette was soon out of the running when he had to exit with a tire issue, as Murty continued his run at the front.

On lap 10, dad Damon Murty, who had started ninth, caught Dallon and the two ran the rim of the track, pulling away from the rest of the field. The elder Murty then managed to pull off a slide job on his son, to take over the number one spot at lap 16.

A payback slide didn’t quite work out for Dallon then, as he faltered just enough to allow Austin Kaplan to make the pass in the late circuits of the race … Kaplan taking second and Dallon Murty taking third place.

The racing night concluded with the running of the 25-lap feature for the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites. This was the first of a three-night Corn Belt Clash series at three different tracks. 

Jon Padilla started second and had the lead by lap four, never to look back.  He had lots of strong runners behind him with Josh May and Justin Kinderknecht giving chase. They couldn’t shake Padilla though, as he would motor home to the checkers and the win.

Kinderknecht came from Salina, Kansas to try his hand on the High Banks, but had to be content with second place. May was third.

Jon Padilla paced the Corn Belt Clash opener for Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites at Marshalltown. (Photo by Jordan Hanisch)

Racing continues Friday night, June 2 for Capital Signs Twin Topless Dirty 30’s. It will be $1,200 to win for the Modifieds and $1,000 for the Northern SportMods as they go topless racing.  The Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks, Mod Lites and the visiting Outlaw Mini Mods will also be running.