By Joyce Eisele
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (June 9, 2023) – Todd Shute came away with back-to-back wins in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and Jay Schmidt got win number one of the season in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars Friday at Marshalltown Speedway.
Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts kicked off feature racing with their 15-lap “A” main.
Kolby Sabin led from the drop of the green to take his third win of the year. He was chased most of the way by Terry Bickford who crossed the finish line in second. However, Bickford was disqualified in the post-race inspection. This handed second spot over to Matt Miller, and Mitchell Bunch was third in a close one at the line. Fourth was Larry Werner and rounding out the top five was Chad Larson.
IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks ran 20 laps for their feature event and it was Calvin Dhondt taking the checkers. Dhondt started ninth and ran down early leader Sam West. He made a nifty pass low in turns one and two and had the lead by lap 10.
The last half of the race was all his as he swept to the win, comfortably ahead of West, Solomon Bennett, Bradly Graham and Eric Knutson.
It was 20 laps of feature racing for the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and Logan Anderson looked to be on his way to seeing victory lane but a late-race caution proved to be his undoing.
Anderson had led from lap one until the yellow flew at lap 15, closing the gap between him and his competition on the restart. When the race restarted, it was Jenae Gustin flying around the top and passing Brayton Carter, who had been running second.
A couple of laps later, her topside momentum took her into the lead and then on to the checkers. Anderson took the runner up spot and Carter was third. Sam Weiben and Kyle Olson finished fourth and fifth, respectively. This was Gustin’s first win at the track this season.
The Modifieds were running for $1,000 in a 20-lap feature event. After a three-car incident going into turn three called off the initial start, Ethan Braaksma grabbed the lead when the race went green.
Shute was hot on his tail almost immediately, and a slight jump of cushion allowed Shute to make the pass by lap five. Shute, already Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible. then had the lead for good, and pulled away to take the dominant win.
Tripp Gaylord of Lakewood, Colo., came from 10th starting to finish second. Braaksma, Dallon Murty and Jacob Murray completed the top five. Shute won for the second time in as many weeks and it was his third of the regular season at Marshalltown.
Earlier, there was a P & D Welding Structural Shoot Out for the Modifieds with $500 going to the winner of the contest which pitted 16 drivers. The top four in track points were locked in, and the other twelve drivers qualified through their heats. The bracket-style racing got the final four still standing down for the final shoot out. Dallon Murty was the victor, beating out Joel Rust, Gaylord and Minot, N.D.’s Spencer Wilson.
After an initial no-go start, the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature went flag to flag.
The opening laps were a shootout between Michael Jaennette and Schmidt, who took the lead at lap three. Jaennette refused to go away and then ninth place starter Damon Murty was suddenly in the picture.
The top three ran the rim of the race track for most of the duration of the race, with Murty making the pass around Jaennette with just four laps remaining. Schmidt went home to the flying checkers to seal his first win of the season at Marshalltown, with Murty and Jeannette going second and third in that order. Scott Rice ran the low side and made it work to finish in fourth place. Steve Meyer rounded out the top five.
The Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites saw their 15-lap feature go caution-free. Josh May started fourth and had the lead at lap one, never to give it up on his run to the win.
R.J. Gonzales started fifth and trailed May the entire race to finish a distant second. Alex Eischeid and Jason Masengarb battled each other much of the race as they finished third and fourth, and Cory Sonner took fifth.This was May’s first win this year at The High Banks.
Friday, June 16, is Midwest Liquid Systems Night and the Modifieds will be running for $1,000 again. Sanctioned Stock Cars, Northern SportMods, Hobby Stocks, and Mod Lites will be running as well as the Outlaw Cruisers. Hot laps are 6:55 p.m. with racing at 7:30 p.m.
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