By Joyce Eisele
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (July 14, 2023) – Lakewood, Colo., driver Tripp Gaylord was among the drivers earning season-first IMCA feature wins Friday at Marshalltown Speedway. Last week’s races were rained out and Friday the track was dodging threats of rain, but the show went on as scheduled with 134 cars checking in for a full night of racing action.
Tripp Gaylord, who is calling Iowa home for the summer, started 10th in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main and ran down then-leader Johnathon Logue by lap six with Todd Shute joining in the fight to make it a three-way battle for the lead.
Gaylord managed to take over the top spot at lap 14 and then kept it the rest of the way to the flying checkers. Shute started seventh and took second, early leader Jimmy was third, Logue finished fourth and Izac Mallicoat was fifth.
Mitchell Bunch led the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts flag-to-flag on his way to the checkers. Kolby Sabin chased Bunch for most of the race but had to be satisfied with the runner-up spot.
Andrew Bieber started 13th and finished third. Fourth went to Curtis Masterson and David Kimmel made a good comeback after sliding into a front stretch billboard on lap one, had to tag the field, and still got a top five finish.
This was Bunch’s first time in victory lane at Marshalltown this season.
Mitchell Bunch got the best of his Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact foes in scoring his first Marshalltown Speedway win of the season on Friday night. (Photo by Jordan Hanisch)
Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites saw Josh May start 10th and inherit the lead on lap four when then leader William Nobles was suddenly off power on the backstretch, bringing out a yellow.
May never relinquished his lead the rest of the way and visited the winner’s circle for the fourth time this season. Jon Padilla mounted a good challenge but had to be content with second place. RJ Gonzales had a good run after having to rally back after an early race spin, and finished third. Joe Glick and Cory Sonner rounded out the top five.
It was an exciting finish to the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature. Logan Anderson was looking strong as he led from lap one, holding off challenges of heavy hitters in Tony Olson, Brayton Carter and Sam Wieben.
Anderson was still leading at lap 17 when the yellow flew and by this time, Carter had moved his ride into second. Another yellow at lap 18 set up a green, white, checkered dash to the finish.
Anderson held the lead at lap 19 but it was Carter finding his way around the outside and passing for the lead on the run to the checkers, securing his second local win of the regular season, after also winning the Frostbuster special and night two of the King of the Highbanks pre-season special.
Leah Wroten took command from her outside front row starting spot as the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature went green.
She was soon being pestered by Steve Meyer and 10th place starter Nathan Ballard. Meyer took the lead briefly on lap seven but just two laps later it was Ballard grabbing the lead.
From there on out, it was Ballard’s race as he went home to the flying checkers and captured his first feature of the year at the speedway. Austin Kaplan started 11th and caught the leader with seven laps to go, but had to settle for second. Meyer was third, fourth went to Jeff Wollam and Garrett Corn took fifth.
The IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature put a nightcap on the night’s racing.
Mark Hidlebaugh held the upper hand in the early portion of the race, with Bradly Graham chasing him in second. By lap seven, 12th place starter Eric Stanton had charged through the field to run third and two laps later, he had taken over the lead.
Stanton then kept hold of that top spot the rest of the way to the finish line and the win, his first at Marshalltown this season. Graham finished as the runner up, Seth Butler ran at the front of the pack all race long and finished third, fourth went to Hidlebaugh, and Sam West was fifth.
Friday night, July 21, is Vescco Inc. $2,000 to win Stock Cars Highbanks After the Creek Night. The Outlaw Mini Mods will also join the IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods, Hobby Stocks, and Mod Lites. Pits open at 5:15 p.m., gates at 5:30 p.m., hot laps at 6:55 p.m. and racing at 7:30 p.m.
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