Thursday Night Thunder wins to Rust, Murty, Kuehl, Filloon, Brown, and Grady

By Joyce Eisele

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (July 11, 2024) – It was KIX 101.1 Thursday Night Thunder at the Marshalltown Speedway on a Central Iowa Fair hot and humid night, instead of their usual Friday night show.

The IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars were running for a $1,000 payday and it was Dallon Murty taking home that prize. Joel Rust returned to victory lane in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and Taylor Kuehl bested the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods.

A first-time winner ever at Marshalltown was Dustin Filloon in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. Charlie Brown had the field covered in the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites and Cristian Grady got his second win of the year in the IMCA Mach-1 Sport Compacts.

Fifteen laps of Mod Lite racing kicked off the night’s feature events.

Travis Stensland grabbed the lead as the race went green, taking advantage of his pole starting position. However, sixth place starter Brown was immediately up to challenge. A yellow flew after lap one was scored for a spinning car, and when the race returned to green, Brown was all over Stensland.

By lap four, Brown had the lead, one he would never relinquish as he sailed off in the remaining caution-free laps to take the easy win. It was a good battle for second as Stensland was fending off the advances of 10th place starter Jon Padilla in the closing laps.

Padilla was finally able to make his move as the race drew to a close and took second place, with Stensland third.

The Northern SportMod 16-lap feature came to the track next.

Josalyn Elmquist and Kuehl were at the front when lap one was scored. Elmquist held the top spot at lap one but by lap two, it was Kuehl in command.

Kuehl weathered two caution interruptions and subsequent restarts with ease as she went on to take the feature win, her first at the track this year. Last week’s winner Matt Avila came from 11th and finished as the runner-up. Third place went to Brayton Carter and Will Wolf, in a tribute car to Mike Spilman, had a good run after having mechanical issues earlier in the evening, and finished fourth. 

The Stock Cars ran a 20 lap feature that was paying $1,000 for the win in a draw/redraw format.

Murty drew the lucky number one starting spot for the feature with Jimmy Gustin sitting to his outside for the start. Murty held the top spot as the two ran the top of the High Banks through lap nine when the yellow flag flew.

When the race restarted, third place runner Jake McBirnie made his move around Gustin to take over the number two spot.  The race continued caution-free from that point on, and Murty had no problem in keeping that top spot, pulling away to take the comfortable win as the checkers flew. 

McBirnie and Gustin had a good battle going on for second and third, with McBirnie holding off Gustin as they finished second and third, respectively. Murty is already B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible.

Modifieds ran a 20-lap feature.

Trevor Fitz, the California transplant, led the field as the race started, with David Brown in tow. Fitz was having no issues holding back the field while Brown and eighth place starter Rust were battling it out for second.

Rust made the move around Brown at the halfway mark of the race and then set his sights on leader Fitz.  he only yellow of the contest flew with a handful of laps remaining and when the race went back to green, Rust pulled a perfect slider in corner four and had the lead when lap 16 was scored.

It was Rust’s race the rest of the way to the checkers and the win. Fitz held on to second place and third went to visiting Bakersfield, Calif., racer Kyle Heckman.

The Sport Compacts ran a 20-lap, caution-free feature.

Kinzer Jaennette started on the outside front row and led the first three laps before Cristian Grady came calling and took command. It was all Grady’s race from there on out as the race went flag to flag with Grady taking the easy win.

Spencer Roggentien finished as the runner-up and third went to 10th place starter James Haring.

Sixteen laps of Hobby Stock feature racing completed the night’s racing program.

Kale Hemsley started on the outside of the front row and grabbed the lead immediately. He was still leading when the first caution flew on lap five. When the race restarted, he kept hold of the lead as lap six went into the books but turn two proved to be his nemesis when the rear end broke loose, and numerous cars piled up behind him with no place to go.

When the race restarted and the carnage was cleaned up with several cars not able to rejoin the field, it was Filloon inheriting the number one spot. Filloon was still leading when the third and final caution flew for debris with four laps to go.

Filloon was able to keep his run at the front the final circuits to the checkers and take his first-ever win at Marshalltown Speedway.  Sam West finished as the runner-up while Cory VanDerwilt started 14th and finished in third.

Marshalltown Speedway will return to its usual Friday night racing next week, July 19, for Rumours Sports Bar Salute to Marshall County Law Enforcement, First Responders and EMTs Night. All six IMCA divisions will be in competition. Hot laps are at 6:45 p.m. and racing is at 7:30 p.m. 

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