By Ben Deatherage
MAQUOKETA, Iowa (Mar. 29, 2025) — Drew Janssen made the most of his seat in the Rage Chassis No. 12J house car, leading all 25 laps of the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event at Maquoketa Speedway. After driving the Danny Meier and Trent Guest-owned No. 127 the previous night, Janssen jumped into Justin O’Brien’s ride and didn’t miss a beat.
After a caution on lap two, the Pella driver checked out from the field. The battle for second was intense, featuring Spencer Diercks, California’s Troy Morris III, and Wisconsin standout Brandon Schmitt. Morris, the 2023 IMCA Wild West Speedweek champion, eventually edged ahead in the three-car fight before Schmitt clawed his way past Diercks and then Morris.
Schmitt, the two-time defending Beaver Dam Raceway track champion, mounted a charge but couldn’t touch the leader. Janssen worked through lapped traffic with ease and cruised to his first Razor Chassis North Central Region victory of 2025, winning by more than four seconds.
Schmitt claimed second, while Morris completed the podium.
Murty Sweeps the Weekend in Stock Cars
The front row of the 20-lap Sunoco IMCA Stock Car main event featured a pair of IMCA TV Clash On The Coast champions—Dallon Murty and Michigan’s Mike Vandermark Jr. But once the green flag dropped, it was Murty who quickly took control and never looked back.
The 20-year-old Chelsea native handled several early cautions with composure, executing flawless restarts to maintain his lead. Murty’s victory marked his third win of the season and his second in EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region competition.
While Murty pulled away untouched out front, the battle for the remaining podium spots intensified. Vandermark had to defend his position from Andrew Burk, a former Illinois State Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod champion. Burk finally made the pass after a lap five caution.
In the final laps, Keegan Wells mounted a charge to take over second, and 2023 Wisconsin State champion Tyler Wilson stormed from 17th to edge out Burk at the line for third.
Franzen Delivers Hometown Victory in SportMods
Jarett Franzen gave his hometown fans something to cheer about, capturing his first win of the year in the 15-lap Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod feature.
Franzen, the two-time defending Maquoketa track champion and four-time defending Illinois State titleholder, took the lead early and looked comfortable out front. Justin Becker and 2023 track champ Bob Silaggi battled hard for second early on before Becker pulled ahead.
Later on, after a restart with six laps to go, Tony Olson, the 2016 IMCA National champion, entered the picture and engaged in a fierce fight with Becker for second. Their battle was interrupted by another stoppage with two laps remaining, setting up a green-white-checkered finish.
On the restart, Olson grabbed second and gave chase, but Franzen remained calm and held strong to score the win. Olson settled for second, and Becker rounded out the top three.
