By Mia Cox
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (May 15, 2026) — The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature capped an action-packed night at Marshalltown Speedway with a thrilling finish.
Greg Elliott and Owen Barnhill led the field to green, but trouble struck early when Barnhill rolled over in turn three with 17 laps remaining. Multiple cautions and spins kept the field tightly packed while lightning flashed in the distance, adding to the drama.
Through all the interruptions, Norwalk’s Todd Shute stayed poised at the front. Shute and Ronn Lauritzen put on one of the best battles of the night before Chaz Baca Jr. stormed into contention late. Baca, who started 10th, sliced low exiting turn four in the closing laps, but Shute held him off at the line for his sixth Razor Chassis North Central Region victory of the season, with three of those wins coming at Marshalltown.
Lauritzen finished third while Joel Rust charged from 14th to fourth. Tripp Gaylord rounded out the top five.
Wolf Wins Wild SportMod Feature
The Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods delivered one of the fiercest races of the night with multiple lead changes and hard racing throughout the 16-lap feature.
Brayden Fahrni and Josalyn Elmquist brought the field to green before Tony Johnson and Will Wolf immediately began battling for the lead. A caution on lap three slowed the pace after Elmquist looped around and collected another car.
The action remained intense as Colton Livezey, Matt Avila, Johnson, and Wolf traded positions throughout the race. Wolf briefly lost momentum after riding the cushion in turn three but rallied back to the front in the closing laps.
With one lap remaining, contact between Johnson and Wolf shuffled the running order, allowing Wolf to pull away for the victory. The Lynnville racer started fifth and earned his third win of the season at three different tracks.
Livezey finished second while Bradyn Gustin completed the podium. Avila and Johnson rounded out the top five.
Kaplan Cruises to Marshalltown Stock Car Score
Austin Kaplan put together a commanding run in the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature.
Kaplan and Todd Reitzler battled fiercely for the lead in the opening laps while a packed fight for third unfolded behind them involving Hunter Smith, Thor Anderson, and the Spaw brothers.
As the race settled in, Kaplan stretched his advantage to nearly half a straightaway while the battles behind him intensified with multiple side-by-side exchanges and contact throughout the field.
The Collins driver cruised to his second EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region victory of the season, with both wins coming at Marshalltown Speedway.
Hunter Smith finished second while Thor Anderson completed the podium. Johnny Spaw and Bronson Spaw rounded out the top five.
Knutson Charges Forward in Hobby Stocks
The Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks started with some calamity in their 16-lap main event.
An early caution flew almost immediately after Bentley Long spun in turns one and two, forcing drivers to scatter to avoid contact. Later, another multi-car pileup involving several contenders stacked up the field near the opening corners.
Through the chaos, Slater’s Eric Knutson steadily worked his way to the front from seventh starting position. Following a late restart, Knutson took control and drove away for his third B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region victory of the season, with two of those wins coming at Marshalltown.
Tom Killen Jr. rallied from 12th to finish second while Corey Van Der Wilt advanced from ninth to third. Braden Gifford charged from 11th to fourth and Brett Maasdam completed the top five.
Bunch Prevails in Action-Packed Sport Compact Feature
The IMCA Sport Compact feature turned into one of the wildest races of the night as Jeremy Williams and Cheyanne Starr brought the field to green for the 15-lap main event.
Early on, Williams, Mitchell Bunch, Michael Gardner, and Jennette raced in a tight pack while battling for the lead in one of the most competitive contests of the evening. The caution waved with 11 laps remaining after Hoover went over the banking in turn three.
As the laps wound down, the battle intensified between the No. 83B of Bunch, Williams, Gardner, and Jennette. With just three laps to go, disaster struck when something broke in the left rear of Jennette’s machine, sending the car into a violent series of flips between turns one and two. Jennette climbed from the car under his own power after the frightening rollover in one of the most dramatic moments of the night.
Following the restart, Des Moines driver Mitchell Bunch drove away from the field to secure the victory after starting 10th. Williams finished second while Gardner completed the podium in third. David Kimmel crossed the line fourth, with Katelynn Watts rounding out the top five.
May Prevails in Mod Lite Feature
The Stealth Racing IMCA Mod Lite feature saw several cautions and a dramatic red flag before Josh May emerged victorious.
An early caution slowed the field after only one lap before a violent rollover with 12 laps remaining brought out the red flag. Once racing resumed, Cory Sonner, Joel Huggins, and Austin Gray battled intensely for second place behind the leaders.
Another caution with five laps remaining tightened the field one final time, but May stayed strong out front to secure the win. The Des Moines driver started fifth and earned his second victory of the season and first at Marshalltown in 2026.
Sonner finished second while Gray completed the podium. Huggins crossed the line fourth and Tracen Glick charged from 13th to fifth.
