marshalltownspeedway Archives

Three-Night Corn Belt Clash Brings Big Payouts for Mod Lites Across Iowa

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (May 15, 2025) — The Corn Belt Clash returns with three straight nights of intense Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lite action, kicking off on Friday, May 23 at Marshalltown Speedway, continuing Saturday at Boone Speedway, and wrapping up Sunday at Stuart Speedway. “This event has become a staple for Mod Lites,” said Jimmy May, Mod Lite Director. “It’s the fifth year under IMCA, and it’s a great opportunity for drivers to compete at multiple tracks over one weekend while chasing a solid point fund.” Drivers will battle for $500 to win each night with $100 to start. In addition, the Top 20 in overall Clash points will each receive $350, thanks to the generous support of Vessco, Superior Race Cars, and several anonymous sponsors. Peak Decals will provide the big checks for each night’s winners, while Weekend Performance will give $30 cash to every heat race winner. “This point fund is a big motivator for teams to come out and run the entire weekend,” May added. “With three nights of [Read More]

Feature

Anniversary Races Memorial Day Weekend At Three Iowa Tracks — Marshalltown, Boone, and Benton County

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (May 14, 2025) — Memorial Day weekend will be a special one in Iowa as three of some of the state’s most prestigious tracks host races to commemorate the 46th Anniversary of Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and the 20th Anniversary of the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods. The weekend kicks off on Friday, May 23 at Marshalltown Speedway, before moving west to Boone Speedway on Saturday night. The action wraps up Sunday at the birthplace of IMCA in Vinton, where Benton County Speedway will host the series finale. Both Friday and Saturday will feature $2,000.00 to win for the IMCA Modifieds and $1,000.00 to win for the IMCA Northern SportMods. On Sunday, the Modifieds will compete for $4,600.00 to win and $400.00 to start, while SportMods will battle for a $2,000.00 top prize and $190.00 to start. “It’s a great honor to keep this Memorial Day tradition going and to recognize the heritage that Benton County Speedway has with the IMCA Modifieds, dating all the way back to 1979,” said [Read More]

Season Opener and Cliff Chambers Memorial Set for Friday at Marshalltown Speedway

By Jerry Vansickel MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Apr. 27, 2025) — Mother Nature looks to be a race fan this Friday night as Marshalltown Speedway kicks off its 62nd Annual Season Opener, highlighted by the annual UAW Local 893 Cliff Chambers Memorial. Each year, the event honors one of the great promoters in the track’s storied history. Cliff Chambers was instrumental in keeping weekly racing alive on the famed 1/4-mile high-banked clay oval for many years, and this memorial race continues his lasting legacy. The chase to Championship Friday begins in all of our weekly divisions: Karl Chevrolet IMCA Modifieds, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods, Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks, Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts, and Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites. Friday’s program begins with pit gates opening at 5:15 p.m., grandstands opening at 5:30 p.m., and hot laps at 6:30 p.m. with racing to follow. Grandstand admission is $15 for adults, $10 for veterans, seniors (65+), and students ages 11-17. Kids 10 and under are free with a paid adult. Pit passes are $35 [Read More]

Cody Laney cruised to the $1,000 checkers and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility, winning Friday’s Showdown at MoTown feature for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. (Photo by Tom Macht, www.photofinishphotos.com)

$1K ShowDown at MoTown wins to Laney, Freeburg

By Joyce Eisele MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Aug. 31, 2024) – The Karl Auto Group ShowDown in MoTown was held at the Marshalltown Speedway on Friday with a whopping 178 cars from all across the United States tuning up for the upcoming IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Cody Laney would take the honors in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and Austin Kaplan won the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature. Jenae Gustin repeated her win from last year’s ShowDown in MoTown when she took the checkers in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods. Bradly Graham won the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature, Brandon Freeburg won the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lite main and Michael Gardner won the Mach-1 Sport Compact feature. Feature racing kicked off with the 16-lap Northern SportMod event. Hometown racer Gustin started third on the grid, grabbed the lead immediately and held that top position the entire run to the checkers. Jake Sachau started seventh and tried chasing down Gustin but had nothing for her and had to settle for second place. Third went [Read More]

Showdown in Motown ushers in holiday weekend racing action

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Aug. 25, 2024) – Action heats up on the High Bank this Friday night for the annual Labor Day Weekend kick-off, the Aug. 30 Karl Auto Group ShowDown in Motown. Drivers from across the Midwest and the country make Marshalltown Speedway their Friday night stop on the way to the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Last year we saw 16 different states represented at the event, with the biggest out of state turnout from California. There is no entry fee to compete and all you will need is a $35 pit pass to race for great spending money on your way to Boone Speedway for Super Nationals: *$1,000 to win/$100 to start Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds *$1,000 to win/$100 to start Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites *$750 to win/ $75 To start IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars *$500 to win/ $75 to start Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods *$500 to win/$75 to start IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks *$250 to win Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts Also featuring Karl Chevrolet Dirt Trucks. Modified [Read More]

Six track champions crowned at Marshalltown Speedway

By Joyce Eisele MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Aug. 16, 2024) – It was the N 3rd Avenue Dairy Queen Larry Wollam Season Championship night Friday at Marshalltown Speedway and six track champions were crowned. Out-of-car introductions were made for all features. The point leader in each division drew for the way the feature would be lined up …4, 6, 8 or the complete field inverted. First to the track were the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods. The draw was for the field to be inverted. Six extra laps were added making it a 22-lap main event and putting point leader Brayton Carter to start at the rear. When the race went green, it was outside front row starter Ryan Leeman taking the lead. A yellow flew on lap three when Will Wolf lost a wheel and by this time Carter had already made his way up to third place. When the race picked back up, Carter wasted no time in moving forward again and had the lead when lap five went in the books. It was all Carter’s race from there [Read More]

Rich Marshalltown checkers to Inman, Nielsen, Padilla

By Joyce Eisele MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Aug. 9, 2024) – It was a beautiful night for racing at Marshalltown Speedway on Friday when it was VESSCO/BHE/RBF Electric night at the track. Those sponsors added extra money to the SportMod, Hobby Stock and Mod Lite classes, all paying $1000 to win. Visiting driver in the IMCA Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods Tyler Inman took the checkers in that division. It was another visitor on the night, Brandon Nielsen, taking the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock win, and Jon Padilla was back in victory lane in the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites Tripp Gaylord matched his opening night win when he took the checkers in the IMCA Friesen Performance Modifieds, Michael Jaennette was the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car winner and Michael Gardner won the IMCA Mach-1 Sport Compact feature. The Northern SportMod 16-lap feature ran first. Inman, a hired gun for the evening, redrew the outside front row starting spot and from there on out, never looked back on his run to the checkers and the win. Cory Van Zante [Read More]

Gustin and Gustin go to victory lane at Marshalltown

By Joyce Eisele MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Aug 2, 2024) – It was EMW Trucking Military Memorial Night at the Marshalltown Speedway on Friday. Pre-race ceremonies honored those that gave the ultimate sacrifice as well as honoring those veterans in attendance, who were given free admission thanks to EMW. More money was also on the line for four of the divisions racing. Tom Berry, Jr. went away with the $2,000 IMCA Friesen Performance Modified win, Jimmy Gustin had the crowd on its feet on the final corner when he won the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car $1,000 feature, and sister Jenae Gustin won the $1,300 IMCA Friesen Performance Northern SportMods for the second week in a row. It was another close one at the line in the $600 to win IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks as Calvin Dhondt crossed the finish line first in a dash to the checkers. Jon Padilla won the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lite main and it was Cristian Grady going to victory lane for the third time straight time in the Mach-1 IMCA [Read More]

Ward, Murty, Gustin, Knutson find victory lane at DeFrance Memorial

By Joyce Eisele MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (July 26, 2024) – A large crowd was on hand for the annual running of the Dale DeFrance Memorial Friday at Marshalltown Speedway. One hundred sixty cars in five classes packed the pits for the prestigious race. Extra money was also on the line in all classes that saw the night celebrate the patriarch of the DeFrance Family, Dale DeFrance, as well as the entire DeFrance racing family. The Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature ran first. Jenae Gustin wasted no time in taking her ride from the fourth starting spot to the front by lap two. She was challenged at times early by pole sitter Eddie Ingram and late in the race Brayton Carter threw his hat into the ring in an attempt to catch Gustin. It was to no avail however, as Gustin had her sights set on winning her grandpa Dale’s memorial race and would take the checkers to the delight of the crowd, an emotional win. Carter took the runner-up spot with 16th place starter Cam Reimers [Read More]

Friday is a night for the record book as Ward takes 100th IMCA Modified win at Marshalltown

By Joyce Eisele MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (July 19, 2024) – Marshalltown Speedway was back on its regular Friday night of racing this week and it was one for the record books as Tim Ward captured his career 100th Friesen Performance IMCA Modified victory. Kaden Reynolds got out in front and was gone in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature and Brayton Carter had no trouble in snagging the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod victory. It was Calvin Dhondt adding to his list of wins in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks as did Cristian Grady in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts and Dillon Raffurty made the trip up from Kansas City, Missouri pay off when he saw checkers in the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites. The Mod Lite 15-lap feature was up first. Travis Stensland started on the outside front row and jumped to the immediate lead when the race went green. His nice lead would disappear when a yellow flag flew at lap six, closing the field for the restart. Raffurty had been closing on the [Read More]