9/3/2023
Marshalltown Speedway
Showdown at MoTown wins to Laney, McBirnie, Gustin, Grape, Padilla, Sabin, and Mitchell
September 1, 2023
It was Karl of Marshalltown Showdown at MoTown on Friday night at the Marshalltown Speedway. One hundred thirty-three racecars came to try their hand at the High Banks, and the majority of the drivers were not from the state of Iowa! Drivers from all across the country were in the area for the upcoming IMCA Super Nationals, and made Marshalltown Speedway an early stop.
Seven classes were in competition. The IMCA Friesen Performance Modified saw California driver Cody Laney take the checkers. It was Jake McBirnie winning in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, and Jenae Gustin matched her win from last week's Showdown Shake Down race by taking the honors in the IMCA Friesen Performance Northern SportMods. Nebraska racer Tristan Grape won the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature, Jon Padilla also went back to back with his win in the IMCA Stealth STARS Mod Lites, and Kolby Sabin won the IMCA MACH-1 Sport Compacts A Main. Also on the docket for the night were the Karl Chevrolet Dirt Trucks, and it was Mason Mitchell taking home that trophy.
The Mod Lite feature, presented by Knight Sanitation, ran their 15 lap main event first.
Jon Padilla would lead this one from flag to flag. Padilla started on the outside pole and immediately had the lead, never to look back. RJ Gonzales chased him across the finish line to score the runner up position. Trailing a good distance behind in third place was Joel Huggins, and Jason Masengarb, and Josh May completed the top five. This was Padilla's second win in as many weeks.
The SportMod 20 lap feature, presented by Rugged Radios was up next and it was led to the green flag by a pair of Bakersfield, California brothers, Jason and Tyler Bannister.
Tyler Bannister led the opening laps, but there was quickly a flying #19J coming on the topside, that of Jenae Gustin, who took command at lap four.
Gustin was never really threatened as she hung it out topside and pulled away in the closing laps to take the dominant win. Brayton Carter started eighth and after battling with Tyler Bannister for much of the race, claimed the runner up spot, Bannister having to settle for third place. Jason Bannister finished in fourth, and Logan Anderson came from tenth starting spot, to finish fifth. Gustin saw the checkers for the second week in a row at Marshalltown.
The IMCA Stock Car 25 lap feature, presented by Drury Automotive, was a thrilling one with close racing up front for the entire race.
Troy Foulger, Oakley, California led the first three laps, but Columbus, Nebraska racer Jeff Ware came calling on lap four to take command. Ware distanced himself from the field a bit, while a real cluster of cars battled for position behind him. By lap thirteen, Jake McBirnie had cleared the cluster and was reeling in leader Ware, and that's when a yellow flew. On the restart of the race, McBirnie threw a slider out of turn four, but it didn't stick. The next lap, he tried it again, and this time was successful, and took over the top spot.
Another yellow flew with just a handful of laps left, and by this time it was Damon Murty running in second place, and Todd Reitzler had advanced nineteen spots, to run in third, and Ware falling to fourth. When the race restarted, it was a real shoot out with the top four cars going at it. Another yellow at lap 23, would then set up a green-white-checkered exciting run to the checkers.
McBirnie was able to hold off the challenges, and swept home to the victory. Damon Murty finished second, Todd Reitzler crossed in third, fourth was Ware, and Garrett Corn started eleventh, and finished fifth. The after race tech however, would shake things up a bit, as Todd Reitzler was dq'd with a rules infraction, moving Ware to finish in third place, Corn in fourth, and Tommy Fain, Abilene, Texas, was scored in fifth.
The IMCA Modifieds, presented by Tire Demon by Love Tap also ran 25 laps.
Cody Laney, Torrance, California, would dominate in this feature, and though a late race yellow would bunch the field for the restart, he was able to throw off the challenges of Joel Rust and Tripp Gaylord and take the feature win. Rust and Gaylord finished second and third respectively, and Colorado driver Ricky Alvarado took fourth, followed by Oakley, California's Troy Foulger in fifth.
The IMCA Hobby Stocks, presented by Big 8 Tyre Center, ran a 15 lap feature next.
Bellwood, Nebraska driver Tristan Grape started on the outside front row, grabbed the lead immediately, and never relinquished the lead the rest of the way to the flying checkers. He weathered three caution flags on his way to victory. Eric Knutsen started twelfth, tried to run down the leader, but had to be content with second place. Third went to David McCalla, fourth was Zach McNeese, and Tucker Richardson, Morning Sun, Iowa started eleventh, and finished in fifth.
The IMCA Sport Compacts, presented by Hy-Vee of Marshalltown, ran 15 laps for their A Main.
Early leader was Mitchell Bielenberg, Charlotte, Iowa, but it was Matt Miller taking over at lap five. He had some fierce competition coming behind him however, and Kolby Sabin, track champion, started twelfth, and had the lead on lap seven....and kept it to the finish line and the win. Trailing a distance behind him in second place was tenth place starter, Randy Martin, Springtown, Texas. Third went to Matt Miller, Tyler Thompson was fourth, and Devin Schmidt, Nortonville, Kansas, rounded out the top five.
The nightcap was 25 laps of Karl Chevrolet Dirt Trucks.
Jeff Johnson led the troops through the opening laps, but it was Mason Mitchell soon taking over that top spot. From there on out, it was all Mitchell's race as he flew home easily to the win. Jeff Johnson held the runner up spot, a distant third went to Shawn Cooney, fourth was Jared Myers, and Brandon Cox was fifth.
There is no racing next week at the Marshalltown Speedway, but they will be back in action for the 17th Annual World Nationals on September 15 and 16 to close out the season. The IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods, and Hobby Stocks are on the docket both nights, with the IMCA Sport Compacts joining them on Saturday September 16.
Article Credit: Joyce Eisele
Submitted By: Jerry Vansickel
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