Avila, Dhondt, Mueller and Bunch Win Close Ones on UAW 893 Cliff Chambers Memorial

Finally, after two consecutive rainouts, the Karl Auto Group of Marshalltown Speedway roared back to life with the Local UAW 893 Cliff Chambers Memorial. It was also the 60th Annual Weekly Points Season Opener. Cliff Chambers was a former promoter and flagman, he helped put Marshalltown Speedway on the map. It is honestly amazing to begin the weekly racing for track points with the Cliff Chambers Memorial and end with the Larry Wollam Memorial Season Championships in August. 

It was a beautiful Friday night to kick off the 2024 Weekly Racing action as one hundred and fifty-eight cars signed in to tame the high banked quarter-mile dirt oval, including one NASCAR driver. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Matt Crafton decided to bring his Modified to the Marshalltown Speedway.

The racing action was exciting all night long as they went two and three wide through out the night and tried to squeeze out four and five wide through out the night. Fertlizer Equipment Specialists and Brian Doyle Farms track prep crew did an amazing job getting the racing surface in tip-top shape. The final checkered flag was waived at 11:10 p.m. 

The first feature of the night was the IMCA Stars Mod Lites presented by Knight Sanitation 15 Lapper. Bryan Zehm led the opening lap, fending off pressure from Jon Padilla, but then the only race caution came out for Cody Heck spins in turn two. Padilla was able to take the top spot away on the restart and pulled away to take the feature win. Alex Eischeid came home second, Zehm in third, Cory Sonner in fourth, and Joe Glick in fifth. 

Rugged Radios IMCA Friesen Performance Northern Sport Mods was next on the speedway for their 20-lap feature event. Matt Avila out wrestled Kyle Olson for the race lead early, but the caution came out on lap two for back-stretch cone getting knocked on the race track. Avila had to contend with Olson, Logan Anderson, and Taylor Kuehl on the restart but held them off. Avila looked smooth out front as the others continued to battle behind him for position. The caution came again on lap 11 when Zander Keeland spun in turn two, and again on the restart for Camdan Vincent. Avila held off Anderson and Cam Reimers on the restart; Reimers grabbed second and started to battle with Avila for the race lead. Avila held off Reimers, even after a caution on lap 18, to take the feature win. Reimers, Anderson, tenth-place starter Brayton Carter, and Kuehl rounded out the top five. 

Solomon Bennett jumped out to the early race lead in Cappy's Big 8 Tyre Center IMCA Hobby Stocks 20-lap feature event. Bennett held off challenges from Ben Newhouse and Eric Stanton until the caution came out on lap four when "Flyin' Cop" Logan Andrews lost his front bumper and nose cone in turn three. Bennett remained in command until twelfth-place starter "Flyin' Fireman" Calvin Dhondt took the top spot away. Dhondt was followed by Stanton, and those two battled it out for the race lead. In the last half of the race, Dhondt and Stanton ran side-by-side every lap. Dhondt took the win by a margin of .008 seconds over Stanton. Bradly Graham worked his way into third, Curt Reed was in fourth, and Bennett fell back to fifth. 

Tyler Pickett and "Jammin'" Jimmy Gustin led the field to green in the Drury Automotive and Truck Repair IMCA Stock Cars 20-lap feature event. Gustin took the top spot early, as Pickett was passed by Jeff Mueller and Buck Schafroth. The caution came out on lap five for debris in turn one. Gustin received heavy pressure to restart Mueller and Schafroth. Mueller grabbed the top spot on lap 7, Schafroth led lap eight, Gustin again on lap nine, and then Mueller took the top spot on lap 10. The caution came out when Jay Schmidt spun on the top side of turn three. Mueller held off Schafroth and Gustin until one more race caution on lap 17 for Pickett off turn three. Mueller held on to take the feature win ahead of Schafroth, Gustin, Casey Woken, and David Brandies. 

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Matt Crafton took the early race lead in the 20-lap Tire Demon by Love Tap IMCA Modifieds presented by Friesen Performance. Crafton looked rather impressive out front until a caution came out on lap six for Brian Eppert in turn two. On the restart, unfortunately, a ten-car pileup happened. Tripp Gaylord took the top spot away from Crafton on the following restart, but another caution came out on laps seven and eight. Gaylord saw a heated battle behind him but remained out front, only to see a caution on lap 12 for Riley Simmons in turn two. Gaylord was determined to not be denied, as he went on to take the feature win. Jake McBirnie finished second, Jonathon Logue in third, Drew Janssen in fourth, and Ronn Lauritzen in fifth. 

The final feature of the night was the Hy-Vee of Marshalltown IMCA Sport Compacts 15-lap feature. David Kimmel led the first five laps before tenth-place starter Cristian Grady took the top spot away on lap six. Shortly after the caution came out for Jeremy Williams in turn four, Grady held off eleventh-place starter Mitchell Bunch and Kimmel on the restart, but three laps later, another caution was issued on lap nine for Kimmel in turn one. Bunch stole the lead away from Grady on the restart and went on to take the feature win. Grady, John Gill, Nolan Tuttle, and twelfth-place starter Michael Gardner rounded out the top five. 

You won't have to wait long as the Karl Auto Group of Marshalltown Speedway returns to action for KIX10.1 Thursday Night Thunder on Thursday, May 9th. IMCA sanctioned Modifieds, Stock Cars, Sport Mods, Hobby Stocks, Mod Lites and Sport Compacts. Pits Open at 5:15 p.m., Grandstands at 5:30 p.m., Hot Laps at 6:45 p.m., and Racing at 7:30 p.m. 

Grandstands are $15 for Adults, Seniors & Veterans are $10, Students (11-17) are $10, Kids 10 and under are Free with a paid adult. Pit Passes are $30 for Adults, Kids (3-12) are $15 and Children (2 and under) are Free. 

For more information about Marshalltown Speedway checked out marshalltownspeedway.com or like the Facebook page Marshalltown Speedway or contact promoter Jerry Van Sickel at 515-231-4046 or jvansports@gmail.com.

MARSHALLLTOWN SPEEDWAY 2024 TRACK SPONSORS: Karl Auto Group of Marshalltown (Buick, GMC, Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and Ram Dealer), Tire Demon by Love Tap, Drury Automotive & Truck Repair, Rugged Radios, Cappy's Big 8 Tyre Center, Knight Sanitation, Hy-Vee of Marshalltown, Fertilizer Equipment Specialists, Brian Doyle Farms, H&H Tiling Dozing & Excavating, Competition Motorsport, BeMobile / Verizon Wireless, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Schaeffer's Oil / Arnold Motor Supply, Availa Bank, Central State Bank,  Coors Light/Miller Lite (H&F Distributing), Fisher Trucking, Spot On Calibration & Repair, Local UAW 893 of Marshalltown, Independent Auto, RBF Electric, Mid-State Boring, KFJB 1230 AM-93.9 FM / KIX 101.1 (Trending Media), ELH Professional Power Washing, Velocita, Karl Chevrolet, Karl Kustoms, The Joie of Seating, Tom Cat Performance / Carolina Racing Supply, Elmquist Towing Co., Fast Shafts, Quick Performance, Victory Fuel, Your Life Iowa 1-800 BETS OFF, P&D Welding LLC, Untied Rentals, Martin Maretta, Grasshopper Kellogg Lawn & Snow, Stealth Racing,  Quick Car Racing Products,  J&M Fabrication, BW Outdoors / CAMP CHEF, La Carreta Mexican Grill,  Performance Bodies & Parts, Xtream by Mediacom, Hogeland Auto Plaza, Precision Ink Signs & Graphics, Toby K's Hideaway, North 3rd Ave Dairy Queen, Longacre Scales, Chevrolet Performance, Friesen Performance, Capital Signs, American Family Insurance - Ryan Timm, SUNOCO Race Fuels, Minute Man Printing, Abilene Race Rads, 25 Club Members, D&E Outdoor Services, VESSCO Inc., Dirt Defender. 

Karl Auto Group of Marshalltown Speedway

Marshalltown, Iowa

Local UAW 893 Clif Chambers Memorial

60th Annual Weekly Points Season Opener

Friday May 3rd, 2024

IMCA MODIFIEDS
presented by Tire Demon by Love Tap & Friesen Performance

A Feature (20 Laps) : 1.  77T Tripp Gaylord (Lakewood, Colo.); 2. 82 Jake McBirnie (Boone); 3. 69 Johnathon Logue (Logansport); 4. 90M Drew Janssen (Pella); 5. 10K Ronn Lauritzen (La Porte City); 6. 2Z Zack Rawlins (Kellogg); 7. 43S Scott Simatovich (State Center); 8. 16SS Kip Siems (Cedar Falls); 9. 21R Riley Simmons (Ankeny); 10. 93N Colton Nelson (Osceola); 11. 40RC Rod Clement (Rhodes); 12. 88 Matt Crafton (Mooresville, NC); 13. 4TW Tim Ward (Harcourt); 14. 16K Kaylin Lopez (Chowchilla, Calif.); 15. 28T Trevor Fitz (Camarillo, Calif.); 16. 5 Todd Shute (Norwalk); 17. 26J Joel Rust (Grundy Center); 18. 05 Paul Nagle (Nevada); 19. 19S Chase Weimer (Eldora); 20. 5G Gat Leytham (Garwin); 21. 43 Creston Williams (Atkins); 22. 22B Brian Eppert (Ogden); 23. 28 James Reichart (Indianola); DNS 21 David Brown (Kellogg). 

Heat 1 (8 Laps) : 1. Logue; 2. Fitz; 3. Janssen; 4. Rawlins; 5. Eppert; 6. Clement; 7. Brown; 8. Williams.
Heat 2 (8 Laps) : 1. Gaylord; 2. Ward; 3. Lauritzen; 4. Lopez; 5. Simatovich; 6. Siems; 7. Nelson; 8. Leytham.

Heat 3 (8 Laps) : 1. McBirnie; 2. Crafton; 3. Rust; 4. Shute; 5. Nagle; 6. Reichart; 7. Weimer; 8. Simmons. 

IMCA STOCK CARS
presented by Drury Automotive & Truck Repair

A Feature (20 Laps) : 1.  77M Jeff Mueller (Boone); 2. 92 Buck Schafroth (Orient); 3. 19 Jimmy Gustin (Marshalltown); 4. 35JW Casey Woken (Altoona); 5. 71 David Brandies (Wilton); 6. 01 Troy Jerovetz (Iowa Falls); 7. 93 Michael Jaennette (Kellogg); 8. 64 Vern Jackson (Waterloo); 9. 1 Kaden Reynolds (Cedar Rapids); 10. 94 Steve Meyer (Grundy Center); 11. 00k Trey Kline (Schleswig); 12. 49 Kyle Olson (Cedar Rapids); 13. 2 Dave Atcher (Laurel); 14. 3W Jeff Wollam (Marshalltown); 15. 22R Todd Reitzler (Grinnell); 16. 5A Tyler Pickett (Boone); 17. 4 Scott Rice (Marshalltown); 18. 3TS Tonia Stevens (Barnes City); 19. 4JR Russell Damme Jr (Sumner); 20. C29 Garrett Corn (Marshalltown); 21. V31 Todd Van Eaton (Orient); 22. 99D Damon Murty (Chelsea); 23. 07 Chris Wilke (Urbandale); 24. 19J Jay Schmidt (Tama). 

B Feature (10 Laps) : 1. Schmidt; 2. Murty; 3. Wollam; 4. Olson; 5. 32C Tom Cannon (West Branch); 6. 57 Jamie Anderson (Des Moines); 7. 37 Kylie Rawlins (Kellogg); 8. 14X Austin Schrage (Knoxville); 9. 4X Ethan Thompson (Glidden); 10. 3D Elaine Deppe (Kellogg); 11. 7P Shane Palmer (Huxley); 12. 16 Austin Schuring (Laurel). 

Heat 1 (8 Laps) : 1. Corn; 2. Atcher; 3. VanEaton; 4. Damme; 5. Meyer; 6. Schmidt; 7. Wollam; 8. Murty. 
Heat 2 (8 Laps) : 1. Jackson; 2. Kline; 3. Woken; 4. WIlke; 5. Jerovetz; 6. Rawlins; 7. Cannon; 8. Olson. 

Heat 3 (8 Laps) : 1. Brandies; 2. Pickett; 3. Schafroth; 4. Reitzler; 5. Stevens; 6. Thompson; 7. Anderson; 8. Deppe.

Heat 4 (8 Laps) : 1. Gustin; 2. Mueller; 3. Jaennette; 4. Rice; 5. Reynolds; 6. Schuring; 7. Schrage; 8. Palmer. 

IMCA NORTHERN SPORT MODS
presented by Rugged Radios & Friesen Performance

A Feature (20 Laps) : 1.  2X Matt Avila (Boone); 2. 21 Cam Reimers (Kelley); 3. 53 Logan Anderson (Eddyville); 4. 01 Brayton Carter (Oskaloosa0; 5. 2K Taylor Kuehl (Cave Creek, Ariz.); 6. K3 Kyle Olson (Cedar Rapids); 7. 30M Maguire DeJong (Montezuma); 8. 198 Sam Wieben (Dysart); 9. 7V Carter VanDenBerg (Oskloosa); 10. 17F Christopher Frisbee (Boone); 11. 22JR Brady Hilmer (Dysart); 12. 54 Eddie Ingram (Kansas City, Kan.); 13. 95N Garrett Nelson (Osceola); 14. 74 Camdan Vincent (Nevada); 15. 45 Jonny Williams (Cedar Rapids); 16. 18 Josalyn Elmquist (Boone); 17. 40RC Hunter Clement (Rhodes); 18.  8 Tom Lathrop (Ottumwa); 19. 68 Will Wolf (Grinnell); 20. 27K Zander Keeland (Bakersfield, Calif.); 21. T23 Tony Olson (Cedar Rapids); 22. 16 Bryce Allen (Stanton); 23. MR31 Mike Rutherford (Des Moines). 

Heat 1 (8 Laps) : 1. Kyle Olson; 2. DeJong; 3. Frisbie; 4. VanDenBerg; 5. Allen; 6. Williams; 7. Clement; 8. Keeland. 
Heat 2 (8 Laps) : 1. Reimers; 2. Carter; 3. Avila; 4. Ingram; 5. Nelson; 6. Hilmer; 7. Elmquist; 8. Rutherford. 

Heat 3 (8 Laps) : 1. Kuehl; 2. Anderson; 3. Tony Olson; 4. Wieben; 5. Vincent; 6. Wolf; 7. Lathrop. 

IMCA HOBBY STOCKS
presented by Cappy's Big 8 Tyre Center

A Feature (20 Laps) : 1.  69 Calvin Dhondt (Kellogg); 2. 7B Eric Stanton (Carlisle); 3. 2G Bradly Graham (Victor); 4. 4C Curt Reed (Des Moines); 5. 11B Solomon Bennett (Minburn); 6. 12K Eric Knutson (Slater); 7. 55 Brett Maasdam (Sully); 8. 23Z Zach McNeese (Independence); 9. 22B Braden Gifford (Boone); 10. 47SW Sam West (Ferguson); 11. 55X Corey VanDerwilt (Lynnville); 12. 17K Briar Kriegel (Brooklyn); 13. 51X Dustin Filloon (Tama); 14. 22 Seth Butler (Glidden); 15. 17X Ben Newhouse (State Center); 16. 47 Darin DeZwarte (Knoxville); 17. 7F Brayden Fahrni (Marshalltown); 18. 88H Kale Hemsley (Sigourney); 19. 7C Chad Legere (Ankeny); 20. 21X Joe Doran (Paton); 21. 9L Logan Andrews (Marshalltown); 22. 18A Aaron Elliott (Boone); 23. 27 Brad Graham (Brooklyn); DNS 29 Jake Nelson (Newton). 

B Feature (10 Laps) : 1. DeZwarte; 2. Hemsley; 3. Kreigel; 4. Jake Nelson; 5. 48 Derrick McNeece (Eldora); 6. 78N Matt Nelson (Ankeny); 7. 59JR Chad Rickett Jr (Marshalltown); 8. 7 Clayton Sogge (State Center); 9. 17 Andy Peck (Newton); 10. 9B Larry Baldwin Jr (Des Moines); 11. 17T Aidan Lamasters (Marshalltown); 12. 54 Blake Stevens (Guersney); DNS 29X Matt Miller (Waterloo); DNS 33 DJ Robinson (Des Moines); DNS 52 Joren Fisher (Garrison); DNS 20G Gage Green (Des Moines); DNS 31D Blake Driscol (Dysart). 

Heat 1 (8 Laps) : 1. Bennett; 2. Filloon; 3. Zach McNeese; 4. Brad Graham; 5. Elliott; 6. DeZwarte; 7. Stevens; 8. Robinson; 9. Baldwin Jr.
Heat 2 (8 Laps) : 1. Dhondt; 2. Butler; 3. Knutson; 4. Andrews; 5. Fahrni; 6. Rickett Jr; 7. Sogge; 8. Miller; 9. Fisher. 

Heat 3 (8 Laps) : 1. Stanton; 2. Newhouse; 3. Maasdam; 4. West; 5. Gifford; 6. Peck; 7. Lamasters; 8. Matt Nelson; 9. Green. 

Heat 4 (8 Laps) : 1. Reed; 2. Doran; 3. Bradly Graham; 4. VanDerWilt; 5. Legere; 6. Hemsley; 7. Jake Nelson; 8. Kriegel; 9. Driscol. 

IMCA STARS MOD LITES
presented by Knight Sanitation 

A Feature (15 Laps) : 1.  11P Jon Padilla (Silvis, Ill.); 2. 70 Alex Eischeid (Mechanicsville); 3. 46Z Bryan Zehm (Ames); 4. 47 Cory Sonner (Polk City); 5. 3G Joe Glick (Madrid); 6. 21 Scott Bailey (Carlisle); 7. 9 Garrison Anderson (Huxley); 8. 99 Josh May (Des Moines); 9. 8N William Nobles (West Des Moines); 10. 4G Ben George (Altoona); 11. 18M Chelsea Ladurini (Pleasant Hill); 12. 96 Dillon Bush (Milo); 13. 14 Bryan Compart (Madrid); 14. 5G Tracen Glick (Madrid); 15. 45 Cody Heck (Grinnell); 16. 4 Cliff Barber (Nevada); 17. 89 Travis Stensland (Nevada); 18. 20 Jeff Stensland (Nevada). 

Heat 1 (6 Laps) : 1. Padilla; 2. Travis Stensland; 3. Eischeid; 4. Zehm; 5. Jeff Stensland; 6. Ladurini; 7. Bush; 8. Heck; DNS Compart.
Heat 2 (6 Laps) : 1. Joe Glick; 2. May; 3. George; 4. Bailey; 5. Sonner; 6. Nobles; 7. Barber; 8. Tracen Glick; DNS Anderson. 

IMCA SPORT COMPACTS
presented by Hy-Vee of Marshalltown

A Feature (15 Laps) : 1.  83B Mitchell Bunch (Des Moines); 2. 89 Cristian Grady (Cedar Rapids); 3. 02 John Gill (Marshalltown); 4. 31X Nolan Tuttle (Vinton); 5. 46 Michael Gardner (Des Moines); 6. 10 Kinzer Jaennette (Tama); 7. 16 Curtis Masterson (New Virginia); 8. 33K David Kimmel (New Virginia); 9. 61F Tyler Fiebelkorn (Stuart); 10. 99 Henry Dieleman (Marshalltown); 11. M80 Mark Smith (Huxley); 12. 49B Bryce Bartel (Marshalltown); 13. 5 Larry Werner (Tama); 14. 75 Kaiden Gosselink (Grinnell); 15. 13 Conner Adkins (Grinnell); 16. 46J John Patterson (Marshalltown); 17. 7C Chad Larson (Brooklyn); 18. 32 Marcus Nece (Altoona); 19. 83 Cejay Whisler (Des Moines); 20. 07 Brooke Osler (Milford); 21. 22C Jeremy Williams (Oskaloosa); 22. 21 Corwyn Whisler (Des Moines); 23. 33W Wyatt Routh (Norwalk); DNS 96 Laran Kaplan (Marengo). 

Heat 1 (6 Laps) : 1. Williams; 2. Grady; 3. Gill; 4. Gardner; 5. Gosselink; 6. Patterson; 7. Kaplan; 8. Dieleman.
Heat 2 (6 Laps) : 1. Bunch; 2. Kimmel; 3. Tuttle; 4. Masterson; 5. Larson; 6. Corwyn Whisler; 7. Werner; 8. Nece. 

Heat 3 (6 Laps) : 1. Jaennette; 2. Fiebelkorn; 3. Osler; 4. Smith; 5. Bartel; 6. Adkins; 7. Cejay Whisler; 8. Routh.