Karl Auto Group of Marshalltown Speedway ran a night early this week, as it hosted the KIX101.1 Thursday Night Thunder during the Central Iowa Fair. As fair-goers took a break from the fair and took in a night of high-flying dirt track racing on the high banked quarter mile, they did not leave disappointed.
There may have only been ninety-six cars checking in, but they were going two, three, and four wide throughout the night, and a few times squeezed out five wide. Leaving race fans with excitement and with it being a Thursday night, the show was so efficient that the final checkered flag was waived at 9:35 p.m.
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The first feature of the night was the 15-lap Knight Santiation IMCA Mod Lites feature event. Travis Stensland grabbed the top spot from the drop of the green, but shortly after one lap was scored, the caution came out for Tracen Glick spinning on the front stretch. Travis Stensland had to contend with Charlie Brown and Jeff Stensland on the restart. Brown managed to get by Travis Stensland on lap four and pull away. Both Stenslands were left to contend with tenth-place starter Jon Padilla. Padilla took second and tried to reel in Brown, but came up short. Brown took the win, Padilla was second, Travis Stensland finished third, Bryan Zehm was fourth, and Alex Eischeid was in fifth.
Before a single lap was completed in the Rugged Radio IMCA Friesen Performance Northern Sport Mods 16-lap feature event, the caution came out. They tried to squeeze five wide exiting turn two, but nobody wanted to give and take, so several cars got together, resulting in Tom Lathrop going off the top of turn two and Brian Hilbert spinning in turn two. Josalyn "Jos The Boss" Elmquist led the first lap, while "Too Cool" Taylor Kuehl took the top spot on lap two. Kuehl pulled away from the field until the next caution on lap eight, when Elmquist spun on the front stretch. Kuehl held off Matt Avila and Brayton Carter on the restart and again pulled away. The caution came out one more time on lap 14, setting up a green-white-checkered finish for Ryan Leeman spinning in turn four. Kuehl was not going to be denied the victory, as she held Avila and Carter again to take her first win this season in Motown. Avila, Carter, Will Wolf, and Kyle Olson rounded out the top five.
Next up was the Drury Automotive and Truck Repair IMCA Stock Cars for their $1,000 to win 20-lap feature event. "Jammer" Jimmy Gustin outwrestled "Game Changer" Dallon Murty to lead lap one, but Murty took the top spot away on lap two. Murty and Gustin continued to fight for the top spot for the next few laps before Murty was able to pull away. Just as Murty was beginning to encounter lap traffic, the caution came out on lap nine for Tom Cannon spinning in turn four. Murty again got a great restart and never looked back, going on to take his first Stock Car win in Motown this season. Jake McBirnie came home in second, Gustin fell back to third, Dylan Thornton took fourth, and eleventh-place starter "Gas Man" Cayden Carter took fifth after getting by Kaden Reynolds and Austin Kaplan.
Trevor Fitz, formally of Camarillo, California, flexed his muscles, grabbing the early lead in the Tire Demon by Love Tap IMCA Friesen Performance Modifieds 20-lap feature. Fitz held off several challenges from David Brown before pulling away, while Joel Rust worked his way from eighth to second by lap ten. The only caution came out on lap 15 when Gat Leytham spun on the top side of turn four. Rust got the best restart and took the top spot away from Fitz. Rust went on to claim his second victory of the season. Fitz, Kyle Heckman, Todd Shute, and Brown rounded out the top five.
Kinzer Jaennette led the first three laps for the Hy-Vee of Marshalltown IMCA Sport Compacts 15-lap feature, before eighth-place starter Cristian Grady and Spencer Roggentien applied pressure. Grady took the top spot away on lap four; Roggentien and Jaennette battled for second until Jaennette expired from the race on lap 12. Grady took his second win of the season. Roggentien finished second, tenth-place starter James Haring got third, Michael Gardner finished fourth in a backup car, and Mark Smith was fifth.
The final feature of the night was the 16-lap Cappy's Big 8 Tyre Center IMCA Hobby Stocks feature event. Kale Hemsley led the first five laps, fending off Brad Graham and Dustin Filloon. Then the caution came out when Chad Rickett Jr. spun in turn two. Hemsley continued to lead after the restart, but that came to an abrupt end when he came to a stop, exiting turn two and collecting up Solomon Bennett, Bradly Graham, Calvin Dhondt, Eric Knutson, Ben Newhouse, and Logan Andrews. Dustin Filloon inherited the lead on the restart and received pressure from the "Ferguson Freight Train," Sam West. Filloon held on to take the feature win; he was followed by West and Corey VanDerWilt. Bradly Graham worked his way back through to finish fourth, and Brad Graham took fifth.
Reminder: no Friday night racing action, so people can take in some other great Central Iowa Fair events like the Color Fun Run and take a lap around the track.
On Saturday, during the Central Iowa Fair, there will be the Redneck Rally Race presented by J&M Fabrication. Front-wheel drive, real-wheel drive, trucks, and SUVs's classes. Candy Dash for the Kids. Pits open at 12 p.m.; grandstands at 2:30 p.m.; racing at 3:30 p.m. Grandstands: adults $10; kids (6–12) $5; children (5 and under) free. Pit passes are $25, and the driver's entry fee is $25.
Racing action then returns on Friday, July 19th, with Rumour's Sports Bar and Grille Salute to Our Marshall County Law Enforcement, First Responders, and EMT's. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA Sport Mods, IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Mod Lites, and IMCA Sport Compacts all take to the speedway. 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.
Then the following Friday night, July 26th, sees the Malvern Bank Super Late Models invade Marshalltown for an East-West Clash during the Dale DeFrance Memorial presented by Vinyl Cup Records. Late models will pay $4,400 to win. Farley's Auto IMCA Modifieds Summer Challenge Series, presented by Mesa Muffler, pay $1,500 to win. IMCA Stock Cars are $750 to win; IMCA Sport Mods and IMCA Hobby Stocks are $500 to win. Grandstands will be $20 for adults, seniors, and veterans $15; for kids (ages 11–17) $10; for children (10 and under) Free. Pits will be $35 for Adults, Kids (3-12) $20 and Children (2 and Under) Free. Rain date, if needed, will be August 2nd.
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.
KIX101.1 Thursday Night Thunder at the Central Iowa Fair
Thursday July 11th, 2024
IMCA MODIFIEDS
presented by Tire Demon by Love Tap & Friesen Performance
Heat 2 (8 Laps) : 1. Brown; 2. McBirnie; 3. Gaylord; 4. Simatovich; 5. Leytham.
presented by Drury Automotive & Truck Repair
Heat 2 (8 Laps) : 1. Reynolds; 2. McBirnie; 3. Damon Murty; 4. Carter; 5. Pickett; 6. Simmons; 7. Newlin; 8. Rawlins; 9. Cannon.
presented by Rugged Radios & Friesen Performance
Heat 2 (7 Laps) : 1. Kuehl; 2. Carter; 3. Lathrop; 4. Hilbert; 5. Wolf.
presented by Cappy's Big 8 Tyre Center
Heat 2 (7 Laps) : 1. Knutson; 2. Gifford; 3. Bennett; 4. West; 5. Bradly Graham; 6. Lamasters; 7. McNeece; 8. Sogge; 9. Fahrni; 10. Peck.
presented by Knight Sanitation
Heat 2 (6 Laps) : 1. Jeff Stensland; 2. May; 3. Brown; 4. Padilla; 5. Bryan; 6. Dominguez; 7. Carr; 8. Heck.
presented by Hy-Vee of Marshalltown
Heat 2 (6 Laps) : 1. Grady; 2. Williams; 3. Smith; 4. Haring; 5. Gosselink; 6. Masterson.
