6/8/2024
Marshalltown Speedway
TWIN TOPLESS DIRTY 30'S WINS TO RUST AND PARIS AS CARTER, DHONDT, AND MASENGARB ALSO FIND VICTORY LANE
June 7, 2024
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa
Marshalltown Speedway was host to the first of two Twin Topless Dirty 30 races on Friday night. The IMCA Friesen Performance Modifieds and Northern SportMods both removed their tops for the unique race program. The second night for the topless divisions moves to Boone Speedway on Saturday. Mother Nature tried to stop the fun, but a few sprinkles during the SportMod feature, didn't stop the show, and racing action returned quickly.
Joel Rust won the exciting Modified feature, and it was Muscatine, Iowa's Shane Paris winning in the SportMods. Cayden Carter ran away and hid in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car event, Calvin Dhondt came from row six to take the checkers in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock division, and Illinois racer, Jason Masengarb took the honors in the IMCA Stealth STARS Mod Lites.
The feature racing kicked off with the running of the 15 lap main event for the Mod Lites, presented by Knight Sanitation.
Jason Masengarb, Colona, Illinois, started on the pole and led all but a brief moment when Charlie Brown was scored the leader at lap three. That's when action was halted for Tracen Glick, when he went for an easy roll in corner four. When the race returned to green, Masengarb once again took control and then never looked back as he raced home to the flying checkers and the win. Josh May raced his way from eighth starting position to finish as the runner up. Third place was Jon Padilla, Silvis, Illinois, Charlie Brown came home in fourth place, and Bryan Zehm finished fifth after starting in eleventh place. This was Masengarb's first feature win of the season at the speedway.
The Hobby Stock were up next for their 20 lap feature, presented by Big 8 Tyre Center.
Don't ever count out Calvin Dhondt. Dhondt started twelfth on the field and methodically picked off car after car on his way to the front. The third yellow flew at lap eight, and at that time, Eric Knutson was holding the lead, with Solomon Bennett in second, and Dhondt had moved into third. Dhondt had the lead at the line on lap eleven and then pulled away in the closing portion of the race to score the win. Eric Knutson, who started eleventh, took the runner up position, thirteenth place starter Sam West was third, fourth went to Solomon Bennett who started tenth, and fourteenth place starter Bradly Graham was fifth. Dhondt chalked up his second feature of the year.
The IMCA 20 lap Stock Car feature, presented by Drury Automotive, saw Cayden Carter take the easy win...and a $1,000 pay off as well as a B & B Chassis All-Star Invitational Qualifier for Super Nationals.
Gage Neal started outside the front row, and immediately took the lead, followed by visiting Abilene, Texas racer, Tommy Fain. Neal looked strong and put distance between himself and the field, but then a yellow flew at lap seven, bunching them up for the restart. When the race returned to green, it was Neal, Cayden Carter, and Maguire DeJong fighting it out for the top spot. At the halfway mark, Carter had established the lead, and then he went on to "walk the dog" as he sailed to the easy win. Neal finished second, just holding off DeJong in third. Fourth went to Tommy Fain, and Dallon Murty rounded out the top five.
The first of the topless races was the 30 lapper for the SportMods, presented by Rugged Radios.
Matt Avila was the early leader with Shane Paris and Brayton Carter in tow. Carter kept digging and found his way into the lead on lap fifteen, and was looking for checkers. He was still leading when a yellow flew for debris on lap twenty-three, and on the restart, still held the top spot. It was looking like Carter was going to capture the win and the $1,000 prize as the race wore on, but that would all change when another yellow reared its ugly head with just three laps to go. The restart was not good for Carter, as he fell back positions, and Shane Paris took over the lead. Then on lap twenty-eight, Mother Nature decided to sprinkle the track. The cars were kept on the track, and before long, it was back to racing. Paris held on to that top spot, and raced home to the flying checkers and the win. Cam Reimers mounted a late race challenge, but had to be content with second. Early leader Matt Avila took third place, it was Taylor Kuehl coming from ninth to finish fourth, and Kyle Olson completed the top five.
The nightcap was 30 laps of topless Modified racing, presented by Tire Demon by Love Tap. It was a Fast Shaft All-Star Invitational qualifier that paid $1,200 to the winner.
Dylan Thornton started on the pole and dominantly established himself as the leader. He took to the top of the track and distanced himself from Tom Berry and Joel Rust duking it out for second place. At the halfway point, Berry had reeled in Thornton, and mounted a challenge. Berry found his attempt at the pass a little too much on lap sixteen, as he lost traction and went spinning in corner two, bringing out the yellow. On lap twenty-one another yellow flew, Thornton still maintaining the upper hand, and by this time, tenth place starter Tripp Gaylord, had gotten to second place, and Rust was running third. Gaylord tried a slide job that didn't stick, and Rust was right there in the mix. It was an exciting race upfront with the three going at it, but Rust was the one who got the pass on the backstretch and had the lead with six laps to go. He was then able to hold on to the lead the rest of the way to the finish and score the win. Gaylord went second, with Thornton in third, fourth was Johnathon Logue, and Trevor Fitz came home in fifth. After finishing a disappointing second after leading much of the race last week, Rust redeemed himself with his first win at the track for 2024.
Next Friday, June 14 at the Marshalltown Speedway it will be P & D Welding Solutions $1,000 to win for the IMCA Modifieds and a $500 Shoot-out Structural Race as well. The IMCA Stock Cars, SportMods, Hobby Stocks, Mod Lites, and Sport Compacts will also be racing. Hot laps are 6:45, with racing at 7:30.
Article Credit: Joyce Eisele
Submitted By: Jerry Vansickel
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