What won the race: Dylan Thornton of Orcutt, Calif., was declared the winner of Friday's rain-shortened eighth annual Dale DeFrance Memorial at Marshalltown Speedway, earning $4,544 on the Malvern Bank East-West sister tours. Thornton had a back-and-forth battle with rookie Dallon Murty before Murty was eliminated after contact with a lapped car at the start of the 30th lap just as rain began to fall. Track officials declared Thornton the winner after a 30-minute delay.

Quotable: “Not really the way we like to win them. That was honestly a hell of a race,” Thornton said. “Dallon (Murty) did a great job. He just kinda got into that lapped car, who kinda came up the racetrack into him, and I wish it didn’t happen, honestly. We were gonna have one hell of a race over the last however many laps. I don’t know, we weren’t that great, I felt like I was fading and obviously he was coming on. Either way, the check’s gonna cash and we’ll move on to tomorrow.”

Key notes: Murty, winner of three straight Malvern West Series races entering Friday, led twice for three laps (26-27, 29) before making contact with C.J. Horn as he attempted to lap him at the start of the 30th circuit then slowed down the backstretch to draw a caution with apparent left-front suspension damage. ... The lap-30 caution, which fell at 11 p.m. local time, eventually ended the race, as rain only intensified until series officials called it. ... Oddly, Murty was the race's last leader at lap 29, but officials moved him down to 16th in the final rundown after he was unable to continue under caution before the final 15 laps washed out. ... Thornton led twice (1-25, 28) for his ninth overall feature victory this season, his second in Malvern East-West co-sanctioned action (July 12 at Iowa's Shelby County Speedway, worth $10,076). ... Thornton notched his seventh career East Series victory, moving him into a three-way tie with Justin Zeitner and Chad Simpson for third on the tour's all-time win list; it was Thornton's third career West Series triumph, all of them coming this season. ... He and Murty accounted for four lead changes, all coming within what wound up being the final five laps. ... Besides the lap-30 caution for Murty slowing, the race was first halted on lap seven after Charlie McKenna appeared to lose an engine. ... Hall of Famer Kyle Berck pulled off on lap 23 as the race's only other retiree. ... The Malvern Bank sister tours conclude a Hawkeye State doubleheader with Saturday's $4,000-to-win Ray Houck Memorial at Iowa's Adams County Speedway.

On the move: Tim Ward of Mesa, Ariz., started 15th and finished seventh.

Winner's sponsors: Thornton’s Ricky and Brenda Kay-owned Longhorn Chassis is powered by a HalaBuilt Competition Engine and carries sponsorship from Petersen Insurance, Salty’s BBQ and Catering, Kay Farms Elevator Trucking, Hoker Trucking, Pit Crew BBQ, Malvern Bank, Drake Excavating & Aggregates, Tyler Matzen Trucking, Vander Heiden Hauling & Farming, Wheatland Auto Body, Bilstein Shocks, Hyperco, Wyffels Hybrids, Performance Bodies, Dynamic Drivelines and Capital Race Decals.

Points chase: East Series after Marshalltown: 1. Dylan Thornton (2,144); 2. Chad Simpson (2,136); 3. Dallon Murty (2,078); 4. Jesse Sobbing (2,068); 5. Jason Hahne (1,978). West Series after Marshalltown: 1. Jesse Sobbing (2,124); 2. Tad Pospisil (2,048); 3. Corey Zeitner (2,002); 4. Jacob Hobscheidt (1,970); 5. Bill Leighton Jr. (1,962).

Current weather: Broken Clouds Light Rain, 73°F

Car count: 32

Fast qualifier: Dallon Murty

Time: 14.453 seconds

Polesitter: Jesse Sobbing

Heat race winners: Dave Eckrich, Chad Simpson, J.C. Wyman, Justin Kay

Consolation race winners: Bill Leighton Jr., Corey Zeitner

Provisional starters: Jason Hahne, Andrew Kosiski, Fred Remley, Curt Schroeder, Darrel DeFrance

Next series race: August 23, Adams County Speedway (Corning, IA) $4,000