Saturday, July 20, 2013

It's "The Top Side Terror" and "Black Betty at Marshalltown

The Marshalltown Speedway welcomed Racers Against ALS  last night.  The organization is not only raising funds and bringing awareness to the disease, but is also supporting fellow racer Keith Miner who is fighting ALS, known more commonly as Lou Gehrig's disease.  Brad Banks, former Iowa Hawkeye football standout was on hand to sign autographs, chat with fans and to help raise funds for the event.

The Sport Compacts kicked the features off.  Dave Moorman led the entire ten laps in taking the feature win. Merv Chandler wasn't able to overtake Moorman on this night, settling for the runner up spot.  Third was John Gill, fourth Joe Alday and Chad Larson was fifth, but did not finish.

The MADCRA Mod Lite saw Jimmy May celebrating his birthday night by leading the feature in the opening laps.  His son, Josh May wasted no time in getting to second to chase his dad.  At the halfway mark, Josh May took over the top spot and sailed away.  Mike Morrill got around Jimmy May and was on the hunt, but to no avail.  Josh May won, his fifth of the year at Marshalltown, Morrill took the runner up spot, Jimmy May held on to third.  Fourth place was Andy Hennigar and Randy Bryan rounded out the top five.  Josh May and Andy Hennigar still remain as the only two Mod Lite drivers that have won at Marshalltown this year.

Johnathan Logue led the first lap of the SportMod A main before Jayme Duinink put his #777 into the lead.  Brad Iverson made his way into second by lap four.  The car on the move now was the 9E of Eric Elliott who had started eleventh and sat in third place at lap eight.  Elliott wasn't content with that though.  A yellow flew at lap eight and the restart was what Elliott was looking for.  He swung to the lead by the following lap and kept it to the checkers, taking his second win at the track this year.  Second went to Grinnell's Brad Iverson, Travis Peterson came from starting along side the winner in row six, to take third place.  Fourth was Jenae Gustin who started in row five and Joel Rust, who started dead last, put his continuing "rental ride" in fifth.

The 12-lap Hobby Stock feature had Eric Larson holding off Eric Stanton for most of the first half of the race.  Stanton made the pass to the lead in the latter portion, and held it to the checkers, scoring his second win at the speedway this year.  Veteran Bill Bonnett got past Eric Larson as they finished second and third in that order.  Brice Udelhoven crossed in fourth, but rumor has it that he was later disqualified for some infraction, handing fourth over to Austin Luellen. Scott Durlin rounded out the top five.

Eighteen laps were ahead for the Stock Cars as they rolled onto the track.  The fans got their money's worth in this one as the two front runners went after it lap after lap. Jay Schmidt and his "Black Betty" ride, and Damon "The Chelsea Charger" Murty were going at it at lap one and it never ended.  The two circled the track at the topside, Schmidt in the lead, and Murty planted firmly on his rear.  Murty tried a peek to the low side now and then, and when it didn't work, went right back to chase Schmidt on the top.  Schmidt took the win---his third in a row, and fifth of the year at the speedway---Murty had to be content with the runner up spot.  Eric Knutson chased the leaders much of the race to take third.  Fourth went to Chris Wiltse and Jeff Wollam, "The Dean" finished in fifth.

The night ending 20-lap Modified feature was a good one too.  Kellogg's Zach Rawlins took charge at the drop of the green and was looking strong.  Rawlins rode the rim of the track and had a stacked field of cars behind him doing the same thing.  Cayden Carter got to second early from starting in seventh but was soon to be bothered by "The Topside Terror" Jon Snyder who had started in row five. Racer Hulin was making headway and in the top five as was visitor Darin Duffy riding in fourth after starting sixteenth.  After a restart at lap thirteen, with Rawlin's still in command, Snyder took advantage and got the lead by the following lap.  Another yellow flew at lap fifteen, setting up another shoot out scenario on the restart.  Carter gave it a good shot in those final laps, but wasn't able to pull it off, Snyder getting the win, Carter taking the runner up spot.  Third went to Zach Rawlins with one of his best runs of the season, Duffy scored the fourth spot, and the Angry Bird car of Ronn Laurtizen who started ninth, completed the top five.  Snyder scored a win for the second week in a row.

It was another hot night at the races, our fourth in a row sitting in our typical July Iowa heat and humidity. Earlier, we were thankful for the northwesterly breeze helping us to cool off, even with eating a bit of dust.  The Iowa weather changed during the night as the humidity lowered and things got a lot more comfortable.
We will head to Boone Speedway tonight, ending our five night run of racing, and then us seniors will be taking a couple of nights off for a little R & R.  We will be right back to catching some racing action before long though, and we hope you too will be checking the racing calendar and taking in the action somewhere.
Happy racing!

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