Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Aikey attack at Marshalltown Deery show

It was a packed house at the Marshalltown Speedway Tuesday night.  Fans came out to watch the Deery Brothers Late Models on the high banks.  There was an extra $1,000 on the line for that winner if they were a veteran of the track that is celebrating it's 50th season of racing.  Several possible drivers had the opportunity.  Would it happen?  The Stock Cars, SportMods and visiting Dirt Trucks were also on the program.

Two Dirt Truck features were run since just seven trucks were on hand.  The first feature went to Lou Sipolt.  He led all the race in taking home the trophy.  Pat Fagen finished as the runner up, and close behind in third was Kevin Sather.  Brad Moyer and Carl Knight completed the top five.  Winner Sipolt is a host of the Great Day TV Morning Show on KCWI Channel 23, but has also been indulging in his passion for Dirt Truck Racing for a number of years.

The second Dirt Truck feature found Bret Moyer leading early but Kevin Sather went to the top of the track, and flew to the lead with just two laps remaining.  Behind him, brothers Bret and Brad Moyer were duking it out.  Bret Moyer found himself on the short end of the stick during a little brotherly rivalry, spun, gathered it back in, but dropping well back.  Sather took the win, Pat Fagen got by the Moyer brothers during the little incident, and finished in second.  Brad Moyer was third, AJ Nelson fourth and Bret Moyer took fifth.

The Stock Cars ran a 20-lap feature.  Scott Pippert jumped to the immediate lead from his outside front row starting spot.  From there on, it was a "try and catch the 47" the entire race.  David Smith tried to do just that, but could not make the bottom work, try as he did, and ended up in second.  His brother Devin Smith, who jumped from Hobby Stock up to the Stock Cars this year, started tenth and put his Dodge hot rod into third place.  Chelsea Charger, Damon Murty started on the tail after experiencing trouble in his heat race, and made it to a fourth place finish.  The third Smith brother in the race, Donavon Smith, had to tag the tail at lap fifteen after getting caught up in an incident in turn four, and flew through the field to be scored in fifth.
Winner Pippert was a happy camper in victory lane, savoring the win and the $600 it paid.  

There was a $1,000 on the line for the SportMod feature winner.  Andy Tiernan led lap one from his pole starting spot.  But who was that, that pulled to the top of the track from starting in the third row and was flying?  It was the 3L machine of Clint Luellen, and what a demonstration he put on!  By lap two, he had taken the lead.  Tiernan hung in second until Sam Wieben took over the runner up spot at lap nine.  Tiernan continued his run at the top of the track, and Wieben was now trying to reel him in by running the bottom.  Luellen wasn't about to have anything deter him on this night though, and maintained perfect control and scored the win.  Wieben kept the runner up spot, Taylor Mussellman made late race headway to finish third, fourth was Tiernan and Carter VanDenBerg came from starting in row five, to complete the top five.  Luellen won for the fifth time this year at Marshalltown.  

There were 34 Deery Brothers IMCA Late Models on hand.  After heat races and two B mains, the starting line up was set for the 50 lap main event.  The top twelve drivers had their starting positions determined by the series' usual "pass the pizza box" routine.  The lucky front row starters were Tyler Bruening and Jason Hahne. Third place starter, veteran Jeff Aikey, grabbed the lead quickly, and led at lap one.  Another wile veteran, Ray Guss, Jr. was second by lap number two.  The race was continuing caution free, Guss trying to make the move underneath Aikey, but to no avail.  By lap twenty-five, the track was black from top to bottom, lap traffic was in heavy play, but the two top runners were easing through it effortlessly.  Denny Eckrich moved into third by lap 30, getting past Tyler Bruening, and was then applying some pressure to Guss.  Eckrich tried to slip under Guss at lap 43, only to have Guss slam the door, and Eckrich found himself in a spin on the front stretch apron, bringing out the first caution of the feature run.  When the race restarted, the #56 of Andy Eckrich was sitting in third place and readying himself for the dash to the checkers.  In the closing laps, Andy Eckrich did make the move into second, dipping low to the inside of Guss, as they and the rest of the field could only watch as Aikey took the feature win.  Andy Eckrich took second, Guss was third, and Justin Kay started alongside Eckrich in row six, to finish fourth.  Another veteran racer, Curt Martin rounded out the top five.  Aikey took his 62nd feature Deery win, took the $3,000 pay, and being a veteran of the Marshalltown track, (raced 1985-1990) got an additional $1,000 bonus! 

The Marshalltown Speedway will be back in action on Friday night, June 27, for another night of regular weekly racing.  Hot laps are 6:45 and racing at 7:30.  

Thanks for reading, and happy racing!   

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