It was Central Iowa Fair time at Marshalltown last night. The county fair queen was on hand at the Speedway and helped announce a race or two, and tried her hand at running the scoreboard. There was fair food, livestock and live music as well. The youngsters got their turn on the track too, as they wheeled their bikes in some intermission competition. The real action was on the high quarter banks though. There was a driver scoring his first victory at the track this year, one going back-to-back, while the other classes saw repeat winners. The Sport Compacts did not run last night as only one car was on hand.
The MADCRA Mod Lite 15-lap feature was halted after just one lap was scored. The #99 of Josh May was off power, bringing out the yellow. While under that yellow, the #57 of Tim Hennigar also experienced trouble, and both May and Hennigar were done for the night. When action got back underway, ANDY Hennigar wasted no time in making the pass to the lead on Mike Kennedy. From there on, it was his race the remaining way to the checkers and the win. Mike Morrill fought through traffic from starting ninth, to score the runner up spot. James May took third, Eric Hendrickson was fourth and Chargin' Charlie Brown was fifth. Andy Hennigar is the current point leader but both Charlie Brown and Mike Morrill are one point behind. This was Hennigar's third win at Marshalltown this year.
Several cautions interrupted the 12-lap Hobby Stock feature. When the final caution flew at lap six, it was Travis Overton at the point spot, but he had company in Eric Larson, Austin Luellen and Dustin Elliott. Larson took over the lead, Luellen following him into second, but with two laps remaining, Luellen made his move to the front. He would hold it to the double checkers and the win. Larson had to settle for the runner up spot. Elliott got around Overton as they took third and fourth, and John Watson was fifth. Luellen scored his fifth regular season win at Marshalltown this year.
The initial start of the 18-lap SportMod feature was a no go. When lap one did get in the books, it was Jake McBirnie, son of former Modified racer Joe McBirnie, leading the troops, Shawn Ritter on his tail. Just after lap two was scored, the driver in third place, Andy Tiernan went off the top of corner three, and another yellow was required to assist him to the pits. McBirnie continued his hold on the point position, Ritter was maintaining second, and slamming the door shut on lady racer, Jenae Gustin in third. Another yellow at lap six, just as Gustin had gotten around Ritter, reverted her back to third on the restart. Gustin showed her determination when action got back under way and flew to the lead, around both Ritter and leader McBirnie, and was scored as the leader at lap seven. As the race wore on, Gustin pulled away from the field, as now second place runner Clint Luellen was a good distance behind. Another yellow at lap eleven, still didn't deter Gustin as she pulled away from the field. Gustin was looking to finally have her recent bout of bad luck at Marshalltown in her past......UNTIL....just after she took the white flag and entered turn one! The car appeared to falter as she began to set it in the corner, and then was at a stop. Drivers tried to take evasive action, Ryan King unable to avoid her, and other cars taking hits here and there. Luellen came out of the mess with a flat tire, his chance at a top finish wiped away. Ritter also received a smashed in right side from contact. The finish was now setting up to be a green-white-checkered. After the scorers sorted out the order, it was Jared VanDeest, who had gotten up to third before Gustin's bad luck, sitting on the front and in the lead. The race finished as it was lined up for the restart---VanDeest taking the win. VanDeest came from starting eleventh to take his second win at Marshalltown this year. Second place was Sam Wieben who started back in fourteenth spot, third was Neil Follett, fourth went to Travis Petersen who came out of row five, and Jared Timmerman....who we have just recently seen back racing....started seventeenth and completed the top five.
The Flying Deuce of Dave Atcher....who just brought his sharp looking hot rod out a few weeks back, put it in victory lane for the second week in a row in the IMCA Stock Car feature. Atcher grabbed the lead on the second lap after a first lap slide attempt around then leader Robbie Merkle failed. Atcher held down his lead but there was a lot of jockeying going on behind him! Michael Jaennette was duking it out with Donavon Smith, and Steve Meyer was holding off Damon Murty. Smith got to the runner up spot, and Meyer made headway into the third by setting his car up top. The fast and furious race went caution free the entire 18-laps, Atcher winning it in comfortable fashion. Smith made his usual patient trek around the bottom pay off for a runner up finish. Meyer took third over fourth place Jaennette and the Chelsea Charger was back in town after Des Moines rained out, and copped a fifth place finish. Point leader Smith holds a healthy 44 point lead on second place Steve Meyer.
The night ending Modified feature also had quite the action in the closing laps. It didn't got off to a good start however, as Jake Strayer, who has not had any good luck at the Marshalltown track, got into corner one on the start, only to have his car slide sideways and then a chain reaction occurred---all before a lap could be scored. When things were cleared and the race restarted, polesitter Joel Bushore led the field to the green, Eric Elliott right behind. Elliott soon snatched that lead, and put some distance between himself and second place Bushore. Visiting driver Chris Mills from the Sioux City area took a rolling ride off of the top of turn three, bringing out a caution at lap eight. Elliott continued his ride at the front of the pack but by lap twelve of the 20-lapper, he had Jon Snyder and Ronn Lauritzen hot on his trail. Elliott did his best, keeping the challengers at bay until lap fifteen when Snyder took to the topside and the took command. A lap later, Lauritzen took over the runner up spot. From there on, it was a closely contested battle between Snyder and Lauritzen. Lauritzen kept peeking to the inside, while Snyder ran his usual high line; keeping just the momentum to hold the lead. Snyder went to victory lane, Lauritzen had to settle for the runner up spot. Elliott held on to third, Bushore was fourth and Joel Rust came from twelfth starting spot, to complete the top five. This was surprisingly, the first win this year for the "Topside Terror" Snyder. Lauritzen holds down a comfortable 55 point lead in the track points.
This coming week is the "Hawkeye Modified Speedweek" with lots and lots of racing going on in our state. Check out the calendar at Positively Racing for some racing that you may want to catch. The news of more and more tracks closing around the country, we need to continue our support of the pastime we all enjoy. Thanks for reading and happy racing!
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