It's been a few years since the United States Modified Touring Series has been to the high-banks at Marshalltown. The race, originally scheduled back in June, was rained out and rescheduled for Wednesday night---but Mother Nature looked to throw a wrench into it. Thankfully, the rain that was forecast, didn't happen at the Marshalltown Speedway and the USMTS and the USRA Stock Cars and B Mods put on the show as scheduled.
The USRA B Mods raced their 20-lap feature caution free. The current USRA point leader in the Iron Man Challenge,DanWheeler from Savage, Minnesota, leaped to the lead immediately from his pole starting spot. He was soon to have two local drivers hot on his trail though---Jared VanDeest and Jenae Gustin. With a handful of laps in the books, those three drivers would make it three-wide racing for the lead. Things got sorted out by lap seven, and who should be in the lead, but the "Mighty Miss" Jenae Gustin. Gustin was letting no one stand in her way on this night, defending her home turf and showing the boys how it's done! Gustin made it look easy in winning her first USRA B Mod race, a $600 win, and thanked her many sponsors and fans in her post-race interview with announcer Lon Olke. USRA regular, Jacob Bleess from Chatfield, Minnesota, took the runner up position. Third went to Joey Schaefer, fourth was another Marshalltown regular, Jared VanDeest, and USRA regular Cory Crapser from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin completed the top five. Wheeler finished sixth, and after taking a look at the current points in the Iron Man Challenge series, it appears that he now sits second in points to Cory Crapser.
Another local driver defended the home turf in the USRA Stock Car 25-lap feature. Damon Murty, who had barely made his heat race due to having to change from his usual 2-barrel carburetor, to the USRA required 4-barrel, was the lucky recipient of the pole position, thanks to his son Dallon's draw. The early laps, Murty was challenged by another Marshalltown regular, Steve Meyer, as they both swung to the topside. In the final five laps, Murty stretched his lead, but now Meyer was having to contend with Decorah's Mitch Hovden. Hovden made the pass into second on the back stretch before lap 22 was scored, taking the highroad around Meyer who had now been running the lowside. Murty took the checkers, and the $750 payoff, Hovden finished as the runner up, and Steve Meyer held on to third. Fourth went to Tom Schmitt and Dillon Anderson was fifth.
It was a 40-lap feature for the USMTS A main. Young Cade Dillard out of Robeline, Louisiana got the jump on pole-sitter Joe Duvall from Claremore, Oklahoma as soon as the race went green. A caution flew at lap four when two local drivers, Derek Riemer and Zach Rawlins got together in turn one. Dillard was still holding down the point position, Duvall was second and Stormy Scott was sitting in third place. As the race restarted, things did not go so well for Duvall and Scott as Scott ended up in the outside frontstretch wall just before the flagstand when the two got together. The restart sent Duvall to the tail for the restart while Scott had to retire to the pits. An area regular who runs the USMTS circuit, Zack VanderBeek from New Sharon, was now sitting in second place and readying for a chance to challenge the leader when the race went green. Dillard however, was hanging tough and still leading when another yellow flew at lap twenty. VanderBeek was still lurking in second but it was the #20 of Rodney Sanders up to third place. Sanders has been hot lately, well on his way to defending his USMTS National title, after starting ninth. Another yellow flew just a few laps later when local driver Richie Gustin dropped his driveshaft, leaving him dead in the water. On the restart, Sanders got a tremendous jump and was about to take over the lead, only to have it called back for yet another yellow for the car #77 of Joe Beal from Milan, Illinois. Leader Dillard was not about to let Sanders get the jump on this restart, but he had made his way into second place around VanderBeek and was in hot pursuit of the leader. It was fight for the lead between Dillard and Sanders as they flew down the backstretch after lap 29 had been scored, and this time, Sanders got the upper hand, scored the leader at lap 30. From there on, Sanders was never really challenged but the race behind him was intense. Dillard, VanderBeek and area racer Brad Dierks were locked into a battle. Sanders took the checkers, marking his 24th feature win of the year in the USMTS, Dillard held the runner up spot, Dierks slipped by VanderBeek in the closing moments to score the third spot, VanderBeek going fourth, and multiple times USMTS champion, Kelly Shryock completed the top five.
It was fun watching the USMTS on the Marshalltown high-banks, an enjoyable mid-week round of racing. The series was suppose to have a five-night run, but already the second night scheduled for Webster City has been canceled due to the rain. The series is now scheduled for Lansing, Minnesota on Friday, Deer Creek Speedway in Minnesota on Saturday, and Cresco on Sunday---all at Mother Nature's mercy.
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