The IMCA Northern SportMods ran their $1,000 to win feature first. The 24-car starting field required two B mains, taking two cars from each, to fill in the field. Track regular Travis Peterson won consy #1, and the second went to Brett Lowry from Montezuma. The early portion of the 20-lap feature was a fight between the front row starters, Logan Scott from Odebolt, Iowa and track champion, Clint Luellen. Luellen, who has been having a phenomenal season, held down the point spot as lap one was scored, Scott settling into second for the chase. The two opted for the low road in turns one and two, and the high line of three and four, but Scott's attempts of a pass never paid off. Luellen drove the distance to the flying checkers and the win. Tracy Wassenburg got past Scott late in the race as they went second and third, and Austin Kaplan was a close fourth. Rounding out the top five was Doug Smith who had started back in twentieth spot. Luellen, the "Minburn Missile", worked through lap traffic methodically in the final laps of the feature, taking the win by a comfortable margin. In a post-race interview with announcer Jerry VanSickel, they discussed Luellen now leading the National points race for the IMCA Northern SportMods by 2 points. He stated that he had not even considered running for that championship until late in the season, but found himself sitting in a good position to give it a shot when the season wound up at his regular tracks of Marshalltown and Stuart. Good luck to the young hot shoe in his quest for bringing home that title.
The Hobby Stocks had extra money thrown into the pot, and instead of running for the $500 win, it turned into $700. They also had to have a B main to complete their starting line up for the feature. That B main went to Garrett Eilander. When the race went green, it was the front row sitters Dustin Elliott and Kyle Parizek leading the troops. It didn't take long for Eric Stanton to join in the fun, running in third when a yellow flew at lap three. Just a couple of laps after the ensuing restart, Stanton dipped under leader Parizek, and took command of the race. Stanton withstood three more yellow flags and the restarts, motoring home to the checkers and the win. Following in second place, was track regular Austin Luellen. A distance behind in third, was track champion John Watson who had won the previous night. Dustin Elliott held fourth place and rounding out the top five was thirteenth place starter, Benji Irvine.
The IMCA Stock Cars tagged four cars to the tail of their A $1,000 to win feature. Damon Murty, who had suffered issues in his heat race, had to attempt to qualify through the consy. He started dead last in the consy, and won it. By the time the 25-lap feature came to the track, the weather had taken a turn. A cold front moved in, the wind turned, coming from the north/northwest and about blew us away! The flags and signs were whipping and it was not an easy task to keep my always present notebook safe!
The Stock Cars raced a 25-lap feature, for $1,000 to win for the second night in a row. The previous night's winner, Kyle Vanover from Beatrice, Nebraska, wasted no time in taking the lead from starting fourth, snatching it up by the time the first lap was scored! He didn't have an easy go of it in holding that lead in the early going though! David Brandies, the hotshoe from Atalissa, Iowa and the track champion at the West Liberty track, had started eighth and was hot on Vanover's tail by lap two! It was a good battle between those two talented drivers, Brandies taking over the lead at lap eight, and keeping a tight hold on it through lap sixteen.....withstanding at least two caution restarts. Vanover, however, was not done yet, giving constant attempts to regain the lead. That paid off at lap seventeen, as he took over the coveted spot again. At the 25th and final lap, Vanover took the comfortable win for the second night in a row. Brandies had to be content with a second place finish. Third place went to Churdan's Jason Minnehan, and local racer Dave Atcher was fourth. Damon Murty flew through the pack from his 21st starting spot, and salvaged his night with an impressive fifth place finish. Vanover said in his victory lane interview, that he wished the Marshalltown track was about five hours closer to home, as he would run it every week. He was happy with his two wins and $2,000 over the past two night's run. He also won the second night of last year's World Nationals after having a good fourth place run the night before. No wonder he likes the high banks!
The IMCA Modifieds.....all running non-crate, open motors, ran five last chance heat races, taking the top two finishers to the feature. Winning those five last chance heats were Ryan Gustin, Chris Abelson, Adam Larson, Jon Snyder and track champion, Ronn Lauritzen. Those cars finishing third through fifth place in those last chance heats, were the ONLY drivers that earned a chance to run a "Final 4" race, later. The top four finishers of that final gasp race, tagged the field for the big A main for $10,000 to win. Cayden Carter, Justin O'Brien, Scott Olson (who was a new car on the night) and Darren Duffy earned those rights.
It was 50 non-stop laps scheduled for the big finale. By this time, the track had slicked off, a couple of lines coming in, and it was shiny and reflecting in the corners. Earlier, the top ten drivers who had locked in the night before, drew for their starting positions. Lucky winner of the pole position, was Green Bay, Wisconsin's Benji LaCrosse. LaCrosse, a former IMCA National Champion sat along side young and upcoming Hunter Marriott from Brookfield, Missouri.
Marriott beat LaCrosse to the corner as the green fell, taking the point position and the lead as lap one was scored. LaCrosse tucked in right behind. Two early yellows, one at lap 3 and the other at lap 5, still found Marriott with the lead on the restarts. However, by lap ten, it was LaCrosse in the lead, and then, off he drove. LaCrosse was cruising along a good length ahead of what was brewing behind him! Marriott held on to the runner up spot, but was soon to be pressured by Mike Jergens and, who was that in third? It was the #5 of Arkansas racer, Jeff Taylor! Taylor had started back in sixteenth, and was digging hard for a top finish. Several more yellows would fly before the race was completed---LaCrosse pulling off from the field each time on the restarts.
With the strong north winds coming at the grandstands, you could feel the heat of the pack of Modifieds as they passed the frontstretch, all of them going for all their worth. After the halfway mark of the 50-lapper, Marriott and Taylor were battling for second and third, LaCrosse driving off in the lead. But now, all eyes turned to the black #56, piloted by Ryan Gustin. Gustin had hopped into the IROC house car for the weekend races, a product of Chris Spieker, long time racer from Massena, Iowa down in the southwestern part of the state. What a show Gustin put on in the closing portion of the race! Gustin, who calls Marshalltown, Iowa his home, and is one of the talented Gustin racing family, took time off from his late model ride, and showed his talent on the high banks. It was quite the show between Marriott and Gustin, Gustin throwing sliders out of turn four, but Marriott fending them off at the flagstand......for a while. At lap 41, Gustin made it work, sliding into the runner up spot, and setting his sights on far ahead leader LaCrosse.
The final few circuits went caution free, LaCrosse happy and content a distance in front of the pack. He took the win and the $10,000 back to Wisconsin. Ryan Gustin finished in second place, running out of time for an attempt at the leader. Third went to last year's winner, Jacob Murray. Murray made a lot of headway from his seventeenth starting spot, to send his Murray chassis to a third place finish. Hunter Marriott kept his ride to the front all night, taking fourth place and Jeff Taylor fell back a bit in the waning laps, but still salvaged a top five.
It was a great night of racing, watching a lot of talent circle the Marshalltown track. We thoroughly enjoyed our two night's of racing there, and adding to the enjoyment was getting to take it in with some great racing friends. This just may have been our final race of the 2014 season, as my other half is getting a new knee this coming week. Time will tell on that. But for all you fans out there, check out some of the great year-end specials coming up. The calendar at www.positivelyracing.com can lead you to some of them. Happy racing!
The final few circuits went caution free, LaCrosse happy and content a distance in front of the pack. He took the win and the $10,000 back to Wisconsin. Ryan Gustin finished in second place, running out of time for an attempt at the leader. Third went to last year's winner, Jacob Murray. Murray made a lot of headway from his seventeenth starting spot, to send his Murray chassis to a third place finish. Hunter Marriott kept his ride to the front all night, taking fourth place and Jeff Taylor fell back a bit in the waning laps, but still salvaged a top five.
It was a great night of racing, watching a lot of talent circle the Marshalltown track. We thoroughly enjoyed our two night's of racing there, and adding to the enjoyment was getting to take it in with some great racing friends. This just may have been our final race of the 2014 season, as my other half is getting a new knee this coming week. Time will tell on that. But for all you fans out there, check out some of the great year-end specials coming up. The calendar at www.positivelyracing.com can lead you to some of them. Happy racing!
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