It was overcast and chilly as we left to head to our Friday night home at Marshalltown Speedway. By the time we arrived at the track, the sun was shining and much warmer, and we already started to shed layers. However, by the end of the night, we had those layers back on---plus more. There was some really exciting and close racing at the High Banks last night, with the Stock Car and SportMod features being determined at the crossing of the checkers. It was also the Cliff Chamber's Memorial night at the raceway, a night when Chamber's, a former promoter, was remembered for all of his contributions to the track. On this annual race, all the drivers seem to have a bit more drive to take a win on this special night.
We were "greeted" by a plethora of horses and high school rodeo participants as we entered the fairgrounds last night.....more than we have ever seen in years past. They were everywhere....leaving race fans only a small plot of parking area behind the grandstand....all others fans having to search for a spot mostly in the outer parking lot to the west. Luckily, no race cars made an exit over turn one as it would have no doubt given the horses and the people camped in that area, a good scare....or worse.
The Nostalgia cars made an appearance at the track last night, always bringing back memories of days gone by for those of us who attended races back in the day. Several of us "seasoned fans" were all giving our guess as to the make (pretty confident in that) and year of car.
The vintage cars ran a 10-lap feature. Most of the laps were led by the #99 car, a 1959 Chevy....the year we often refer to as the one with the "eyebrow" rear fins. Meanwhile, the #45 that had started dead last, a 1955 Pontiac, had been on the move. He slipped into the runner up spot at the halfway mark and was steadily catching the leader. He made his move with a lap to go, taking over the top spot. He would then keep it to the checkers and the win. I believe we understood the winner to be Josh Zeman from Mason City....driving a car that the late Charlie Hart had taken many a win in. Hart was the grandfather of the #45 Modified driver Levi Nielsen. The 99 car held on to second place, third was #24, a 1955 Chevy, fourth went to 33R, a 1958 Chevy, and the huge finned blue #43, Plymouth we are thinking a 1959, was fifth. Always fun too see those cars of yesteryear on a race track again.
The Mod Lites came next for 15-laps of feature racing. Jason Whitehead lead the troops through lap three. Then, Cory Sauerman who was up to second, would get into his rearend as they entered turn three, sending leader Whitehead into a roll. Whitehead was okay, Sauerman was sent to the pits for causing the incident, and Joel Huggins would inherit the lead on the restart. Huggins had his hands full a bit later, as Travis Stensland and last week's winner Josh May were right behind. The three raced closely for several laps until Stensland made his move on the backstretch, taking the lead at lap twelve. Stensland would hold that top spot the remaining way to the win. Josh May slipped by Huggins late in the race, as they finished second and third respectively. Fourth went to James May, and Charlie Brown rounded out the top five.
This year, the Hobby Stocks are going 15-laps and this one was about over as the green flag dropped. Austin Luellen, who has been having much success this season, started fourth, but was leading at lap one. From there on out to the finish, Luellen was out in front and gone. He was never bothered by a couple of yellow flags, and sailed home to another feature win. This was his second win in as many weeks at Marshalltown, plus having won the opening night as well as the Frostbuster. Second went to Eric Stanton, third was John Watson, Andy Hick was fourth and Tyson Overton was fifth.
The IMCA Northern SportMods had a hard time getting their 18-lap feature in the books. The yellows started flying in this one with just one lap down. Five more would fly before it was completed. Clint Luellen managed to work through the early yellows, and be the man in charge by lap five. He was still contending with Brandon Williams though, and then who should enter the picture but "Mighty Miss", Jenae Gustin. Gustin, who had the misfortune of having a nearly destroyed race car at the Independence Speedway last Saturday night, had gotten her ride put back together, and was looking to be in top form. She had swung to the topside and was riding in third spot at laps six. She jousted with Williams a bit, but then took that runner up spot at lap nine. A yellow at lap eleven was no doubt what she was looking for, bunching the field and putting her right behind the leader for the restart. From there on, it was a fight between Luellen and Gustin and what a race they put on for the fans! Gustin, who started tenth, took the brief lead at lap fifteen....from what I observed, but Luellen came right back to snatch the lead. A couple of slide jobs by Gustin in turn four....all clean and perfectly timed.... the final coming up just short of being successful, and leaving her with the runner up spot and Luellen taking the victory---- a win to match his brother Austin who had won earlier in the Hobby Stock class. Brandon Williams held down the third spot, fourth went to visiting racer from Odebolt, the #38 of Logan Scott who came from starting eleventh, and Jared VanDeest completed the top five.
The IMCA Stock Cars followed up with another fight to the finish race in their 18-lap event. As the race began, cars were 3-wide in corner one, and coming out of turn four to score lap one, they were 5-wide! Jay Schmidt held down the early lead but by lap seven, had big time company on his tail in Trent Murphy and Donavon Smith. When a yellow flew for fluid on the track at lap twelve, Murphy had taken over the point position, getting around Schmidt who was holding down second. When the race restarted, Smith made quick work of getting around Schmidt and taking over second and hunting down leader Murphy. This race came right down to the wire between Murphy and Smith, and as they crossed the finish line it was almost a toss up as to who had won. Murphy was scored the winner and Smith had to be content with the runner up spot on this night. Jay Schmidt was a close third, as were Jared Daggett in fourth and Steve Meyer in fifth. This was Murphy's second win of the season at Marshalltown.
The night closed with 20-laps of IMCA Modified racing. Richie Gustin, the Gilman, Iowa hot shoe, sat on the pole, and we guessed that it looked to be a win for him before it even started. Our guess was correct, as he led all 20-laps in scoring his first victory of the year at Marshalltown. Joel Rust had one of his best races of the season, getting around Jimmy Gustin with four laps remaining, as they were scored second and third in that order. Jon Snyder took fourth place and Missouri racer Hunter Marriott that we often see racing in our neck of the woods, came from eleventh starting spot, to take fifth.
By the time the racing ended, those of us especially on the top row and catching all the breeze, were all bundled up on this May night. Think the weatherman was a bit short in his estimate of the lows! By the time we got home, our vehicle registered 50 degrees! But we saw some great racing on the high banked quarter mile and it was all worth sitting in the nippy weather.
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