The threat of rain was all around us on Friday. Then text messages of cancellations from some tracks started coming, we were hoping that somehow, Marshalltown would be spared. Spared it was! Nothing more than a few very light sprinkles ever fell at the track, though it appeared they had plenty the day before. The pits were muddy, and many drivers chose to pit in the area outside the pit gate, and the infield was a real feat to handle at times for the tow vehicles. The rain outs at other tracks also brought some travelers to test their skill on the High Banks. Three drivers saw wins for the first time in 2015, and one of those was ecstatic to mark his first career win.
The Mod Lites had 13 cars for their feature race. Jason Whitehead took the lead immediately from his outside front row starting spot, getting the jump on Eric Turner. The race went flag-to-flag, Whitehead never gave up that coveted position, taking the win---his first ever. Second place went to Terry Brown, who closed in on the leader, but was never able to be more than an annoyance to Whitehead. Josh May came from starting ninth, to score a close third place finish, and Travis Stensland and Cory Sauerman went fourth and fifth in that order. It's always nice to see someone get their first ever win. Our congratulations to Whitehead on accomplishing that hurdle.
The IMCA Hobby Stocks were 16 cars strong for their 15-lap A main and they also went flag-to-flag. Travis Merical held the lead until lap four when Travis Overton took over after a bobble in turn two. Overton was looking good and appearing to be headed to Victory Lane until late in the race, Eric Stanton started reeling him in. Stanton closed the gap further, and at lap thirteen had made the pass for the lead. Stanton kept it to the checkers and the win. Overton held on to the runner up spot, third went to Grinnell's Gene Nicklas who ran at the front of the pack all race long, fourth was Dustin Elliott and John Watson completed the top five. This was Stanton's second win at Marshalltown this year...and he and Austin Luellen have claimed every feature in 2015.
The IMCA Northern SportMod class---25 cars in competition, was not so lucky as to have their 18-lap feature go caution free. There were two initial "no goes" on the start, when several cars tangled and had to be realigned. When lap one did get in the books, it was the 777 of Pella, Iowa's Jayme Duinink claiming the lead, He quickly had company in Clint Luellen however, who was seeking momentum on the topside, making it payoff by the time lap eight was scored. When a yellow flew at lap thirteen, Luellen was still in command, but now he had visiting driver from Odebolt, Keegan Scott nipping at his heels. It was quite the race the final handful of laps! With a lap to go, and lap traffic entering corner three, Scott took advantage, and made the pass for the lead. He held it the final lap to the win, Luellen having to settle for the runner up spot on this night. Duinink held third place, fourth went to Brandon Williams, and Jared VanDeest came from starting tenth, to take fifth. This was Scott's first win at Marshalltown.
It was Mike Deaton holding down the point spot in the IMCA Stock Car 18-lap event in the early laps. Deaton, who earlier had won his heat race, was looking strong, holding off veteran racer Jeff Wollam. But then it was Newton's Michael Jaennette scored in second at lap eight---and then a yellow flew. Meanwhile, tenth place starter Donavon Smith had made a lot of headway, and was now running in third place and no doubt, glad to have the field bunched for the restart. It took Smith only two laps to get his goal realized, taking the lead at lap ten, bringing Jaennette along to take second. Another caution rag flew at lap thirteen when debris was scattered on the front stretch, again bunching the field for the restart. Jaennette had been giving leader Smith fits, trying to make the pass on the topside, and now running in third was visiting driver David Brandies who hails from Wilton, Iowa and a regular racer at West Liberty, had made his way to the third spot after starting in thirteenth. Smith took off on the restart, holding his top position, but things were heating up between Jaennette and Brandies. A little paint was swapped between the two, but lap sixteen would find Brandies deemed quilty of rough driving when he put Jaennette into a spin in corner four. Brandies got the "naughty flag" and was retired to the pits, while Jaennette, who did not stop, was realigned in third place, after Steve Meyer flew around the altercation in the corner and into the runner up spot. The remaining three laps after the restart saw Smith pull away, and he would score the comfortable victory. Meyer held on to the runner up spot, Jaennette came away with third place, and visiting Andrew Lokenvitz from Charles City took fourth after starting eleventh. Hometown racer, Jared Daggett rounded out the top five. Smith, who hails from Lake City where a devastating tornado hit the town last week, won for the second time at the track this year. Smith told announcer Jerry Vansickel in Victory Lane, that though the twister did not hit them in the country, the hail was bad enough and the small town had major damage to their school.
The 20-lap Modified feature saw several cars have big time damage when a pile up out of corner four left cars in a tangled mess on lap seven. Those drivers involved were Scott Simatovich, visiting Tyler Groenendyk from Oskaloosa, Brandon Brinton, Ronn Lauritzen, David Brown and Gatlin Leytham from what we observed. Prior to that, it was Trent Jackson laying claim to the lead, only to have it taken away by Jake Strayer by lap five. When the mangled mass happened at lap seven, which we did not see what happened, Jammin' Jimmy Gustin was on Strayer's bumper for the restart. Gustin gave it a couple of tries, but nothing worked, and on this night, it was Strayer getting the checkers first for the win. Gustin was second, third went to Adam Larson, fourth was tenth place starter Brian Irvine, and Josh "Happy" Gilman was fifth. This was Strayer's first visit to Victory Lane at Marshalltown this year.
The Marshalltown Speedway springs back into action again next Friday night when it will be a night to salute the military past and present. It will also be Spectator Eliminator night. Hot laps are 6:50 with racing at 7:30.
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