The Marshalltown Speedway's Friday night show was hurried along due to the threatening weather. However, the track won out, and the entire show was completed by 9:25 p.m. with nothing more than a few sprinkles. It was also another history making night, this time by Aussie racer, Frank Packer.
The Mod Lites came to the track first for their feature event. Charlie Brown would lead the entire 15-laps on his way to the feature win, his second in as many weeks. Randy Bryan trailed Brown all the race, closed the gap in the waning moments, but had to settle for second. Third went to seventh place starter, Mike Morrill, fourth was Joe Zrostlik, and Joel Huggins was fifth. The race went caution free after an initial no start, when several cars piled up low in corners one and two. Zrostlik, was in Mike Kennedy's "rent-a-ride" for the evening.
Frank Packer, who makes an annual visit to race, from his home in Sydney, Australia, made a bit of history in winning the IMCA Northern SportMod feature. Packer started on the pole and held off some fierce challenges late in the race from Johnathon Logue. Logue's efforts were in vain however, as Packer took the checkers to seal his win...his first on U.S. soil. His win was also the first time an Aussie had won at the Marshalltown Speedway. Travis Peterson had to qualify through a B main due to his heat woes, started nineteenth, and finished third. Jared VanDeest came from eleventh to finish fourth, and Randy Roberts completed the top five.
Gene Nicklas looked well on his way to a feature win in the IMCA Hobby Stock 15-lap feature. He has been so close to a win previously, and this week was looking like it was his. However, track point leader Shannon Anderson, steadily worked his way from twelfth, to the runner up spot by lap eight and began challenging for the lead. A couple of slide jobs were thrown, but Nicklas came right back to maintain his lead. Nicklas was leading on the final lap, only to have Anderson maneuver around a lap car, as the checkers were in sight, and beat Nicklas to the finish line first. Following second place Nicklas, was Gary Pfantz in third, Clear Lake, Iowa driver Chanse Hollatz started tenth, and was fourth, and Eric Knutson rounded out the top five. Anderson has four wins in a row, and a total of six for the year. We saw him win his 300th career feature last Wednesday at Oskaloosa, he then went on to have another win on Thursday at Algona, and this win was #302....and counting.
The Class too Tough to Tame, the IMCA Stock Cars, once again lived up to their name. The 18-lap feature was a thriller as Todd Reitzler and Damon Murty went at it from lap one, right up until they crossed under the checkers. Reitzler started fourth and took the immediate lead, and Murty tucked in right behind him from starting sixth. It was a tight race from there on, Murty looking for any way around the 22R. They raced side by side in a near dead heat at times, and both drivers pulled slide jobs to try and gain an advantage. Reitzler however, was not to be denied on this night, and successfully held off Murty to take the win, his second of the year at Marshalltown. Finishing third behind Murty was ninth place starter Donavon Smith, Jeff Mueller came from eighth starting spot, to take fourth, and Steve Meyer was fifth. This was Reitzler's second win at Marshalltown this season.
Darin Duffy went home with his third win in a row in the IMCA Modifieds. He started tenth, and had to catch leader Shawn Ritter who led from lap one. Duffy came through the pack to reach second place, and then reeled in Ritter, and took the lead on lap thirteen. Duffy then stretched that lead to take the win comfortably over Ritter in second. Finishing a close third, was Scott Simatovich, and Tim Ward took fourth over twelfth place starter Jesse Hoeft who was fifth.
Joe Zrostlik, who did double duty on the night, having also raced in the Mod Lite class, won for the first time this season in the IMCA Late Model 20-lap event. Zrostlik battled with Richie Gustin in the early portion of the race, until finally getting past him for the lead at lap eight. Gustin taunted Zrostlik through the rest of the race until his car slipped off of turn two from his precarious run at the top, on lap nineteen. This handed the third place runner John Emerson, second spot, and he kept it to the checkers. Pole sitter Curt Schroeder finished third, Darrel DeFrance was fourth, and Justin Mitchell...who won the first week the Late Models raced at the track, was fifth.
As mentioned earlier, the racing action went at a breakneck speed last evening. There were no winner's interviews or pictures after the features. There were 106 race cars checked in, a B-main was needed for the SportMod class, and all was completed at 9:25 p.m. A few sprinkles fell during some of the features, but nothing to deter the racing. The Marshalltown Speedway lucked out, as other tracks in the area cancelled.
Find a race to attend. Help support the sport we all love.
No comments:
Post a Comment