The Marshalltown Speedway saw only one new winner on Friday night. That winner came from the Modified division, where Tim Ward made a first time appearance in victory lane in 2017. The Late Model, Stock Car, Northern SportMod, Hobby Stock and Mod Lite classes all saw repeat winners. Ninety-five race cars came to run the High Banks on a beautiful July night and provided some exciting racing for the nice crowd in attendance.
Travis Stensland kept his win streak alive in the Mod Lite division. Stensland started sixth, and led by lap one, holding down that top spot all the way to the checkers. Mike Morrill started eighth, and finished as the runner up, third went to tenth place starter, Josh May, fourth to Bryan Zehm and Jeff Stensland rounded out the top five. Stensland has won the last five races at the speedway. He has been having his most successful season of racing of his career.
Sam Wieben made it two in a row by winning the IMCA Northern SportMod A main. Wieben took the lead at lap four after starting ninth on the grid, passing then leader Tom Rawlins. Wieben then took to the rim of the track, circling the track flawlessly on his way to the checkers. Curt Hilmer was second, third went to tenth place starter Travis Peterson, Johnathon Logue came from twelfth, to finish fourth, and Jake McBirnie was fifth. Wieben captured his second win of the season, in back to back victories. He was sporting a spiffy new look...a stickered bare aluminum body, making it unique.
Shannon Anderson in the IMCA Hobby Stocks, also made back to back visits to the winner's circle. Anderson came from twelfth starting spot, to reach the rear bumper of leader Gene Nicklas in less than two laps. By lap five, Anderson had the top spot. The closing laps found Leah Wroten apply pressure to Anderson, but to no avail, as she finished as the runner up. Eric Knutson was third, followed by Gary Pfantz in fourth, and Luke Bird in fifth. Anderson scored his ninth win at Marshalltown this year. Anderson sits atop the IMCA National Hobby Stock points as he looks for another national championship.
The 18 lap IMCA Stock Car feature did not start well, as Curt Hook barrel rolled several times at the top of turns three and four before lap one was in the books. Thankfully, he was okay.
When the race did get back underway, Damon Murty got to the front quickly from his fifth row starting spot, chasing down leader Michael Jaennette, and taking command by lap seven. Jaennette looked for anyway to regain the lead, but his attempts fell short, and he had to be content with second place behind Murty. Thirteenth place starter Todd Reitzler had a good run to finish in third place, and Steve Meyer finished fourth, just holding off fifth place finisher, Donavon Smith, who had stayed committed to running the bottom of the track. Murty also made it two in a row, and claimed his fifth win of the regular season.
It was a fight to the finish in the 20 lap IMCA Modified A Main. Jenae Gustin looked poised to take back to back wins. But Tim Ward ran her down, and got the advantage with just a lap remaining. Gustin's last corner slide would then fall short to regain the lead and Ward took the win, Gustin having to settle for second. Jesse Hoeft came from eleventh starting spot, to take third, fourth was Jake Murray, and Ronn Laurtizen started thirteenth, and finished fifth. This was Ward's first win of the year at the speedway.
The night was capped off by the 20 lap IMCA Late Model feature and it was Richie Gustin going to victory lane with back to back wins, as he also won back on July 14....with a rain out in between. A caution on lap sixteen, and another at lap seventeen, shook up the running order. Darrel Defrance was leading on lap sixteen, Richie Gustin running second, and a badly smoking Todd Cooney was in third. When things restarted on that lap sixteen, Cooney got around DeFrance to take the lead as the smoke continued to roll from his ride. It was then on lap seventeen that Cooney's car gave up the ghost, and he coasted to a stop. This put Gustin to the point when action picked back up, and he would keep it the rest of the way to the checkers and the win. Gustin finished a comfortable distance ahead of second place Darrel DeFrance, Joe Zrostlik was third, Justin Mitchell started tenth, and finished fourth, and Paul Nagle, who led the early portion of the race, was fifth.
How quickly the racing season is winding down. Soon it will be season championships at many area tracks, and then right into the IMCA Super Nationals come Labor Day. Lots of racing still left before it all ends in our neck of the woods, so seek out a race to attend and help keep the sport we all love, alive and well.
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