It was a chocked full night of excitement last night at the Marshalltown Speedway. Not only was the racing action providing the big crowd a night of entertainment, but a couple of controversies also played into the night. A pile up on the front stretch of the SportMod feature also made the fans gasp as two cars rolled over during a melee. Slide jobs were abundant as well. Mopar powered machines also took top honors in two classes.
One hundred thirteen race cars checked in to the pits on the hot August night, and a field of 27 IMCA Stock Cars were top billing with $1,000 on the line for the win.
Travis Stensland started eighth and had the lead by lap one of the Mod Lite main event. Stensland never looked back and finished the race comfortably ahead of second place Charlie Brown. Jason Masongarb, the driver who made the trip over from Colona, Illinois, finished a close third, fourth went to visiting driver Justin Kinderknecht from Salina, Kansas who had a nice run from starting twelfth, and Mike Morrill rounded out the top five. This was Stensland's second win at the track this season.
Shannon Anderson wasted little time in getting to the front of the 15-lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature. Anderson started tenth on the field and took command at lap six. Yellow flags and the ensuing restarts were no problem for Anderson as he pulled away to take the easy win. Leah Wroten came from ninth starting position to take the runner spot, third went to Gene Nicklas, Ray Fee in fourth, and Dan Wauters from Iowa City was fifth. Anderson racked up win #7 at the track. Anderson praised the track conditions, saying you could run high, low, or in the middle.
In the IMCA Northern SportMod A main, it was Jared VanDeest putting on the show and taking home a victory. VanDeest, who has been MIA for several weeks, started eighth, took to the rim of the track, and snagged the lead by lap four. VanDeest threw off the late race challenges of Tyler Soppe, who tried his best to make the slide jobs work, but had to be content with second place. Third went to Travis Peterson who started fourteenth, Sam Wieben came from thirteenth to finish fourth, and Cresco, Iowa's Austin Schrage was fifth. VanDeest, running a Mopar powered machine, scored his second win of 2018...his last coming on April 26 at the High Bank Hustle.
A melee on the front stretch of the SportMod feature saw Kyle Olson, and Tony Olson (cousins I believe) both rolling over when cars got bunched up coming out of corner four. Thankfully, no one was injured and racing resumed after the clean up.
One hundred thirteen race cars checked in to the pits on the hot August night, and a field of 27 IMCA Stock Cars were top billing with $1,000 on the line for the win. It was a draw/redraw format in a race that turned out to be a real shoot out. Several new drivers were on the scene and it was one of those drivers that took home the one grand.
The previous two week's winner, Todd Reitzler, started outside the front row, and immediately grabbed the top spot in the 25-lap race. Reitzler was running his preferred top line of the race track, but at lap 17, a lap car ended his night and he limped off into the pits with a flat tire. About the same time, Damon Murty and David Brandies had contact on the track, Murty getting the worst end of the deal, shoved off the track and out of the race.
When the race restarted, Devin Smith had inherited the lead, Brandies was banished to the rear for the restart for the contact with Murty....though reluctantly, and Jeff Mueller sat in second place.
Smith and Mueller raced side by side down the back stretch as they fought it out, then visitor Cody Frerichs was suddenly in the picture fighting for a top spot. Smith managed to keep hold of that top spot to the flying checkers and the win. Second place went to Cody Frerichs from Bristow, Iowa. Frerichs started twenty-sixth, and maneuvered his way through the stacked field, to take the runner up position. Steve Meyer came from deep in the field to take third with a late race surge. Jeff Mueller fell back to finish fourth, and Tom Cannon finished fifth from starting twenty-second. Smith was also piloting a Mopar powered ride.
Todd Cooney came out on top of the 20-lap IMCA Late Model main event, scoring his fifth victory of the year. Jeremiah Hurst came from ninth starting spot to take the runner up position, winning the battle with Darrel DeFrance who was third. Curtis Glover and Randy Faux completed the top five. Cooney, Hurst and DeFrance battled up front all night, leaving the rest of the pack.
The night cap was the 20-lap IMCA Modified feature. Joel Rust left no doubt that he was the top dog in this one. Rust started seventh and had the lead by lap two, never to look back in the only race that went flag to flag. Rust stretched his lead and won easily over second place Ronn Lauritzen. Tim Ward took third, Racer Hulin was fourth and pole sitter Scott Simatovich was fifth. This was Rust's fourth regular season win of the year, and he also won the High Bank Hustle.
Racing season is beginning to wind down for weekly racing...just three more Friday night's at Marshalltown. Season Championship is August 24, and then on Friday August 31, it will be the Showdown in Motown special. Then on September 14-16, it will be the rescheduled World Nationals.
Get out and find a race to attend. We need to support the sport we all love....dirt track racing.
No comments:
Post a Comment