Racing returned to the Marshalltown Speedway on Friday night for the Minute Man Printing Central Iowa Fair Races. After last Thursday DeFrance Memorial was rained out for a second time (rescheduled for August 5....third times the charm) it was good to get back to the weekly racing show. But could the wind please stop blowing out of the north!
Dallon Murty returned to Victory Lane in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, and Michael Jeannette got his second win in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. Travis Peterson saw his first winner's circle visit in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, and Eric Knutson repeated in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. Dillon Raffurty took first in the STARS Mod Lites, and Kolby Sabin won the MACH-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature.
Changing the running order up a bit, the IMCA Northern SportMods took to the track first for their 20 lap feature. Chris Burke held down the top spot from the drop of the green through lap seventeen. That's when Travis Peterson was able to find his way around Burke and had the lead with just two laps remaining. He was then able to hold on and score the victory, his first of the season at the High Banks. Burke held on to second place, Kaylin Lopez took third, fourth went to ninth place starter Sam Wieben, and rounding out the top five was Taylor Bass.
The STARS Mod Lites ran their 15 lap main event next paying $100 just to start their feature. Dillon Raffurty, Kansas City, Missouri driver would lead this one from flag to flag untouched. Joel Huggins posted a second place finish, and Randy Bryan drove it from ninth starting spot, to take third. Justin Raffurty, Kearney, Missouri was fourth, Josh May fifth, and Michael Raffurty was the third family member making the trip up from Missouri, and he finished sixth. Only one caution flag interrupted the racing action, that coming for a spinning car on lap nine.
The IMCA Hobby Stock 20 lap feature went nearly caution free, with only one yellow for debris on the track, marring their run.
Eric Knutson overtook early leader Solomon Bennett (racing a #1776 car instead of his familiar #11B) for the lead on lap seven, and then never looked back on his way to the checkers. Seventh place starter Bradley Graham was the runner up, and Seth Butler was third. Solomon Bennett and William Klosterman were fourth and fifth respectively. This was Knutson's second feature win of the season.
The IMCA Stock Cars always put on an exciting race, and Friday's 20 lapper was no different.
The first handful of laps saw Michael Smith, Steve Meyer, and Michael Jaennette running a heated battle up front. Lap six saw Jaennette end up sliding off the racing surface and into the victory lane area when a close racing mishap brought contact. Jaennette rejoined the field, but many positions down.
Steve Meyer was the captain of the ship then after getting past Smith, when another racing incident brought out the caution flag. That's when Smith ended up being the next car put out of the running when cars touched during close racing.
When the race restarted, Damon Murty was now on Meyer's tail and the two then began to battle for the top spot. A few laps later, yet another racing incident occurred when the two touched, and both ended up at the top of turn four....Meyer rolled over, ending up on his side, and both drivers out of competition.
The lap twelve restart now had Dave Atcher as the captain of the ship, Austin Kaplan was running second, and Michael Jaennette had now made his way back up to run in the third position. Kaplan got too high soon after, and ran off of the top of turn four. Then it took but two laps until Jaennette had the lead.
The closing laps saw Jaennette pull away from the field, and take the flying checkers.....and park it the right way in Victory Lane this time. Dave Atcher took second place, Scooter Dulin came from twelfth to finish third, fourth went to Odessa, Texas visitor Leslie Gill who started thirteenth, and Sully, Iowa's Brett Maasdam was fifth. This was Jaennette's second win of the year at the track, and a lesson on this night that you never give up!
It was 20 laps of Modified fury next, with Zack Rawlins holding the top spot in the early going. Then suddenly, eighth place starter Dallon Murty came calling and grabbed away the lead on lap five. It was all she wrote from there on out as Murty circled the rim of the track, pulled away, and took the win. This was his second in a row, and fourth of the year. Ronn Lauritzen finished second, and Jimmy Gustin, who started eleventh, was a close third. Fourth went to Dustin Kroening, and California visitor, Randy Brown, was fifth.
The IMCA Sport Compacts were on the program for the night, and wrapped up the racing with their 15 lap feature that went caution free. Kolby Sabin dominated this one, leading most of the race on his way to an easy win. He finished well ahead of second place Tyler Fiebelkorn. Blake Driscol was third, fourth was Mark Smith, and Mitchell Bunch was fifth.
There were fewer caution last night after recent racing nights have brought out one after the other. Perhaps the message we overheard Jerry Vansickel telling the racers in the driver's meeting, "Don't do it", several times, got the message through!
Going into the latter part of the season, the race for the points championships are still up for grabs in most all classes. Randy Bryan is the Mod Lite leader at the moment. Kaylin Lopez got one point up on Kyle Olson last night in the SportMod division. Michael Jaennette leads Stock Cars, Bradley Graham the Hobby Stocks, Kolby Sabin the Sport Compacts, and Jimmy Gustin is up four points on Ronn Laurtizen in the Modified class.
Keep supporting you local dirt tracks, and help keep racing alive and well.
No comments:
Post a Comment