Marshalltown Speedway

4 days ago

Emerson, Rust, Smith and McBirnie first time winners, Anderson and Stensland repeat

June 23, 2017

There were new winners in the IMCA Late Model, Modified, Stock Car, and Northern SportMod classes on Friday night at the Marshalltown Speedway. The Hobby Stock and Mod Lite classes saw repeat winners back in Victory Lane.

Travis Stensland led the 15-lap Mod Lite feature from start to finish, and took the win in dominating fashion. He finished more than a straightaway ahead of second place Josh May. Bryan Zehm was a close third place finisher, fourth went to Joe Zrostlik, driving Mike Kennedy's car, and Joe Glick was fifth. This was Stensland's second feature win of the year. The race went green to checkers.

There were many exciting battles in the 18-lap IMCA Northern SportMod feature, as cars went three-wide through the pack. Jake McBirnie grabbed the lead at lap seven and had to hold off some fast charging cars behind him to seal the win. Johnathon Logue started eleventh and challenged McBirnie for the top spot, but had to be content with a second place finish. Travis Peterson finished a close third, and holds his point lead in the class, and Jared VanDeest was fourth. This was McBirnie's first win at Marshalltown this season.

It was Shannon Anderson winning again in the IMCA Hobby Stock class. Anderson started ninth, and took the lead from Luke Bird at lap three, never to look back. He finished well ahead of second place Justin Wacha, Leah Wroten, was third, fourth was Luke Bird, and Ryan Wells completed the top five. This was Anderson's seventh win of the year, and just one shy of perfect on the season.

The Class too Tough to Tame, the IMCA Stock Cars lived up to their name once again. The final few laps was a fight to the finish and a toss up as to who would win. Damon Murty, Donavon Smith and Jeff Mueller were jousting for position, with Murty holding down the top spot, but Donavon Smith's hanging tough on the low side paid off on lap seventeen of the eighteen lap feature, when he was able to slip under Murty on the backstretch, to take the lead. He would hold it to the flying checkers and the victory. Jeff Mueller surged by Murty in the final moments as they went second and third. Russell Damme ran up front much of the race, and finished fourth. This was Donavon Smith's first win at the track in 2017.

The fast and furious pace continued in the caution free 20-lap IMCA Modified feature. Jimmy Gustin grabbed the number one spot away from pole sitter Gatlin Leytham at lap six, only to have Jenae Gustin knocking on his door immediately. Jenae would then take command a lap later while a pack of cars were duking it out for positions two through six behind her. Meanwhile, one of those cars was Joel Rust, who had opted for the high side route and was making it work. He worked his way into second place and was able to grab the top spot as lap sixteen went into the books. Rust was then able to put a bit of breathing room between himself and his contenders when he took the checkers and the win. Jenae Gustin, who started ninth, held second place, Jake Strayer was third, fourth went to Tim Ward, and point leader Jesse Hoeft started twelfth and finished fifth. Rust started eleventh on the field to take his first win of the year at Marshalltown.

The night's racing ended with the 20-lap IMCA Late Model feature. This was another flag to flag race that was led the entire distance by winner John Emerson. Todd Cooney reeled in Emerson in the closing laps, but could only manage a runner up spot. Third was Jeff Aikey, Paul Nagle was fourth, and Joe Zrostlik, last week's winner, was fifth.

Racing continues next Friday night at the Marshalltown Speedway, when the green flag drops at ... See MoreSee Less

Marshalltown Speedway

1 week ago

Three in a row for Duffy, Reitzler wins thriller, and Packer gets first win on U.S. soil

June 16, 2017

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.

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.

Frank Packer, the driver who comes to Iowa during the summer from his home in Australia to do a little IMCA Northern SportMod racing, put his name in the record books by winning the 18-lap feature. Packer started on the pole and held of 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 led all but the final few feet of the IMCA Hobby Stock A main, but taking the win was Shannon Anderson, when a lap car got involved as they came to the checkers. 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.

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 on lap nineteen. This handed the third place runner John Emerson, second spot, and he kept it the final lap home. Pole sitter Curt Schroeder finished third, Darrel DeFrance was fourth, and Justin Mitchell was fifth.

Weekly racing continues at the Marshalltown Speedway next Friday night, with hot laps at 6:50 and racing at 7:30. ... See MoreSee Less