6/1/2019
Marshalltown Speedway
Minute Man Printing Night
May 31, 2019
The Marshalltown Speedway finally got back to racing action after having its last four scheduled events scrapped by the weather. The IMCA Northern SportMods were vying for a $500 prize and it was won in a near photo finish by Brayton Carter. The IMCA Modified win went to Joel Rust, Todd Reitzler went to the winner's circle in the IMCA Stock Car class, and Shannon Anderson made a return to victory lane in the IMCA Hobby Stock division. Jeff Aikey won in the IMCA Late Model ranks, and Jeff Stensland won the Mod Lite event.
The Mod Lites opened the feature racing by clicking off their 15-lap main event by going non-stop. Jeff Stensland led the entire race, winning for the first time at the track this year. Joe Glick chased the leader much of the distance and finished a distant runner up. Randy Bryan took third place followed closely by fourth place Joel Huggins, and Mike Morrill completed the top five.
Shannon Anderson put his hot rod back in the winner's circle in the IMCA Hobby Stocks. Anderson started eleventh and fought his way to the front of the field with just three laps remaining in the 15-lap race. David Rieks started tenth and battled his way to second place. Third went to Leah Wroten who had started ninth, and Gary Pfantz and Ben Newhouse rounded out the top five. This was Anderson's second win of the year.
There was an added purse in the IMCA Northern SportMods with a draw/redraw format. Thirty-one cars did battle for the $500 top prize in an 18-lap main event that saw a photo finish. The race was red flagged at lap fourteen when Jack Housley left the racing surface going over the top of turns three and four, and hitting the catwalk. Housley was transported, but was alert and talking. After the lengthy delay, it was Johnathon Logue holding down the top spot, with a four lap shoot out awaiting on the restart. Those final laps turned out to be a barn burner with Logue, Cory Rose, and Brayton Carter battling it out in an epic duel. All three drivers would hold a momentary lead through those final circuits, but as they crossed the finish line, the win went to Brayton Carter in a near photo finish. Cory Rose was second by inches, and Johnathon Logue was a close third. Fourth went to Carter VanDenBerg, and Tyler Inman was fifth after starting fifteenth. Carter, and second place Rose both came from the ninth row.
The IMCA Stock Cars...the Class too Tough to Tame, put on their typical exciting feature. Austin Even led the troops through the halfway mark of the contest, only to have Todd Reitzler set his sights on the leader, and run him down. Reitzler took over at lap twelve of the 18-lap event and led the remainder of the race to the flying checkers. Curt Hook made a late race surge to capture the runner up spot, and the Chelsea Charger, Damon Murty took third. Austin Even fell back a bit to finish in fourth place, and Jared Daggett made great headway to take fifth, from starting fifteenth.
Hometown boy Darrel DeFrance looked poised to take home the trophy in the IMCA Late Model 20-lapper, as he led early on. However, Jeff Aikey had other ideas. Aikey took command at lap ten, and never relinquished it the rest of the way to the checkers and the victory. Second place went to Jeremiah Hurst who got around third place finisher DeFrance in the closing moments. Kyle Hinrichs took fourth place, and Paul Nagel was fifth.
The night cap at the speedway was the 20-lap IMCA Modified feature. Joel Rust pretty well dominated in this one. Rust started tenth, took to the topside of the high banks, and had the lead at lap five, never to give it up. Jimmy Gustin inched by Tim Ward in the closing moments as they finished second and third respectively. Randy Havlik took fourth and early leader Jacob Murray was fifth. This was Rust's second win of the year at Marshalltown.
Next up at the speedway on Tuesday, June 4, is the Dirt Knights Tour for IMCA Modifieds, paying $2,000 to win. Also on the card are the IMCA Late Models, IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA Northern SportMods, and IMCA Hobby Stocks with national, regional, and state points awarded in all divisions. Hot laps are 7 with racing to follow. Then on Friday, June 7, it will once again be the weekly program with the green flag dropping at 7:30.
Article Credit: Joyce Eisele
Submitted By: Jerry Vansickel