What A Difference A Week Makes
By Denny Grabenbauer

MARSHALLTOWN, Ia. (April 14, 2006) - Nearly a 40-degrees in temperatures change from one week to another would greet a near capacity crowd as promoter Toby Kruse welcomed his fans to the grandstands for week number two at the Marshalltown Speedway. What was a frigid opening night just one week ago, Friday night really made up for last weeks high 30-degree weather. With the warmer, summer type weather the race teams would come out and support the speedway’s new promoter. 116-race teams were on hand and that would please promoter Kruse. “I have been getting calls all week long about drivers who would of come opening night but the cold kept them away. They are showing their support tonight and that is all that counts. We have been on the track this week every day and night all week long to work this track in, and I believe because of all of the community support and caring, our racing surface is and will continue to get remarkably better each and every week.”

Following the invocation from New Hope Christian Church Administrative Director Tom Weber it was time to go racing on the high-banked quarter mile raceway.

The crew did a remarkable job in turns three and four but turn one just wasn’t what promoter Toby Kruse is looking for. “The track is coming, you could see the rubber from the tires starting to leave that “blue groove” around the track but turn one chunked out and that will again be our focus this week”

The racing action would show the type of racing that fans could expect to see through out the season. “Even with the rough track in turn one, our drivers were still able to race two, three and four wide at times,” said Kruse.

Heat races were run off in record time and the program was moving right along until the first Hobby Stock feature when Jason Rice rolled his car in turn three. Almost a forty-minute delay as the red flag came out to attend to Rice. Rice was taken to Marshalltown Community Hospital to be checked out. “It’s just one of those things that happen,” committed Kruse. “With safety in mind the staff attended to Jason and he climbed from the car that’s all that counts. They took him in to check him over.”

Luke Wanninger and Donovan Smith would repeat in the I.M.C.A. Hobby Stock features as the two drivers would hold off strong challenges from Dustin Elliott and Kevin Sather to claim there second wins of the season.

Mark McNeece started up front and held off the field to score a feature win in the I.M.C.A. Sport Mod division, making a clean sweep by also winner his heat race. Danny Dvorak would finish second followed by Bob Ebaugh and Austin Kaplin.

Steve Meyer who has made the jump from the Hobby Stock to the I.M.C.A. Stock Cars would hold off challenges from Rick Brown, Luke Veren then Tracy Gienger would try his luck at the top spot but the rookie Meyer would not be rattled. Meyer would take the victory in only his second feature of the year. Gienger, Jeff Wollam and Damon Murty would follow Meyer across the finish line.

In the final event of the night a driver who went winless at the speedway in 2005 would have his luck change during the second week of the year. Vern Jackson would take the early lead but would go off of turn one on lap three turning the lead over to Jimmy Gustin. Gustin would maintain the top spot through spinning cars and yellow flags until his car would break something in the rear end slowing his car and dropping him to a fifteenth place finish. David Brown who started eighth and was very patiently working his way to the front. On the inside of Gustin when his car went south, Brown would hold off Heath Kusel to score his first victory in over two-years. Duane VanDeest finish third and Jackson would come back to finish forth.

The racing action continues next Friday night with “Blue & Orange” night at the speedway. Blue and orange are the new colors for the speedway and everyone is ask to wear something blue or orange to show there support of the new promoter Toby Kruse and the work he has done to bring the raceway back alive again. Hot laps will begin at 6:45 and the first race of the year will start at 7:30.


I.M.C.A. MODIFIED:

HEAT 1: Jimmy Gustin-M’town—Health Kusel-Elberon—David Brown-Kellogg

HEAT 2: Jeff Schroyer-M’town—Scott Baker-Boone—Doug Lauterwasser-Belle Plaine

HEAT 3: Vern Jackson-Waterloo—Richie Gustin-M’town—Jeff Havlik-Boone

HEAT 4: Ed Anderson-M’town—Todd Conrad-Waterloo—Don Portwine-Ames

FEATURE: Brown—Kusel—Duane VanDeest—Jackson—Rick Speck—Lauterwasser—Schroyer—Tim Stevens—Tom Rawlins—Steve Glenn—Ted Gould—Conrad—Todd Luther—Jeff Havlik—Jimmy Gustin—Anderson—Richie Gustin—Randy Havlik—Jim Schaefer—Portwine—Paul Edler—Baker—John Logue—Mike Reichart



I.M.C.A SPORT MOD:

HEAT 1: Mike Krall-Waterloo—Scott Durlin-State Center—Keith Williamson-Bondurant

HEAT 2: Scott Davis-Boone—Danny Dvorak-Vinton—Kasey Anderson-Boone

HEAT 3: Mark McNeece-Albion—Brett Ladehoff-M’town—Jason Mallicoat-Boone

FEATURE: McNeece—Dvorak—Bob Ebaugh—Austin Kaplan—Tony Olson—Davis—Ladehoff—Rob Olson—Durlin—Joel Thorpe—Tim Young—Anderson—Williamson—Butch Lester—Kyle Brown—Jason Purvis—Chad Rickett--Krall



I.M.C.A. STOCK CAR:

HEAT 1: Dusty Vis-Legrand—Andy Bryant-Clemens—Damon Murty-Chelsea

HEAT 2: Jeff Wollam-M’town—Rick Brown-Kellogg—Steve Meyer-Grundy Center

HEAT 3: David Atcher-M’town—Tracy Gienger-Baxter—Clay Deppe-Kellogg

HEAT 4: Shawn Hoskins-M’town—Jay Schmidt-Tama—Don Vis-M’town

FEATURE: Meyer—Gienger—Wollam—Murty—Mike VanGenderen—Hoskins—Deppe—Bryant—Dusty Vis—Atcher—Terry Dulin—Paul Zimmerman—Robert Engelkes—Tommy Thompson—John Wilson—Stacy Clarke—Don Vis—Luke Veren—Brown—Aaron Windel—Schmidt—Richard Quail—Joe Featherstone—Wendy Reisinger



I.M.C.A HOBBY STOCK:

HEAT 1: Dustin Elliott-M’town—Dustin Smith-Lake City—Shawn Simatovich-M’town

HEAT 2: Mike Zeman-Tama—Trent Murphy-Jefferson—Luke Wanninger-Jefferson

HEAT 3: Terry Schaffer-State Center—Kevin Sather-Ankeny—Rod Grother-Cedar Rapids

HEAT 4: Mike Smith-M’town—Damien Bown-M’town—Adam Rickett-M’town

FEATURE #1: Wanninger—Elliott—Murphy—Dustin Smith—Paul Sheppard—Zeman—Neil Follett—Joe Bown—Jeff Gunderson—Bo Hunter—Brad Bartling—Terry Warburton—Mike Vibbard—Chris Moser—Simatovich—Chris Arkama—Jason Rice—Josh Bly

FEATURE #2: Donovan Smith—Kaplan—Keith Lester—Damien Bown—Grother—Schaffer—Rickett—Phil Morrison—Josh Saunders—Mike Smith—Josh Scovill—Mark Lamer—Tim Hadley—Tim Hill—Travis Merical—Chad Sawyer—Dustin Filloon—Joe Alday