Murty’s Master Marshalltown at Mid-Season
By Denny Grabenbauer

MARSHALLTOWN, Ia. (April 16, 2006) - Week number ten would be the Arnold Motor Supply Mid-Season Championship night at the Marshalltown Speedway as over one-hundred race teams would sign in to challenge one another and the high banked quarter mile raceway. “It’s kind of hard to believe that we are at the mid-season point,” say’s first year promoter Toby Kruse. “I have really learned a lot during my first ten weeks, and every time I figure out how this business works, something else happens and you change your way of thinking again. For the most part I think things are going good, for the fans and the racers. The track has come together to be a very racy wide track and with the lights and other improvements I feel like things are really coming together.”

Once again on Friday night, new winners would add to the list of yearly first time winners, point leads would change and close three and four wide racing would entertain the fans in the stands. Kruse also gave a challenge to the heat race winners in all divisions that if you won a heat race, and you would start at the rear of the feature and you won, he would double the purse winnings. Two drivers would take the challenge as Scott Durlin would start nineteenth in the I.M.C.A. Sport Mod feature and Jamie Schirm would take the challenge and start the I.M.C.A. Hobby Stock feature in the twenty-forth position.

“I haven’t been able to be here every Friday night,” said Schirm who lives in Dexter, “but if Toby is going to offer us extra money and we can put on a show for the fans, I’ll give it a try, because I am not running for points.” The other driver Scott Durlin is running for points. The opening night feature winner is currently leading the I.M.C.A. National Points in the Sport Mod division and is running sixth in points at his home track. “I too feel the same way as Jamie, my car was running good in the heat so I thought I could have a chance, and it was kind of fun knowing your car could take you to victory from the back. I glad that Toby brought this class to the track and I am going to support him,” said Durlin. At the end of the challenge neither driver would pick up the top position but Schirm finished seventh and Durlin sixth, with the large grandstand crowd cheering them on to every position.

Shawn Ritter would lead the opening lap of the I.M.C.A. Sport Mod feature. Brett Ladehoff would take the lead on lap three and hold the top spot until Scott Davis started putting the pressure on him by lap eight. The two would run bumper to bumper for the next four laps until Davis would drop to the bottom of the track to make the pass and go on to victory his first of the year, making him the seventh different winner in the first ten weeks of racing. Third would go to point leader Jason Mallicoat and forth to Cody Warrick.

Next on to the track would be the I.M.C.A. Stock Car feature as Jay Schmidt would jump into the lead early and hold the top spot past the half way point of the eighteen lap event. Just past the half waypoint and for the rest of the event last weeks winner Damon Murty would put the pressure on the top spot. The two would race each other side by side for the next five laps before Murty would make a low side move stick to take the lead and go on to score his third win of the year. Paul Zimmerman finished third and Scooter Dulin forth. But the big story in the class was the fight for the points lead. Going into the night point leader Tracy Gienger was twelve points ahead of second place Mike VanGenderen. A hard luck night by Gienger as he finished seventh and combined with a fifth place finish by VanGenderen, VanGenderen will start the second half of the season with a slim two point lead now over Gienger.

Another Murty, Tim Murty would take the lead from early leader Jake Durbin on lap three and hold off a charge by Kevin Stoa to score his first win since 2004 as he put his I.M.C.A. Modified in victory lane. Lap traffic and a late yellow flag would keep Murty on his toes as Tim would become the seventh driver to find his way to victory lane this season. Behind Murty and Stoa would be Durbin and David Brown.

Many lead changes, late yellow flags, lap traffic and side by side racing would end the nights racing action with the I.M.C.A. Hobby Stock feature event. With Schirm taking the challenge the feature was extended to seventeen laps, which made the drama, last right to the end. Pat Cross, Dustin Elliott and Luke Wanninger all would take there turn at the top, but once again, National Point leader Donovan Smith would use the extra five laps to his benefit to make a low side pass on Wanninger with two laps to go. A low side pass would be all it would take for Smith to go on for his seventh win of the year. Point leader Kevin Sather would finish second followed by Cross and Trent Murphy.

Next week will start the second half of the season with not only good weekly racing coming up but also the special events that will be coming promoter Toby Kruse’s way. “We have the Stock Car Shoot-Out coming up June 26th and 27 and then the big one in July.” The big one is the Deery Brothers I.M.C.A. Summer Series that will be kicking off Tuesday night July 11th during the start of the Central Iowa Fair. “We also will be announcing another surprise that will be taking place the night of July 11th, but that will come later, closer to the event.”

Racing will continue next Friday night with the After Hours gathering at 5:30 until 7:00 in the main concourse of the grandstand. Hot laps will begin at 6:45 and the first race of the night will begin at 7:30. For more information on the upcoming special events, go to www.marshalltownspeedway.com  or call 515-432-4703.


I.M.C.A. MODIFIED:

HEAT 1: Jeff Schroyer-M’town—Jake Durbin-Perry—Vern Jackson-Waterloo

HEAT 2: Troy Cordes-Raymond—Marv Halverson-M’town—Kevin Stoa-Poke City

HEAT 3: Tim Murty-Tama—Adam Bolin-Waterloo—Richie Gustin-Gilman

HEAT 4: Jimmy Gustin-M’town—David Brown-Kellogg—J J Scott Dallas Center

B-Main: Scott Simatovich-Melbourne—Rick Speck-Garwin—Jay Schmidt-Tama—Adam Johnson-Independence

FEATURE: Tim Murty—Kevin Stoa—Jake Durbin—David Brown—Jeff Schroyer—Vern Jackson—Scott Simatovich—Rick Speck—Jay Schmidt—Heath Kusel—Don Portwine—Marv Halverson—J J Scott—Mike Reichart—Todd Conrad—Troy Cordes—Adam Bolin—Jimmy Gustin—Todd Luther—Doug Lauterwasser—Tony Keigley (Denton Texas)—Richie Gustin—Mike Weikert—Steve Grabenbauer



I.M.C.A SPORT MOD:

HEAT 1: Scott Durlin-State Center—Jason Mallicoat-Boone—Tony Olson-Cedar Rapids

HEAT 2: Brett Ladehoff-M’town—Kyle Brown-Kellogg—Jason Purvis-Story City

HEAT 3: Scott Davis-Boone—Danny Dvorak-Vinton—Shawn Ritter-Keystone

FEATURE: Scott Davis—Brett Ladehoff—Jason Mallicoat—Cody Warrick—Keith Williamson—Scott Durlin—Danny Dvorak—Shawn Ritter—Tony Olson—Jason Purvis—Rob Olson—Scott Jorpeland—Mark McNeece—John Dumer—Chad Rickett—Butch Lester—Tim Young—Kyle Brown—Chris Mosher



I.M.C.A. STOCK CAR:

HEAT 1: Don Vis-M’town—Jeff Wollam-M’town—Clay Deppe-Kellogg

HEAT 2: Mike VanGenderen-Newton—Scooter Dulin-Vinton—Wendy Reisinger-M’town

HEAT 3: Shawn Hoskins-M’town—Jay Schmidt—Tama—Damon Murty-Chelsea

FEATURE: Damon Murty—Jay Schmidt—Paul Zimmerman—Scooter Dulin—Mike VanGenderen—Shawn Hoskins—Rick Brown—Luke Veren—Andy Bryant—Kyle Krampe—Michael Jaennette—Jason Goldken—Tommy Thompson—Don Vis—Steve Meyer—Robert Engelkes—Tracy Gienger—David Atcher—Clay Deppe—Wendy Reisinger—Richard Quail—Jeff Wollam—Cory Bushnell--



I.M.C.A HOBBY STOCK:

HEAT 1: Luke Wanninger-Jefferson—Dustin Elliott-M’town—Brad Bartling-Tama

HEAT 2: Mike Zeman-Tama—Kevin Sather-Ankeny—Josh Saunders-Newton

HEAT 3: Jamie Schirm-Dexter—Pat Cross-Boone—Joe Bown-M’town

HEAT 4: Donovan Smith-Lake City—Trent Murphy-Jefferson—Neil Follett-Conrad

B-Main: Steve Jones-Ames—Bo Hunter-Nevada—Josh Bly-Tama—Matt Hidlebaugh

FEATURE: Donovan Smith—Kevin Sather—Pat Cross—Trent Murphy—Luke Wanninger—Steve Jones—Jamie Schirm—Neil Follett—Joe Bown—Brad Bartling—Jamie Whitaker—Mark Lamer—Bo Hunter—Matt Hidlebaugh—Donovan Nunnikhoven—Adam Rickett—Josh Saunders—Mike Zeman—Dustin Elliott—Josh Bly—Eric Knutson—Shawn Simatovich—Keith Lester