Racing Season off and running at Marshalltown Speedway!
by: Dennis Grabenbauer

MARSHALLTOWN, IA (April 13) - With the trace of the past weeks spring time snow fall still in the memories of everyone present, the 2007 racing season at the Marshalltown Speedway sped to life Friday night with a record total of 130 race teams in the pit area. For the 43rd consecutive season the action proved to be just want the fans were waiting for. “Eight months of the anticipation of seeing and hearing race cars back in action again, is just what all of us have been waiting for,” said a smiling second year promoter Toby Kruse. “Over the past six-weeks, everyone has really pulled together in working on our new concession stand, and all we could just do, was to just look at it, tonight we could show case all of the effort that everyone had work so hard to complete.”

Temperatures would have the large grandstand crowd bundling up in winter cloths, but with the smiles on their faces, that would warm an Eskimo, is what Kruse would be happy about seeing. “It really was worth the effort that everyone gave just to see the smiles around here tonight. I made a promise to put this speedway on the map, and if this is any indication we are on our way. We still have a lot to accomplish, but we are off and running.”

Five states, including Iowa were on hand Friday night to conquer the high-banked speedway, close racing action through each of the classes plus tension packed moments on the track would have everyone excited about the season that lye’s ahead.

Dustin Elliott would find it a rough way to start the season has he would roll his car in hot laps after coming in contact with another car. But Elliott’s night would not end in turn two, the crew would scramble to get the car ready for the heat races and he would finish second in the forth heat. But the feature would end short for Dustin after taking the lead on lap, he would pull to the pit area, ending his night, finally.

David Raffevty, from Kansas City Missouri, would make hard contact with the front straight a way wall in the Dwarf Car heat one, badly damaging his car, and ending his night of competition.

Close side-by-side racing, and many lead changes would become the story of the night on a wide and smooth racetrack. Second year driver Kyle Brown in the I.M.C.A. Sport Mod class appeared to be on his way to his first career feature win as he battle the competition right down to the final lap. Yellow flags would slow the event, but on each restart, Brown would keep his composure and hold on to the lead. On the final lap of the fifteen lap event, Austin Kaplan would make a high side pass coming off turn four and hold on to the lead for the last lap of the race to take the win from Brown. Kevin Sather and Austin Lucas would round out the top four.

Defending 2006 Aarons I.M.C.A. Stock Car Track Champion Tracy Gienger would start the season where he left off last year on top of the point chase. Only one yellow flag would slow the eighteen-lap event. Mike VanGenderen would take the early lead of the race; before Gienger would take the lead on lap three then pull away from the rest of the field before the race would come to an end. Behind Gienger and VanGenderen would be Dustin and Donovan Smith, who have moved up into the Stock Car division this year.

I.M.C.A. Modified rookie driver Jay Schmidt would lead the opening lap before losing the top spot to Jimmy Gustin on lap two. Schmidt would fall to third when Defending Track Champion Jeff Schroyer would make a pass for second, then have his sight set on the lead. Lap eight Schroyer would get around Gustin. Gustin would stay glued to the back bumper of Schroyer until there was two laps to go, Gustin would make the pass, take the lead and go on to win the opening night feature event. Behind Gustin and Schroyer would be another rookie Brett Ladehoff and Schmidt.

Tim Hennigar would out distance Andy Hennigar in the Dwarf Car feature event. Tim would lead the entire race, but the last couple of laps smoke from an over heated car would keep Tim and his crew wondering if something might happen. Behind the Hennigars were Mike Morrill and Randy Bryan.

Two I.M.C.A. Hobby Stock features were run on Friday night, and both would have some very exciting moments. Bo Hunter in feature one, would lead right up to the final lap when Luke Wanninger would make a turn two pass to score the victory. And in the final event of the night, race leaders Trent Murphy and Mike Zeman would be running side by side coming upon lap cars, Zeman would spin and Murphy would go on to win. Charging hard was Jamie Schirm who finished second followed by Chad Koch and Michael Murphy.

The racing action will continue right up to the Labor Weekend each and every Friday night. Grandstand will open at 5:30 with hot laps beginning at 6:45 and the first race of the night will start at 7:30.

MARSHALLTOWN SPEEDWAY FRIDAY April 13, 2007

By Denny Grabenbauer


“Aarons” I.M.C.A. STOCK CAR:

HEAT 1: Luke Veren-Haverhill—Donovan Smith-Lake City—Tracy Gienger-Newton

HEAT 2: Mike VanGenderen-Newton—Scooter Dulin—Vinton—Damon Murty-Chelsea

HEAT 3: Rob Schneider-M’town—Dusty Vis-Legrand—Josh Filmer-Lake City

HEAT 4: Andy Bryant-Clemens—Kyle Krampe-Baxter—Dustin Smith-Lake City

B-MAIN: Don Vis—James Brower—Brian Irvine—Aaron Haggerty

FEATURE: Tracy Gienger—Mike VanGenderen—Dustin Smith—Donovan Smith—Josh Filmer—Dusty Vis—Scooter Dulin—James Brower—Rob Schneider—Michael Jaennette—Steve Meyer—Mike Golesberry—Clay Deppe—Brian Irvine—Mike Mauer—Aaron Haggerty—Kyle Krampe—Dave Atcher—Rick Brown—Luke Veren—Don Vis—Damon Murty—Pete Hutzel—Andy Bryant



I.M.C.A. MODIFIED:

HEAT 1: Jeff Schroyer-Marshalltown—Justin Auringer-Evansdale—Jimmy Gustin-Marshalltown

HEAT 2: Shawn Fisher-Vinton—Jason Murray-Hartford—Jason Purvis-Nevada

HEAT 3: Vern Jackson-Waterloo—David Brown-Kellogg—Jay Schmidt-Tama

FEATURE: Jimmy Gustin—Jeff Schroyer—Brett Ladehoff—Jay Schmidt—Adam Bolin—Scott Simatovich—Ed Anderson—Todd Conrad—Marv Halverson—David Brown—Heath Kusel—Shawn Fisher—Vern Jackson—Justin Auringer—Jason Purvis—Tom Rawlins—Jason Murray



I.M.C.A SPORT MOD:

HEAT 1: Kevin Sather-Ankeny—Danny Dvorak-Vinton—James Maye-Desoto

HEAT 2: Joe White-Oconto Falls, Wisconsin—Kyle Brown-Kellogg—Brett Meyer-Boone

HEAT 3: Scott Jorpeland-Marshalltown—Austin Lucas-Boone—J.D. Albright

FEATURE: Austin Kaplan—Kyle Brown—Kevin Sather—Austin Lucas—James Maye—Joe White—J.D. Albright—Jack Meyer—Neil Follett—Shawn Ritter—Brett Meyer—Mark McNeece—Warren Purvis—Brad Iverson—Butch Lester—Ryan Engelkes—Eric Becker—Dustin Filloon—Joel Cox—Jeremy Schaufemeuel—Fred Schimmels—Scott Jorpeland—Shawn Simatovich—Zach Rollins



I.M.C.A HOBBY STOCK:

HEAT 1: Luke Wanninger-Jefferson—Brandon Pruitt-Stuart—Eric Knutson-Huxley

HEAT 2: Bo Hunter-Nevada—Todd Reitzer-Grinnell—Jason Rice-Clemens

HEAT 3: Devin Smith-Lake City—Chad Koch-Marshalltown—Jamie Schirm-Dexter

HEAT 4: Trent Murphy-Jefferson—Dustin Elliott-Marshalltown—Terry Schaffer-State Center

FEATURE: 1 Luke Wanninger—Bo Hunter—Todd Reitzer—Josh Saunders—Brandon Pruitt—Jason Rice—Daniel Hillsabeck—Nathan Ballard—Brad Bartling—Michael Vibbard—Leonard Luftus—Adam Gebel—Eric Knutson—Mike Smith

FEATURE: 2 Trent Murphy—Jamie Schirm—Chad Koch—Michael Murphy—August Bach—Kyle Schmauss—Gary Pfantz—Adam Rickett—Corey Adams—Jennifer Hulin—Russell Damme—Mike Zeman—Joe Bown—Josh Irvine—Dustin Elliott—Devin Smith



DWARF CARS:

HEAT 1: Andy Hennigar-Ankeny—Mike Morrill—Altoona—Randy Bryan-Ames
HEAT 2: Tim Hennigar-Clarion—Mike Thomas-Des Moines—Terry Brown-Nevada
FEATURE: Tim Hennigar—Andy Hennigar—Mike Morrill—Randy Bryan—Charley Brown—Joel Higgins—Joe Wood—John Sharp—Craig Schrader—Terry Brown—Mike Kennedy—Mike Thomas