CLIFF CHAMBERS MEMORIAL RESULTS:
By Denny Grabenbauer

MARSHALLTOWN, IA (May 11) - For the first time in the 2007 racing season, Mother Nature on Mother Day weekend gave the capacity crowd just what they have been asking for, a perfect night at the races. With temperatures in the lower 80’s to start the night, a pit area with over 108-race teams and visitors from the Iowa High School Rodeo that were on hand, the stage was set for a perfect time at the high-banked quarter mile raceway.

For the eighteenth year, the night honored former promoter and Marshalltown resident Cliff Chambers. Cliff, who gave himself to the speedway and race fans from 1966 until 1984 doing everything from selling tickets to grading the track to even promoting the facility literally single handedly, was responsible for keeping the track alive during some very trying times. Cliff Chambers lost his battle with cancer and passed away short of his 50th birthday is remembered and honored for his services on a very special night once during a season. “I never personally new Mr. Chambers,” said promoter Toby Kruse, “but it was a man with Cliff’s determination that keeps me going in making our race track the best it can be. Racing is a funny business, but the racing family is a very tight and close family. When we loose one of our family members we are all saddened. But on a night like this it give’s me pleasure that we remember the man who worked for individuals like me just to be here.”

Friday’s nights feature events, would not just be another feature win for the drivers in there respective divisions, it would forever put there names into the Marshalltown Speedway history books. With warmer and dryer weather for the first time this season, drivers would have there problems as yellow flags on a dry racetrack would fly throughout the feature events after flawless heat races were run.

Troy Hudson would add his name to the speedway history books by being the first Dwarf Car driver to win on this memorial night, and ironically, would win during week five, driving the car number five. Hudson would take the lead from last weeks feature winner Mike Morrill on lap eight and coast to the victory over Morrill, Andy Hennigar and Randy Bryan.

Opening night feature winner Austin Kaplan in the I.M.C.A. Sport Mods would find week five to his liking as he again visited the Aarons Victory Lane. Kaplan took the top spot on lap two when then leader Kyle Brown had his engine expire on a restart, then worked his way through yellows and lap traffic to score the victory. Behind Kaplan were Kurt Hogan, J.D. Albright and Kevin Sather, in earning his first Memorial win.

Fans would enjoy another classic Aarons I.M.C.A. Stock Car feature as 24-cars took the green flag for there eighteen lap event. 2004 Memorial winner Shawn Hoskins would have things going his way in the early part of the event, until a yellow flag on lap seven, bunching up the field for the restart. On the restart Hoskins would have Donovan Smith and Tracy Gienger breathing down his back, until lap twelve when Smith would talk the lead. Only a yellow on lap fourteen would slow the event with Smith going on to post his first win at Marshalltown of the season. Finishing second was Gienger followed by Scooter Dulin and Dave Atcher.

It might always seem, when you are on top of the point chase, there is only one way to go, and that would be down. But in the early part of this season Jimmy Gustin is showing that patience pays in the I.M.C.A. Modified class as Gustin again show patience and pose on a dry track to post his second win of the season and his second Memorial win. Gustin would take the lead from the grandson of the late Cliff Chambers, Brett Ladehoff, then hold off J.D. Auringer in the closing laps to visit victory lane again this season. Gustin stayed low and Auringer stayed glued to his back bumper, but Gustin was not to be denied even on a last lap surge by Auringer. Finishing third was David Brown and Ladehoff would come across the line in forth.

Another first time winner would end the nights racing action as Chad Koch would win his first feature of the year in the I.M.C.A. Hobby Stock division. Koch would take the lead on a restart on lap four when Dustin Elliott would not come up to speed bunching the top four cars together and allowing Koch to take the lead. Koch would finish ahead of last week’s winner Jamie Schirm, Elliott and Gary Pfantz to score the victory and put his name in the record books. Thus another chapter in the speedway history and the Cliff Chambers Memorial has been written.

Racing action will continue next Friday night with “Scout Night” along with Mid-West Liquids Systems. The grandstand will open at 5:30, hot laps will begin at 6:45 and the first race of the night will begin at 7:30.


MARSHALLTOWN SPEEDWAY Friday, May 11, 2007

By Denny Grabenbauer



“Aarons” I.M.C.A. STOCK CAR:

HEAT 1: Shawn Hoskins-M’town—Jeff Wollam-M’town—Rick Brown-Kellogg

HEAT 2: Dustin Smith-Lake City—Jarred Daggett-Maxwell—Shane Manson-Manchester

HEAT 3: David Atcher-M’town—Scooter Dulin-Vinton—Josh Filmer-Lake City

CLIFF CHAMBERS MEMORIAL FEATURE: Donovan Smith—Tracy Gienger—Scooter Dulin—David Atcher—Jeff Wollam—Steve Meyer—Dusty Vis—Damon Murty—Luke Veren—Dustin Smith—Shawn Hoskins—Andy Bryant—Josh Filmer— Jarred Daggett—Don Vis—Ron Tharp—Mike VanGenderen—Kyle Krampe—Clay Deppe—John Wilson—Rick Brown—Sean Johnson—Shane Manson



I.M.C.A. MODIFIED:

HEAT 1: Jeff Schroyer-M’town—David Brown-Kellogg—Scott Simatovich-State Center

HEAT 2: Jimmy Gustin-M’town—Todd Conrad-Waterloo—J.D. Auringer-Evansdale

CLIFF CHAMBERS MEMORIAL FEATURE: Jimmy Gustin—J.D. Auringer—David Brown—Brett Ladehoff—Vern Jackson—Shawn Fisher—Jeff Schroyer—Jay Schmidt—Marv Halverson—Rob Olson—Adam Bolin—Tom Rawlins—Scott Simatovich—Todd Conrad—Todd Luther



I.M.C.A SPORT MOD:

HEAT 1: Mark McNeece-Albion—J.D. Albright-Norwalk—Butch Lester-Newton

HEAT 2: Shawn Ritter-Keystone—Kurt Hogan-Vinton—Danny Dvorak-Vinton

HEAT 3: Kyle Brown-Kellogg—Austin Kaplan-Ankeny—Kevin Sather-Ankeny

CLIFF CHAMBERS MEMORIAL FEATURE: Austin Kaplan—Kurt Hogan—J.D. Albright—Kyle Bentley—Danny Dvorak—Rodney McDonald—Eric Becker—Neil Follett—Dustin Filloon—Scott Jorpeland—Brett Meyer—Brad Iverson—Zach Rawlins—Ryan Engelkes—Shawn Ritter—Butch Lester—Kyle Brown—Mark McNeece—Bradley Wilson



I.M.C.A HOBBY STOCK:

HEAT 1: Jason Rice-Clemons—Phil Morrison-Tama—Gordon Watkins-Des Moines

HEAT 2:Eric Knutson-Huxley—Jamie Schirm-Dexter—Josh Saunders-Newton

HEAT 3: Trent Murphy-Jefferson—Dustin Elliott-M’town—Terry Shaffer-State Center

HEAT 4: Chad Koch-M’town—Gary Pfantz-State Center—Joe Bown-M’town

CLIFF CHAMBERS MEMORIAL FEATURE:Chad Koch—Jamie Schirm—Dustin Elliott—Gary Pfantz—Rod Grother—Jason Rice—Bo Hunter—Dustin Graham—Joe Bown—Michael Vibbard—Dennis Greyson—Jenifer Hulin—Josh Bly—Gordon Watkins—Trent Murphy—Eric Knutson—Terry Shaffer—Troy Cowan—Todd Reitzer—Phil Morrison—Allen Jones—Mike Anderson—Daniel Hilsbeck—Adam Rickettt.



DWARF CARS:

HEAT 1: Troy Hudson-Altoona—Mike Morrill-Altoona—Tim Hennigar-Clarion

HEAT 2: Randy Bryan-Ames—Andy Hennigar-Ankeny—Cliff Barber-Ames

CLIFF CHAMBERS MEMORIAL FEATURE: Troy Hudson—Mike Morrill—Andy Hennigar—Randy Bryan—Duane Coffman—Cliff Barber—Tim Hennigar—Mike Kennedy—David Schmalzried—Joel Huggins—Mike Thomas—Michael Thomas—Joe Wood—Ron Bergmann—Terry Brown—Eric Hendrickson—Jason Whitehead—Charlie Brown