Mid-Season at Marshalltown
By Denny Grabenbauer

MARSHALLTOWN, IA (June 15) - For the ninth race night of the season, over one hundred race teams signed in to compete in the Arnold Motor Supply Mid-Season event. If having Arnold Motor Supply on board for the night was not enough the capacity grandstand crowd also witnessed the Minuteman Printing Sprint Car, Modified challenge. The fans voted for I.M.C.A. Modified point leader Jimmy Gustin to go head to head with Sprint Car driver Dennis Moore Jr in a match race. And for the second year in a row the Sprint Car won over the Modified.

“This is really a great promotion, I am just proud to be driving for Gifford Motorsports”, said Sprint Car driver Moore. “It’s always fun to meet new fans, and run on different tracks. I really liked Marshalltown, the banking and how smooth it was really made for quick times”. Moore’s unofficial new track record was a 12:43 second lap, compared to a 17:01 lap by Gustins Modified. At the end of the match race Moore would take the win over Gustin, leaving the hope that “maybe next year” Modified win would happen.

Many new drivers would become new heat race winners, but when the feature events rolled around familiar names would again rise to the top. Tim Hennigar in the Dwarf Cars and Luke Wanninger in the I.M.C.A. Hobby Stocks would become four time winners on the season. Danny Dvorak in the I.M.C.A. Sport Mods and Vern Jackson in the I.M.C.A. Modifieds would both become second time winners and Dusty Vis would visit victory lane for the first time since week thirteen of 2006.

Tim Hennigar would start at the tail of the Dwarf Car feature, and would start working his way to the front from the drop of the green flag. Shane Hunter would lead the opening laps until a red flag would come out on lap six when Ron Bergman crashed in turn four. On the restart Hunter could only watch, as the hard charging Hennigar would make a turn two pass for the lead on lap eight and go on to score the win. Andy Hennigar, Hunter and Matt Goodin would finish out the top four.

Many lead changes mixed with yellow flags would make for very interesting racing in the I.M.C.A. Sport Mod feature. Kyle Brown, like so many weeks before would lead the opening lap. Neil Follett would lead lap two, then Brown lap three, Follett lap four. It would be a seesaw battle like this until lap seven when lap traffic would become a factor giving the lead to Danny Dvorak. Dvorak, who last week finished second, then flew off the track and destroyed his car, changed his luck this week by pulling into the Aarons Victory lane. “It’s my crew who helped get this car back and racing again, I owe this one to them”, commented Dvorak in victory lane. At the end of the fifteen-lap event, behind Dvorak was Brett Meyer, Brown and Follett who posted his second best finish of the season.

After two false starts, the third one was the charm in the Aarons I.M.C.A. Stock Car class took to the speedway. As always the competitive Stock Cars proved to be that way again on this Friday night. Don Vis would lead the opening lap, and hold the top spot until sliding off turn two on lap six while running three wide. Dusty Vis would then take the lead a lead he would not give up through out the last eleven-laps. Mike VanGenderen would stay glued to Vis’s back bumper but Dusty would not be denied of his first victory of the year, as he would out duel VanGenderen to the end. Don Vis would finish second followed by Jeff Wollam and VanGenderen.

Vern Jackson would take the lead from Scott Simatovich on lap three of the I.M.C.A. Modified feature then coast to victory for his second feature win of the year. A yellow flag on lap twelve for a blow motor would be the only thing that would slow the speedster Jackson. John Logue would finish in second followed by point leader Jimmy Gustin. J.D. Auringer would finish in the forth position, his sixth top four finish of the season.

Brad Bartling, Dustin Elliot would hold the lead in the early laps of the I.M.C.A. Hobby Stock feature before current National Point leader Luke Wanninger would make a pass on Elliott on lap seven, then lead the remaining laps to score his forth win of the year. Finishing second would be Elliott followed by Eric Knutson and point leader Jamie Schirm.

Additional racing in the area will take place next Tuesday night at the high-banked quarter mile as the return of the Deery Brothers I.M.C.A. Late Models will be featured in the Miller Lite 50. The grandstands will open at 5:30 with hot laps starting at 6:45 and the first race of the night getting underway at 7:30.

Then, next Friday it will be back to weekly racing with the first annual “Faster Pastor” night at the speedway. Area Pastor’s will be in racecars competing for the honor of who will be the “Faster Pastor.” Racing will begin at 7:30 after a pre-racae concert, which will begin at 5:30.

MARSHALLTOWN SPEEDWAY FRIDAY June 15, 2007
By Denny Grabenbauer


“Aarons” I.M.C.A. STOCK CAR:

HEAT 1: Tracy Gienger-Newton-Michael Jaennette-Newton—Rick Brown-Kellogg

HEAT 2: Damon Murty-Chelsea—Dusty Vis-Legrand—Jeff Wollam-M’town

HEAT 3: Rob Schneider-M’town—Don Vis-State Center—Donovan Smith-Lake City

ARNOLD MOTOR SUPPLY MID-SEASON FEATURE: Dusty Vis—Don Vis—Jeff Wollam—Mike VanGenderen—Damon Murty—Steve Meyer—Scooter Dulin—Rob Schneider—Donovan Smith—Jeff Adams—Clay Deppe—Joe Luethje—Jared Daggett—Dave Atcher—Michael Jaennette—Tracy Gienger—Kyle Krampe—Wendy Reisinger—Rick Brown—Luke Veren



I.M.C.A. MODIFIED:

HEAT 1: Vern Jackson-Waterloo—Scott Simatovich-State Center—David Brown-Kellogg

HEAT 2: Brett Ladehoff-M’town—Jimmy Gustin-M’town—Mike Molle-Colo

HEAT 3: J.D. Auringer-Evansdale—Marv Halverson-M’town—Jay Schmidt-Tama

ARNOLD MOTOR SUPPLY MID-SEASON FEATURE: Vern Jackson—John Logue—Jimmy Gustin—J.D. Auringer—Brett Ladehoff—Scott Simatovich—Todd Conrad—Marv Halverson—Ed Thomas—Jay Schmidt—David Brown—Todd Luther—Dane Sires—Tom Rawlins—Jake Elmquist—Heath Kusel—Shane Krafka—Mike Molle



I.M.C.A SPORT MOD:

HEAT 1: Shawn Simatovich-M’town—Bradley Wilson-Independence—Mark McNeece-Albion

HEAT 2: Kyle Brown-Kellogg—Dustin Filloon-Tama—Kyle Bentley-Fairbank

HEAT 3: Kurt Hogan-Vinton—Austin Lucas-Ames—Brett Meyer-Ames

ARNOLD MOTOR SUPPLY MID-SEASON FEATURE: Danny Dvorak—Brett Meyer—Kyle Brown—Neil Follett—Austin Lucas—Kyle Bentley—Kurt Hogan—Kevin Sather—Austin Kaplan—J.D. Albright—Dustin Filloon—Ryan Engelkes—Jack Meyer—Eric Becker—Scott Jorpeland—Shawn Simatovich—Butch Lester—Zach Rawlins—Bradley Wilson—Brad Iverson—John Dumer—Mark McNeece



I.M.C.A HOBBY STOCK:

HEAT 1: Mike Smith-M’town—Eric Knutson-Huxley—Kenneth Hansen

HEAT 2: Luke Wanninger-Jefferson—Michael Murphy-Prairie City—Jeremy Embrey-Granger

HEAT 3: Trent Murphy-Jefferson—Dustin Elliott-M’town—Brad Bartling-Tama

ARNOLD MOTOR SUPPLY MID-SEASON FEATURE: Luke Wanninger—Dustin Elliott—Eric Knutson—Jamie Schirm—Trent Murphy—Michael Murphy—Brad Bartling—Steve Kesl—Nick Murty—Mike Smith—Josh Saunders—Leonard Loftus—Donnie Bown—Jennifer Hulin—Adam Rickett—Josh Bly—Phil Morrison—Keith Miner—Al Escueda—Bo Hunter--Kenneth Hansen--Jason Stringer--William Neasham--Jeremy Embrey



DWARF CARS:

HEAT 1: Randy Bryan-Ames—Shane Hunter-Afton—Andy Hennigar-Ankeny

HEAT 2: Tim Hennigar-Clarion—Duane Coffman-Grimes—Mike Kennedy-Boone

ARNOLD MOTOR SUPPLY MID-SEASON FEATURE: Tim Hennigar—Andy Hennigar—Shane Hunter—Matt Goodin—Randy Bryan—Duane Coffman—Craig Schrader—David Schmalzried—Mike Kennedy—Dusty Massolini—Jeff Stensland—Terry Brown—Johnny Mordock—Ron Bergmann—Nathan Hovick