Track Schedules

MARSHALLTOWN, IA (May 09) - It has been since April 4th when the last wheels of race cars had turned a lap on the high banked quarter mile speedway, but no one even thought of that as the official season opener roared to life Friday night. The long awaited and must anticipated night would bring 120-racecars and teams to compete in the night of racing action. “Finally, finally we were able to get going and I am glad we were”, smiled promoter Toby Kruse. “This has just been terrible, but there is nothing we can do about the weather. Even though we haven’t been racing, work out here continues. Will still had to anticipate that were would be racing, even when we didn’t, which would mean working to get the track ready, and then we wouldn’t race, all the work was done, and nothing would happen. But tonight was worth it, seeing the cars on the track and the people in the grandstand”.

Not only were the cars of today back in action, but the Nostalgic Racing Association, the cars of yesterday, were in attendance piloting there vintage race cars in competition much to the delight of the near capacity crowd.

Friday nights racing will carry the theme of the “Cliff Chambers” Memorial, after the former promoter and local businessman who pasted away March 1st of 1989. “This is a real tribute to Cliff from his racing family, to carry on this yearly tradition”, said Kruse, “to many competitors, this is the night to win, to get their name in the record book and will always be remembered as a past winner”.

It didn’t take the drivers any length of time at all in getting back into the racing rhythm. The racetrack was in mid-season form by being wide and smooth all the way around the high-banked quarter mile. Numerous yellows in all but one feature event would slow the night, but no one seemed to mind because of the closeness of the racing action.

Only one incident would dampen the start of the season for one driver. David Schmalzried would end up, upside down in between corners three and four in the Dwarf Car feature. The red flag would come out on lap four when Schmalzried would jump a tire of another competitor and end up on his roof, he would be uninjured but his night was done. Mike Morrill, who rolled wildly during the Frostbuster in April, would take the lead on lap two from Eric Hendrickson and lead the remaining ten laps to pick up his opening night feature win. With one lap to go, Morrill and the top four, who were bunched up together would encounter heavy lap traffic, but they would work there way through without incident. Behind Morrill would be Troy Hudson, Hendrickson and Tim Hennigar at the end.

Brad Iverson would lead the opening lap of the I.M.C.A. Sport Mod feature before giving way to Kevin Sather on lap three. After taking the lead, Sather would stay on the low side of the race track working his way around slower cars to go on and score his opening night feature win. Luke Wanninger finished second followed by Ben Wilson and Joel Bushore.

Hard racing and good luck would prove the winning combination for Devin Smith as he would go on and finish the Junction Bar & Grille I.M.C.A. Hobby Stock feature on seven cylinders. Several yellow flags would slow the fifteen-lap event with Smith out distancing Todd Reitzer at the end for the win. Reitzer would lead the opening lap, challenge many times through out the event, but Smith would not be moved out of his racing groove. Behind Smith and Reitzer were Alan VanGorp and Jamie Schirm.

Tim Murty would lead in the early going of the Meskwaki Bingo Casino & Hotel I.M.C.A. Modified feature but it would defending track champion Jimmy Gustin who would get all of the attention. Gustin would have his engine blow up in the heat race action, and would start the 20-lap main event dead last in the twenty-fifth starting position. Murty would lead the first five circuits before John Logue would be able to get by and take the lead. Vern Jackson would stay on the back bumper of Logue’s car, as Logue would pass Murty for the lead. The top three would all stay very close together for the next few laps until Jackson finally got by Murty for second. At the half way point of the race Jackson was running low with Logue high exchanging the lead during almost every lap. With five laps to go, Jackson would pull to the inside of Logue but then he would get caught up with a lap car sending him back to third, with Gustin moving into second. At the end, Gustin would finish second behind Logue after starting twenty-fifth. Jackson would finish third with Murty forth.

In what many will call the race of the night, the Aarons I.M.C.A. Stock Cars would go green to checkered for eighteen laps right to the end. Jeff Wollam would take the lead from the drop of the green flag. Three and four wide racing would follow behind the leader with six drivers trying to get the top spot. Mike VanGenderen, who started outside of Wollam at the start, would take the lead on lap five, lead through the halfway mark, before giving up the lead back to Wollam with eight laps remaining. Lap traffic would become an issue by lap twelve, but Wollam would not be unraveled. With three laps to go, Sean Johnson would now move into second place getting by VanGenderen. Working around the slower cars to the end the top three would end with Wollam, Johnson and VanGenderen with Luke Veren finishing forth. “I just have to say a big thanks to my crew”, said Wollam in victory lane. “Last year we didn’t even make the opening night feature now one year later we win opening night. That’s how this sport goes, and my team has stood by me through the good and bad times, and this one definitely is one of the good time”.

The racing season will continue next Friday night with Scout Night at the speedway. Every Scout, wearing their uniform will get in at no cost for this year’s event. The gates will open at 5:30 with hot laps starting at 6:45 and the first race of the evening beginning at 7:30.


MARSHALLTOWN SPEEDWAY FRIDAY May 9th 2008
By Denny Grabenbauer

“Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel” I.M.C.A. MODIFIED:
HEAT 1: Jerry Luloff-Independence—Troy Cordes—Raymond—Tim Murty-Tama
HEAT 2: John Logue-Boone—Todd Conrad-Waterloo—David Brown-Kellogg
HEAT 3: Vern Jackson-Waterloo—Brett Ladehoff-M’town—Jay Schmidt-Tama
FEATURE: John Logue—Jimmy Gustin—Vern Jackson—Tim Murty—Brett Ladehoff—Jerry Luloff—Todd Conrad—Scott Simatovich—Troy Cordes—Mike O’Lear—Jay Schmidt—Joey Schaefer—Nick Deal—Danny Fetters— Ronn Laurtizen —Duane Peterson—Rob Olson—Brian Kunkel— Derek Reimer—Adam Johnson—Chris Snyder—Scott Hogan—David Brown—Tim Stevens-Kyle Krampe

“Aarons” I.M.C.A. STOCK CAR:
HEAT 1: Sean Johnson-Independence—Luke Veren-Laurel—Jeff Wollam-M’town
HEAT 2: Brian Irvine- Hazelton —Don Vis-M’town—Dusty Vis-Legrand
HEAT 3: Mike VanGenderen-Newton—Tracy Gienger-Newton—Rick Brown-Kellogg
FEATURE: Jeff Wollam—Sean Johnson—Mike VanGenderen—Luke Veren—Brian Irvine—Dustin Smith—Trent Murphy—Don Vis—Steve Meyer—Gene Stiegel—Andy Bryant—Jarred Daggett—Rick Speck—Dave Atcher—Bo Hunter—Joe Luethje—Eric Flander—Tracy Gienger—Shawn Hoskins—Dusty Vis—Rick Brown

“Junction Bar & Grille” I.M.C.A HOBBY STOCK:
HEAT 1: Michael Murphy-Jefferson—Devin Smith-Lake City—Jamie Schirm-Dexter
HEAT 2: Josh Irvine-Hazelton—Curt Hilmer-Des Moines—Todd Reitzer-Grinnell
HEAT 3: Chris Luloff-Independence—Eric Knutson-Huxley—Josh Saunders-Newton
FEATURE: Devin Smith—Todd Reitzler—Alan VanGorp—Jamie Schirm—Chris Luloff—Justin Lichty—Michael Murphy—Josh Irvine—Mike Leffler—Dustin Elliott—Josh Saunders—Adam Rickett—Russell Keefer—Joe Bown—John Schuring—Dustin Filloon—Bradley Christie—Eric Knutson—Curt Hilmer—Jennifer Hulin—Jeff Gunderson—Jake Nelson—Nick Murty—James Gavagan—Mike Vibbard


I.M.C.A SPORT MOD:
HEAT 1: Austin Lucas-Ames—Josh Sherborn—Scott Jorpeland—M’town
HEAT 2: Kevin Sather-Ankeny—Luke Wanninger-Jefferson—Tim Love-Ames
HEAT 3: Ben Wilson-Nevada—Shawn Simatovich-M’town—Joel Cox-Story City
FEATURE: Kevin Sather—Luke Wanninger—Ben Wilson—Joel Bushore—Brad Iverson—Kyle Bentley—Austin Lucas—Joe Docekal—Neil Follett—Zach Rawlins—Paul Nagle—Joel Cox—Mark McNeece—Kyle Robinson—Brad Bartling—Bill Hildreth—Ryan Ashton—Tom Burke—Josh Sherborn—Ryan Engelkes—Tim Love—Scott Jorpeland—Kyle Brown—Shawn Simatovich—Josh Bly

DWARF CARS:
HEAT 1: Troy Hudson-Ankeny—Tim Hennigar-Clarion—Johnny Mordock-Creston
HEAT 2: Randy Bryan-Ames—Mike Morrill-Altoona—Charlie Brown--Nevada
FEATURE: Mike Morrill—Troy Hudson—Eric Hendrickson—Tim Hennigar—Randy Bryan—Charlie Brown—Duane Coffman—Johnny Mordock—Dusty Massolini—Mike Thomas—Matt Sorenson—Jason Whitehead—Terry Brown—Joe Wood—David Schmalzried

DAY’S INN KING OF THE HILL WINNER: Michael Murphy

NOSTALGIC STOCK CAR CLUB OF IOWA: xx
HEAT RACE: John Schroyer—James Kippling—Chuck Anderson
FEATURE EVENT: John Schroyer—James Kippling—Chuck Anderson