Despite The Weather, Races Run as Scheduled.
By Denny Grabenbauer

MARSHALLTOWN, MO (May 4) - Week number four roared to life this past Friday night at the Marshalltown Speedway with cloudy sky’s a threat of rain in the area and a race track that had an over abundance of water, from a night before rain shower. “We had somewhat of a mess to say the least,” explained a baffled promoter Toby Kruse. “We didn’t get any sunshine to dry the track out today, last nights water just stayed on top and nothing was going to dry out the track today.” After lap after lap of tractors and packers on the surface, maintainer operator Dave Wolfe jumped into his machine and pealed away the mud from the low side of the track. “This was our last resort, and for the most part it worked,” said Kruse. After a quick hot lap session, an invocation by Jane Jech and the singing of the National Anthem by Karen Benzing the night officially started at 7:35, only five minutes from it’s scheduled starting time.

All of the preliminary qualifying heat races were run off without a hitch. Then it would be time for the Shawns Hay Grinding kids candy toss on the front straight a way. Also in special attendance from the Iowa Speedway were Dave Blankenship and Brandee Ferriss to assist in the candy throw.

Dwarf Cars would start the night of feature events and even before one lap could be counted, David Schmalzried and Ron Bergmann would flip there cars in between turns three and four to end there night of competition. Both drivers were climbed from there cars uninjured. Mike Thomas would lead the opening lap through lap three before Mike Morrill would take the top spot. Opening night winner Tim Hennigar would lead lap four, before Morrill would retake the lead. Morrill and Tim Hennigar then Andy Hennigar would make it a three-way battle for the lead right till the end, but Morrill would emerge as the third winner in the first four weeks. Finishing second would be Tim Hennigar followed by Andy Hennigar in third with Randy Bryan finishing forth.

Outside front row starter Mark McNeece would lead the opening lap of the I.M.C.A. Sport Mod feature. A early yellow flag on lap one would slow the field. On the restart Scott Jorpeland would make a pass for the lead and hold the top spot through the half way portion of the race. On lap twelve, just three laps from the end, Jorpeland would be passed by defending track champion Jason Mallicoat who was making his first start of the year. Mallicoat would lead the final laps for his first win of the season. Jorpeland, Kevin Sather and Austin Kaplan would follow Mallicoat across the finish line. “I love this place,” said Mallicoat in the Aarons Victory Lane. “I’ve been busy this spring and we are just getting started, what a way to kick things off.”

Rick Brown who finished second last week, bettered that position by one this week in the Aarons I.M.C.A. Stock Car feature by taking the lead from Andy Bryant on lap three. Browns only challenge at the end was getting through lap traffic with his Ford powered Thunderbird. When the checkered flag fell, Brown had almost a full straight a way lead over second place Donovan Smith. Finishing third was Jeff Wollam followed by Bryant in forth. Ironically, Brown also won on week four, and again on week fourteen, in 2006m clearly making the number four a lucky number for the veteran Brown.

Rookie driver Brett Ladehoff clearly convinced everyone that he is the real deal by leading the first eleven laps of the I.M.C.A. Modified feature event. Ladehoff would battle defending track champion Jeff Schroyer and point leader Jimmy Gustin right to the checkered flag, but experience would prevail at the end. Schroyer would make a pass on lap twelve and hold off the hard charging Gustin for his second feature win of the season, and back to back feature wins. Gustin would finish second followed by Vern Jackson and Ladehoff.

Jamie Schirm would finally visit Aarons Victory lane as he posted his first feature win on the high-banked quarter mile raceway. “I tried to run the track in the shape of a “D” said Schirm in victory lane. “It’s been along time coming, I just want to thank everyone for sticking with me, and tonight it finally happened.” Rookie Leonard Loftus would lead right up to the final lap before Schirm would take the lead off of turn four. Chad Koch finished third and Trent Murphy finished forth. Phil Morrison would roll his car off turn four, and was uninjured in the incident.

The final checkered flag would fly at 10:10 bringing an end to the week, that many said wouldn’t happen. Racing will continue next Friday night with the U.A.W. Cliff Chambers Memorial. The grandstand will open at 5:30, with hot laps starting at 6:45 and the first race of the night will get underway at 7:30.


MARSHALLTOWN SPEEDWAY Friday, May 04, 2007

By Denny Grabenbauer


“Aarons” I.M.C.A. STOCK CAR:

HEAT 1: Clay Deppe-Kellogg—Andy Bryant-Clemons—Scooter Dulin-Cedar Rapids

HEAT 2: Rick Brown-Kellogg—Jeff Wollam-M’town—Jared Daggett-Maxwell

HEAT 3: Donovan Smith-Lake City—Paul Sheppard-Marengo—Damon Murty-Chelsea

FEATURE: Rick Brown—Donovan Smith—Jeff Wollam—Andy Bryant—Scooter Dulin—Don Vis—Clay Deppe—Rob Schneider—Jared Daggett—Damon Murty—Mike VanGenderen—Josh Filmer—Steve Meyer—Luke Veren—John Wilson—Dan Wauters—Michael Jaennette—Wendy Reisinger—Dave Atcher—Dusty Vis—Dustin Smith



I.M.C.A. MODIFIED:

HEAT 1: Brett Ladehoff-M’town—Jimmy Gustin-M’town—Adam Johnson-Independence

HEAT 2: Jason Murray-Hartford—Rob Olson-Cedar Rapids—Scott Simatovich-State Center

FEATURE: Jeff Schroyer—Jimmy Gustin—Vern Jackson—Brett Ladehoff—Jason Murray—Marv Halverson—David Brown—Jay Schmidt—Scott Simatovich—Jason Purvis—Tom Rawlins—Rob Olson—Heath Kusel—Todd Conrad—Leroy Staub—Adam Johnson—Justin Auringer—Todd Luther



I.M.C.A SPORT MOD:

HEAT 1: Danny Dvorak—Vinton—Kurt Hogan-Vinton—Neil Follett-Conrad

HEAT 2: Mark McNeece-Albion—Scott Jorpeland-M’town—Kevin Sather-Ankeny

HEAT 3: Shawn Ritter-Keystone—Dustin Filloon-Tama—Brett Meyer-Ames

FEATURE: Jason Mallicoat—Scott Jorpeland—Kevin Sather—Austin Kaplan—Danny Dvorak—Mark McNeece—Brett Meyer—Shawn Simatovich—J.D. Albright—Austin Lucas-Ames—Neil Follett—Ryan Engelkes—Tony Olson—Butch Lester—Bradley Wilson—Zach Rawlins—Shawn Ritter—Brad Iverson—Kurt Hogan—Kyle Brown—Eric Becker—Dustin Filloon



I.M.C.A HOBBY STOCK:

HEAT 1: Joe Bown-M’town—Chad Koch-M’town—Jason Rice-M’town

HEAT 2: Trent Murphy-Jefferson—Terry Shaffer-State Center—Todd Reitzer-Grinnell

HEAT 3: Jamie Schirm-Dexter—Luke Wanninger-Jefferson—August Bach-Des Moines

FEATURE: Jamie Schirm—Leonard Loftus—Chad Koch—Trent Murphy—Jason Rice—Jenifer Hulin—Joe Bown—Terry Shaffer—Michael Vibbard—Gary Pfantz—Adam Rickett—Luke Wanninger—Troy Cowan—Bo Hunter—August Bach—Daniel Hilsbeck—Dustin Elliott—Josh Saunders—Todd Reitzer—Phil Morrison—Allan Jones



DWARF CARS:

HEAT 1: Mike Morrill-Altoona—Tim Hennigar-Clarion—Joe Wood-Nevada

HEAT 2: Randy Bryan-Ames—Andy Hennigar-Ankeny—Joel Huggins-Pleasant Hill

FEATURE: Mike Morrill—Tim Hennigar—Andy Hennigar—Randy Bryan—Charlie Brown—Mike Thomas—Joel Huggins—Michael Thomas—Eric Hendrickson—Mike Kennedy—Jeff Stensland—Matt Goodin—Terry Brown—Joe Wood—David Schmalzried Jr—Ron Bergmann.