Blue & Orange Night A Hugh Success
by: Dennis Grabenbauer

Marshalltown, Ia. (April 21, 2006) - Week number three roared to life this past Friday night on “Blue & Orange” Night at the Marshalltown Speedway as first year promoter Toby Kruse had to breathe a shy of relief on the turn out of the evening. “Finally our race track was racy all the way around it. Our guys have worked non-stop all week long and I think we are finally getting turn one to straighten out and give the racers a good track to compete on,” explain Kruse with a smile on his face. “Again, I just can’t say thank you enough for the dedication that I have received from the guys that have worked this track. I feel like the coach with his team and we are really starting to jell.”

David Critchfield from New Hope Christian Church started the night off with the invocation as the first green flag was flying at 7:30. From the drop of the first green flag until the final checkered flag at 9:54, the racing was the best that it has been all season long. Two and three wide racing would thrill the near capacity fans in the grandstands as the stands were filled with people wearing there blue and orange colors. “This blue and orange nigh was just an idea that we had. Those are our track colors now at Marshalltown and I just want everyone to be aware of them,” said Kruse. “I hope that we can have another night like this and maybe even add something to the person who sprouts our track colors, its already in the plans were are just looking for the right time to try it again.”

Waterloo’s Mike Krall would take the lead on the opening lap of the I.M.C.A. Sport Mod feature race as the two wide racetrack quickly turned into a three wide track. The first yellow would come out on lap three and on the restart Marshalltown’s Brett Ladehoff would make a bid for the top spot. On lap four Ladehoff would storm to the front and never be challenged for the top spot, as Brett would go on and capture his first feature win. Ladehoff the grandson of former promoter Cliff Chambers knew that grandpa was watching over him. “This really means something to me and my family to be able to race on the track that grandpa worked so hard to keep going. And to win on this track is very gratifying to all of us.” Behind Ladehoff were Krall, Austin Kaplan and Jason Mallicoat who had his best finish of the year.

Twenty-seven I.M.C.A. Stock Cars would take the green flag for there eighteen lap event. Larry Silbaugh would take the lead and would start to pull away from the rest of the field. A yellow would come out on lap nine bunching the field up behind Silbaugh. On the restart Shawn Hoskins would make the pass off of turn two take the lead and would go on to victory. Hoskins, who visited victory lane twice last season, is starting this season off by posting impressive numbers. Following Hoskins and Silbaugh across the finish line was Rick Brown and Andy Bryant.

Plagued by yellow flags and restarts the first two-weeks of the season the I.M.C.A. Modifieds really put it all together during week number three. Adam Bolin who started the night in the 20th in the point standings would jump out in front of the twenty-four car field and lead the first six laps of the race. While Bolin was out front the cars behind him were mixing it up for position. Richie and Jimmy Gustin would make the early challenges for the top spot but at the half waypoint it was Jeff Schroyer who would make the pass for the lead and would eventually go on for the win. At the half way point Ed Anderson who started ninth, would start to close in on Schroyer. By lap sixteen Anderson would put the pressure on Schroyer but on this night Schroyer was not to be denied his second win of the year. Behind Schroyer and Anderson was Bolin and Jimmy Gustin.

The final two events of the night would be the I.M.C.A. Hobby Stocks. From the start of the first feature Luke Wanninger appeared to be going on for his third consecutive win of the year. But with four laps to go a flat tire would send Wanninger to the pit area giving the lead over to Trent Murphy and Murphy would score his first win of the year. In the second feature Donovan Smith who like Wanninger was looking for his third win of the year, but like in the first feature Smith would not experience any bad luck as he would out distance the field and going on to score his third win in a row.

Next Friday night will be “Media Night” at the speedway. All media is welcome to come and visit the high-banked quarter mile raceway. The grandstand will open at 5:30 with hot lap starting at 6:45 and the first green flag event of the night will begin at 7:30. And following the final checkered flag of the night, one of Central Iowa’s finest music groups “Clutter Billy” will be performing at the raceway. Everyone is invited to stay after the races and enjoy the first class entertainment.


I.M.C.A. MODIFIED:

HEAT 1: Mike O’Lear-M’town—Ed Anderson-M’town—Todd Luther-Laurel
HEAT 2: Jimmy Gustin-M’town—Adam Bolin-Waterloo—Vern Jackson-Waterloo
HEAT 3: Jeff Schroyer-M’town—Richie Gustin-M’town—Heath Kusel-Elberon

FEATURE: Schroyer—Anderson—Bolin—Jimmy Gustin—Kusel—O’Lear—Luther—Shawn Fisher—Denny Stoneburner—Duane VanDeest—Richie Gustin—Bobby Bowman—Marv Halverson—Rick Speck—Tom Rawlins—Mike Reichart—Shawn Plymesser—Doug Lauterwasser—Jackson—Scott Simatovich—Randy Havlik—David Brown—Ted Gould



I.M.C.A SPORT MOD:

HEAT 1: Butch Lester-Newton—Keith Williamson-Bondurant—Mike Krall-Waterloo
HEAT 2: Rod Olson-Cedar Rapids—Jason Mallicoat-Boone—Austin Kaplan-Ankeny
HEAT 3: Brett Ladehoff-M’town—Kasey Anderson-Boone—Scott Davis-Boone

FEATURE: Ladehoff—Krall—Kaplan—Mallicoat—Davis—Williamson—Tony Olson—Rod Olson—Danny Dvorak—Dean Taylor—Mark McNeece—Lester—Anderson—Damien Fairbank—Chad Rickett—Tim Young—Kyle Brown—Bob Baugh—Scott Durlin



I.M.C.A. STOCK CAR:

HEAT 1: Larry Silbaugh-Jefferson—Shawn Hoskins-M’town—Rob Schneider-M’town
HEAT 2: Jay Schmidt-Tama—Kyle Krampe-Baxter—Rick Brown-Kellogg
HEAT 3: Richard Quail-Waterloo—David Atcher-M’town—Tracy Gienger-Baxter

FEATURE: Hoskins—Silbaugh—Brown—Andy Bryant—Gienger—Luke Veren—Atcher—Jeff Wollam—Damon Murty—Schneider—Paul Zimmerman—Clay Deppe—Quail—Mike VanGenderen—LaVerne Weber—Tommy Thompson—Wendy Reisinger—Robert Engelkes—Schmidt—Mark Bolton—Krampe—Aaron Wendell—Joe Featherstone—Michael Jeannette—Steve Meyer—Scooter Dulin



I.M.C.A HOBBY STOCK:

HEAT 1: Trent Murphy-Jefferson—Luke Wanninger-Jefferson—Paul Sheppard-Marengo
HEAT 2: Donovan Smith-Lake City—Dustin Filloon-Tama—Zach Rawlins-Kellogg
HEAT 3: Chris Mosher-Melbourne—Mike Zeman-Tama—Joe Bown-M’town
HEAT 4: Dustin Smith-Lake City—Mike Smith-M’town—Bo Hunter-Nevada

FEATURE #1:Murphy—Sheppard—Zeman—Joe Bown—Mike Vibbard—Brad Bartling—Matt Sorenson—Damien Bown—Travis Merical—Adam Rickett—Josh Saunders—Chad Sawyer—Wanninger—Jason Rice—Tom Hill—Josh Bly—Greg Kershbaum

FEATURE #2:Donovan Smith—Kevin Sather—Mike Smith—Shawn Simatovich—Rawlins—Keith Lester—Gary Bryant—Mark Lamer—Hunter—Alan Damme—Filloon—Dustin Smith—Neil Follett—Josh Scovill—Dustin Elliott—Jeff Gunderson—Chris Arkema