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MOTHER NATURE SCORES ANOTHER WIN AT MARSHALLTOWN
By Denny Grabenbauer

MARSHALLTOWN, IA (April 25) - For the third time in as many weeks, Mother Nature scores another victory putting a halt to opening night at the Marshalltown Speedway. Excessive rain and cold weather has kept the memory of the past harsh winter fresh in front of everyone. “We actually felt that we might get lucky on Friday and catch a break in the weather, but it was a day with no drying, a strong SW wind and colder temperatures heading our way, so it was in the best interest of the racers and fans to put a hold on our opening night for one more week”, said a dejected promoter Toby Kruse.

“It’s really kind of a bad deal, but it’s still Iowa in April and you just take what you get. Right now, we don’t like it, but it will change and we will appreciate the good weather when it does arrive”.

Not only do racers and fans feel the loss of a night of racing, but area business also feel the loss of revenue that cannot be made up with the loss of a racing night. “We know that on Friday nights during the summer months, we have to ad more employees to properly care for our added customers,” said Hardees Manager Kathy Mercer. “What really makes things tough is that I put the work schedule together on Monday for the week, and when the track doesn’t race, we have to send some people home because we don’t need them”.

Sandy Warnell, Manager of Arby’s also mirrored the same thoughts about her Friday night dinner guests; “on a racing Friday night in the racing season, many of our guests are eating with us on their way to the racetrack. We usually can tell because of their racing clothing they wear. We are glad every year when the racing returns back to the speedway.”

Also making an impact in the local economy is the turn out that area hotels receive. During the April 4th Frostbuster Special, nineteen of the twenty-three Wisconsin teams stayed in local hotels on Friday night many returned on Saturday night on their way home on Sunday.

When the season rolls off for the first green flag of the regular season, defending track champions will have their work cut out for them in order to repeat.

Jimmy Gustin was crowned the 2007 Meskwaki Bingo Casino I.M.C.A. Modified Champion, knows he has work cut out for him to repeat in 2008. Runner up last year Vern Jackson finished two points from the championship with his seven feature wins will hope to keep up his momentum to gain one more finishing position.

Aarons I.M.C.A. Stock Car Champion Donovan Smith made his rookie season a successful one. Jeff Wollam finish in second place, ten points from the top spot had to over come a non-qualifying opening night to work his way up to the finish second.

The Junction Bar & Grille I.M.C.A. Hobby Stock’s will definitely be up for grabs with 2007 champion Luke Wanninger moving into the I.M.C.A. Sport Mod division. Wanninger pulled a 20-point advantage away from Jamie Schirm in route to his championship, but coming on strong at the end of the season was Marshalltown’s Dustin Elliott who could be the man to beat in 2008.

With Wanninger moving into the I.M.C.A. Sport Mod division in 2008, and already proving to everyone that he could be a champion contender, by winning the April 4th Frostbuster Special. Danny Dvorak is expected back in 2008 to defend his last season championship run. Dvorak would end 2007 with a 23-point lead over Brett Meyer.

In 2007 it was the Hennigar brothers, Andy and Tim who would finish one and two in the Dwarf Car standings with Andy building a 29-point winning margin.

For more information about the upcoming season at the Marshalltown Speedway go to www.marshalltownspeedway.com  and bring yourself up to speed on what goes on with 2008 sponsor’s and photos from last years racing action.

The season opener will get started next Friday night with the same five classes of cars taking to the raceway. The pit-gates will open at 5:15, the grandstands will open at 5:30, hot laps will begin at 6:45 and the first race of the year will get started at 7:30.