Gill Gets First Career Win on Larry Wollam Season Championship

By Jeremy Fox

Marshalltown, Iowa (August 30th,  2013) – The regular season ended on Friday Night at the Marshalltown Speedway with the Larry Wollam Season Championships. It’s a night we honor great promotor, car owner and supporter of the speedway that lost his battle to cancer 14 years ago. One driver visitied victory lane for the first time in his career.

John Gill lead the entire ten lap IMCA Sport Compacts feature to claim his first career feature win. Gill said he was going to retire the car at the end of the season after building the car 11 years ago. Chad Larson finished in the runner up position meanwhile Adam Gates came home third despite missing a left rear wheel. Josh Keller finished fourth and 2013 Track Champion Merv Chandler came home fifth.

In the Toby K’s Hideaway Mod Lites saw Josh May take the challenge to go the tail that moved Randy Bryan to the pole. Bryan lead the first five laps before Dusty Masolini snuck by on lap six. Masolini went on take the victory in the feature that went green-to-checkered, for Masolini that was win number two at MoTown this season. Track Champion Josh May came home 2nd, Bryan was 3rd, Charlie Brown was 4th and Mike Morrill was 5th.

Track Point Leader Bill Bonnett accepted the challenge to go to the tail in the Mike’s Hard Lemonade IMCA Hobby Stocks feature. That put Garrett Eilander and Eric Stanton on the front row. Stanton grabbed the lead and never looked back to take the feature win. Eric Larson, Garrett Eilander, Gary Pfantz and Scott Durlin rounded out the top five.

The Big 8 Tyre Center IMCA Sport Mods feature saw Joel Rust took the challenge of going to the tail. Jenae Gustin moved to the outside front row and she took advantage by grabbing the lead and appear to be heading to the victory but the first race caution came out on lap eight when Brandon Brinton lost the handle. Gustin remained out front but Travis Peterson and Eric Elliott right behind her. Gustin lost the lead away on lap 14 when Peterson snuck by and four laps later Gustin exited to the pit area with troubles after coming a rest for no power. Peterson lead the remaining laps to take the win. Hardcharging Joel Rust found his way up to the runner up position. Jayme Duinink finished third, Track Champion Eric Elliott was fourth and Johnathan Logue was fifth.

Jay Schmidt came into the night as the point leader and took full advantage starting on the pole by leading the first four laps in the Amsoil IMCA Stock Cars feature. Damon Murty worked his way through the field and grab the lead way on lap five when Schmidt slid up the track. Murty and the field saw the yellow come out on lap six and then again on lap nine. Murty appeared to be heading to the victory but Brian Irvine chased him down and grab the lead way coming to the white flag. Irvine took the win with Murty and Schmidt finishing second and third. Steve Meyer and Derek Reimer was fourth and fifth respectively. Jay Schmidt won his first track championship by seven points over Meyer.

Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel IMCA Modifieds saw Ronn Lauritzen and Jon Snyder separated by one point going into the night both choosing to go to the tail for extra money. After the race both drivers said they did it for the fans and hope the fans went home excited. Racer Hulin and Josh Truman moved to the front row with Hulin grabbing the early lead. Just after the completion of lap one the caution came out. On the restart, Truman grabbed the top spot away but Truman and Hulin swapped the lead a several times over the next few laps, that opened the door for Luke Wanninger to sneak by just before the final caution on lap eight. Wanninger lead the remaining laps to take the win. Jon Snyder worked his way up to finish second and claim his 2nd track title in three years at MoTown by one point. Richie Gustin finished home third, Ronn Lauritzen finish fourth and Clayton Christensen finish fifth.

Final race of the night was the Grundy County Challenge presented by Rouse Motors. Eric Larson lead the first six laps before Travis Peterson snuck by on lap seven. Peterson went on to take the win with Joel Rust in second, Curt Hook was third, Steve Meyer was fourth and Larson finished fifth. Other competitors was Jared Van Deest, Neil Follett, JD Kennedy, Shawn Albers, Doug Russell, Mitchell Engelkes, Robert Engelkes, Marty Rouse and Duane Van Deest.

Next up for the Speedway is the 7th Annual World Nationals coming up on Thursday, Friday and Saturday September 19th, 20th and 21st. Thursday Night will be a practice night, Friday Night qualifying begins for the Modifieds along with a complete show for Stock Cars, Sport Mods and Hobby Stocks. Saturday Night the Modifieds run for the top prize of $10,000 to win with another complete show for Stock Cars, Sport Mods and Hobby Stocks. All the information check out Marshalltown Speedway’s website.

For additional information and to follow the season at the Marshalltown Speedway, log on at: http://www.marshalltownspeedway.com/, or follow Marshalltown Speedway on Facebook and Twitter, or call the speedway office at 515-432-4703.

Marshalltown Speedway Results
August 30th , 2013

Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel IMCA Modifieds
Feature: 1. 20 Luke Wanninger (Minburn); 2. 69X Jon Sndyer (Ames); 3. 19G Richie Gustin Jr. (Gilman); 4. 10K Ronn Lauritzen (Jesup); 5. 44 Clayton Christianson (Spencer); 6. 21K Kyle Brown (Kellogg); 7. 47 Josh Truman (Indianola); 8. 43S Scott Simatovich (State Center); 9. 21 David Brown (Kellogg); 10. 2Z Zack Rawlins (Kellogg); 11. 12 Andrew Kinser (State Center); 12. 505 Racer Hulin (Marshalltown)

2013 Track Champion: 69X Jon Snyder

Amsoil IMCA Stock Cars
Last Chance Race : 54 Robbie Merkle – 26 Brian Irvine – 43 Nate Thelen

Feature: 1. 26 Brian Irvine (Oelwein); 2. 99D Damon Murty (Chelsea); 3. 19J Jay Schmidt (Tama); 4. 94 Steve Meyer (Grundy Center); 5. 17R Derek Reimer (Marshalltown); 6. 75 Curt Hook (Ackley); 7. 47 Scott Pippert (Elberon); 8. 3W Jeff Wollam (Marshlltown); 9. 54 Robbie Merkle (Des Moines); 10. 87A Aaron Matthias (Fairbank); 11. 21K JD Kennedy (Ackley); 12. 50X Kevin Balmer (Garwin); 13. 43 Nate Thelen (Newton); 14. 55 Dave Mehmen (Baxter); 15. 52 Robert Engelkes (Dike); 16. 042 Doug Russell (Conrad); 17. 45 Matt Deaton (Newton); 18. 52E Mitchell Engelkes (Dike); 19. 199 Nick Thelen (Kellogg); 20. 12K Eric Knutson (Slater); 21. 6R Adam Rickett (Marshalltown); 22. 196 Chuck Davis; DNS/23. 4JR Russell Damme Jr. (Waterloo)

2013 Track Champion : 19J Jay Schmidt

Big 8 Tyre Center IMCA SportMods
Last Chance Heat : Paul Nagle – Gatlin Leytham – Ryan King

Feature: 1. 25 Travis Peterson (Gladbrook); 2. 26J Joel Rust (Grundy Center); 3. 777 Jayme Duinink (Pella); 4. 9E Eric Elliott (Boone); 5. 69JR Johnathan Logue (Boone); 6. 22A Shawn Albers (Wellsburg); 7. 80J Jared Van Deest (Grundy Center); 8. 33R DJ Robinson (Ankeny); 9. 19G Gatlin Leytham (Garwin); 10. 80V Duane Van Deest (Grundy Center); 11. 32N Neil Follett (Conrad); 12. 24B Brandon Brinton (Nevada); 13. 40S Shawn Simatovich (Gilman); 14. 52R Marty Rouse (Grundy Center); 15. 57R Ryan King (Marshalltown); 16. 99B Jim Bonschmit (Clemons); 17. 19J Jenae Gustin (Marshalltown); 18. 05 Paul Nagle (Nevada); 19. 198 Sam Wieben (Dysart); 20. T17 Tom Rawlins (Kellogg); 21. 13T Mike Timm (Mingo); 22. 00 Shawn Weatherly (Eldora); 23. 49 Brandon Smith (Waterloo)

2013 Track Champion : 9E Eric Elliott

Mike’s Hard Lemonade IMCA Hobby Stocks
Feature: 1. 7B Eric Stanton (Hartford); 2. 20E Eric Larson (Holland); 3. 500 Garrett Eilander (Newton); 4. 4X Gary Pfantz (State Cener); 5. 3X Scott Durlin (State Center); 6. 19 Bill Bonnett (Knoxville); 7. 82 Jennifer Hulin (Marshalltown); 8. 23G Dustin Tapp (Nevada); 9. 05 Jason Cox (Maxwell); 10. 121 Travis Staley (Hampton); 11. 2 Nick Welch (Cedar Falls); 12. 37D Shannon Deppe (Grinnell); 13. 17 Andy Peck (Newton); 14. 83 Eugene Nicklas (Grinnell); 15. 55 Keith Miner (Granger); 16. 26 Brice Udelhoven (Newton); 17. 33X Matthew Howard (Des Moines)

2013 Track Champion : 19 Bill Bonnett

Toby K’s Hideaway Mod Lites
Feature: 1. 8 Dusty Masolini (Des Moines); 2. 99 Josh May (De Soto); 3. 64 Randy Bryan (Ames); 4. 82 Charlie Brown (Nevada); 5. 6 Mike Morrill (Altoona); 6. 95 Mike Kennedy (Boone); 7. 66F Eric Hendrickson (Ankeny); 8. 5J Jimmy May (De Soto); 9. 89 Travis Stensland (Nevada); 10. DC5 Tim Gannon (Des Moines); 11. 4L Larry Sorenson (Ames); 12. 28 Terry Brown (Nevada); 13. 03 Joe Glick (Des Moines); 14. 4 Travis Brandt (Des Moines)

2013 Track Champion : 99 Josh May

IMCA Sport Compacts
Feature: 1. 02 John Gill (Marshalltown); 2. 7C Chad Larson (Brooklyn); 3. 007 Adam Gates (Cedar Rapids); 4. 3JK Josh Keller (Toledo); 5. 18J John Walker (Marshalltown); 6. 2 Merv Chandler (Urbana)

2013 Track Champion : 2 Merv Chandler

Category: Iowa, Marshalltown Speedway