Ward scores first win at Marshalltown, all other classes have repeat winners
MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA (July 28, 2017) – The Marshalltown Speedway saw only one new winner on Friday night. That winner came from the Modified division, where Tim Ward made a first time appearance in victory lane in 2017. The Late Model, Stock Car, Northern SportMod, Hobby Stock and Mod Lite classes all saw repeat winners.
Travis Stensland kept his win streak alive in the Mod Lite division. Stensland started sixth, and led by lap one, holding down that top spot all the way to the checkers. Mike Morrill started eighth, and finished as the runner up, third went to tenth place starter, Josh May, fourth to Bryan Zehm and Jeff Stensland rounded out the top five. Stensland has won the last five races at the speedway.
Sam Wieben made it two in a row by winning the IMCA Northern SportMod A main. Wieben took the lead at lap four after starting ninth on the grid, passing then leader Tom Rawlins. Wieben then took to the rim of the track, circling the track flawlessly on his way to the checkers. Curt Hilmer was second, third went to tenth place starter Travis Peterson, Johnathon Logue came from twelfth, to finish fourth, and Jake McBirnie was fifth. Wieben captured his second win of the season, in back to back victories.
Shannon Anderson in the IMCA Hobby Stocks also made back to back visits to the winner’s circle. Anderson came from twelfth starting spot, to reach the rear bumper of leader Gene Nicklas in less than two laps. By lap five, Anderson had the lead. The closing laps found Leah Wroten apply pressure to Anderson, but to no avail, as she finished as the runner up. Eric Knutson was third, followed by Gary Pfantz in fourth, and Luke Bird in fifth. Anderson scored his ninth win at Marshalltown this year.
The 18 lap IMCA Stock Car feature did not start well. Curt Hook barrel rolled several times off the top of turns three and four before lap one was in the books. Thankfully, he was okay. When the race did get underway, Damon Murty got to the front quickly from his fifth row starting spot, chasing down leader Michael Jaennette, and taking command by lap seven. Jaennette’s attempts to regain the lead fell short, having to settle for second behind winner Murty. Thirteenth place starter Todd Reitzler had a good run to finish in third place, and Steve Meyer finished fourth, just holding off fifth place finisher, Donavon Smith. Murty also made it two in a row, and claimed his fifth win of the regular season.
It was a fight to the finish in the 20 lap IMCA Modified A Main. Jenae Gustin looked poised to take back to back wins, as she led much of the latter portion of the race. But then Tim Ward got to her bumper with five lap remaining. He was able to slip around Gustin with one lap left. Gustin’s last corner slide would then fall short, Ward taking the win, Gustin having to settle for second. Jesse Hoeft came from eleventh starting spot, to take third, fourth was Jake Murray, and Ronn Laurtizen started thirteenth, and finished fifth. This was Ward’s first win of the year at the speedway.
The night was capped off by the 20 lap IMCA Late Model feature and it was Richie Gustin going to victory lane with back to back wins. Gustin finished a comfortable distance ahead of second place Darrel DeFrance. Joe Zrostlik was third, Justin Mitchell started tenth, and finished fourth, and Paul Nagle, who led the early portion of the race, was fifth.
Regular season racing continues next Friday night, August with racing in all six divisions. The green flag drops at 7:30.
Category: Iowa
