4/20/2019
Marshalltown Speedway
Bruening takes SLMR feature on Marshalltown Speedway season opening night
Marshalltown Speedway's opening night of 2019 weekly racing got underway on Friday night and an added attraction was the Malvern Bank Super Late Models that brought 39 strong to test their skills on the High Banks. A total of 146 race cars jammed the pits and put on a great show for the fans.
Tyler Bruening took top honors in the SLMR class, while Tim Ward outlasted his competition in the IMCA Modifieds. Steve Meyer took home the win in an exciting IMCA Stock Car feature, Jake McBirnie made his way to the winner's circle in the IMCA Northern SportMod A main, Shannon Anderson was top dog in the IMCA Hobby Stock event, and Mike Morrill won the Mod Lite division.
The Mod Lites kicked off the feature racing and it was Mike Morrill finding his way to victory lane in their 15-lap main event. Morrill started fourth and had the lead by lap four. From there on, he pulled away to take the flying checkers and the win. Early leader Joel Huggins finished as the runner up, Randy Bryan was third, fourth went to Joe Glick, and Tanner Gannon completed the top five. The race went caution free.
The IMCA Hobby Stock 15-lap feature went to Shannon Anderson, who knows victory lane very well at Marshalltown and beyond. Anderson, who is the defending track champion as well as a multi-time IMCA National Champion, started eighth and snatched the lead on lap six from then leader Mike Kincaid. David Rieks started seventh and chased Anderson much of the distance to finish in second place. Mike Kincaid took third, fourth went to Kayden Reynolds, and veteran racer Gary Pfantz finished fifth.
Jake McBirnie took home the trophy in the IMCA Northern SportMod feature. McBirnie, who started sixth, made the pass out of turn four on Cresco, Iowa's Austin Schrage, to be scored first at lap five. McBirnie then put distance between himself and the field to take the comfortable win. Thomas Egenberger held off Austin Kaplan as they crossed the finish line as they finished second and third respectively. Cory Rose was a close fourth and Cory VanZante took fifth.
The IMCA Stock Cars never disappoint with their close and exciting racing action and Friday night was no exception. Steve Meyer started on the outside of the front row and took the immediate lead as the race went green. Jeff Mueller started third, and quickly set his #77M hot rod on the bottom side and sneaked into the runner up spot and started giving Meyer fits. By lap six, Mueller had the lead, but Meyer wasn't done yet...and now Ricky Thornton entered into the picture to make it a three-way battle. Thornton surged into second and then began throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Meyer, but Meyer never wavered and took the Stock Car win. Thornton had to be content with the runner up spot, Mueller kept third place, Jay Schmidt came from eighth to finish fourth, and ninth place starter Damon Murty rounded out the top five.
The Malvern Bank Super Late Model Racing Series made their first ever appearance at the Marshalltown Speedway on Friday night...bringing 39 of the wide-bodies for a "chance to dance" on the High Banks. The starting field of 22-cars ran a 25-lap feature.
Veteran racer Kyle Berck out of Marquette, Nebraska was the pole sitter for the race, with Nick Deal, Walnut, Iowa sitting along side. Deal shot to the lead and Tyler Bruening made his way to second place quickly. The two were putting on a good battle for the lead when they made contact in corner one, bringing out a yellow flag on lap nine. The series director of competition deemed Deal at fault and relegated him to the rear of the field for the restart and Bruening was awarded the lead. When the race returned to green, Richie Gustin made his run at the edge of the track pay off, and he swept past Bruening for the lead. The two battled closely for a couple of laps until Bruening re-established himself as captain of the ship. He then pulled away in the finals circuits to take the comfortable win. Gustin came home a distant second. Bill Leighton, Lavista, Nebraska, had a good run as he started in thirteenth spot, and finished third.Pole sitter Kyle Berck was fourth and Andy Eckrich was fifth. Bruening was $2,000 richer with his SLMR win.
The IMCA Modifieds closed out the night's action with a 20-lap feature event. Troy Cordes led the troops by the time lap one was scored, but had hometown boy Jimmy Gustin hot on his tail, with Tim Ward closing the gap quickly as well. Ward made his way into the lead at lap six, kept it and pulled away in the closing laps to take the comfortable win. Gustin followed from a distance in second, and Cayden Carter came from starting tenth, to score third place. Eleventh place starter, Joel Rust followed Carter through the pack and finished in fourth, and early leader Troy Cordes was fifth.
Weekly racing continues next Friday night, April 26 with racing in the IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods, Hobby Stocks and Mod Lites. The Karl Chevrolet Dirt Trucks will also be on the docket. The green flag drops at 7:30.
Article Credit: Joyce Eisele