7/28/2019
Marshalltown Speedway
"G Money" takes the Modified money, Hurst takes Late Model win and track championship
July 26, 2019
After last week's weather out due to the extreme high temperatures, the High Banks were back in action once again on Friday night. It was Rumours Bar & Grill/Salute to Marshalltown Police night at the races.
Joe Glick went back to victory lane when he took the checkers in the Mod Lite feature. Glick started seventh, and had the lead by lap three. Erin Turner rolled his ride on the frontstretch, halting the race at lap nine. Thankfully, he was okay. When the race picked back up, Glick continued his run at the front of the field and went on to claim his second win of the year. Travis Stensland came from twelfth starting spot to finish as the runner up. Joel Huggins, Mike Morrill and Randy Bryan completed the top five.
Leah Wroten showed the guys how it's done in the IMCA Hobby Stock 15-lap feature. Wroten started eighth and had the lead by lap four, never to relinquish it. She pulled away to claim the easy win, her third of the 2019 season. Gary Pfantz finished in the runner up spot, Kaden Reynolds took third, veteran racer Bill Bonnett started ninth and claimed fourth, and Jacob Floyd was fifth.
Another lady racer, Janae Gustin bested the guys in the IMCA Northern SportMod A main, winning her first win of the year. Gustin, who just returned this season after taking a year off from racing, didn't look to have missed a beat. Gustin started fifth, had the lead on lap two, and never looked back on her way to the flying checkers. Austin Schrage had a good run, coming from seventh starting spot, to claim second. Tony Olson was third, Jake McBirnie started eleventh and finished fourth and Travis Peterson came from tenth, to finish fifth.
Damon Murty took the checkers in the IMCA Stock Car division. Murty started on the outside front row, and immediately took the lead when the race went green. Jay Schmidt fell in right behind Murty, and chased him all race long to finish second. Shawn Ritter took third place, Dallon Murty took fourth, and Steve Meyer rounded out the top five. This was Murty's second win at the speedway this season.
The IMCA Modifieds were running for $1,000 to win Friday night, and as often is the case when more money is up for grabs, it was Richie "G Money" Gustin going home with the prize. Gustin started in row five, and ran down early leader DJ Shannon from Merced, California, taking the top spot on lap eight. Gustin pulled away in the closing laps, claiming another of his bigger money pay offs. Todd Shute had an amazing run, finishing second after starting eighteenth. It was a close one for third and fourth, with DJ Shannon just beating Tim Ward to the finish line, and Ronn Lauritzen took fifth, after starting tenth on the field.
The IMCA Late Models wound up their weekly racing for 2019, and it was Jeremiah Hurst claiming the feature win and wrapping up his first track championship as well. The field started straight up by points for their final regular race of the year. Hurst led all 20 laps of the feature to take home the trophy. Veteran and hometown racer Darrel DeFrance had his night end when he pulled up in turn four off power while running in second spot, bringing out a yellow and ending his night on lap eight. Hurst motored off on the restart and had things well in hand, when the race went red with just three laps remaining. Jill George and Randy Faux got tangled up in corner two, ending with George rolling her ride. She was okay. The final laps saw Hurts shoot off once again, taking the win comfortably over second place Dalton Simonsen. Curtis Glover took third, veteran racer Gary Webb came from tenth spot to finish fourth, and Kyle Krampe completed the top five.
Racing continues next Friday night, August 2. Grandstands open at 5:30, and the green flag drops at 7:30.
Article Credit: Joyce Eisele