6/6/2020
Marshalltown Speedway
Duffy, Berry, Meyer, Kaplan, Reynolds, and Zehm capture Marshalltown Season Opener wins
Marshalltown Speedway held its long awaited season opener and Oldtimer's Lounge Night on Friday, with 143 hungry race drivers on hand for some racing action. Logan Duffy claimed the IMCA Late Model feature, and Tom Berry, Jr. snagged a win in the IMCA Modified division. It was Steve Meyer taking home the trophy in the Class too Tough to Tame, the IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA Northern SportMod winner was Austin Kaplan, Kaden Reynolds took the checkers in the IMCA Hobby Stocks, and Bryan Zehm won in the Mod Lites.
Feature racing kicked off with the Mod Lites with twenty-three cars vying for the checkers. Bryan Zehm would take the early race lead and never look back on his way to that checkered flag. Joe Glick took the runner up spot, Charlie Brown came from thirteenth starting spot to take third place, Randy Bryan was fourth, and Jonathan Braathun rounded out the top five.
The IMCA Northern SportMods went eighteen laps for their main event. Austin Kaplan would lead all laps on his way to the checkers. He finished comfortably ahead of second place Brayton Carter. Johnathon Logue started tenth, and finished third, Jenae Gustin, sporting a new look and a new #44, her mom Judy Gustin's number back in her racing days, was fourth, and Maquire DeJong came home in fifth.
Up next was the fifteen lap IMCA Hobby Stock A feature. Kaden Reynolds went home with the season opener win in this one. Tom Killen finished a distant runner up. Solomon Bennett was third, Aaron Rudolph came from thirteenth starting spot to capture fourth place, and Dustin Filloon completed the top five.
The IMCA Stock Car twenty lap feature had a hard time getting the first lap in the books, but when they did get going, it was Damon Murty at the front of the field. Jeff Mueller was up to challenge quickly, and then the two swapped the top spot back and forth several times. Meanwhile, Steve Meyer had set his ride on the topside and was coming fast. The final circuits would have all eyes on Meyers as he worked the rim, inching closer to leader Murty. His timing was perfect, gaining the upper hand with a lap to go....keeping it to the flying checkers and the win. Murty had to be content with second, Mueller, who started eleventh, finished third, fourth went to Jay Schmidt, and pole sitter Dallon Murty was fifth.
Logan Duffy found himself in the winner's circle in taking the fifteen lap IMCA Late Model main event. Duffy led all laps on his way to victory. Curtis Glover took the runner up spot, Luke Pestka went third, hometown boy Darrel DeFrance took fourth, and Dalton Simonsen was fifth.
The night cap was twenty laps of IMCA Modified ground pounders going at it. Tom Berry, Jr. made it look easy, taking command early, and pulling away from the field to take the checkered flag. Jeff Aikey and rookie Jake McBirnie battled it out for position, but it was Aikey making it a runner up finish, McBirnie going third. Fourth went to Joel Rust, and Tim Ward came from eleventh starting spot, to finish fifth.
Next up at Marshalltown Speedway will be this Tuesday, June 9, for the Dale DeFrance Memorial and 500th IMCA Deery Brothers Late Model Summer Series race. Also on tap is the Dirt Knight IMCA Modified Tour Series opener. The IMCA Stock Cars, Northern SportMods, and Hobby Stocks will also be competition. The green flag drops at 7:30.
Article Credit: Jerry Vansickel
Submitted By: Jerry Vansickel