With three laps to go, the caution flag waved in the IMCA Stock Car feature Friday night at Marshalltown Speedway. Prior to the restart, announcer Jerry Vansickel asked the crowd who they thought would win. I quietly sent a text to Jerry saying "Meyer." With a little bit of luck and perfect timing, I was right for a change.
Jay Schmidt was the leader by a sizable margin and Meyer ran second at the time the yellow flag waved. Damon Murty was third after having made a good run from the fifth row. The separation between the leaders was gone when they regrouped for the Delaware double-file restart. Then, when Schmidt pushed into turns one and two on the restart, it was anyone's guess who would claim the victory.
Once the #19J allowed room beneath him, the race was on as Meyer, Murty, Tracy Gienger and Dusty Vis saw opportunity present itself. Meyer went to the low side, alongside Murty, with Schmidt looking to keep pace from the top side of the fast quarter-mile. The leaders went through turn two in three-wide formation with Meyer taking control down the back stretch. He held off the field over the final circuits to take the exciting victory. Schmidt regrouped to finish second ahead of Murty, Gienger and Eric Knutson.
Eric Larson led the field to green at the start of the 12-lap IMCA Hobby Stock main. Larson held the point while Eric Stanton worked the low side into contention on lap three. He pulled even with Larson and inched ahead at the start/finish line to assume command.
Larson, along with Nick Murty and Gary Pfantz, stayed within striking distance during the middle part of the event. Stanton, however, protected the low groove throughout and survived the on-set of backmarkers in the waning laps to secure the win. With the assistance of lapped traffic, Larson was able to hold off Murty for second at the line. Points leader Bill Bonnett and Pfantz completed the top five.
Cayden Carter set sail at the drop of the green to lead the entirety of the 20-lap IMCA Modified feature on his way to victory. Carter built a straightaway advantage over the field by the time Ronn Lauritzen raced the low groove past Kyle Brown for second on lap five.
Lauritzen was able to cut the margin approximately in half over the remaining laps, however Carter cruised to the win. An entertaining battle for third between Jimmy Gustin and Jon Snyder kept the fans' attention throughout the final half of the event. To Snyder's chagrin, Gustin protected the low groove and survived contact from Snyder to take third. Brown crossed the line fourth ahead of Kyle Krampe. Points leader Snyder did his lead in the standings no favors. He pulled to the infield with a flat tire just prior to crossing the finish line and was scored ninth.
A handful of cautions slowed the first six laps of the IMCA Northern SportMod feature. Carter VanDenBerg escaped with the lead following two stoppages prior to the completion of the first lap. He powered beneath Coty Albers to assume command on lap two, then led the field through three more halts in the action before the event's first long green flag run.
Once out front, VanDenBerg worked the top side while Brad Iverson and Eric Elliott advanced through the pack. VanDenBerg was maintaining a few car-lengths over the field when the leaders encountered lapped traffic on the 13th of 18 laps. A final caution one lap later bunched the field and allowed for clear track in front of the leaders.
On the restart, VanDenBerg held off the challenges of his nearest pursuers to take the win. Iverson and Elliott crossed the line in second and third, respectively, ahead of Brett Lowry and Geoff Olson.
After showing the way for the first four laps of the 15-lap Mod Lite feature, Eric Hendrickson gave way on the low side to Mike Morrill. While Morrill led, Josh May was making a run of his own from a fourth row starting spot.
May raced his way into the runner-up spot on lap six, then worked into a battle on the low side of Morrill in turn two as the leaders entered lapped traffic just after the completion of lap 10. The race's only caution, however, negated May's momentum, placing him behind Morrill for the ensuing restart. Andy Hennigar, who started alongside May in row four, restarted third.
When racing resumed, points leader Hennigar swept to the outside of the front-runners and challenged for the lead in turns three and four on the 11th lap. He crossed the line with the lead and remained there for the duration to take the victory. Morrill and May ran second and third. Charlie Brown and Hendrickson rounded out the top five.
From a third row start, Adam Gates made a quick charge to the front in the 10-lap IMCA Sport Compact feature. Gates assumed command and built a huge lead before the caution flag waved just after the midway point. He continued his march when the green flag waved again to take a dominating win ahead of Merv Chandler. David Moorman, John Gill and A.J. Witten ran third through fifth.
The mid-afternoon decision to make the trip to Marshalltown was well worth it. After hearing Farley rained out and Independence Motor Speedway competitor Leah Wroten was making the haul to Marshalltown to compete for the first time, I decided to head that way. As always, Toby Kruse and the crew put on a great show with a strong field of cars. The newly replaced MUSCO lights also provided a noticeable difference on the track when the features rolled out.
My luck didn't end at predicting the Stock Car winner in the final laps. For the first time in Marshalltown, and probably only the fifth or sixth time ever, I bought 50/50 tickets. I didn't quite have my tickets out yet when fellow Positively Racing bloggers Joyce and Dick Eisele of the 4dfan Report told me I better check my numbers. I purchased my tickets right after Joyce bought hers and she was only a few numbers off. To say the least, I was surprised when I found out I was the winner of the $168.50 prize. It was the first time in nearly 10 years that I enjoyed the races in Marshalltown from the grandstands. It's a safe bet it won't be another 10 years before I sit in the stands again.
Saturday, increased purse money awaits drivers in the IMCA Northern SportMod, Hobby Stock and Sport Compact divisions at Independence Motor Speedway. The weather looks great for the final night of racing before the June 29 Budweiser Mid-Season Championships. The new format for Mid-Season Championships will be announced at the races this Saturday. I hope to see everyone in Independence!
Thanks for reading!
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