Marshalltown Speedway
Two for Tuesday: Utter gets Marshalltown victory
Jason Utter takes the checkers. (mikerueferphotos.photoreflect.com)
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Aug. 13) — If only there were special events every single Tuesday.
Winning his second straight midweek event, third-starting Jason Utter of Columbus Junction, Iowa, earned $3,000 in the KMJ Performance Miller Lite 50 for his third career victory on the Corn Belt Clash circuit. Utter added the victory to the $10,000 triumph eight days earlier at West Liberty (Iowa) Raceway to give the 33-year-old farmer three victories in his last four Super Late Model starts overall. | Slideshow
Utter won a spirited duel with series points leader Chad Simpson of Mount Vernon, Iowa, edging ahead just before a caution with 12 laps remaining and leading the rest of the way in the tour’s first visit to Marshalltown. Simpson, the series points leader, saw his two-race win streak come to an end with his runner-up finish.
Dave Eckrich of Cosgrove, Iowa, was third followed by fellow Iowans Chris Simpson of Oxford and 10th-starting Justin Mitchell of Cedar Rapids in the quarter-mile oval's first open-competition engine Late Model event since 1989.
Chad Simpson started on the pole and got the jump early, but Charlie McKenna’s turn-two spin forced a restart, and Simpson went back to work with Jason Jaggers, Utter and his brother Chris in pursuit.
Traffic began hampering the leader after a dozen laps and Utter closed in to create a battle for the lead. With traffic still an issue, Utter snuck past on lap 38, just before Rick Wendling lost the handle in turn one. With Utter out front for the restart, the race was slowed again when Mike Fryer spun in turn one and for debris in turn two.
Utter marched to victory the rest of the way for his second straight Tuesday triumph.
Notes: Utter’s MasterSbilt Race Car has Pro Power Racing engine and sponsorship from Cox Design and Metal Fabrication, Louisa Farms, P&L Transportation, BLT Farms, Wehrs Machine, 92 Roadhouse Bar and Grill, Brown Bros. Enterprises, Mendenhall Inc. and Skubal Electric. ... Chad Simpson has a 10-point margin on Dave Eckrich in trying to wrap up his fourth consecutive series title Wednesday at Cedar County Raceway in Tipton, Iowa.
KMJ Performance Miller Lite 50: (1) Jason Utter, (2) Chad Simpson, (3) Dave Eckrich, (4) Chris Simpson, (5) Justin Mitchell, (6) Jason Jaggers, (7) Andy Eckrich, (8) Pete Parker, (9) Darrel DeFrance, (10) Jake Meier, (11) Curt Martin, (12) Denny Eckrich, (13) Rick Wendling, (14) Curt Shroeder, (15) Bobby Hansen, (16) Mike Fryer, (17) Jerry King, (18) Spencer Diercks, (19) Jon Rogers, (20) Charlie McKenna, (21) Matt Furman. Heat race winners (among 21 cars): Denny Eckrich, Chris Simpson, Chad Simpson. Dash winner: Chad Simpson.
