Flander takes first win Friday at Marshalltown

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (July 22) – Eric Flander made his first visit to victory lane at Mar­shalltown Speedway this season following Friday’s Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod feature.

Ryan King led the troops through the first handful of circuits in the 18-lapper but Curt Hilmer made his high line run pay off, taking over at lap six. When a yellow flew at lap 10 for visiting Australian racer Frank Packer, Hilmer still held the lead but had Sam Wieben in second to contend with.

Flander was running third and when the race returned to green, got the drop on Wieben and raced up to challenge Hilmer. The two ran side-by-side for several laps until Flander was able to make the pass at lap 15.

He then put a comfortable distance between himself and the pack fighting behind, and swept home to the win. It was a real battle for position behind the winner but Wieben prevailed for the runner-up spot. Third went to 16th place starter Jared VanDeest, Hilmer took fourth and Ethan Braaksma completed the top five. Flander had started 12th on his march to the win.

Ronn Lauritzen raced from ninth to win the 20-lap main event for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modi­fieds.

Tenth starting Damon Murty made it four wins in a row in the Class too Tough to Tame, the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. Eric Stanton put his no. 7B in the winner’s circle again in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature after starting eighth.