Neal wins third straight Deery Series feature at Maquoketa

MAQUOKETA, Iowa (April 21) – Terry Neal continued his Deery Brothers Summer Series mastery at Jackson County Speedway, leading the distance in Saturday’s 50-lapper for IMCA Sunoco Late Models.

The tour victory was Neal’s third straight at Maquoketa and circuit career 13th.

Jeremy Grady started inside Neal on row one and chased Neal all the way. Lapped traffic posed no problems for either driver and Neal held his own through a handful of re-starts, never letting Grady find a way past.

Seventh starting Rob Toland worked his way to third and kept the front pair in sight, but couldn’t catch up. Jason Hahne and defending series champion Jeff Aikey rounded out the final top five.

Finishes by Grady and Hahne were the best of their respective series careers.

The win, good for $2,000, came in far different fashion than Neal’s previous runs to the checkers at Jackson County.

He’d taken the lead with eight laps to go in the 2005 show, then was declared the winner when rain washed out the last five circuits. Neal, also the four-time defending regular season points champ at Maquoketa, ran in front for the last half of the 2006 feature.

Toland will bring the series points lead along to the final event of the weekend tripleheader on Sunday at Quad City Raceway in East Moline, Ill. Pit gates open at 3 p.m., hot laps are at 5:30 p.m. and racing begins at 6 p.m.

The regular point season for IMCA Sunoco Late Models begins Friday, April 27.
Feature Results –
1. Terry Neal, Ely;
2. Jeremy Grady, Story City;
3. Rob Toland, Bettendorf;
4. Jason Hahne, Webster City;
5. Jeff Aikey, Cedar Falls;
6. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown;
7. Fred Remley, Blue Grass;
8. Boone McLaughlin, Mediapolis;
9. Luke Pestka, Robins;
10. Ron Gustaf, Moline, Ill.;
11. Mark Preston, Port Byron, Ill.;
12. Andy Nezworski, Buffalo;
13. Jon Merfeld, Peosta;
14. Joe Zrostlik, Long Grove;
15. Adam Oppendike, East Moline, Ill.;
16. Robby Warner, Quincy, Ill.;
17. Ryan Duhme, Maquoketa;
18. Eric Gustaf, Moline, Ill.;
19. Mike Murphy Jr., Colona, Ill.;
20. Hershel Roberts, East Moline, Ill.;
21. Luke Goedert, Holy Cross;
22. Sam Halstead, New London;
23. Hal Russell, Blue Grass;
24. Charlie McKenna, Clear Lake.

1st heat (top three) – 1. Merfeld; 2. Grady; 3. Pestka.
2nd heat – 1. Neal; 2. Toland; 3. DeFrance.
3rd heat – 1. Aikey; 2. McLaughlin; 3. Preston.
4th heat – 1. Hahne; 2. Russell; 3. Oppendike.
5th heat – 1. Warner; 2. Remley; 3. Gustaf.
1st “B” feature (top three) – 1. Duhme; 2. Nezworski; 3. Roberts.
2nd “B” feature – 1. McKenna; 2. Murphy; 3. Goedert.