Third time a charm for Neal at Highway 3 Deery

ALLISON, Iowa (May 31) – The third time proved a charm Thursday night for Terry Neal.

Neal led all 40 laps of the twice postponed Deery Brothers Summer Series event at Highway 3 Raceway in Allison, starting on the pole and holding off Darrel DeFrance despite an ill handling ride as the circuits counted down.

The victory, Neal’s second this season on the IMCA Sunoco Late Model tour and career 14th, paid $2,000. Curt Martin, Clint Wendel and Rob Toland rounded out the top five finishers.

Neal was quick to fashion a straightaway lead following a first lap caution but had trouble working through lapped traffic and had Darren Ackerman and DeFrance right behind by midway, with Wendel and Martin
clos ing the gap as well.

Mechanical problems sidelined Ackerman and gave the second spot to DeFrance. A yellow flag with seven laps left lined the field up for a single file re-start, but Neal took charge and was not challenged in his run to the checkers.

Defending series champion Jeff Aikey, Joe Zrostlik and Mark Preston were knocked out of the running in the first lap fracas.

The race at Allison was originally rescheduled after rain washed out all but the first qualifying heat on May 23. Another round of wet weather put the kibosh on the second attempt to get the event in Wednesday.

Park Jefferson Speedway hosts the first ever Deery event in South Dakota, leading off the June 12-13 double header next on the series schedule.

Pit gates at Jefferson open at 5 p.m., hot laps are at 7 p.m. and racing starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Tuesday show. Northern SportMods and Hobby Stocks are also on the card, chasing all IMCA points.

Touring Late Models join the mid-season championship night program at Buena Vista Raceway in Alta on Wednesday. Modifieds, Northern portMods, Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks also run at BVR, where gates open at 5 p.m. and hot laps are at 6:45 p.m. with racing to follow.

Feature Results –
1. Terry Neal, Ely;
2. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown;
3. Curt Martin, Independence;
4. Clint Wendel, Mason City;
5. Rob Toland, Bettendorf;
6. Jon Merfeld, Peosta;
7. Jason Hahne, Webster City;
8. Jeremy Grady, Story City;
9. Luke Goedert, Holy Cross;
10. Todd Cooney, Des Moines;
11. Andy Nezworski, Buffalo;
12. Bobby Hansen, Center Point;
13. Charlie McKenna, Clear Lake;
14. Boone McLaughlin, Mediapolis;
15. Jamie Aikey, Cedar Falls;
16. Cory Goldbeck, Camanche;
17. Darren Ackerman, Readlyn;
18. Ben Nading, Des Moines;
19. Rob Petsche, Peosta;
20. Jeff Bair, Solon;
21. Scott Badker, Garner;
22. Jeff Aikey, Cedar Falls;
23. Joe Zrostlik, Long Grove;
24. Mark Preston, Port Byron, Ill.

1st heat (top four) – 1. McLaughlin; 2. Martin; 3. Jeff Aikey; 4. Cooney.
2nd heat – 1. Hahne; 2. DeFrance; 3. Merfeld; 4. Zrostlik;
3rd heat – 1. Toland; 2. Wendel; 3. Ackerman; 4. Badker.
4th heat – 1. Neal; 2. Grady; 3. Goedert; 4. Preston.
“B” feature (top six) – 1.
McKenna; 2. Nezworski; 3. Goldbeck; 4. Bair; 5. Hansen; 6. Jamie Aikey.