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Guss holds off Aikey to win rescheduled West Union Deery
WEST UNION, Iowa (July 14) – Ray Guss Jr. saw his luck go from one extreme
to the other Tuesday night at Fayette County Speedway.
Guss held off Jeff Aikey to win the 40-lap Deery Brothers Summer Series main
event, earning $2,000 as well as regaining the second spot behind Aikey in
the IMCA Late Model tour point standings.
The West Union program had been interrupted by rain and rescheduled after
four heat races were in the books June 17. Guss broke that night, returned
to town with a new car and had to start at the back of his “B” feature.
Guss won that race, started the main from inside row six and took the lead
for good on the 18th circuit.
Aikey moved to the high side to reel in Guss and pulled alongside on several
occasions, but was forced out of his preferred line by lapped traffic.
Tom Darbyshire was third and defending series champion Boone McLaughlin ran
fourth.
Terry Neal made a stellar run toward the front after being forced to the
pits to make repairs after he was part of a multi-car tangle on the opening
circuit.
Neal re-started at the rear and worked his way back to fifth. Jason Frankel
took a provisional and moved up 14 spots from his original starting position
to finish sixth. Tyler Bruening was a career-best seventh and Matt Ryan was
a plus 11 on the evening, ending in eighth.
Darbyshire led the first five laps from his outside row one start.
Aikey used the bottom groove to take over the point, leading to lap
15 while Guss forged through the front half of the field.
The two swapped the front spot on three consecutive laps. Guss pulled away
after halfway, then had to hold Aikey at bay as the laps counted down. The
series victory was his first of the season and career 12th.
While Guss’s luck took a turn for the better, the same couldn’t be said for
the four drivers knocked out of the race before the first lap could be
scored.
Darren Ackerman got sideways and flipped when the field came around four
wide. Travis Smock, Bryan Klein and Jay Johnson were involved in the melee
and could not continue.
Tuesday’s race was the first tour event held at West Union since 1998. Aikey,
already a five-time Deery champion, had won two of the four previous series
races there.
The second half of the mid-week doubleheader marks the first-ever visit by
the Deery Series to Upper Iowa Speedway at Decorah. Pit gates and the
grandstand both open at 5 p.m. for the Wednesday, July 15 show. Hot laps are
at 6:45 p.m. with racing to follow.
Feature results –
1. Ray Guss Jr., Milan, Ill.;
2. Jeff Aikey, Waterloo;
3. Tom Darbyshire, Morning Sun;
4. Boone McLaughlin, Mediapolis;
5. Terry Neal, Ely;
6. Jason Frankel, Quincy, Ill.;
7. Tyler Bruening, Decorah;
8. Matt Ryan, Davenport;
9. Joe Zrostlik, Long Grove;
10. Greg Kastli, Waterloo;
11. T.J. Criss, Oskaloosa;
12. Justin Kay, Wheatland;
13. Chad Lerch, Arlington;
14. Charlie McKenna, Clear Lake;
15. Rob Toland, Davenport;
16. Matt Strassheim, Burlington;
17. Hershel Roberts, East Moline, Ill.;
18. Jon Passick, Waterloo;
19. Rick Dralle, Waterloo;
20. Darren Ackerman, Readlyn;
21. Travis Smock, Independence;
22. Bryan Klein, Cedar Rapids;
23. Jay Johnson, West Burlington;
24. Luke Goedert, Holy Cross.
1st heat (top three) – 1. Neal; 2. Johnson; 3. Roberts.
2nd heat – 1.Lerch; 2. Strassheim; 3. Klein.
3rd heat – 1. Bruening; 2. Goedert; 3. Darbyshire.
4th heat – 1. Smock; 2. Ackerman; 3. Aikey.
1st “B” feature (top four) – 1. Guss; 2. Passick; 3. Toland; 4.Kastli.
2nd “B” feature – 1. McKenna; 2. McLaughlin; 3. Zrostlik; 4.Dralle.
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