|
|
|
|
| Track Schedules | Driver Profiles | Danny Howk Photos |
Racing Links |
| Discussion Board | Weather | News Archives |
Advertising |
|
MILAN, Ill. (Sept. 1) –
Two points made the difference as Ray Guss Jr. earned his first national
IMCA Late Model championship and Terry Neal was runner-up for the fourth
time in six seasons. The division leader with
19 feature victories, Guss also became the first IMCA driver to win three
local Late Model track titles in a single season. He’ll get a $5,500 share
of the $21,300 point fund to be paid this fall to top 20 finishers in the
2010 point standings. Neal won 17 features and a
single track crown. Both drivers got 20 bonus points, Guss for his Davenport
Speedway crown, Neal for his Dubuque Speedway title, making the two point
totals at the top of the standings 819-817. Rounding out the top five
are a pair of former national champions, Darrel DeFrance and Todd Cooney,
and Dennis Woodworth. Rookie of the year Andy Eckrich was sixth. Third in both the 2008 and
2009 national campaigns, Guss also paced points at Jackson County Speedway
and Quad City Speedway as well as Allstar Performance Illinois State
standings. He’s got the upper hand in the Deery Brothers Summer Series and
is in position to become just the fourth driver to win national and series
championships the same season. Neal, the Iowa state king,
had finished a single point behind Kevin Blum last year and was second to
DeFrance in 2007 and to Rob Toland in 2005. Both those titles were
determined by the tie-breaking number of feature wins. Cooney won his
division-best 15th career track championship at the Iowa State
Fairgrounds Speedway. DeFrance topped standings at Hamilton County Speedway
and Mark Burgtorf reigned at Lee County Speedway as both drivers won their
12th career track crowns. Neal’s title was his career 11th. Gary Russell ruled at 34
Raceway for the fourth time in his career. First-time track kings were Tyler
Bruening at Independence Motor Speedway, Eckrich at West Liberty Raceway,
Charlie McKenna at Farley Speedway, Jay Stewart at Shelby County Speedway
and Woodworth at Quincy Raceway. IMCA’s point season for
Late Models ran from April 23 to Aug. 29.
National standings are based on drivers’ best 20
finishes out of their first 55 starts. Bonus points, equal to the average
weekly car count at tracks holding a minimum of eight sanctioned events, are
awarded to track champions.
The higher average is used to award bonuses when
drivers won more than one track title; pro-rated bonuses are given at tracks
where fewer than eight weekly events were held. Track officials have until
noon on Monday, Sept. 27 to notify IMCA of corrections affecting their top
15 before 2010 point standings become official.
Top 20
IMCA Late Model Point Standings – 1.
Ray Guss Jr., Milan, Ill., 819; 2. Terry Neal, Ely, Iowa, 817; 3. Darrel
DeFrance, Marshalltown, Iowa, 787; 4. Todd Cooney, Bondurant, Iowa, 779; 5.
Dennis Woodworth, Mendon, Ill., 764; 6. Andy Eckrich, Iowa City, Iowa, 761;
7. Rob Toland, Davenport, Iowa, 760; 8. Matt Ryan, Davenport, Iowa, 741; 9.
Nate Beuseling, Silvis, Ill., 737; 10. Justin Reed, Quincy, Ill., 725; 11.
Cory Goldbeck, Camanche, Iowa, 723; 12. Keith Pratt, Mendon, Ill., 717; 13.
Ryan Griffith, Webster City, Iowa, 716; 14. Mike Garland, Morrison, Ill.,
713; 15. Jeremiah Hurst, Dubuque, Iowa, 713; 16. Jeff Aikey, Waterloo, Iowa,
710; 17. Kevin Sather, Ankeny, Iowa, 703; 18. Al Johnson, Story City, Iowa,
700; 19. Mike Murphy Jr., Colona, Ill., 674; 20. Todd Malmstrom, Silvis,
Ill., 671.
|
