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Eckrich outruns Farley field for first Deery win FARLEY, Iowa (Aug. 3) – A
first-time winner took the $2,000 checkers Tuesday night, in the first Deery
Brothers Summer Series event at Farley Speedway in nearly seven years. Andy Eckrich ran away from
the rest of the IMCA Late Model tour feature field, leading the last 43 of
50 circuits. Runner-up Terry Neal was half a lap off the pace when Eckrich
crossed the stripe. Eckrich already owned a
pair of second place finishes in main event starts and was the top rookie in
series standings heading into the Tornado Tuesday program. Point leader Ray Guss Jr.,
defending champion Jeff Aikey and Mark Preston rounded out the top five.
Charlie McKenna worked his way up to sixth from the 24th starting
spot to score hard charger honors and also pocketed the $250 Sunoco drawing
bonus. Aikey, winner of the last
Deery race at Farley, in 2003, started on the pole and ran in front as
cautions slowed the first seven laps. Eckrich took over from the
point, dealing with a myriad of cautions that finally came to an end on lap
36. The race ran green the rest of the way but Eckrich was clearly in a
class by himself, winning handily. McKenna had to start his
drive toward the front twice, first from the initial green flag and then
after advancing to midpack, being involved in a caution and then restarting
in the rear. Tire issues deflated the
hopes of two other contenders, Kevin Blum and Jason Rauen. Blum started outside row
one, exited early with two rear flats, then raced his way back to fifth and
eventually settled for seventh place pay. Rauen made an even more
impressive charge after making an early bid for the lead, then driving off
with a broken left rear wheel. He tagged the back of the
back and rocketed to second before being kayoed for good by a cut tire. McKenna, Blum and 14th
place finisher T.J. Criss all piloted borrowed rides for the midweek
special. With 11 events in the
books, the next Deery date is Monday, Aug. 16 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds
Speedway in Des Moines. Four races follow the end
of the regular IMCA Late Model point season, on Sept. 3 at Quincy, Ill.,
Raceway, Sept. 4 at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Sept. 6 on opening
night of the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals at Boone Speedway and
Sept. 17-18, when 34 Raceway hosts the $10,000 to win Pepsi USA Nationals. Feature
results –
1. Andy Eckrich, Iowa
City;
2. Terry Neal, Ely;
3. Ray Guss Jr., Milan,
Ill.;
4. Jeff Aikey, Waterloo;
5. Mark Preston, Port
Byron, Ill.;
6. Charlie McKenna, Clear
Lake;
7. Kevin Blum, Colona,
Ill.;
8. Joel Callahan, Dubuque;
9. Josh Most, Red Oak;
10. Dan Shelliam, Hazel
Green, Wis.;
11. Ben Nading, Ankeny;
12. Joe Zrostlik, Long
Grove;
13. Darrel DeFrance,
Marshalltown;
14. T.J. Criss, Oskaloosa;
15. Rob Petsche, Peosta;
16. Tyler Bruening,
Decorah;
17. Jason Rauen, Farley;
18. Luke Goedert,
Guttenberg;
19. Bryan Klein, Cedar
Rapids;
20. Brian Harris,
Davenport;
21. Jeremiah Hurst,
Dubuque;
22. Bobby Hansen, Center
Point;
23. Todd Malmstrom,
Silvis, Ill.;
24. Rob Toland, Davenport;
25. Cory Goldbeck,
Camanche. 1st
heat (top four) – 1. Blum; 2.
DeFrance; 3. Neal; 4. Hurst. “B”
feature – 1. Malmstrom; 2. Nading;
3. Zrostlik; 4. Hansen; 5. Callahan; 6. Klein; 7. Petsche; 8. Toland; 9.
Goedert; 10. Most; 11. Criss; 12. McKenna; 13. Goldbeck.
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