Goedert makes headlines of his own with career first Deery Series win at Dubuque
Luke Goedert wins Dubuque Derry Show. – Photo by Mike Ruefer
DUBUQUE, Iowa (July 15) – Luke Goedert grew up watching and reading about the drivers of the Deery Brothers Summer Series.
They’re reading about him now.
Goedert led all 35 laps in winning for the first time in his IMCA Late Model tour career Sunday night at Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway. He took the $2,000 checkers half a lap ahead of runner-up Jason Rauen.
New point leader and six-time series champion Jeff Aikey was third; two-time defending series champion Ray Guss Jr. took a provisional, started 22nd and finished fourth.
“It’s definitely a special thing when you can beat those guys,” Goedert said. “I didn’t know until after the race that we had that big of a lead. The car was on a rail. It was definitely hooked up, probably the best it’s been all year.”
Goedert started outside Justin Kay on the front row, rocketed into the lead and had checked out on everybody by the time the first caution flew on lap 19 for the spinning Mike Murphy Jr.
Murphy had been the point leader at the start of the night. He was forced to the pits to make repairs to the nose of his car, restarted at the rear and ended in 14th.
The race was red-flagged on lap 22 when Stephan Kammerer spun and collected Darrel DeFrance’s car, which caught fire.
The fire was extinguished, both Kammerer and DeFrance were done for the night, and Goedert drove away from everybody following the final restart. The real battle proved to be for second as Rauen and Aikey swapped the spot half a dozen times before Rauen made it stick.
The second-place finish was Rauen’s series career best. Guss used all of the track, picking off cars one at a time, in racing to fourth and Denny Eckrich rounded out the top five.
Goedert’s previous best Deery feature finishes had been a pair of fifths, on May 28, 2007 and May 28, 2012, both at Boone Speedway.
“I had a lot of family at the track, a lot more than usual,” said Goedert, a weekly regular at Dubuque who’s also won two straight Friday night features at Farley. “They all like the Deery Series and maybe they had a good feeling about tonight. I know they were hoping we would win and luckily we did.”
Another $2,000 top prize is at stake when the Deery Series headlines the Wednesday, July 18 Hershel Roberts Memorial at Quad City Speedway.
Pit gates open at 4:30 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5 p.m. at East Moline, Ill. Hot laps are at 6:30 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m.
Aikey, certainly not slowed by recent knee surgery, will have a seven point advantage over Murphy Wednesday night.
Feature results –1. Luke Goedert, Guttenberg; 2. Jason Rauen, Farley; 3. Jeff Aikey, Waterloo; 4. Ray Guss Jr., Milan, Ill.; 5. Denny Eckrich, Tiffin; 6. Joel Callahan, Dubuque; 7. Jason Utter, Columbus Junction; 8. Justin Kay, Wheatland; 9. Andy Eckrich, Oxford; 10. Jon Merfeld, Peosta; 11. Jay Johnson, West Burlington; 12. Tyler Bruening, Decorah; 13. Jeff Mitrisin, Oskaloosa; 14. Mike Murphy Jr., Colona, Ill.; 15. Greg Kastli, Waterloo; 16. Dean Wagner, Evansdale; 17. Doug Yates, Monticello; 18. Todd Alexander, Milledgeville, Ill.; 19. Dan Shelliam, Hazel Green, Wis.; 20. Bobby Hansen, Center Point; 21. Stephan Kammerer, Blue Grass; 22. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown; 23. Matt Ryan, Davenport; 24. Luke Merfeld, Dubuque.
1st heat (top three) – 1. DeFrance; 2. Kay; 3. Mitrisin; 4. Luke Merfeld; 5. Guss; 6. Ryan; 7. Keith Kiernan, Dubuque; 8. Ed Clancy, Dubuque.
2nd heat – 1. Rauen; 2. Callahan; 3. Shelliam; 4. Johnson; 5. Alexander; 6. Wagner; Jonathan Poll, Delmar.
3rd heat – 1. Aikey; 2. Utter; 3. Denny Eckrich; 4. Kammerer; 5. Andy Eckrich; 6. Scott Riechers, Belmont, Wis.; 7. Yates.
4th heat – 1. Murphy; 2. Goedert; 3. Hansen; 4. Larry Harris, Muscoda, Wis.; 5. Bruening; 6. Kastli; 7. Jon Merfeld.
1st “B” feature (top four) – 1. Johnson; 2. Alexander; 3. Luke Merfeld; 4. Wagner; 5. Ryan; 6. Kiernan; 7. Poll; 8. Clancy; 9. Guss.
2nd “B” feature – 1. Kammerer; 2. Andy Eckrich; 3. Bruening; 4. Jon Merfeld; 5. Yates; 6. Harris; 7. Riechers; 8. Kastli.
Hard charger provisional – Ryan. Point provisionals – Guss, Yates and Kastli.
Category: Deery Brothers Summer Series, Iowa, News, Series
