Guss bests I-35 field to score second straight Deery win

MASON CITY, Iowa (July 11) – Different track, same results.

Ray Guss Jr. led all 35 laps in winning Wednesday’s Deery Brothers Summer Series feature at I-35 Speedway, repeating the plot from his IMCA Late Model tour the night before at West Liberty Raceway.

A lap 14 restart gave Jeff Aikey the high line opportunity to pass Justin Kay for second. He chased the leader into lapped traffic on the 26^th circuit but lost ground in his pursuit when Guss got a couple cars between them.

Guss sped to the $2,000 win, taking his third Deery checkers of the season by six car lengths. Aikey, Kay, Denny Eckrich and point leader Mike Murphy Jr. completed the top five.

Murphy did not start his heat, started the feature from the 22^nd spot and earned hard charger honors by advancing 17 positions.

Darrel DeFrance ran sixth and won the $250 Sunoco Race Fuels feature qualifier drawing.

Guss had matched Curt Martin with his career 25^th Deery win Tuesday at West Liberty. He’s now tied with Mark Burgtorf for second on the all-time tour wins list.

Aikey leads that department with 56 career checkers.

Next up on the Deery schedule is another $2,000 to win show on Sunday, July 15 at Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway.

Pit gates open at 4:30 p.m., the grandstand opens at 5:30 p.m. and hot laps are at 6:30 p.m. with racing to follow.

The series headlines the Hershel Roberts Memorial program at Quad City Speedway in East Moline, Ill., on Wednesday, July 18.

Feature results – 1. Ray Guss Jr., Milan, Ill.; 2. Jeff Aikey, Waterloo; 3. Justin Kay, Wheatland; 4. Denny Eckrich, Tiffin; 5. Mike Murphy Jr., Colona, Ill.; 6. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown; 7. Andy Eckrich, Oxford; 8. Jason Utter, Columbus Junction; 9. Jay Johnson, West Burlington; 10. Tyler Bruening, Decorah; 11. Ryan Griffith, Webster City; 12. Al Johnson, Story City; 13. Joel Callahan, Dubuque; 14. Doug Yates, Monticello; 15. Jeff Mitrisin, Oskaloosa; 16. Ben Nading, Ankeny; 17. Riley Larson, Boone; 18. Nick Pedersen, Rutland; 19. Carey Umbarger, Garner; 20. Joe Zrostlik, Long Grove; 21. Kevin Sather, Des Moines; 22. Dean Wagner, Evansdale; 23. Jason Hahne, Webster City; 24. Charlie McKenna, Clear Lake.

1^st heat – 1. Al Johnson; 2. Kay; 3. Larson; 4. Zrostlik; 5. Sather; 6. Umbarger; 7. McKenna; 8. Murphy.

2^nd heat – 1. Guss; 2. Denny Eckrich; 3. Aikey; 4. Nading; 5. Callahan; 6. Griffith; 7. Yates; 8. Pedersen.

3^rd heat – 1. Andy Eckrich; 2. DeFrance; 3. Jay Johnson; 4. Utter; 5. Hahne; 6. Bruening; 7. Wagner; 8. Mitrisin.

Category: Deery Brothers Summer Series, Iowa, News, Series