Deery ironman DeFrance strikes series gold at Dubuque
DUBUQUE, Iowa (April 22, 2012) – The ironman of the IMCA Late Model tour struck gold Sunday night at Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway.
Darrel DeFrance passed Jeff Aikey with four laps to go, then held off his familiar foe to win the Deery Brothers Summer Series feature. The victory, good for $3,000, was the career 13th for DeFrance, who also extended his perfect attendance mark to 389 consecutive tour events.
Aikey finished little more than a car length off the pace while Mike Murphy Jr. moved back into sole possession of the series point lead by finishing third. Jay Johnson and Joel Callahan rounded out the top five.
Only two cautions came out over the course of the 40-lapper, early on and then just past midway. Murphy was in front for the first 24 circuits, pressured most of that distance by the eighth starting Aikey.
Using the high line, Aikey took over the lead and was in turn challenged by the fifth starting DeFrance, who ran the extreme inside groove.
DeFrance was just ahead when lap 32 was scored; the two were virtually side-by-side and Aikey had the edge each of the next four times around before DeFrance finally pulled in front to stay.
DeFrance’s most recent Deery wins had come in back-to-back outings in 2008, on July 31 at Algona Raceway and Aug. 6 at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids.
Tyler Bruening was the winner of the $250 Sunoco Race Fuels feature qualifier drawing; Bruening also earned the hard charger start and advanced a dozen positions to finish 12th.
With the beginning of the regular point season for IMCA Late Models this coming weekend, the next Deery Series event will be Tuesday, May 22 at Marshalltown Speedway.
Boone Speedway hosts the traditional Memorial Day show on Monday, May 28.
Feature results – 1. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown; 2. Jeff Aikey, Cedar Falls; 3. Mike Murphy Jr., Colona, Ill.; 4. Jay Johnson, West Burlington; 5. Joel Callahan, Dubuque; 6. Colby Springsteen, Wapello; 7. Dan Shelliam, Hazel Green, Wis.; 8. Justin Kay, Wheatland; 9. Andy Eckrich, Oxford; 10. Stephan Kammerer, Blue Grass; 11. Ray Guss Jr., Milan, Ill.; 12. Tyler Bruening, Decorah; 13. Luke Goedert, Guttenberg; 14. Sam Halstead, New London; 15. Jeff Mitrisin, Oskaloosa; 16. Nate Beuseling, Silvis, Ill.; 17. Gary Webb, Blue Grass; 18. Bryan Klein, Cedar Rapids; 19. Joe Ross, Thomson, Ill.; 20. Matt Ryan, Davenport; 21. Denny Eckrich, Tiffin; 22. Ron Klein, Sherrill; 23. Luke Merfeld, Dubuque; 24. Nick Marolf, Moscow.
1st heat (top three qualify) – 1. Guss; 2. Denny Eckrich; 3. Aikey; 4. Goedert; 5. Halstead; 6. Ryan; 7. Bryan Klein, Cedar Rapids. 2nd heat – 1. Springsteen; 2. Ross; 3. Andy Eckrich; 4. Mitrisin; 5. Jim Brokus, Dubuque; 6. Kay; 7. Joe Zrostlik, Long Grove. 3rd heat – 1. Johnson; 2. Kammerer; 3. Merfeld; 4. Webb; 5. Beuseling; 6. Marolf; 7. Kelly Pestka, Preston. 4th heat – 1. Callahan; 2. Murphy; 3. DeFrance; 4. Shelliam; 5. Scott Riechers, Belmont, Wis.; 6. Ron Klein; 7. Bruening.
1st “B” feature (top four qualify) – 1. Goedert; 2. Ryan; 3. Halstead; 4. Kay; 5. Mitrisin; 6. Bryan Klein; 7. Brokus; 8. Zrostlik. 2nd “B” feature – 1. Shelliam; 2. Beuseling; 3. Webb; 4. Marolf; 5. Bruening; 6. Riechers; 7. Pestka; 8, Ron Klein.
Hard charger provisional – Bruening. Point provisionals – Mitrisin, Bryan Klein and Ron Klein.
Category: Deery Brothers Summer Series, Iowa, News, Series
