300 Raceway
Andy Eckrich captures first Deery victory
Andy Eckrich heads for victory. (K.C. Rooney)
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. | Slideshow
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.
Points 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.
Deery Brothers @ Farley: (1) Andy Eckrich, (2) Terry Neal, (3) Ray Guss Jr., (4) Jeff Aikey, (5) Mark Preston, (6) Charlie McKenna, (7) Kevin Blum, (8) Joel Callahan, (9) Josh Most, (10) Dan Shelliam, (11) Ben Nading, (12) Joe Zrostlik, (13) Darrel DeFrance, (14) T.J. Criss, (15) Rob Petsche, (16) Tyler Bruening, (17) Jason Rauen, (18) Luke Goedert, (19) Bryan Klein, (20) Brian Harris, (21) Jeremiah Hurst, (22) Bobby Hansen, (23) Todd Malmstrom, (24) Rob Toland, (25) Cory Goldbeck. Heat race winners: Blum, Rauen, Eckrich. Consolation winner: Malmstrom.
