Cedar County Raceway
Kevin Kile grabs first Deery Brothers victory
Kevin Kile heads for a victory at Cedar County. (chrisdamitz.com)
TIPTON, Iowa (June 12) – The race-day decision Kevin Kile made paid off with his career first Deery Brothers Summer Series feature win Tuesday night at Cedar County Raceway.
After a tough weekend on the track, the West Liberty, Iowa, driver had spent much of the afternoon repairing and replacing parts on his IMCA Late Model before deciding to make the trip to Tipton. | Slideshow
He’d run at or near the front all 40 laps and go home with $2,000, taking the checkers half-dozen lengths ahead of Denny Eckrich of Tiffin, Iowa, in front of an appreciative and record-setting grandstand crowd. Dan Shelliam of Hazel Green, Wis., Justin Kay of Wheatland, Iowa, and Mike Garland of Morrison, Ill., rounded out the top five.
Kile drew the pole start but it was Shelliam who shot into the lead from outside the front row. Never able to get much separation, Shelliam stayed in front until lap 21, when Kile darted inside. The only caution of the race came on lap 25 and Eckrich passed Shelliam for second on the ensuing restart.
Kile stayed in control however and with lapped cars staying out of the equation, won comfortably ahead of Eckrich.
Notes: Kile's GRT Race Car is sponsored by Missy's Corner Salon. ... Besides Kile, runner-up Denny Eckrich is the other driver to have won for the first time in his series career this season, on May 22 at Marshalltown Speedway. ... Two-time defending series champion Ray Guss Jr. was sixth. ... Series point leader Mike Murphy Jr. was 10th. ... Jay Johnson and Tyler Bruening each moved up eight spots from where they started to finish 13th and 14th, respectively. ... The winner of the $250 Sunoco Race Fuels feature qualifier drawing was Jeff Aikey. ... Among drivers failing to make the feature lineup: Nick Marolf, Matt Strassheim, Bryan Klein, Gary Webb, Andy Nezworski, Jay Chenoweth, Jason Utter, Luke Merfeld, Ryan Duhme and the winner’s brother, Kurt Kile. ... Next up on the series schedule is a June 20 show at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa. Pit gates open at 5 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 6 p.m. Hot laps are at 7 p.m. and racing starts at 7:30 p.m. ... The Oskaloosa date is the ninth of 20 events.
Deery Brothers @ Cedar County: (1) Kevin Kile, (2) Denny Eckrich, (3) Dan Shelliam, (4) Justin Kay, (5) Mike Garland, (6) Ray Guss Jr., (7) Andy Eckrich, (8) Joe Zrostlik, (9) Nate Beuseling, (10) Mike Murphy Jr., (11) Jeff Aikey, (12) Matt Ryan, (13) Jay Johnson, (14) Tyler Bruening, (15) Kurt Kile, (16) Stephan Kammerer, (17) Mike Zemo Jr., (18) Darrel DeFrance, (19) Mike Klinkkammer, (20) Joel Callahan, (21) Doug Yates, (22) Travis Denning, (23) Colby Springsteen, (24) Kyle Hinrichs. Heat race winners (among 40 cars): Guss, Aikey, Springsteen, D. Eckrich, Zrostlik. Consolation winners: Beuseling, Klinkkammer. Provisional starters: Bruening, DeFrance, Callahan.
