I-35 Speedway
Guss continues roll with I-35 victory
MASON CITY, Iowa (July 11) – Different track, same results. Reigning series champion Ray Guss Jr. of Milan, Ill., 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 26th 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 22nd spot and earned hard charger honors by advancing 17 positions.
Notes: Guss’s MasterSbilt Race Car is sponsored by Roberts Custom Software, Sears Seating, P&L Transportation and Roemer Machine & Welding. ... Darrel DeFrance ran sixth and won the $250 Sunoco Race Fuels feature qualifier drawing. ... Guss had matched Curt Martin with his career 25th Deery win Tuesday at West Liberty. He’s now tied with Mark Burgtorf for second on the all-time tour wins list. ... Next up on the Deery schedule is another $2,000-to-win show July 15 at Dubuque (Iowa) 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.
Deery Brothers @ I-35: (1) Ray Guss Jr., (2) Jeff Aikey, (3) Justin Kay, (4) Denny Eckrich, (5) Mike Murphy Jr., (6) Darrel DeFrance, (7) Andy Eckrich, (8) Jason Utter, (9) Jay Johnson, (10) Tyler Bruening, (11) Ryan Griffith, (12) Al Johnson, (13) Joel Callahan, (14) Doug Yates, (15) Jeff Mitrisin, (16) Ben Nading, (17) Riley Larson, (18) Nick Pedersen, (19) Carey Umbarger, (20) Joe Zrostlik, 921) Kevin Sather, (22) Dean Wagner, (23) Jason Hahne, (24) Charlie McKenna. Heat race winners (among 24 cars): A. Johnson, Guss, A. Eckrich.
