Mason City Motor Speedway
Aikey scores bittersweet victory at Mason City
MASON CITY, Iowa (July 28) — The celebration was bittersweet following Jeff Aikey’s Deery Brothers Summer Series feature win Tuesday night at I-35 Speedway. The Waterloo, Iowa, driver raced back to the front of the IMCA Late Model field after getting sideways and restarting in the rear, earning the 50th victory of his series career and $2,000.
The win came one day following the death of Aikey’s mother Anne, 68, who had suffered a stroke the previous week.
Aikey, also the tour winner last Wednesday at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, brought the point lead to town in pursuit of his sixth series title. He started fourth and was challenging Todd Cooney of Des Moines, Iowa, for the lead when Aikey spun and brought out the caution flag. Aikey needed just nine laps to pass 21 cars, catching Ray Guss Jr. of Milan, Ill., for the front spot on the 25th of 35 circuits and then checking out.
Rob Toland of Davenport, Iowa, who started 21st, inherited the second spot when Guss dropped out with mechanical problems with two laps to go. Jason Frankel of Quincy, Ill., Jay Johnson of West Burlington, Iowa, and Jeremy Grady of Story City, Iowa, rounded out the top five.
The Mason City race was the 11th of 21 events on the 2009 tour schedule. Night two of the midweek tripleheader is Wednesday at Highway 3 Raceway in Allison. Jackson County Speedway at Maquoketa hosts Thursday's race, which headlines the evening entertainment during the county fair.
Deery Brothers @ I-35: (1) Jeff Aikey, (2) Rob Toland, (3) Jason Frankel, (4) Jay Johnson, (5) Jeremy Grady, (6) Tyler Bruening, (7) Al Johnson, (8) Charlie McKenna, (9) Greg Kastli, (10) T.J. Criss, (11) Jason Hahne, (12) Lavern Carey, (13) Justin Kay, (14) Scott Badker, (15) Ray Guss Jr., (16) Todd Cooney, (17) Ryan Griffith, (18) Bobby Hansen, (19) Bryan Klein, (20) Joe Zrostlik, (21) Ryan Giles, (22) Terry Neal, (23) Jeff French, (24) Darrel DeFrance. Heat race winners: Grady, Guss, Griffith, Kastli. Consolation winners: DeFrance, Hahne.
