Adams County Speedway
Hometown driver grabs first Deery win at Quincy
Matt Bailey's team celebrates his victory. (Hulett Photography)
QUINCY, Ill. (April 10) — Fans at Quincy Raceway got to applaud the exploits of another hometown hero in Sunday’s Deery Brothers Summer Series feature.
Matt Bailey won for the first time in his IMCA Late Model tour career, taking the $2,000 victory ahead of series heavyweight Mark Burgtorf and new points leader Terry Neal.
Burgtorf came into the night with a record nine Deery wins at Quincy to his credit and became an even better bet to get No. 10 when he drew the pole start.
He was running at the front of the field when the only yellow flag Late Models saw all night came out on lap 10. The fourth-starting Bailey went low to take the front spot away on lap 12, lost the point briefly as the two came to the flagstand on lap 16, then regained the advantage during a side-by-side tussle that continued past halfway.
Bailey got some distance on Burgtorf as the two encountered backrunners with 10 laps to go. Slower cars weren’t a factor, however, as Bailey collected the checkers by most of four lengths over Burgtorf.
Neal posted his third top-five finish of the early season in taking over the points lead. Justin Reed and Tyler Bruening rounded out the top five. Defending series champion Ray Guss Jr. was sixth.
Bailey follows Brian Harris and fellow first-time winner Matt Ryan to victory lane this season.
Notes: Bailey's Rocket Chassis is sponsored by Grant's Auto & Tire, Bernzen Lumber Co. and Kelly's Tavern. ... Bailey, the son of long-time IMCA racer Lonnie Bailey, had a previous best Deery Brothers Series finish of sixth at Quincy in 2006 in a half-dozen series starts. ... The last eight Deery events, going back to Aug. 3 of 2010, have resulted in as many different winners. ... T.J. Criss cashed in on the $250 Sunoco Race Fuels feature qualifier drawing. ... Next up is a tripleheader series weekend April 15-17 at Davenport Speedway, Jackson County Speedway and Quad City Speedway.
Deery Brothers @ Quincy: (1) Matt Bailey, (2) Mark Burgtorf, (3) Terry Neal, (4) Justin Reed, (5) Tyler Bruening, (6) Ray Guss Jr., (7) Jason Perry, (8) Darrel DeFrance, (9) Andy Eckrich, (10) Tom Darbyshire, (11) Mike Murphy Jr., (12) Nate Beuseling, (13) Denny Woodworth, (14) Matt Strassheim, (15) Joey Gower, (16) Colby Springsteen, (17) Mike Garland, (18) Tommy Elston, (19) T.J. Criss, (20) Boone McLaughlin, (21) Keith Pratt, (22) Sam Halstead, (23) Todd Malstrom, (24) Jason Frankel. Heat race winners (among 35 cars): Strassheim, Bruening, Gower, Darbyshire. Consolation winners: Neal, Beuseling. Provisional starters: Elston, Springsteen, McLaughlin, Malmstrom.
