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Bill Martin
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (June 10) - After running in front most of the way, Terry Neal found himself in the right place at the right time in the waning laps of the Deery Brothers Summer Series feature at Marshalltown Speedway.
Neal got the lead back after Ray Guss Jr. broke with just three circuits left in Tuesday's IMCA J & J Steel Late Model main event, then pulled away from hometown favorite Darrel DeFrance to earn the $2,000 checkers.
The tour victory was Neal's career 16th and also made him the seventh different driver to win a Deery feature in as many events this season. Justin Reed was third, Todd Cooney regained the series point lead with his fourth place finish and Andy Nezworski rounded out the top five.
Tom Darbyshire brought the point lead to town and started on the pole, but was sidelined with mechanical problems early in the 50-lapper and ended his night in 23rd.
Outside row one starter Cooney led the first five times around the track before Neal slipped by underneath.
Neal was still at the point on lap 14 when a brief rain shower resulted in a short delay. After the track was worked back in, the race was re-started and Neal stayed at the front of the field before Guss made his way past on the higher line on lap 40.
Guss saw his luck change on lap 48, however, and Neal made the most of his good fortune after inheriting the front spot. He'd get the win half a dozen car lengths ahead of DeFrance, who moved up 14 positions from his place in the original starting grid.
In upping his perfect series attendance record to 322 events, DeFrance matched his career-best finishes at his hometown track. He'd also finished second at Marshalltown in 1987 and 1991.
Forty cars were on hand for the mid-week event, right at the series average for the season.
Next up on the Deery schedule is the Thursday, July 3 show at Independence Motor Speedway. Pit gates and the grandstand both open at 4 p.m., hot laps are at 6 p.m. and racing starts at 6:30 p.m.
Feature Results -
1. Terry Neal, Ely;
2. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown;
3. Justin Reed, Quincy, Ill.;
4. Todd Cooney, Des Moines;
5. Andy Nezworski, Buffalo;
6. Boone McLaughlin, Mediapolis;
7. Cory Zeitner, Omaha, Neb.;
8. Josh Most, Red Oak;
9. Mike Garland, DeWitt;
10. Matt Strassheim, West Burlington;
11. Mitch Current, Maquoketa;
12. Ray Guss Jr., Milan, Ill.;
13. Joe Zrostlik, Long Grove;
14. Mike Klinkkammer, West Liberty;
15. Rob Toland, Davenport;
16. Charlie McKenna, Clear Lake;
17. LaVern Carey, Ionia;
18. Greg Kastli, Waterloo;
19. T.J. Criss, Oskaloosa;
20. Luke Merfeld, Peosta;
21. Jason Frankel, Quincy, Ill.;
22. Dale Hackwell Jr., Washburn;
23. Tom Darbyshire, Morning Sun;
24. Sam Halstead, New London.
1st heat (top three) - 1. Cooney; 2. Reed; 3. Kastli.
2nd heat - 1. Neal; 2. Darbyshire; 3. Current.
3rd heat - 1. Halstead; 2. Merfeld; 3. Nezworski.
4th heat - 1. Guss; 2. Toland; 3. DeFrance.
5th heat - 1. McLaughlin; 2. Strassheim; 3. Zrostlik.
1st "B" feature (top three) - 1. Zeitner; 2. Most; 3. Criss.
2nd "B" feature - 1. Hackwell; 2. Garland; 3. Carey.
Top 10 in final Deery point standings earn
awards from new IMCA sponsor Flow Design
HOME, Kan. (June 10) - New IMCA sponsor Flow Design will reward drivers following the Deery Brothers Summer Series with a product they're already very familiar with.
Top five finishers in point standings for the 22nd annual tour for J & J Steel Late Models will receive carburetor spacers from the Home, Kan., company. Sixth through 10th place drivers get product certificates good for 50 percent off the purchase of a carb spacer.
Flow Design began manufacturing the spacer required for the division last season.
"IMCA approached me, told me they had a concern with the intake in the Late Model class and asked if I could make an adapter," explained owner Kurt McMillan. "I sent a proto type the next day. IMCA took a look and decided that might be what they needed."
The spacers are avail able by mail order and from more than 20 distributors in the Midwest, including Speedway Motors, JR Motorsports, Day Motor sports and Motor State Distributing.
A former drag car racer, McMillan has built high performance engines for many years and headed Johnny Saathoff's crew before opening the Flow Design doors.
"I made the first carb spacer for myself. I built motors for Johnny for 3-1/2 years and was also building carb spacers for my racing friends at the time," he said. "I thought everybody would like to buy a product that was made properly. I de signed my own and every thing just took off from there."
In addition to a variety of spacers for the Late Model Holley four
barrel carburetor, McMillan has designed an adapter for the Weiand intake used in IMCA's Southern SportMod class.
"A carb spacer is a tuning tool. It's not going to change the motor by 50 horsepower but it will change the motor in certain situations," he explained. "It can broaden the torque curve and eliminate flat spots in the curve, typically enhancing throttle re sponse."
Information about Flow Design carb spacers is avail able by calling 785 799-3790; a new website is in the works.
"Anyone who calls with questions isn't going to get a salesman.
They're going to talk to me," McMillan said. "Being small has
advantages to the end user."
"Pairing with Flow Design was an obvious choice following the intro
duction of their spacer for IMCA Late Models," said Kevin Yoder,
marketing director for IMCA. "We have known Kurt for a long time and
our relationship developed well before he was an IMCA sponsor."
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