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Bill Martin
DAVENPORT, Iowa (July 22) - Another race, another different winner.
Ray Guss Jr. became the ninth different driver in as many events to win a Deery Brothers Summer Series feature this season, holding off the hard-charging Marty Diercks for the Tuesday night IMCA J & J Steel Late Model tour victory at Davenport Speedway.
Diercks came through the pack to challenge late in the 50-lapper, running side-by-side with the veteran Guss before finishing just a car length off the pace. The $2,000 victory was the career 12th for Guss, and his first since winning at Farley on Sept. 12, 2002.
Justin Reed, Darrel DeFrance and Andy Nezworski completed the top five.
Reed drew his fourth pole start of the season and led the first two laps. Guss started third, passed Reed for the front spot the next time around the track, and was negotiating his way through the back of the field by lap 10.
Matt Strassheim and Reed dueled well behind Guss, before a tangle with a lapped car knocked the second-running Strassheim from contention.
Guss stayed in the bottom groove following a lap 43 caution. Diercks made his bid on the higher line, coming up just short at the checkers.
Diercks made his way to second by passing 14 cars. Todd Cooney moved up 16 spots for sixth place. Point leader Boone McLaughlin took a provisional start, passed 15 cars and ended in eighth; Terry Neal advanced a dozen spots for ninth place.
Night two of a mid-week doubleheader takes the Deery Series to Southern Iowa Speedway on Wednesday. Pit gates and the grandstand both open at 5 p.m., hot laps are at 6 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m. in the first tour event at Oskaloosa in five years.
Feature results -
1. Ray Guss Jr., Milan, Ill.;
2. Marty Diercks, Bettendorf;
3. Justin Reed, Quincy, Ill.;
4. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown;
5. Andy Nezworski, Buffalo;
6. Todd Cooney, Des Moines;
7. Tom Darbyshire, Morning Sun;
8. Boone McLaughlin, Mediapolis;
9. Terry Neal, Ely;
10. Matt Ryan, Davenport;
11. Mike Murphy Jr., Colona, Ill.;
12. Bobby Hansen, Center Point;
13. Joe Zrostlik, Long Grove;
14. Ron Gustaf, Moline, Ill.;
15. Eric Gustaf, Moline, Ill.;
16. Kevin Williams, Davenport;
17. Sam Halstead, New London;
18. Todd Malmstrom, Silvis, Ill.;
19. Matt Strassheim, West Burlington;
20. Hershel Roberts, East Moline, Ill.;
21. Shawn Mulvany, Moline, Ill.;
22. Nate Beuseling, Silvis, Ill.;
23. Mike Garland, DeWitt;
24. Justin Kay, Wheatland.
1st heat (top four) - 1. Strassheim; 2. Darbyshire; 3. Hansen; 4.
Mulvany.
2nd heat - 1. DeFrance; 2. Beuseling; 3. Roberts; 4. Ryan.
3rd heat - 1. Guss; 2. Nezworski; 3. Reed; 4. Malmstrom.
4th heat - 1. Eric Gustaf; 2. Kay; 3. Ron Gustaf; 4. Diercks.
1st "B" feature (top three) - 1. Zrostlik; 2. Murphy; 3. Neal.
2nd "B" - 1. Williams; 2, Halstead; 3. Cooney.
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