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Bill Martin
WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa (September 28) - The last event in the 2008 Deery Brothers Summer Series produced two winners.
Hometown driver Matt Strassheim led the last 36 laps in Sunday's IMCA J & J Steel Late Model show at 34 Raceway to earn his first career victory on the tour and a top prize of $5,000, plus lap money.
Boone McLaughlin, meanwhile, ran fourth behind Strassheim, Rob Toland and Ray Guss Jr. in clinching the series championship.
A Deery fixture since 1992, McLaughlin wrapped up his career first tour title by a healthy 46-point margin over runner-up Todd Cooney. He won three of the 17 series events held this season, finishing in the top five on six nights and running in the top 10 on another five.
The Pepsi brought a season-high 55 entries to West Burlington, putting the average car count at 39.2 for the year. That's the fifth-highest season total in series history and three and a half cars more than the average for 2007
After starting outside Gary Russell on the front row, McLaughlin shot ahead but the race was red-flagged be fore the first lap could be scored after Tom Goble ended up on his roof in the second set of turns.
Resuming the lead on the re-start and staying in front after what proved to be the last caution of the contest on lap three, McLaughlin set the fast pace through lap 14, when Strassheim found his way by on the bottom groove.
The front pair didn't get into lapped traffic until after midway. The 13th starting Toland caught McLaughlin for second and closed the gap behind Strassheim to four car lengths but couldn't wrestle away the lead. Guss started 12th and passed McLaughlin for third late in the race. Jay Johnson rounded out the top five.
Two-time defending Pepsi winner Mark Burgtorf broke in his heat and did not return for his "B" feature.
Strassheim became the seventh different driver to win for the first time in their Deery career in 2008. He also went home with the set of cylinder heads given by Brodix to a random driver who qualified for the Sunday feature.
Joe Zrostlik won the cylinder head set drawing conducted for non-qualifiers.
T.J. Criss didn't make the finale, put still prevailed in the series point race for rookie of the year honors.
Tom Darbyshire raced his way from 14th, passing Mike Garland on the white flag lap to win the special Iron Man Challenge, contested by drivers with perfect attendance through the first 16 series events.
Bobby Hansen was putting distance on the rest of the field before a yellow just after midway. Mike Garland then slipped underneath and led through lap 19.
Riding the cushion all the way, Darbyshire passed Garland on the backstretch and took the checkers and $750 winner's check by a car length. Thirteenth starting Terry Neal was third.
The Pepsi was originally rained out and rescheduled from Sept. 12-13.
Feature results -
1. Matt Strassheim, West Burlington;
2. Rob Toland, Davenport;
3. Ray Guss Jr., Milan, Ill.;
4. Boone McLaughlin, Mediapolis;
5. Jay Johnson, West Burlington;
6. Gary Russell, Biggsville, Ill.;
7. Terry Neal, Ely;
8. Lonnie Bailey, Quincy, Ill.;
9. Colby Springsteen, Morning Sun;
10. Todd Cooney, Des Moines;
11. Fred Remley, Blue Grass;
12. Matt Ryan, Davenport;
13. Shawn Mulvany, Moline, Ill.;
14. Luke Goedert, Holy Cross;
15. Tom Darbyshire, Morning Sun;
16. Jerry Weisenberger, Quincy, Ill.;
17. Keith Pratt, Mendon, Ill.;
18. Josh Most, Red Oak;
19. Stephan Kammerer, Blue Grass;
20. Kevin Tomlinson, New London, Mo.;
21. Justin Reed, Quincy, Ill.;
22. Tom Bowling Jr., Danville;
23. Andy Nezworski, Buffalo;
24. Matt Bailey, Quincy, Ill.;
25. Tom Goble, Burlington.
1st heat (top three) - 1. Kammerer; 2. Mulvany; 3. Tomlinson.
2nd heat - 1. Cooney; 2. Strassheim; 3. Guss.
3rd heat - 1. Lonnie Bailey; 2. Johnson; 3. Toland.
4th heat - 1. Ryan; 2. McLaughlin; 3. Neal.
5th heat - 1. Springsteen; 2. Russell; 3. Remley.
1st "B" feature (top three) - 1. Goedert; 2. Matt Bailey; 3. Goble.
2nd "B" - 1. Bowling; 2. Weisenberger; 3. Most.
Iron Man Challenge results -
1. Darbyshire;
2. Mike Garland, DeWitt;
3. Neal;
4. Cooney;
5. Ben Nading, Ankeny;
6. Bobby Hansen, Center Point;
7. Strassheim;
8. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown;
9. Reed;
10. Nezworski;
11. Bryan Klein, Cedar Rapids;
12. Kammerer;
13. Charlie McKenna, Clear Lake;
14. Mitch Current, Maquoketa;
15. T.J. Criss, Oskaloosa;
16. McLaughlin;
17. Joe Zrostlik, Long Grove.
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