|
Bill Martin
BOONE, Iowa (September 7) - Ray Guss Jr. loaded up his trailer with the ultimate prize following his first IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals outing.
Guss passed Terry Neal for the lead with three laps to go, then held off Jeff Aikey to win Monday's Deery Brothers Summer Series Late Model main event on opening night of Super Nationals at Boone Speedway.
"This is great. This ranks right up there with anything else I've accomplished," Guss said following his fifth $2,000 tour victory of the season. "I've raced here five or six times before but never at Super Nationals. It was really a fun race."
Aikey wrapped up his career sixth series championship with his runner-up finish, moving up 15 spots after winning his "B" feature.
Jason Frankel and Charlie McKenna followed Aikey across the stripe. McKenna also came out of the "B" races, advancing 16 positions over the course of the 50-lapper. Neal spun on the final turn, detouring into the infield before ending in fifth.
Neal drew the pole start and led Luke Goedert, Jason Hahne, and Dale Hackwell in the early going.
Darrel DeFrance slipped into the top four on the 11th circuit. Neal and Goedert caught up with the back of the field on lap 18 and Goedert used traffic to his advantage in taking the front spot on lap 23.
Hahne was briefly in second, but Neal recovered and was inches ahead of Goedert when lap 31 was scored. The fourth running DeFrance was involved in a two-car tangle that followed and restarted in the back.
Once back at the front, Neal pulled away before another yellow on lap 38, then dealt with a pair of lapped cars with Guss and Aikey close behind until the final caution on lap 47.
Neal held on for one more lap, but Guss stayed high on the track and was just ahead the next time around.
Guss maintained that fast line, keeping Neal and then Aikey in check to capture his first Super Nationals title and 16th career Deery win.
"I had to run it as hard as I could against the top, Terry is a good racer. He gave me the high side," Guss said. "I knew when I saw 77 (Aikey) on the board that it was going to be tough."
Aikey will take an insurmountable 905-839 advantage over Guss in the standings to the tour finale at West Burlington, the $10,000 to win Pepsi USA Nationals at 34 Raceway on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 18-19.
Feature results -
1. Ray Guss, Jr., Milan, Ill.;
2. Jeff Aikey, Waterloo;
3. Jason Frankel, Quincy, Ill.;
4. Charlie McKenna, Clear Lake;
5. Terry Neal, Ely;
6. Justin Kay, Wheatland;
7. Todd Malmstrom, Silvis, Ill.;
8. Joe Zrostlik, Long Grove;
9. Luke Goedert, Holy Cross;
10. Todd Cooney, Des Moines;
11. Dale Hackwell, Waterloo;
12. Jason Vansickel, Webster City;
13. Craig Roberts, Des Moines;
14. T.J. Criss, Oskaloosa;
15. Jason Hahne, Webster City;
16. Tysus Pattee, Vinton;
17. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown;
18. Rob Toland, Davenport;
19. Kyle Wahlert, Des Moines;
20. Ben Nading, Ankeny;
21. Ryan Giles, West Des Moines;
22. Craig Jacobs, Des Moines;
23. Greg Kastli, Waterloo;
24. Jeff French, Adel.
1st heat (top three) - Goedert; 2. Guss; 3. Malmstrom.
2nd heat - 1. Kay; 2. Nading; 3. Vansickel.
3rd heat - 1. Criss; 2. Frankel; 3. Kastli.
4th heat - DeFrance; 2. Hackwell; 3. Wahlert.
5th heat - 1. Neal; 2. Hahne; 3. Jacobs.
1st "B" feature (top three) - 1. Cooney; 2. French; 3. Zrostlik.
2nd "B" feature - 1. Aikey; 2. McKenna; 3. Roberts.
|
