Guss repeats Deery Series heroics at Boone

[rebelracewriter]

Guss repeats Deery Series heroics at Boone

 

BOONE, Iowa (May 31) – Another holiday event at Boone Speedway resulted in another Deery Brothers Summer Series feature victory for Ray Guss Jr.

 

Guss cruised to the $2,000 checkers at Boone on Memorial Day while adding to his lead in the IMCA Late Model tour point standings. Terry Neal, the driver Guss passed to win the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals Labor Day event last fall, was rewarded for his Herculean effort just to get a car ready to race with a second place finish.

 

Joel Callahan, Mark Burgtorf and Matt Strassheim rounded out the top five. The 40-lap contest was interrupted by caution just once, on the second circuit.

 

After a mishap in weekly action, Neal and his crew had spent the day getting a backup car ready for its first action since the series show on the asphalt at Hawkeye Downs in August of 2009.

 

Neal started outside front row and led the first 16 laps. Guss had taken the green from outside row two and was on Neal’s back bumper for most of the early going before slipping inside for the lead.

 

The front pair caught up to the back of the field shortly after midway and changed lines adroitly to work their way through. Mark Burgtorf raced his way up to second before Neal and Callahan passed him back with two laps left.

 

The Monday night win was the career 18th for Guss, tying him with Neal and Rob Toland for fifth on the all-time tour victory list.

 

Provisional starter Kevin Blum made the most progress toward the front, advancing 10 places after starting 24th.

 

Callahan was the winner of the $250 Sunoco bonus.

 

The eighth of 16 events on the 2010 schedule is Sunday, June 13 when the $3,000 to win, minimum $300 to start Titan Wheel and Tire Shootout at Quincy, Ill., Raceway becomes part of the tour. Pit gates open at 2 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 4 p.m. Hot laps are at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 5:30 p.m.

 

Feature results –

1. Ray Guss Jr., Milan, Ill.;

2. Terry Neal, Ely;

3. Joel Callahan, Dubuque;

4. Mark Burgtorf, Quincy, Ill.;

5. Matt Strassheim, Burlington;

6. Boone McLaughlin, Mediapolis;

7. Jeremiah Hurst, Dubuque;

8. Andy Eckrich, Iowa City;

9. Kyle Wahlert, Des Moines;

10. Jeff Aikey, Waterloo;

11. Jay Johnson, West Burlington;

12. Tom Darbyshire, Morning Sun;

13. Tom Goble, Burlington;

14. Kevin Blum, Colona, Ill.;

15. Mark Preston, Port Byron, Ill.;

16. Josh Most, Red Oak;

17. T.J. Criss, Oskaloosa;

18. Jason Rauen, Farley;

19. Tyler Bruening, Decorah;

20. Craig Roberts, Des Moines;

21. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown;

22. Todd Malmstrom, Silvis, Ill.;

23. Robby Warner, Quincy, Ill.;

24. Brian Klein, Cedar Rapids.

 

1st heat (top three) – 1. Wahlert; 2. Strassheim; 3. Hurst. 2nd heat – 1. Burgtorf; 2. Guss; 3. Callahan. 3rd heat – 1. Darbyshire; 2. Gobel; 3. Neal.4th heat – 1. Warner; 2. Klein; 3. DeFrance.

 

1st “B” feature (top four) – 1. Johnson; 2. Eckrich; 3. Aikey; 4. Malmstrom. 2nd “B” feature – 1. McLaughlin; 2. Preston; 3. Criss; 4. Rauen.

 

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