Harris and Duffy Score Series Wins In Front Of Large Darkside Crowd

The Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models and the Hawkeye Dirt Tour for IMCA Modifieds is a potent combination and when “The Darkside” welcomed them into the Cedar County Raceway in Tipton Tuesday night no other divisions were needed. Thirty-eight Late Models and forty-four Modifieds packed the pit area and an enthusiastic crowd filled the stands on a warm and muggy evening ready for action on a track that was perfectly prepared by “Dr. Al” Dlouhy.

Five heats and three B-Mains were used to set the twenty-four car field for the 30-lap Modified feature with pole-starter Mitch Morris racing out to the early lead. Darin Duffy was the only driver to win a Modified heat race from beyond a front row starting spot and he was on the move again riding the high side around the quarter-mile oval after starting sixth. On the fifth circuit Duffy drove by Morris and then just one lap later the one and only caution of the event waved for Dan Klatt who had spun in turn one. On the restart Richie Gustin made a big move forward and looked like he was going to completely turn around a night that started out rough when he reportedly had a tire go flat on his hauler on the way to the track. Gustin arrived after the Modified heat races were complete, had started eleventh in the first B-Main before racing his way up to the fourth and final transfer position landing him on the outside of row ten for the main event. By lap eight though Richie was all the way up to third and looked like he was poised to challenge for the win.

Duffy was fast on the high line though and steadily increased his lead over the second running Ronn Lauritzen who was staying four to five car lengths ahead of Gustin on each lap. As the leader approached lapped traffic for the first time Lauritzen, working the extreme bottom groove, was able to draw within striking distance. Not forcing the issue with traffic though, Duffy’s patience paid off as he again opened up the gap on Lauritzen as the laps clicked away. The top five positions were not in doubt as the checkered flag waved over Duffy for the $1,000 victory with Lauritzen and Gustin next across the line. Jacob Murray was a big mover as well coming from the eighth row to finish fourth. On the opening lap of the night’s first heat race Murray slowed on the back stretch with mechanical problems and as he turned toward the infield Joe Beal nearly got upside down driving over the left side Murray’s #48J. Jacob came back though to run second in the second B-Main after starting at the back.

Ryan Dolan moved from his fifth row start up to the fifth position by lap three, and that would be where he would finish. The race for sixth through tenth was a scramble over the final ten laps with Dan Chapman prevailing over Kyle Brown, Kelly Meyer, Scott Hogan and Jerry Luloff.

The Late Model headliner would close out the evening with Grant Ostvig turning loose a twenty-four car field for fifty-laps with the wave of his green flag. Justin Kay is accustomed to starting back in the pack and making a big run toward the front here at Tipton, but tonight he picked the box that had just one slice of Casey’s pizza in it and started on the front row with Stephan Kammerer. Kay would pace the first two laps only to have Kammerer go flying by on the top side on lap three. Kay kept the heat on though and as Kammerer approached lapped traffic after completing lap eleven the leader entered turn one too high and spun off the top of the race track to bring out what would be the only caution flag of the race.

With the leader gone it was a complete double-file restart that saw Denny Eckrich muscle his way into the lead. The Eckrich brothers, both Denny and Andy had been working a groove all of their own running both sets of corners about two thirds up the track rather than the extreme top or bottom that the rest of the field had settled on. Kay fought back and was able to squeeze back into the lead on lap fifteen only to see Denny put the “Flyin’ 50” back out front again on the following lap. As this battle raged on series point leader Brian Harris continued his march toward the front working his way past Andy for third and just a few laps later he disposed of Kay for second.

As the crossed flags were displayed on lap twenty-five Harris was in a position to challenge and he made it look easy as he drove past Eckrich on the low side for the lead on the following lap. With Harris now pulling away the race for second became the focus as again Kay made his way forward to pass Denny for the position while Andy followed him into third. Those three would run in a three-wide manner on a couple of occasions over the closing laps and as the checkers waved over Harris the runner-up position was still in doubt. This would be the third-straight Deery Series win for the driver from Davenport aboard the Richard Realty & auction #15 based out of Mount Pleasant and along with collecting the $3,000 top prize Harris would extend his point lead.

That race for second would turn out to be a photo finish with Andy Eckrich closing fast on the bottom, but Justin Kay would be able to put the nose of his car across the line just inches ahead of him despite dropping the right rear tire off the edge of the race track. Denny Eckrich would have to settle for the fourth spot with Ray Guss Jr. coming home fifth. Nate Beuseling would pick up the sixth position after starting eleventh, Mike Zemo Jr. was solid in seventh, Luke Merfeld finished eighth as Jason Utter and Joel Callahan rounded out the top ten. Full results for both divisions courtesy of IMCA.com can be found below.

Notes from The Darkside…..Modifieds…..Ryan DeShaw dominated the third heat race so much so that he was able drive off of the track in turns one and two on lap five, still retain his lead and then pull away again to take the checkers by a full straightaway over Tony VonDresky…..Ray Cox Jr. caught a huge break on his way to victory in the fourth heat race. Leading the field into turn one on a lap three restart Cox went too high and got completely sideways. As he drove down the race track three cars near the back of the field spun to avoid him with the caution waving for those drivers and not for Cox who maintained his forward motion…..As noted above Duffy served notice by being the only driver who did not start on the front row to win a heat race when he took the checkers ahead of Mitch Morris in the fifth and final qualifier……Richie Gustin’s run from the back to fourth highlighted the first of three B-Mains an event won by race promoter/driver Mike Van Genderen……Kyle Brown missed the original start of the second B-Main but caught a break when the caution waved before a lap was scored. He then joined the field at the back and on the final lap Brown edged out Racer Hulin for the fourth and final transfer position…..When Joe Beal passed him mid-race for fourth it looked like Jimmy Gustin might have to hope for a provisional start in the A-Main. Gustin rallied late though and passed Tyler Madigan with two laps to go in the third B-Main to make the show. Usually a top contender Mark Elliott finished behind Madigan in sixth……Dan Chapman started twelfth and finished sixth in the main event here at his home track while Kyle Brown moved from the eleventh row to take seventh…..Zach Less and Jeff Waterman were the provisional starters….The Hawkeye Dirt Tour Modifieds will pair up with the Brockway Mechanical and Roofing Sprint Invaders for Budweiser Open Wheel Night at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson on Thursday June 20^th….Late Models….Fans saw something out of the ordinary happen twice in the first heat race as both Jeff Aikey and Rob Toland drove off the top side of the track in turn one to bring out the caution in separate incidents. Aikey would later drive slowly to the pits with mechanical issues that would scratch him from the remaining events…..Mike Zemo Jr. was impressive coming from the back of the eight-car starting grid to win the third heat race…..Andy Eckrich made the crowd buzz by passing Ray Guss Jr. on the final lap to win the fourth heat…..In the first of two B-Mains Todd Malmstrom held off a hard charging Spencer Diercks by inches to take the third and final transfer position while Diercks would still start the feature as the Hard Charger provisional……In the second B-Main Colby Springsteen had just passed Rob Toland for that last transfer spot with two laps remaining only to have a caution flag for a spun out Marty Diercks wipe it out. On the restart the crafty veteran Toland closed out Springsteen’s chosen line and that allowed Jon Poll to move into fourth and have his challenge on Toland come up just short on the final lap……Springsteen would still start the A-Main as a points provisional along with “The Ironman” Darrel DeFrance…..The winner Harris started the main event on the inside of row four……After his lap eleven caution Stephan Kammerer came storming right back riding the high line all the way up to tenth by lap 18. The high side bit him again though as he sailed off the top of turn two driving back onto the track near the back of the field. And when he slipped off the top of turns one and two again on lap 27 Kammerer drove perhaps the fastest car of the night dejectedly to the pits…..The Deery Series returns to action next Tuesday night June 18^th at the West Liberty Raceway.

A big thanks to the leaders of the Darkside, Ryan Duhme and Timmy Current, along with the lovely ladies at the pit shack for their hospitality and as is my tradition here I stopped by the Happy Joe’s in Tipton, operated by the Montgomerys, for my pre-race pizza fix. I enjoyed sitting at the top of the uncovered wood grandstands along with Positively Racing colleagues and while I our points of view were only separated by a foot or two each you just never know what Ryan Clark or Joyce Eisele saw that I didn’t. I do know that Ryan enjoyed interacting with some fans sitting in front of us who normally just hear him as the announcer at Independence.

If the weather holds off we plan to be in Oskaloosa tonight and then on to Eldon on Thursday night. See you on the Back Stretch!

Deery Brothers Summer Series Late Models

Feature results – 1. Brian Harris, Davenport; 2. Justin Kay, Wheatland; 3. Andy Eckrich, Oxford; 4. Denny Eckrich, Tiffin; 5. Ray Guss Jr., Milan, Ill.; 6. Nate Beuseling, Silvis, Ill.; 7. Mike Zemo Jr., Davenport; 8. Luke Merfeld, Dubuque; 9. Jason Utter, Columbus Junction; 10. Joel Callahan, Dubuque; 11. Todd Malmstrom, Silvis, Ill.; 12. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown; 13. Jeremiah Hurst, Dubuque; 14. Dan Shelliam, Hazel Green, Wis.; 15. Kyle Hinrichs, Swisher; 16. Spencer Diercks, Davenport; 17. Andy Nezworski, Buffalo; 18. Tyler Bruening, Decorah; 19. Rob Moss, Iowa City; 20. Ron Klein, Sherrill; 21. Colby Springsteen, Wapello; 22. Stephan Kammerer, Blue Grass; 23. Nick Marolf, Moscow; 24. Rob Toland, Colona, Ill.
1st heat (top three) – 1. Utter; 2. Merfeld; 3. Beuseling; 4. Hinrichs; 5. Toland; 6. Jason Bert, Moline, Ill.; 7. Jon Poll, Delmar; 8. Jeff Aikey, Cedar Falls.
2nd heat – 1. Kay; 2. Kammerer; 3. Klein; 4. Marolf; 5. DeFrance; 6. Springsteen; 7. B.J. Bates, Long Grove; 8. Jay Chenoweth, Wapello.
3rd heat – 1. Zemo; 2. Hurst; 3. Bruening; 4. Malmstrom; 5. Marty Diercks, Bettendorf; 6. Ron Bose, Kalona; 7. Duane Christisen, Davenport; 8. Ryan Claeys, Morrison, Ill.
4th heat – 1. Andy Eckrich; 2. Guss; 3. Callahan; 4. Curt Martin, Independence; 5. Joe Ross, Thomson, Ill.; 6. Scott Fitzpatrick, Urbandale; 7. Tim Simpson, Iowa City.
5th heat – 1. Denny Eckrich; 2. Harris; 3. Shelliam; 4. Nezworski; 5. Moss; 6. Spencer Diercks; 7. Chad Lerch, Cedar Rapids.
1st “B” feature (top three) – 1. Hinrichs; 2. Nezworski; 3. Malmstrom; 4. Spencer Diercks; 5. DeFrance; 6. Simpson; 7. Boyse; 8. Bates; 9. Claeys; 10. Bert; 11. Ross; 12. Aikey.
2nd “B” feature – 1. Moss; 2. Marolf; 3. Toland; 4. Poll; 5. Springsteen; 6. Lerch; 7. Christisen; 8. Fitzpatrick; 9. Martin; 10. Chenoweth; 11. Marty Diercks.

Hawkeye Dirt Tour Modifieds

Feature results – 1. Darin Duffy, Urbana; 2. Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup; 3. Richie Gustin, Gilman; 4. Jacob Murray, Hartford; 5. Ryan Dolan, Lisbon; 6. Dan Chapman, Clarence; 7. Kyle Brown, Kel­logg; 8. Kelly Meyer, Big Rock; 9. Scott Hogan, Vinton; 10. Jerry Luloff, Independence; 11. Cay­den Carter, Oskaloosa; 12. Ray Cox Jr., Maquoketa; 13. Mark Schulte, Delhi; 14. Dan Klatt, Wheat­land; 15. Joel Beal, Milan, Ill.; 16. Jeff Waterman, Quincy, Ill.; 17. Ryan DeShaw, Dyers­ville; 18. Mitch Morris, Eldridge; 19. Mike Van Genderen, Newton; 20. Tony Von Dresky, Long Grove; 21. Zach Less, Hopkinton; 22. Patrick Flannagan, Cedar Rapids; 23. Jimmy Gustin, Mar­shalltown; 24. Joel Bushore, Boone.
1st heat (top two) – 1. Lauritzen; 2. Klatt; 3. Waterman; 4. Schulte; 5. Dereck Thompson, Free­port, Ill.; 6. Luloff; 7. Beal; 8. Murray; 9. Richie Gustin.
2nd heat – 1. Dolan; 2. Meyer; 3. Chapman; 4. Hogan; 5. Jimmy Gustin; 6. Kyle Brown; 7. Terry Rentfro, Bettendorf; 8. Justin Rix, Olin; 9. Brian Webb, Davenport.
3rd heat – 1. DeShaw; 2. Von Dresky; 3. Bushore; 4. Flannagan; 5. Leon Wilson, Hopkinton; 6. David Brown, Kellogg; 7. Jesse Hoeft, Forest City; 8. A.J. Fike, Galesburg, Ill.; 9. Josh Starr, Tip­ton.
4th heat – 1. Cox; 2. Carter; 3. Jake Bowman, Maquoketa; 4. Tyler Madigan, Peosta; 5. Todd Reed, Park View; 6. T.J. Patz, East Moline, Ill.; 7. Todd Dykema, Davenport; 8. Devon Havlik, Iowa Falls.
5th heat – 1. Duffy; 2. Morris; 3. Matt Werner, Kalona, Ill.; 4. Van Genderen; 5. Mark Elliott, Web­ster City; 6. Racer Hulin, Laurel; 7. Dusty Kraklio, Durant; 8. Less.
1st “B” feature (top four) – 1. Van Genderen; 2. Hogan; 3. Luloff; 4. Richie Gustin; 5. Bowman; 6. Kraklio; 7. Waterman; 8. Rentfro; 9. Fike; 10. Patz; 11. Wilson.
2nd “B” feature – 1. Chapman; 2. Murray; 3. Flannagan; 4. Kyle Brown; 5. Hulin; 6. Werner; 7. Reed; 8. Thompson; 9. Hoeft; 10. Havlik; 11. Webb.

3rd “B” feature – 1. Schulte; 2. Bushore; 3. Beal; 4. Jimmy Gustin; 5. Madigan; 6. Elliott; 7. Starr; 8. David Brown; 9. Dykema; 10. Rix; 11. Less.