FARLEY, Iowa (Sept. 13) – A driver who is no stranger to victory lane at Farley Speedway won his career first Deery Brothers Summer Series feature there Friday night.
Chad Simpson raced his way from his “B” feature to the $3,000 checkers in the IMCA Late Model main event. A season-best 54 cars were entered in the Yankee Dirt Track Classic show, the 14th of 17 tour events this season.
Tommy Elston started on the pole and led the first 18 of 40 laps. Denny Eckrich ran second most of that time before catching Elston and running in front the next three times around the half-mile dirt oval.
That’s when Simpson took over. After winning the second “B” and starting 14th in the big show, Simpson shot into the lead on lap 22, just before the first caution came out.
He was running comfortably in front with the final yellow waved with three to go and bunched the field back up.
Eckrich got the better of Elston in their battle for second but neither could make up any distance on Simpson. Ron Klein and Jason Rauen completed the top five; Klein’s fourth place finish was his Deery career best.
Point leader Brian Harris ran 12th, three places ahead of Justin Kay.
It might have been Friday the 13th but Simpson’s luck was good at Farley: His right rear tire was flat when victory lane pictures were being taken.
Joel Callahan was the $250 Sunoco Race Fuels feature qualifier drawing winner.
Top prize for Saturday’s 75-lap Deery feature at Farley is $7,500. That race pays a minimum of $500 to start.
Feature results – 1. Chad Simpson, Mount Vernon; 2. Denny Eckrich, Tiffin; 3. Tommy Elston, Keokuk; 4. Ron Klein, Sherrill; 5. Jason Rauen, Farley; 6. Matt Ryan, Davenport; 7. Cory Goldbeck, Camanche; 8. Brunson Behning, Calamus; 9. Jeff Aikey, Cedar Falls; 10. Kevin Kile, West Liberty; 11. Joel Callahan, Dubuque; 12. Brian Harris, Davenport; 13. Chad Holladay, Muscatine; 14. Joe Zrostlik, Long Grove; 15. Justin Kay, Wheatland; 16. Doug Yates, Monticello; 17. Greg Kastli, Waterloo; 18. Ryan Dolan, Lisbon; 19. Nate Beuseling, Silvis, Ill.; 20. Mike Murphy Jr., Colona, Ill.; 21. Jay Johnson, West Burlington; 22. Tom Goble, Burlington; 23. Andy Eckrich, Oxford; 24. Rob Moss, Iowa City.
1st heat (top two) – 1. Kastli; 2. Goble; 3. Moss; 4. Rob Toland, Colona, Ill.; 5. Tyler Bruening, Decorah; 6. Chris Simpson, Oxford; 7. Joe Dirks, Anamosa; 8. Kyle Neels, Freeport, Ill.; 9. Luke Merfeld, Dubuque.
2nd heat – 1. Ron Klein; 2. Aikey; 3. Zrostlik; 4. Beuseling; 5. Spencer Diercks, Bettendorf; 6. Ray Guss Jr., Milan, Ill.; 7. Nick Marolf, Moscow; 8. Travis Denning, Sterling, Ill.; 9. Mel Able, Freeport, Ill.
3rd heat – 1. Rauen; 2. Ryan; 3. Behning; 4. Dan Shelliam, Hazel Green, Wis.; 5. Dean Wagner, Evansdale; 6. Mike Weidemann, Dubuque; 7. Lyle Klein, Sherrill; 8. Jon Poll, Delmar; 9. Steve Schueller, Dubuque.
4th heat – 1. Murphy; 2. Denny Eckrich; 3. Kay; 4. Andy Eckrich; 5. Chad Simpson; 6. Callahan; 7. Curt Martin, Independence; 8. Todd Hormel, West Liberty; 9. Todd Hansen, Muscatine.
5th heat – 1. Harris; 2. Goldbeck; 3. Holladay; 4. Dolan; 5. Jon Merfeld, Peosta; 6. Jeremy Grady, Story City; 7. Rick Dralle, Waterloo; 8. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown; 9. Ross Pierce, Dubuque.
6th heat – 1. Kile; 2. Elston; 3. Mike Cothron, Moline, Ill.; 4. Yates; 5. Kyle Hinrichs, Swisher; 6. Johnson; 7. Larry Harris, Muscoda, Wis.; 8. Ed Clancy, Dubuque; 9. Terry Neal, Ely.
1st “B” feature (top three) – 1. Beuseling; 2. Moss; 3. Zrostlik; 4. Chris Simpson; 5. Diercks; 6. Bruening; 7. Marolf; 8. Guss; 9. Denning; 10. Neels; 11. Dirks; 12. Toland; 13. Able; 14. Luke Merfeld.
2nd “B” feature – 1. Chad Simpson; 2. Behning; 3. Kay; 4. Andy Eckrich; 5. Shelliam; 6. Wagner; 7. Poll; 8. Weidemann; 9. Callahan; 10. Martin; 11. Hansen; 12. Hormel; 13. Shueller; 14. Lyle Klein.
3rd “B” feature – 1. Dolan; 2. Holladay; 3. Yates; 4. Hinrichs; 5. Neal; 6. Johnson; 7. Grady; 8. Harris; 9. Dralle; 10. Jon Merfeld; 11. Cothron; 12. Clancy; 13. Pierce; 14. DeFrance.
Hard charger – Johnson. Provisionals – Andy Eckrich and Callahan.