By: Anthony Sandoval
EAST MOLINE, Ill. (5/4/14) — When Justin Kay redrew the pole position after winning his heat race on Sunday; the other driver’s knew it was going to be a tough night.

A tough night it was, but not for Kay, who never relinquished his pole position in the fourth annual Hershel Roberts Memorial Deery Brothers Summer Series 58-lap feature at the Quad City Speedway. The win — Kay’s first Deery of 2014 — snaps Ray Guss Jr.’s three race winning-streak in the event.

From the drop of the green, the Wheatland, Ia. No. 15K IMCA Late Model was a rocket. Though he had to give a little in the middle of both corners, it just made for a better exit as he built on his lead.

“I got through three and four really good at first,” said Kay, the 2013 IMCA Late Model National champion. “That went away and one and two came around for me. We at least had one good corner. After a while, I finally figured out how to hit a rut just right and make it turn better.”

Three-time Deery champion Jeff Aikey was Kay’s biggest threat in the entire race. He restarted in second after the race’s fifth and final caution with 10 to go. Aikey flirted with the lead on lap 49, but couldn’t complete the pass at the line. He had to settle for second-place finish.

‘I had to stop and pretty much kill the motor in the middle to make sure I got the traction,” said Kay. “Then I launched up and out of there.”

Aikey jumped out his car after the finish with a grin as he spoke with crew members about the great run.

“I couldn’t get through one and two very well,” said Aikey, who started in 12th. “It was such a fine line up there and I kept hitting the wall. It slowed me down. Three and four was where I made up all of my ground. If I could have gotten through one and two, I might have had (Kay). It was a great car.”

Joel Callahan started 17th and made his way to a third-place finish. He rallied after not finishing his heat race and being the fourth and final qualifier in the first of two B-main’s.

“We were good even in our heat race, but the track had so much traction we spun the spool out of the rear end,” Callahan said. “We thought we were done for the night, but we were fortunate enough to put longer axles in the rear to get a few more inches of bite in there.”

Mike Murphy Jr. was consistent, running in the Top-5 all night. He was as high as second with 28 to go, but went up to the high groove and dropped a few positions. The No. 14 car had to settle for a fourth-place finish. Davenport’s Brian Harris finished in fifth with QC Speedway regulars Mike Zemo Jr, sixth and Todd Malmstrom seventh.

Final lap: Greg Durbin won an exciting Toppert Jetting Services IMCA modified 20-lapper. He was able to hold off Jason Bahrs on the restart with three to go. Bahrs spun out coming to the checkered flag allowing Doug Crampton to finish second. Rob Nylin won the 15-lap Weber Auto Group Street Stock feature with Steve Jackson in second, Jeremy Gustaf in third and Jarett Franzen in fourth-place. Andy Baugh won the Midget Lite feature.

Results – 5/4/14
Weber Auto Group Street Stocks
Heat 1
1. 19 – Steven Jackson
2. 42 – Kevin Dickey
3. 78 – Nick Lawrence
4. 85JR – Erick Turner
5. 86 – Jeremy Gustaf
Heat 2
1. 8 – Rick Schriner
2. 13 – Chad Coyne
3. 39 – Perry Gellerstedt
4. 1 – Rob Nylin
5. 33 – Jarret Franzen
Feature
1. 1 – Rob Nylin
2. 19 – Steven Jackson
3. 86 – Jeremy Gustaf
4. 33 – Jarret Franzen
5. 42 – Kevin Dickey
6. 39 – Perry Gellerstedt
7. 28 – Jimmie Simpson
8. 78 – Nick Lawrence
9. 85JR – Erick Turner
10. 12T – Tim Current
11. 13 – Chad Coyne
12. 11X – Jake Whittington
13. 29 – Zach Huston
14. 8 – Rick Schriner

Toppert Service IMCA Modifieds
Heat 1
1. 40 – Doug Crampton
2. 15D – Brandon Durbin
3. 11 – Ray Cox Jr.
4. 43 – Justin Veloz
Heat 2
1. 96 – Jason Bahrs
2. 8L – Chris Lawrence
3. 8 – Greg Durbin
4. 32 – Mitch Morris
Heat 3
1. 93 – Matt Werner
2. 613 – Dan Hahn
3. 26 – Joe Jones Jr.
4. 85 – Leland Bushong
Feature
1. 8 – Greg Durbin
2. 40 – Doug Crampton
3. 85B – Brian Bushong
4. 15D – Brandon Durbin
5. 00 – Rob Henry
6. 1W – Hunter Wilson
7. 11 – Ray Cox Jr.
8. 1 – Eric Barnes
9. 8L – Chris Lawrence
10. 17 – Todd Dykema
11. 89 – T.J. Patz
12. 96 – Jason Bahrs
13. 613 – Dan Hahn
14. 85 – Leland Bushong
15. 3G – Jerame Mowery
16. 4G – Kevin Goben
17. 99X – Mark VerVynck
18. 43 – Justin Veloz
19. 15J – Tim Arp
20. 35 – Chance Huston
21. 93 – Matt Werner
22. 26 – Joe Jones Jr.
23. 32 – Mitch Morris

Deery Brothers Summer Series IMCA Late Models
Heat 1
1. Z – Mike Zemo Jr.
2. 98 – Jason Rauen
3. 45 – Tommy Elston
4. V – Milo Veloz Jr.
5. Z50 – Joe Zrostlik
6. 12 – Ron Klein
7. 40 – Joel Callahan
8. 55 – Ryan Claeys
Heat 2
1. 15K – Justin Kay
2. 51 – Ryan Dolan
3. 15R – Brian Harris
4. 07 – Matt Ryan
5. 46 – Nate Beuseling
6. 60 – Dean Wagner
7. 77H – Kyle Neels
8. G1 – Mike Garland
Heat 3
1. 75M – Todd Malmstrom
2. 14 – Mike Murphy Jr.
3. 58 – Ray Guss Jr.
4. 39 – Rob Toland
5. 47 – Andy Nezworski
6. 11 – Gary Webb
7. 6K – Korey Peterson
8. 3 – Mike Cothron
Heat 4
1. 77 – Jeff Aikey
2. 56 – Andy Eckrich
3. 56D – Travis Denning
4. 93 – Jay Johnson
5. 24 – Scott Fitzpatrick
6. 99D – Darrel DeFrance
7. 16 – Tyler Bruening
B-Main 1
1. 39 – Rob Toland
2. V – Milo Veloz Jr.
3. 40 – Joel Callahan
4. 47 – Andy Nezworski
5. 11 – Gary Webb
6. 3 – Mike Cothron
7. 6K – Korey Peterson
8. Z50 – Joe Zrostlik
9. 12 – Ron Klein
10. 55 – Ryan Claeys
B-Main 2
1. 07 – Matt Ryan
2. 24 – Scott Fitzpatrick
3. 93 – Jay Johnson
4. G1 – Mike Garland
5. 60 – Dean Wagner
6. 77H – Kyle Neels
7. 16 – Tyler Bruening
8. 99D – Darrel DeFrance
9. 46 – Nate Beuseling
Hershel Roberts Memorial Feature
1. 15K – Justin Kay
2. 77 – Jeff Aikey
3. 40 – Joel Callahan
4. 14 – Mike Murphy Jr.
5. 15R – Brian Harris
6. Z – Mike Zemo Jr.
7. 75M – Todd Malmstrom
8. 16 – Tyler Bruening
9. 56 – Andy Eckrich
10. 07 – Matt Ryan
11. 58 – Ray Guss Jr.
12. 45 – Tommy Elston
13. 3 – Mike Cothron
14. 24 – Scott Fitzpatrick
15. 99D – Darrel DeFrance
16. 93 – Jay Johnson
17. G1 – Mike Garland
18. 47 – Andy Nezworski
19. V – Milo Veloz Jr.
20. 60 – Dean Wagner
21. 98 – Jason Rauen
22. 39 – Rob Toland
23. 56D – Travis Denning
24. 51 – Ryan Dolan

U-Pull-A-Part/Cimco IMRA Midget Lites
Feature
1. 6B – Andy Baugh
2. 21 – Kurt Mayhew
3. 31M – David Budres
4. 2X – Austin Archdale
5. 56 – Mitchell Davis
6. 53 – Aaron Schuck
7. 2 – David Ohlendorf
8. 51R – Gedd Ross
9. 0B – Robert Bell
10. 15 – Jeff Zelinski
11. 15M – Shane Morgan
12. 13 – Brayden Gaylord
13. 01 – Travis Pence
14. 54 – Jason Allen
15. 10 – Patrick Bruns
16. 31J – Jeff Mallonee
17. 0L – Katlynn Leer
18. 69 – Jeremy hull