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by Bill Martin
WEST LIBERTY, Iowa (April 11) – Justin Kay got back in the groove Saturday at West Liberty Raceway.
A week after exiting early with mechanical issues in the Deery Brothers Summer Series opener, the defending champion led the last 26 of 40 laps in winning the second installment of the 2015 IMCA Late Model tour.
He’s now won three straight, and four of the last five Deery features held at West Liberty. Kay’s latest checkers, his career 10th, were good for $3,000.
Scott Fitzpatrick, Brian Harris, Andy Nezworski and Andy Eckrich were next across the stripe. Harris had started 21st; Kevin Kile started 22nd and finished sixth.
Ron Boyse took the green from outside row one and led the first lap; pole starter Nezworski let the next 13 times around the oval, before the only caution of the night came out.
Kay, who had worked his way to third from 10th, passed both Boyse and Nezworski following the ensuing restart. He got into heavy lapped traffic with 10 to go but still took the win well ahead of Fitzpatrick.
The 43 Deery entries at West Liberty matched the track record established in April of 2012. Winner of the $250 Sunoco Race Fuels feature qualifier drawing was Scott Fitzpatrick. Nezworski left town with the series point lead.
Deery drivers are at Farley Speedway on Friday, April 17 and at Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City on Saturday, April 18 for a pair of $3,000 to win features.
Feature results – 1. Justin Kay, Wheatland; 2. Scott Fitzpatrick, Wheatland; 3. Brian Harris, Davenport; 4. Andy Nezworski, Buffalo; 5. Andy Eckrich, Oxford; 6. Kevin Kile, West Liberty; 7. Colby Springsteen, Wapello; 8. Chad Holladay, Muscatine; 9. Jonathan Brauns, Muscatine; 10. Corey Zeitner, Bellevue, Neb.; 11. Nick Marolf, Moscow; 12. Jason Rauen, Farley; 13. Jeff Tharp, Sherrill; 14. Ray Guss Jr., Milan, Ill.; 15. Ryan Dolan, Lisbon; 16. Joel Callahan, Dubuque; 17. Todd Malmstrom, Silvis, Ill.; 18. Jay Johnson, West Burlington; 19. Kyle Hinrichs, Swisher; 20. Ron Boyse, Kalona; 21. Jeff Aikey, Cedar Falls; 22. Nate Beuseling, Silvis, Ill.; 23. Denny Eckrich, Tiffin; 24. Jon Poll, Delmar.
1st “B” feature (top four qualify) – 1. Denny Eckrich; 2. Dolan; 3. Rauen; 4. Kile; 5. Guss; 6. Ryan; 7. Droste; 8. DeFrance; 9. Carter; 10. Mulvany; 11. Wendling; 12. Gustin; 13. Bruening; 14. Cooney.
2nd “B” feature – 1. Zeitner; 2. Holladay; 3. Harris; 4. Hinrichs; 5. Zrostlik; 6. Behning; 7. Moss; 8. Elston; 9. Grady; 10. McKenna; 11. Emerson; 12. Chenoweth; 13. Klein; 14. Martin.
1st heat (top three qualify) – 1. Fitzpatrick; 2. Andy Eckrich; 3. Malmstrom; 4. Denny Eckrich; 5. Rob Moss, Iowa City; 6. Kile; 7. Brunson Behning, Davenport; 8. Todd Cooney, Des Moines; 9. Shawn Mulvany, Moline, Ill.
2nd heat – 1. Kay; 2. Tharp; 3. Callahan; 4. Zeitner; 5. Rauen; 6. Hinrichs; 7. Rick Wendling, Hazleton; 8. Jeremy Grady, Story City; 9. Ron Klein, Sherrill.
3rd heat – 1. Springsteen; 2. Beuseling; 3. Johnson; 4. Dolan; 5. Harris; 6. Tyler Bruening, Decorah; 7. Tommy Elston, Keokuk; 8. Richie Gustin, Gilman; 9. Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa.
4th heat – 1. Brauns; 2. Nezworski; 3. Poll; 4. Joe Zrostlik, Long Grove; 5. Matt Ryan, Davenport; 6. John Emerson, Waterloo; 7. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown; 8. Curt Martin, Independence.
5th heat – 1. Boyse; 2. Aikey; 3. Marolf; 4. Tyler Droste, Waterloo; 5. Holladay; 6. Guss; 7. Charlie McKenna, Clear Lake; 8. Jay Chenoweth, Wapello.