EAST MOLINE, Ill. (May 6) – A driver who’s been in a class by himself joined another exclusive group Sunday night.
Justin Kay won the Deery Brothers Summer Series feature at Quad City Speedway, his third victory in as many IMCA Late Model tour outings this season and record-tying fourth straight Deery win dating to the 2017 finale.
Previous winners of four straight Deery features were Gary Webb in 1994, Rob Toland in 2004 and Brian Harris in 2013. Kay had ended the streak by Harris with his Deery Series-first career victory.
“It’s awesome to be able to accomplish something like this,” said Kay, who’d started 24th at East Moline after cutting a tire in his heat race and then restarted at the back after changing a flat midway through the main event. “Gary Webb and Rob Toland have done this for so long. I really want to get that fifth win in a row. I know the guys in the shop are going to go over the car and do everything they can for me.”
Runner-up was Jeremiah Hurst. Rounding out the top five were 22nd starting and $250 Sunoco Race Fuels feature qualifier drawing winner Joe Zrostlik, 21st starting Ryan Dolan and Nick Marolf.
Cayden Carter led early before exiting with mechanical problems and giving way to Toland, who led nearly half of the 50-lapper before pulling in himself.
Kay, meanwhile, kept plugging away and working his way back toward the front, getting the lead with a dozen laps left.
“I was just trying to keep my nose clean and not put myself in any bad situations,” he said. “I was thinking that if I could squeak out of there with a top five finish, I would have been happy. Everything just worked out for me.”
Kay’s Sunday checkers paid $2,000 and were the 27th of his Deery career, now third on the all-time list. He’d also won on April 21 at Cedar County Raceway and Saturday at Maquoketa Speedway and will run for a record-breaking fifth win in a row on Memorial Day at Boone Speedway.
Feature results – 1. Justin Kay; 2. Jeremiah Hurst; 3. Joe Zrostlik; 4. Ryan Dolan; 5. Nick Marolf; 6. Todd Cooney; 7. Curt Martin; 8. Chad Holladay; 9. Sam Halstead; 10. Gary Webb; 11. Tim Simpson; 12. Eric Sanders; 13. Chad Coyne; 14. David Norton; 15. Matt Ryan; 16. Rob Toland; 17. Terry Neal; 18. Rob Moss; 19. Andy Nezworski; 20. Ryan Clayes; 21. Ray Guss, Jr.; 22. Darrel DeFrance; 23. Cayden Carter; 24. Shawn Mulvany; 25. Chuck Hanna.
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Kay dominates Deery at Maquoketa
MAQUOKETA, Iowa (May 5) – Once he got in front, there was no catching Justin Kay in Saturday’s Deery Brothers Summer Series main event at Maquoketa Speedway.
Kay started in the second row, slipped inside leader Terry Neal on the 12th circuit and led to the finish of the IMCA Late Model Tour feature.
“Terry moved up to get by a lapped car and that’s when I was able to pass him,” Kay said. “Any time you get an opportunity like that, you have to be ready.”
The sole caution of the 50-lapper came out with three circuits to go and Kay by then handily ahead of Neal & Co.
Unfazed, Kay pulled away again in taking the $2,000 checkers, his second in as many Deery dates this season, third in a row and career 26th.
Neal, Jeremiah Hurst, Cayden Carter and Ryan Dolan completed the top five.
Dolan was the winner of the $250 Sunoco Race Fuels feature qualifier drawing.
Feature results – 1. Justin Kay; 2. Terry Neal; 3. Jeremiah Hurst; 4. Cayden Carter; 5. Ryan Dolan; 6. Chad Holladay; 7. Curt Martin; 8. Joel Callahan; 9. Chuck Hanna; 10. Andy Eckrich; 11. Jeff Tharp; 12. Joe Zrostlik; 13. Matt Ryan; 14. Nick Marolf; 15. Jon Poll; 16. Don Pataska; 17. Todd Cooney; 18. Kyle Hinrichs; 19. Sam Halstead; 20. Andy Nezworski; 21. Darrel DeFrance; 22. Joe Ross; 23. Luke Pestka; 24. Denny Eckrich.