RESULTS FARLEY SPEEDWAY, Farley Iowa, April 27, 2001

GUSS TAKES FARLEY SEASON OPENER

Ray Guss Jr topped a field of 26 NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Late Models on Friday April 27, collecting a Fox 28/40 Season Opener trophy along with Ron Barker, Dan Shelliam, Paul Beckman and Chad Hallahan.

Starting on the pole, Guss got the jump on outside front row starter Mark Merfeld and immediately left the field in his wake. Opening up a huge lead while Merfeld and Gary Webb battled for the runner-up spot, Guss had just began negotiating slower traffic when the events first caution came out on the ninth lap. The restart saw Webb dive under Merfeld and briefly challenge for the lead before the event’s second yellow slowed the field on the twelfth circuit. It took several attempts to get the race restarted, with cautions coming out at least five times before the thirteenth lap could be completed. Both Merfeld and Webb were removed from the top of the running order in separate incidents before racing could be resumed, Merfeld as part of a multiple car tangle in the second corner and Webb being forced to pit with a flat tire shortly thereafter. Dave Eckrich and Troy Bruder finally found themselves occupying the second row of the double-wide restart behind the leader, with Eckrich getting the jump and quickly attaching himself to Guss’s rear bumper. Bruder brought out the last caution of the event on lap 22 when he slowed due to mechanical difficulties. Eckrich was able to scrape together only one challenge for the lead on the restart, but failed to complete the pass underneath Guss. Defending track champion Jeff Aikey finished third ahead of Rick Wendling and Matt Furman. Both Wendling and Furman used patience and the double-wide restarts to advance from tenth and twelfth on the starting grid to the front of the finishing order.

Scott Nesteby looked to have the Modified victory sealed up, starting on the front row alongside Ron Barker and getting the early jump, but when negotiating lapped traffic became a factor in the race, Barker took advantage and pulled off the win. First encountering slower traffic on lap twelve of the non-stop 20 lap race, Nesteby was forced to slow slightly, allowing both Barker and Dan Chapman to eliminate the large gap between themselves and the leader. When Nesteby dove low on the seventeenth lap to get around even more lapped traffic, Barker stayed on the high side of the racetrack, keeping his momentum up. Lapped traffic held their line once they realized that they were among the leaders, allowing Barker a clean pass on the topside of the racetrack and into the lead before Nesteby could get his car back to the cushion to protect his lead. Chapman got past Nesteby with a great run off of turn two of the final lap, fending off a turn four challenge to finish second ahead of Nesteby, Ryan Dolan and Jason Schueller.

Pro Stocks saw a similar situation with Jim Brokus leading most of the race from the front row while Dan Shelliam gave chase. Shelliam was able to close in and take the lead with an outside pass with three laps to go, taking the win ahead of Brokus, Jeff Tharp and Brian Culbertson. Paul Beckman cruised to the easy win in Bomber action, topping Jeff Reinert, Duane Ahmann and Larry Benn. Chad Hallahan made the Fun Car event exciting, starting on the front row but falling back to at least fifth before making a late race run. Hallahan took his car to the top of the racetrack to make the last corner, last lap pass on race leader Russ Yankovic to take the win. Ray Fawcett, Kelly Welter and Brian Dirks Jr rounded out the top five.

Racing action continues this Friday and the Farley Speedway “Palace of Speed” in all five divisions of NASCAR stock cars. Hot laps are scheduled for 7 pm with racing to follow. For more information contact Simmons Promotions at 563-744-3620 or online at www.simmonspromotionsinc.com. For raceday updates and quick results afterwards, call your local McLeod USA InTouch Directory, category 3740 and 3741.

FOX 28/40 Season Opener

Late Models

1. 12 Ray Guss Jr Milan IL

2. 58 Dave Eckrich Coralville

3. 77 Jeff Aikey Cedar Falls

4. 78 Rick Wendling Hazelton

5. 51 Matt Furman Iowa City

6. 50 Denny Eckrich Coralville

7. 77j Steve Johnson Camanche

8. 21 Luke Merfeld Dubuque

9. 12n Terry Neal Ely

10. 98.1 Bobby Hansen Dike

11. 3 Josh McGowan Vinton

12. 72 Terry Huizel Freeport IL

13. 8 Mark Merfeld Dubuque

14. 78b Cory Best Waterloo

15. 69 Todd Hormel West Liberty

16. 37b Troy Bruder Rock Falls IL

17. 56 Gary Webb Blue Grass

18. 11 Ace Ihm Hazel Green WI

19. 70 Brandon Hennick Central City

20. 44 Duane Coulson East Dubuque IL

21. 8m Chuck Mayerhofer Dixon

22. 27 Ed McGuire Monroe WI

23. 1m Rob Moss Iowa City

24. 3t Todd Davis Iowa City

25. 79 Darren Mish Shullsberg WI

DNS 41j Jeremiah Hurst Dubuque

MODIFIEDS

1. 37b Ron Barker Dubuque

2. 1 Dan Chapman Clarence

3. 74 Scott Nesteby Asbury

4. 16 Ryan Dolan Lisbon

5. 3 Jason Schueller Dubuque

6. 9 Richard Steadman Hiawatha

7. d1 Rich Smith Bettendorf

8. b3 Russ Olson Cedar Rapids

9. 96 Larry Herring Lone Tree

10. 30 Gus Hughes Monticello

11. 9 Mark Curwen Hazel Green WI

12. 2c Greg Chapman Dubuque

13. 27 Mark Schulte Norway

14. 00 Josh Vinnedge Foreston IL

15. 33 Steve Wetter Platteville WI

16. d55 Scott Lemke

17. 10 Jed Hurst Hazel Green WI

18. 76 Matt Mish Cassville WI

19. 54 Doug Picray Monticello

20. 1d Mel Saffran Dubuque

PRO STOCK

1. 16 Dan Shelliam Hazel Green WI

2. 35 Jim Brokus Dubuque

3. 12 Jeff Tharp Dubuque

4. 18 Brian Culbertson Dubuque

5. 1 Matt Gilchrist Grandview

6. 25 Bobby Moyer Dubuque

7. 22 Jeff Valentine Dubuque

8. 69 John Maher West Branch

9. 03 Don Hughes Monticello

10. 20 Ty Kleiner Potosi WI

11. 77 Darrin Plett Davenport

12. 71 Kevin Schroeder Low Moor

13. 5 Larry McCall

14. 17s Dana Servoy Marion

15. s1 Steve Hunter Hopkinton

16. 23 Jim Amos

17. 4 Kevin Duerr

DNS 89 John Irwin

2k Jeff Kennedy Dubuque

BOMBER

1. p7 Paul Beckman Monticello

2. 97 Jeff Rienert Farley

3. 98 Duane Ahmann Epworth

4. 13 Larry Benn Dyersville

5. 8k Jerry Merkes Farley

6. 38 TJ Leslein Dubuque

7. 63m Scott Barton Maquoketa

8. 72 Doug Yates

9. 30 Mark Massey Farley

10. 22 Cory Bauer

FUN CARS

1. 7 Chad Hallahan Dubuque

2. 38 Russ Yankovic Dubuque

3. 64 Ray Fawcett Shullsberg WI

4. 89 Kelly Welter Farley

5. b4jr Brian Diercks Anamosa

6. 6 Todd Moore Dubuque

7. 44 BJ Schmitt Dubuque

8. 66 Brad Strang Dubuque

DNS 26 Brian Strang Dubuque

33 Nick McElmeel