Terry Neal races #38 Colby Springsteen before capturing the win in the Titan Tire and Wheel Deery Brothers Summer Series event at Quincy Raceways. (John Vass)  

IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series: Neal Ends Deery Drought with Quincy Checkers

Bill Martin

QUINCY, Ill. – July 3. Terry Neal ended a long absence from victory lane and made the Deery Brothers Summer Series point race even more interesting at the same time Sunday night at Quincy Raceway.

Taking over the front spot after early leader Mike Murphy Jr. broke, Neal held off a succession of challengers in topping the Titan Wheel & Tire-sponsored IMCA Late Model tour main event.

Andy Eckrich races outside of #27 Jason Perry before advancing at Quincy. Perry held down second before breaking down, and Eckrich held on for third. (John Vass)

His win was good for $2,000 and just as importantly, put Neal only three points behind leader and Sunday’s third place finisher Andy Eckrich.

The victory was also the tour career 19th for Neal, the 2005 Deery champion, and his first in the series since July 1, 2009. He’d finished second six times and run in the top five in 17 of 34 main event starts since taking the checkers at Independence Motor Speedway. 

Murphy drew the outside row one start and stayed in front through a series of cautions that slowed the first six laps. He exited with mechanical issues after the last of those early yellows.

Terry Neal hoists his new trophy after winning the Titan Tire and Wheel 40 on the Deery Brothers tour at Quincy, Ill. (John Vass)

Improving his points position by two spots, Ray Guss, Jr. races to a second place finish at Quincy. (John Vass) 

Neal took over from that point, pulling away from the rest of the field and leading the rest of the 40-lapper. Yellows at midway and again with nine laps left brought the pack back together but no one could catch up to Neal

Denny Woodworth worked his way up to second before getting caught up with a lapped car. Ja­son Perry then did a stint in second before he broke.

Defending series champion Ray Guss Jr. ended the night as runner-up, a couple car lengths be­hind Neal, moving from fifth to third in the standings as well. Jay Johnson was fourth and Nate Beuseling turned in a strong finish in fifth.

Beuseling pocketed another $250 as winner of the Sunoco Race Fuels feature qualifier drawing. 

Deery Bros. Summer Series at Quincy Raceways 1) Terry Neal, 2) Ray Guss Jr., 3) Andy Eckrich, 4) Jay Johnson, 5) Nate Beuseling, 6) Joey Gower, 7) Colby Springsteen, 8) Matt Bailey, 9) Lonnie Bailey, 10) Darrel DeFrance, 11) Denny Woodworth, 12) Justin Reed, 13) Tom Darbyshire, 14) Matt Strassheim, 15) Bill Genenbacher,16) Tyler Bruening, 17) Eric Sanders, 18) Charlie McKenna, 19) Jason Perry, 20) Sam Halstead, 21) Tom Goble, 22) Mark Burgtorf, 23) Mike Murphy Jr., 24) Keith Pratt, Quincy.
Chris Damitz photo