Guss and Tyler Score First Davenport Wins of '07
by Mike McGuire

DAVENPORT, IA (May 18, 2007) - On a night when survival instinct was as important as speed, the Davenport Speedway saw two first-time winners for the 2007 season.

Ray Guss Jr. of Milan scored his first Davenport win of '07 in the IMCA Late Model feature. Guss inherited the lead from Rob Toland late in the 25-lap main, when Toland broke something in the front end of his racecar. Toland was not the only race leader to have trouble on the evening.

Ron Gustaf jumped out to the early race lead of the late model feature, but spun in turn four on lap four, bringing out the first of many yellows. Toland would take the lead off the double-file restart and fend off Mike Cothron, Hershel Roberts and Terry Neal. The yellow flag would fly four more times over the next five laps.

Meanwhile, Guss carefully made his way through the field, after starting in the sixth row. Guss was up to Toland's rear bumper when the race leader broke and drove his car off the track. Once in the lead, Guss would go unchallenged to the checkered flag for the win.

Terry Neal would finish second, with Hershel Roberts third, Bob Toland fourth, and Mark Preston fifth.

Roberts, Stephan Kammerer and Rob Toland won the late model heats. Mark Preston won the consi.

The V-8 Modified feature was another race that saw more than its share of yellow flags. In a caution-shortened race, it was Kevin Blum taking home his second Davenport win of the season.

Blum started the race in the sixth position and had to hold off a charging Thad Wilson to take the win.

Wilson would come home second with John Bull, Bob Dominacki, and Milo Veloz Jr., rounding out the top five. Blum, Wilson, and Veloz each won a modified heat race.

Brad Tyler also collected his first Davenport win of the 2007 season in the Street Stock feature. Tyler started the race from the eighth position and had to hold off Rob Henry at the end for the win in a yellow-checker finish. Henry, who started tenth, would finish second, followed by Ron Doolittle in third, Tim Koehler fourth, and Jon Poll fifth. Koehler and Doolittle took the heat race wins.

Jake Waterman raced to the lead in the B-Mod main and then cruised on to the victory. Waterman started the race in the tenth spot, but had the lead by the mid-way point of the race. Brad Pershy spent the entire race in the top five and would end up in the runner-up spot. Dan Anderson, Mike Fluegel, and Jeremy Marquette completed the top five. Pershy, Kevin Dickey, and Craig Crawford were heat winners.

Warren Ropp collected his second straight feature win in the INEX Legend car feature. Ropp started sixth, but quickly went to the front and then cruised to the win. Cedar Rapids driver, Keith Meyer came from deep in the field to finish second, with Dennis Begyn finishing third, Craig Peekenschieder fourth, and Ryan Bales fifth.

Bryan Klein drove to his third straight 4-Cylinder win. Steven Phillips jumped out to an early race lead in the 4 Cylinder Stocks feature, but lost it to Klein late in the race and finished second. Rick Kay was third, with Steve Boyle fourth and Justin Parchert fifth.



results - Davenport Speedway May 18, 2007

IMCA Late Models
Heat 1: 1. Stephan Kammerer;

Heat 2: 1. Hershel Roberts;

Heat 3: 1. Rob Toland;

Consi: 1. Mark Preston;

Feature: 1. Ray Guss Jr; 2. Terry Neal; 3. Hershel Roberts; 4. Bob Toland; 5. Mark Preston; 6. Mike Cothron; 7. Stephan Kammerer; 8. Andy Nezworski; 9. Eric Gustaf; 10. matt Ryan; 11. Rick Wages; 12. Cory Goldbeck; 13. Rob Toland; 14. Fred Remley; 15. Doug Nigh; 16. Nate Buesling; 17. Mike Guldenpfennig; 18. Ron Gustaf: 19. Adam Oppendike; 20. Mike Murphy Jr;



V-8 Modifieds
Heat 1: 1. Milo Veloz Jr;

Heat 2: 1. Thad Wilson;

Heat 3: 1. Kevin Blum;

Feature: 1. Kevin Blum; 2. Thad Wilson; 3. John Bull; 4. Bob Dominacki; 5. Milo Veloz Jr; 6. Doug Crampton; 7. Chad Patch; 8. Tim Arp; 9. Rick Ratliff; 10. Tony VonDresky; 11. Dusty Kraklio; 12. Jim Willert; 13. Matt Stein; 14. Mike Zemo Jr; 15. Marty Diercks; 16. Jerry Connors; 17. Jeremy Gustaf; 18. Jason Pershy; 19. Troy Emerick;



Street Stocks
Heat 1: 1. Ron Doolittle;

Heat 2: 1. Tim Koehler;

Feature: 1. Brad Tyler; 2. Rob Henry; 3. Ron Doolittle; 4. Tim Koehler; 5. Jon Poll; 6. Kevin Schloemer; 7. Justin Conklin; 8. Denny Dillon; 9. Don Hatfield; 10. Josh Wilson; 11. Andrew Burk; 12. Henry Carson; 13. Joe Beal; 14. Dominic Bates;



B-modifieds
Heat 1: 1. Craig Crawford;

Heat 2: 1. Kevin Dickey;

Heat 3: 1. Brad Pershy;

Feature: 1. Jake Waterman; 2. Brad Pershy; 3. Dan Anderson; 4. Mike Fluegel; 5. Jeremy Marquette; 6. Todd Stickler; 7. Nick Hixson; 8. TJ Patz; 9. Brad Lucy; 10. John Irwin; 11. John Ahlers; 12. Craig Crawford; 13. Kevin Dickey; 14. Joe Jones Jr; 15. Kevin Fitzgibbon; 16. Tony Baker; 17. Bryan Rogers; 18. Hunter Wilson;



INEX Legend Car

Heat: 1. Dennis Begyn;

Feature: 1. Warren Ropp; 2. Keith Meyer; 3. Dennis Begyn; 4. Craig Peekenschnieder; 5. Ryan Bales; 6. Ken Burns; 7. David Dvorak; 8. Darrick Calhoun; 9. Aaron Meyer;



4 Cylinder Stock

Heat: 1. Steve Boyle;

Feature: 1. Brian Klein; 2. Steven Phillips; 3. Ricky Kay; 4. Steve Boyle; 5. Justin Parchert; 6. Jeff McKinney; 7. Shane atchHatch 8. Stacy Nall; 9. Chris Zrostlik; 10. Josh Hazen; 11. Paul Parchert;