Guss Takes IMCA Late Model Victory at Davenport
by Mike McGuire
Davenport, IA (May 9, 2008) - Great weather, over one hundred race cars, and a photo finish to close the show, made for
an excellent night of racing at the Davenport Speedway, Friday. The evening’s race program was sponsored by Barak’s
Truck Repair of Fulton.
Twenty-five IMCA Late Model racers were on hand, including several out-of-town drivers chasing IMCA national points.
When the dust settled, it was the ‘River City Hustler’, Ray Guss Jr., standing in victory lane. Guss started the feature in the
sixth position and started to advance at the drop of the green flag. Guss had made his way to second by lap 9, when the
yellow flag waved. On the restart, Guss roared past early race leader Mike Murphy Jr. and would lead the rest of the way
to the win. Murphy would hold off a trio of point chasers for second. Third was Matt Strasshiem (West Burlington, IA),
followed by Boone McLaughlin (Mediapolis, IA) and Keith Pratt (Mendon, IL). IMCA Late Model heat wins went to Guss,
McLaughlin, and Terry Neal. Matt Ryan won the semi-feature.
Pro Modified action saw another winner come from ‘junior nation’ as Mike Zemo Jr. took the checkers. Zemo came from his
second row starting spot to pass Chad Patch and take the lead. Zemo was able to hold off the field the remainder of the
race that saw only one caution. John Bull made a strong showing in second, with Kevin Blum racing his way through the
pack to take third. Patch and Rick Ratliff rounded out the top five. Bull, Bob Dominacki, and John Ahlers won Pro Mod
heats.
Tim Koehler captured the win in a rough and tumble Street Stock main. Koehler’s victory came in a race that saw only
eight of the fifteen starters reach the finish line. Andrew Burk came from 7th to finish second, with pole sitter Cary Brown
third. Rob Nylin and Tom Riggs rounded out the top five. Jeremy Marquette and Brown were winners in the heats.
The night’s photo finish came in the B-Modified feature, the final race of the evening. Tod Stickler edged Kelly Meyer by
less than a foot to take the win. Stickler jumped to the early lead from a second row start and managed to hold the lead
despite a number of cautions that dotted the race. On lap nine, Meyer stuck his car under Stickler and took away the lead.
Stickler regained the lead coming to the white flag, then Meyer went to the bottom again. The two crossed the stripe side-
by-side with Stickler getting the win. A last lap crash put Perry Gellerstadt into third, with Jim Hickenbottom fourth, and
Hunter Wilson fifth. Stickler, Mike Fluegel, and Chris Stein won the heats.
Warren Ropp of Kalona, IA, was the class of the field in the INEX Legend Car division. After winning his heat race, Ropp
started the feature deep in the field, and quickly worked his way to the front. Early race leader and heat winner, Dennis
Begyn would survive to finish second, with Craig Peekenschnieder third. Jeremy Meyer and Lane Swearinger closed out
the first five.
Wade Dahl became the first driver to win two features on the young season as he took the win in the 4 Stock feature. Chris
Zrostlik was second, with Jim McKinney third.
RESULTS
IMCA Late Models
Heat 1: 1. Boone McLaughlin; 2. Mike Murphy Jr.; 3. Dave Engelkens; 4. Keith Pratt; 5. Jason Masengarb
Heat 2: 1. Ray Guss Jr.; 2. Hershel Roberts; 3. Matt Strasshiem; 4. Nate Buesling; 5. Cory Goldbeck
Heat 3: 1. Terry Neal; 2. Mike Garland; 3. Marty Diercks; 4. Joe Zrostlik; 5. Stephan Kammerer
Semi: 1. Matt Ryan; 2. Cory Goldbeck; 3. Andy Nezworski; 4. Stephan Kammerer; 5. Mike Guldenpfennig; 6. Jeremy
Gustaf; 7. Kevin Williams; 8. Jason Masengarb; 9. Adam Oppendike; 10. Todd Malmstrom; 11. Leroy Brenner; 12. Kevin
Dickey
Feature: 1. Ray Guss Jr.; 2. Mike Murphy Jr.; 3. Matt Strasshiem; 4. Boone McLaughlin; 5. Keith Pratt; 6. Matt Ryan;
7. Terry Neal; 8. Nate Buesling; 9. Andy Nezworski; 10. Mike Garland; 11. Hershel Roberts; 12. Jeremy Gustaf;
13. Stephan Kammerer; 14. Dave Engelkens; 15. Kevin Williams; 16. Joe Zrostlik; 17. Marty Diercks; 18. Cory Goldbeck;
19. Mike Guldenpfennig; 20. Jason Masengarb
Pro Modifieds
Heat 1: 1. John Ahlers; 2. Kevin Blum; 3. Doug Crampton; 4. Jim Sandusky; 5. Brian Webb
Heat 2: 1. Bob Dominacki; 2. Donovan Lodge; 3. Rick Ratliff; 4. Matt Stein; 5. Scott Olson
Heat 3: 1. John Bull; 2. Thad Wilson; 3. Chad Patch; 4. Mike Zemo Jr.; 5. Tony VonDresky
Feature: 1. Mike Zemo Jr.; 2. John Bull; 3. Kevin Blum; 4. Chad Patch; 5. Rick Ratliff; 6. Bob Dominacki; 7. Thad Wilson;
8. Doug Crampton; 9. John Ahlers; 10. Matt Stein; 11. Scott Olson; 12. Jim Sandusky; 13. Craig Crawford; 14. Randall
VerPlaeste; 15. Tony VonDresky; 16. Donovan Lodge; 17. Brian Webb
Street Stocks
Heat 1: 1. Jeremy Marquette; 2. Tim Koehler; 3. Rick Schriner; 4. Andrew Burk; 5. Gerald Ward
Heat 2: 1. Cary Brown; 2. Donnie Louck; 3. Randy Exline; 4. Rob Nylin; 5. Tom Riggs Jr.
Feature: 1. Tim Koehler; 2. Andrew Burk; 3. Cary Brown; 4. Rob Nylin; 5. Tom Riggs Jr.; 6. Donnie Louck; 7. Ron Turner;
8. Ray Jefferson; 9. Rick Schriner; 10. Randy Exline; 11. Matt Jefferson; 12. Chris Lawrence; 13. Henry Carson; 14. Paul
Elliott; 15. Gerald Ward
B-Modifieds
Heat 1: 1. Tod Stickler; 2. Craig Crawford; 3. Derrick Carlson; 4. Kevin Fitzgibbon; 5. Drew Otten
Heat 2: 1. Mike Fluegel; 2. Brad Lucy; 3. Tod Diekema; 4. Perry Grellerstadt; 5. Keith Silvers
Heat 3: 1. Chris Stein; 2. Kelly Meyer; 3. Pat Fennelly; 4. Dan Anderson
Feature: 1. Tod Stickler; 2. Kelly Meyer; 3. Perry Gellerstadt; 4. Jim Hickenbottom; 5. Hunter Wilson; 6. Kevin Fitzgibbon;
7. Greg Wilson; 8. Dustin Schram; 9. John Reedy; 10. Mike Fluegel; 11. Derrick Carlson; 12. Chris Stein; 13. Pat Fennelly;
14. Craig Crawford; 15. Drew Otten; 16. Dan Anderson; 17. Tod Dikema; 18. Brad Lucy; 19. Rick Schriner
INEX Legend Cars
Heat 1: 1. Dennis Begyn; 2. Jeremy Meyer; 3. Chad Hale; 4. Craig Peekenschnieder; 5. Bill Hamilton
Heat 2: 1. Warren Ropp; 2. Aaron Meyer; 3. Darrick Calhoun; 4. Lane Swearinger; 5. David Dvorak
Feature: 1. Warren Ropp; 2. Dennis Begyn; 3. Craig Peekenshnieder; 4. Jeremy Meyer; 5. Lane Swearinger; 6. Ken
Burns; 7. Chad Hale; 8. Bill Harvey; 9. David Dvorak; 10. Bill Hamilton; 11. Darrick Calhoun; 12. Ryan Bales; 13. Keith
Hentges; 14. Craig Morris; 15. Terry Elsbury; 16. David Jarrin; 17. Aaron Meyer
4 Stocks
Heat: 1. Chris Zrostlik; 2. Jim McKinney; 3. Josh Hazen; 4. Wade Dahl; 5. Kevin Haury
Feature: 1. Wade Dahl; 2. Chris Zrostlik; 3. Jim McKinney; 4. Josh Hazen; 5. Bill Morrow; 6. Bob Gustafson; 7. Joe Grant;
8. Stacy Nall; 9. Bryan Ritter; 10. Kevin Haury
by Mike McGuire
Davenport, IA (May 9, 2008) - Great weather, over one hundred race cars, and a photo finish to close the show, made for
an excellent night of racing at the Davenport Speedway, Friday. The evening’s race program was sponsored by Barak’s
Truck Repair of Fulton.
Twenty-five IMCA Late Model racers were on hand, including several out-of-town drivers chasing IMCA national points.
When the dust settled, it was the ‘River City Hustler’, Ray Guss Jr., standing in victory lane. Guss started the feature in the
sixth position and started to advance at the drop of the green flag. Guss had made his way to second by lap 9, when the
yellow flag waved. On the restart, Guss roared past early race leader Mike Murphy Jr. and would lead the rest of the way
to the win. Murphy would hold off a trio of point chasers for second. Third was Matt Strasshiem (West Burlington, IA),
followed by Boone McLaughlin (Mediapolis, IA) and Keith Pratt (Mendon, IL). IMCA Late Model heat wins went to Guss,
McLaughlin, and Terry Neal. Matt Ryan won the semi-feature.
Pro Modified action saw another winner come from ‘junior nation’ as Mike Zemo Jr. took the checkers. Zemo came from his
second row starting spot to pass Chad Patch and take the lead. Zemo was able to hold off the field the remainder of the
race that saw only one caution. John Bull made a strong showing in second, with Kevin Blum racing his way through the
pack to take third. Patch and Rick Ratliff rounded out the top five. Bull, Bob Dominacki, and John Ahlers won Pro Mod
heats.
Tim Koehler captured the win in a rough and tumble Street Stock main. Koehler’s victory came in a race that saw only
eight of the fifteen starters reach the finish line. Andrew Burk came from 7th to finish second, with pole sitter Cary Brown
third. Rob Nylin and Tom Riggs rounded out the top five. Jeremy Marquette and Brown were winners in the heats.
The night’s photo finish came in the B-Modified feature, the final race of the evening. Tod Stickler edged Kelly Meyer by
less than a foot to take the win. Stickler jumped to the early lead from a second row start and managed to hold the lead
despite a number of cautions that dotted the race. On lap nine, Meyer stuck his car under Stickler and took away the lead.
Stickler regained the lead coming to the white flag, then Meyer went to the bottom again. The two crossed the stripe side-
by-side with Stickler getting the win. A last lap crash put Perry Gellerstadt into third, with Jim Hickenbottom fourth, and
Hunter Wilson fifth. Stickler, Mike Fluegel, and Chris Stein won the heats.
Warren Ropp of Kalona, IA, was the class of the field in the INEX Legend Car division. After winning his heat race, Ropp
started the feature deep in the field, and quickly worked his way to the front. Early race leader and heat winner, Dennis
Begyn would survive to finish second, with Craig Peekenschnieder third. Jeremy Meyer and Lane Swearinger closed out
the first five.
Wade Dahl became the first driver to win two features on the young season as he took the win in the 4 Stock feature. Chris
Zrostlik was second, with Jim McKinney third.
RESULTS
IMCA Late Models
Heat 1: 1. Boone McLaughlin; 2. Mike Murphy Jr.; 3. Dave Engelkens; 4. Keith Pratt; 5. Jason Masengarb
Heat 2: 1. Ray Guss Jr.; 2. Hershel Roberts; 3. Matt Strasshiem; 4. Nate Buesling; 5. Cory Goldbeck
Heat 3: 1. Terry Neal; 2. Mike Garland; 3. Marty Diercks; 4. Joe Zrostlik; 5. Stephan Kammerer
Semi: 1. Matt Ryan; 2. Cory Goldbeck; 3. Andy Nezworski; 4. Stephan Kammerer; 5. Mike Guldenpfennig; 6. Jeremy
Gustaf; 7. Kevin Williams; 8. Jason Masengarb; 9. Adam Oppendike; 10. Todd Malmstrom; 11. Leroy Brenner; 12. Kevin
Dickey
Feature: 1. Ray Guss Jr.; 2. Mike Murphy Jr.; 3. Matt Strasshiem; 4. Boone McLaughlin; 5. Keith Pratt; 6. Matt Ryan;
7. Terry Neal; 8. Nate Buesling; 9. Andy Nezworski; 10. Mike Garland; 11. Hershel Roberts; 12. Jeremy Gustaf;
13. Stephan Kammerer; 14. Dave Engelkens; 15. Kevin Williams; 16. Joe Zrostlik; 17. Marty Diercks; 18. Cory Goldbeck;
19. Mike Guldenpfennig; 20. Jason Masengarb
Pro Modifieds
Heat 1: 1. John Ahlers; 2. Kevin Blum; 3. Doug Crampton; 4. Jim Sandusky; 5. Brian Webb
Heat 2: 1. Bob Dominacki; 2. Donovan Lodge; 3. Rick Ratliff; 4. Matt Stein; 5. Scott Olson
Heat 3: 1. John Bull; 2. Thad Wilson; 3. Chad Patch; 4. Mike Zemo Jr.; 5. Tony VonDresky
Feature: 1. Mike Zemo Jr.; 2. John Bull; 3. Kevin Blum; 4. Chad Patch; 5. Rick Ratliff; 6. Bob Dominacki; 7. Thad Wilson;
8. Doug Crampton; 9. John Ahlers; 10. Matt Stein; 11. Scott Olson; 12. Jim Sandusky; 13. Craig Crawford; 14. Randall
VerPlaeste; 15. Tony VonDresky; 16. Donovan Lodge; 17. Brian Webb
Street Stocks
Heat 1: 1. Jeremy Marquette; 2. Tim Koehler; 3. Rick Schriner; 4. Andrew Burk; 5. Gerald Ward
Heat 2: 1. Cary Brown; 2. Donnie Louck; 3. Randy Exline; 4. Rob Nylin; 5. Tom Riggs Jr.
Feature: 1. Tim Koehler; 2. Andrew Burk; 3. Cary Brown; 4. Rob Nylin; 5. Tom Riggs Jr.; 6. Donnie Louck; 7. Ron Turner;
8. Ray Jefferson; 9. Rick Schriner; 10. Randy Exline; 11. Matt Jefferson; 12. Chris Lawrence; 13. Henry Carson; 14. Paul
Elliott; 15. Gerald Ward
B-Modifieds
Heat 1: 1. Tod Stickler; 2. Craig Crawford; 3. Derrick Carlson; 4. Kevin Fitzgibbon; 5. Drew Otten
Heat 2: 1. Mike Fluegel; 2. Brad Lucy; 3. Tod Diekema; 4. Perry Grellerstadt; 5. Keith Silvers
Heat 3: 1. Chris Stein; 2. Kelly Meyer; 3. Pat Fennelly; 4. Dan Anderson
Feature: 1. Tod Stickler; 2. Kelly Meyer; 3. Perry Gellerstadt; 4. Jim Hickenbottom; 5. Hunter Wilson; 6. Kevin Fitzgibbon;
7. Greg Wilson; 8. Dustin Schram; 9. John Reedy; 10. Mike Fluegel; 11. Derrick Carlson; 12. Chris Stein; 13. Pat Fennelly;
14. Craig Crawford; 15. Drew Otten; 16. Dan Anderson; 17. Tod Dikema; 18. Brad Lucy; 19. Rick Schriner
INEX Legend Cars
Heat 1: 1. Dennis Begyn; 2. Jeremy Meyer; 3. Chad Hale; 4. Craig Peekenschnieder; 5. Bill Hamilton
Heat 2: 1. Warren Ropp; 2. Aaron Meyer; 3. Darrick Calhoun; 4. Lane Swearinger; 5. David Dvorak
Feature: 1. Warren Ropp; 2. Dennis Begyn; 3. Craig Peekenshnieder; 4. Jeremy Meyer; 5. Lane Swearinger; 6. Ken
Burns; 7. Chad Hale; 8. Bill Harvey; 9. David Dvorak; 10. Bill Hamilton; 11. Darrick Calhoun; 12. Ryan Bales; 13. Keith
Hentges; 14. Craig Morris; 15. Terry Elsbury; 16. David Jarrin; 17. Aaron Meyer
4 Stocks
Heat: 1. Chris Zrostlik; 2. Jim McKinney; 3. Josh Hazen; 4. Wade Dahl; 5. Kevin Haury
Feature: 1. Wade Dahl; 2. Chris Zrostlik; 3. Jim McKinney; 4. Josh Hazen; 5. Bill Morrow; 6. Bob Gustafson; 7. Joe Grant;
8. Stacy Nall; 9. Bryan Ritter; 10. Kevin Haury
