Farley Speedway
September 13, 2014
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Another year older and $7,500 richer, Callahan repeats Yankee Deery win 

by Bill Martin
FARLEY, Iowa (Sept. 14) – Joel Callahan finished the Yankee Dirt Track Classic Deery Series main event at Farley Speedway a year older and $7,500 richer.

The 100-lap IMCA Late Model tour event started late Saturday evening and finished in the wee hours on Sunday. 

Callahan, who figured he turned 50 somewhere around lap 27, inherited the front spot when race-long leader Colby Springsteen cut his right rear tire on lap 74 and then led to the checkers in repeating as the big money Yankee winner.

“I think we step up our game for this race. There’s a lot of adrenaline pumping,” he said. “To me, this is the biggest race on the Deery schedule and not because of the pay but because it’s at my home track.”

“The track was fast from top to bottom,” he added. “It didn’t matter where you were running.”

Richie Gustin was second in the best showing of his brief Deery career. Denny Eckrich was third and point leader Justin Kay roared all the way back to fourth after exiting to fix a flat tire on lap 58 and restarting at the rear.

The 59 entries for the Yankee were the most for a Deery Series event this season and the most in 78 races dating back to opening night in 2010.

Jason Rauen drew the pole but it was Springsteen shooting into the lead from his outside row one start. 

The race was stopped following a lap 30 mishap that collected Tyler Droste, Terry Neal and Jason Hahne, then stayed green for the next 28 circuits.

Springsteen looked to have the race in hand before the flat tire relegated him to 16th and Callahan took over.

The last caution came with 12 laps left. Callahan was quickly celebrating in victory lane with crew chief Stan Thomas, crewman Al Dix, sons Zach and Joey, wife Cindy and daughter Stephanie.

“I focused on hitting my marks and keeping the car straight,” said Callahan, also winner of the $250 Sunoco Race Fuels feature qualifier drawing. “I knew if I did that we’d still have tires at the 75-lap mark. That was key.” 

Scott Fitzpatrick earned the hard charger starting spot and Jeff Aikey and Brian Harris both took provisionals; all three advanced 14 positions to eighth, ninth and 10th, respectively. 

Samples were taken from tires from each of the top five finishing cars and race results remain unofficial.

Next on the Deery Series schedule is the Saturday, Sept. 20 ½-mile show at Davenport Speedway. Pit gates open at 4:30 p.m., the grandstand opens at 5 p.m., hot laps are at 6:30 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m. 

The tour concludes with a two-day show Friday and Saturday, Oct. 3 and 4 at West Liberty Raceway.

37th Annual Yankee Dirt Track Classic

A-Main
1 4 40 Joel Callahan Dubuque, IA
2 7 19G Richie Gustin Gilman, IA
3 10 50 Denny Eckrich Tiffin, IA
4 6 15K Justin Kay Wheatland, IA
5 5 56 Andy Eckrich Oxford, IA
6 16 51 Ryan Dolan Lisbon, IA
7 15 7 Matt Ryan Davenport, IA
8 22 24 Scott Fitzpatrick Urbandale, IA
9 23 77 Jeff Aikey Cedar Falls, IA
10 24 15R Brian Harris Davenport, IA
11 12 45 Curt Martin Independence, IA
12 3 44 Luke Goedert Guttenberg, IA
13 9 45E Tommy Elston Keokuk, IA
14 14 81 Jon Merfeld Dubuque, IA
15 20 33 Nick Marolf Moscow, IA
16 2 38 Colby Springsteen Wapello, IA
17 13 15X Ryan Griffith Webster City, IA
18 11 15 Kyle Hinrichs Swisher, IA
19 25 58 Ray Guss Jr. Milan, IL
20 19 12N Terry Neal Ely, IA
21 18 76 Jason Hahne Webster City, IA
22 17 16 Tyler Bruening Decorah, IA
23 21 31T Tyler Droste Evansdale, IA
24 1 98 Jason Rauen Farley, IA
25 8 27X Dave Stichter Shannon, IL

B-Main #1
1 15X Ryan Griffith
2 51 Ryan Dolan
3 12N Terry Neal
4 58 Ray Guss Jr.
5 48Z Jon Poll
6 10T Jeff Tharp
7 56D Travis Denning
8 32C Chad Holladay
9 6 Jay Chenoweth
10 72 Doug Yates
11 77H Kyle Neels
12 98H Larry Harris
13 12D Don Pataska
14 23U Jason Udelhofen
15 8M Marty Scheckel
16 93 Jay Johnson

B-Main #2
1 81 Jon Merfeld
2 16 Tyler Bruening
3 33 Nick Marolf
4 53A Darren Ackerman
5 Z50 Joe Zrostlik
6 77 Jeff Aikey
7 29 Spencer Diercks
8 60 Dean Wagner
9 24 Scott Fitzpatrick
10 78 Rick Wendling
11 99D Darrel Defrance
12 21 Todd Frank
13 10 Ross Pierce
14 31H Steven Hunter
15 32 Curtis Glover
16 53 Leroy Brenner

B-Main #3
1 7 Matt Ryan
2 76 Jason Hahne
3 31T Tyler Droste
4 12 Ron Klein
5 15R Brian Harris
6 30 Todd Cooney
7 16S Dan Shelliam
8 73 Greg Kastli
9 22 Charlie Mckenna
10 43 Jeremy Grady
11 1M Rob Moss
12 70 Jerry King
13 5W Scott Welsh
14 51A Mel Abels
15 69 Becky Roth

Heat #1
1 45E Tommy Elston
2 50 Denny Eckrich
3 48Z Jon Poll
4 51 Ryan Dolan
5 12N Terry Neal
6 58 Ray Guss Jr.
7 32C Chad Holladay
8 77H Kyle Neels
9 23U Jason Udelhofen
10 8M Marty Scheckel

Heat #2
1 19G Richie Gustin
2 15 Kyle Hinrichs
3 81 Jon Merfeld
4 53A Darren Ackerman
5 29 Spencer Diercks
6 10 Ross Pierce
7 21 Todd Frank
8 32 Curtis Glover
9 31H Steven Hunter
10 78 Rick Wendling

Heat #3
1 56 Andy Eckrich
2 38 Colby Springsteen
3 76 Jason Hahne
4 31T Tyler Droste
5 12 Ron Klein
6 30 Todd Cooney
7 15R Brian Harris
8 70 Jerry King
9 1M Rob Moss
10 22 Charlie Mckenna

Heat #4
1 15K Justin Kay
2 45 Curt Martin
3 15X Ryan Griffith
4 6 Jay Chenoweth
5 72 Doug Yates
6 10T Jeff Tharp
7 56D Travis Denning
8 98H Larry Harris
9 12D Don Pataska
10 93 Jay Johnson

Heat #5
1 27X Dave Stichter
2 98 Jason Rauen
3 33 Nick Marolf
4 16 Tyler Bruening
5 77 Jeff Aikey
6 Z50 Joe Zrostlik
7 60 Dean Wagner
8 99D Darrel Defrance
9 53 Leroy Brenner
10 24 Scott Fitzpatrick

Heat #6
1 44 Luke Goedert
2 40 Joel Callahan
3 7 Matt Ryan
4 73 Greg Kastli
5 43 Jeremy Grady
6 69 Becky Roth
7 16S Dan Shelliam
8 51A Mel Abels
9 5W Scott Welsh