The 'Ironman' of the Deery Brothers Summer Series was golden Sunday night at Quad City Speedway.

Darrel DeFrance, competing in his record-extending 473rd consecutive IMCA Late Model tour event, ran the lower line and led the 40-lapper from start to finish. He held off Jesse Sobbing as the race wound down to win by half a car length.

“I could hear him out there. I knew the bottom was going away a little and figured the higher line was coming in,” said DeFrance. “The car worked right for us tonight. We made a few adjustments and it worked just right.”

Early challenger Jeremiah Hurst ended in third. Rob Toland and 17th starting Ray Guss Jr. com­pleted the top five.

With DeFrance locked down low, Sobbing stuck with the higher groove and worked his way back to third, then passed Hurst on a restart with 10 laps left.
The rookie contender ran virtually side-by-side with DeFrance before coming up just short at the finish.

The win, good for $2,000, was the 14th of DeFrance’s distinguished tour career and second at East Moline, where he’d taken the checkers on July 25, 1993. His most recent Deery win had been in April of 2012.

“We’ve had success at East Moline before, but it’s been a while,” DeFrance said. “Those last few laps were nerve-wracking so there was a lot of relief when it was over. All the hard work my crew puts in makes it worth it. It’s fun to be competitive again.”
Chad Holladay was the $250 Sunoco Race Fuels feature qualifier drawing winner.
DeFrance will continue his perfect Deery Series attendance streak at the Memorial Day event at Boone, Iowa, Speedway on Monday, May 29.

Race recap provided by Bill Martin of IMCA.

DEERY BROTHERS SUMMER SERIES
QUAD CITY SPEEDWAY
EAST MOLINE, IL
MAY 14, 2017

Feature Results:
1. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown, Iowa; 2. Jesse Sobbing, Malvern, Iowa; 3. Jeremiah Hurst, Dubuque, Iowa; 4. Rob Toland, Colona; 5. Ray Guss Jr., Milan; 6. Luke Merfeld, Dubuque, Iowa; 7. Jake Neal, Omaha, Neb.; 8. Josh Most, Red Oak, Iowa; 9. Chad Holladay, Muscat­ine, Iowa; 10. Matt Ryan, Davenport, Iowa; 11. Bobby Toland, Colona; 12. Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa, Iowa; 13. Curt Martin, Independence, Iowa; 14. Shawn Mulvany, Moline; 15. Jeff Tharp, Sherrill, Iowa; 16. Chuck Hanna, Port Byron; 17. Mike Cothron, Moline; 18. Luke Goedert, Guttenberg, Iowa; 19. Joe Zrostlik, Long Grove, Iowa; 20. Paul Conrad, Colo, Iowa; 21. Gary Webb, Blue Grass, Iowa; 22. Travis Denning, Sterling; 23. Todd Malmstrom, Silvis; 24. Andy Nezwor­ski, Buffalo, Iowa.

1st Heat (top three):
1. Sobbing; 2. Most; 3. Tharp; 4. Carter; 5. Mulvany; 6. Chad Coyne, Orion; 7. LeRoy Brenner, Aledo.

2nd Heat:
1. DeFrance; 2. Goedert; 3. Martin; 4. Webb; 5. Malmstrom; 6. Conrad; 7. Joe Beal, Milan.

3rd Heat:
1. Hurst; 2. Merfeld; 3. Denning; 4. Brauns; 5. Holladay; 6. Guss; 7. Hanna.

4th Heat:
1. Rob Toland; 2. Neal; 3. Cothron; 4. Nezworski; 5. Ryan; 6. Bobby Toland, Colona; 7. Zrostlik.

1st “B” Feature (top four):
1. Carter; 2. Holladay; 3. Guss; 4. Mulvany; 5. Brauns; 6. Coyne; 7. Hanna; 8. Brenner.

2nd “B” Feature:
1. Malmstrom; 2. Webb; 3. Zrostlik; 4. Ryan; 5. Nezworski; 6. Bobby Toland; 7. Conrad; 8. Beal.

More From K92.3