MILAN, Ill. (Sept. 1, 2010) – Two points made the difference as Ray Guss Jr. earned his first national IMCA Late Model championship and Terry Neal was runner-up for the fourth time in six seasons.
The division leader with 19 feature victories, Guss also became the first IMCA driver to win three local Late Model track titles in a single season. He’ll get a $5,500 share of the $21,300 point fund to be paid this fall to top 20 finishers in the 2010 point standings.
Neal won 17 features and a single track crown. Both drivers got 20 bonus points, Guss for his Davenport Speedway crown, Neal for his Dubuque Speedway title, making the two point totals at the top of the standings 819-817.

JAMES LEFFEW

Hometown: Quincy, Ill. Age: 18
Married: No
Classes Raced: Go-Karts, 4-Cyl., Street Stock, Modified
Years Racing: 6
Current Class: Modified
Weekly Tracks: Quincy Raceways, Lee County
Championships: None……yet
Best Racing Memory: Breaking win record in Hobby Stocks at Quincy Raceways
Future Racing Goal: Race Late Model or Sprint Car nationally
Sponsors: Landmarx, Triple R Performance, Pentagram Engineering
T-Shirt Price: $15
T-shirt Model: Kayla Rothzen, Raritan, Ill.

Abe Huls

Hometown: Carthage, Ill. Age: 28
Married: Yes Wife: Crystal
Classes Raced: Hobby Stock, Stock Car
Years Racing: 9
Current Class: Stock Car
Weekly Tracks: Quincy Raceways, 34 Raceway and Lee County
Championships: 2009 34 Raceway Stock Car, 2009 Quincy Raceways Stock Car, 2009 Illinois State IMCA Stock Car champion, 6th Nationally
Best Racing Memory: Winning the Stock Car race during 2008 Liberty Cup at Lee County. Beat Jeff Mueller by half a car length.
Future Racing Goal: Race a late model
Sponsors: Central Iron & Metals, Ag Supply Services and Homestead Lumber
Nickname: Dogman
T-Shirt Price: $12 Adult, Kids $10
T-shirt Model: Crystal Bell, Burlington, Iowa

DUSTIN GRIFFIN

Hometown: Camp Point, Ill. Age: 23 
Married: No
Classes Raced: Late Model
Years Racing: 5
Current Class: Late Model
Weekly Tracks: Tri-City, Spoon River, Quincy and Lee County
Championships: 3rd UMP National Points Pro Late Model. 2nd North Region UMP Pro Late Model. 2009 Spoon River Track Champion
Best Racing Memory: Winning IMCA Late Model feature at Quincy Raceways.
Future Racing Goal: WIN RACES….and lots of them!
Sponsors: Griffin Performance Center, Griffin Sign Shop and Summy Tire and Auto
Nickname: Camp Point Comet
T-Shirt Price: $15
T-shirt Model: Jessica Martin, Burlington, Iowa

T-shirt of the Week

Matt Sutton

Hometown: Macomb, Ill.
Married: Yes Wife’s Name: Holly
Children: Carter and Cole
Classes Raced: Sprint Cars
Years Racing: 11
Current Class: 360 Sprint
Weekly Tracks: Ideal Ready Mix Sprint Invaders
Sponsors: Thom’s Autobody, Onion Farms, Lawyer
Farms, S&S Shortstop
T-Shirt Price: $12
T-shirt Model: Amy Rossen

KNOXVILLE, Iowa (July 8, 2010) – The way Mark Elliott saw it, Thursday’s Harris Clash special was about a lap and a half too long., but from Richie Gustin Jr.’s perspective, the IMCA Modified main event at Knoxville Raceway was just the right distance.
Gustin raced all the way from 21st starting for the win, taking the front spot after race-long leader Elliott slowed with mechanical problems on the 23rd of 25 laps and then outrunning Jordan Grabouski for the $2,000 checkers.
Jeremy Mills moved up 15 positions for third and Josh Foster advanced nine spots for fourth. Johnny Saathoff, like Gustin a “B” feature winner, passed 16 cars to complete the top five.

 INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (June 30) – Always a threat at his home track, Brian Irvine didn’t disappoint Wednesday night at Independence Motor Speedway.
Irvine worked his way up from the seventh starting spot, took the lead on the 24^th of 30 laps and stayed in front to the finish of the IMCA Great American Stock Car Series main event.
The win was worth $1,000 and came ahead of Sean Johnson, new series point leader Damon Murty, Norman Chesmore and Chris Ullrich. Irvine also topped the opening night feature Monday at Marshalltown; Murty has finished third in all three tour events.
Ullrich started on the pole and swapped the lead with Johnson before the first caution came out on lap nine.

ALTA, Iowa (June 29) – Donavon Smith led all 30 laps in winning Tuesday’s Great American Stock Car Series feature at Buena Vista Raceway.

The convincing run to the checkers paid $1,000 and came ahead of Smith’s brother Dustin and Damon Murty, who repeated their second and third place finishes from the IMCA tour opener at Marshalltown Speedway on Monday.

Jeffrey Larson and Brian Blessington rounded out the top five in the Kyle Suter Memorial headline event at Alta.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (June 28) – Once he raced his way to the front, there was no catching Brian Irvine Monday night at Marshalltown Speedway.
Irvine outran a star studded field in the opening event of IMCA’s Great American Stock Car Series, earning $1,000 for his efforts along with the early point lead in the four-date tour.
Dustin Smith, Damon Murty, Donavon Smith and Abe Huls rounded out the top five. Fifty-two Stock Cars were on hand from six states, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin.
Huls started outside David Smith on the front row and set the fast pace for the first five circuits. The only cau­tion of the contest came out on lap six; Irvine buzzed by Huls for the front spot after the ensuing re-start and led to the end of the 30-lapper.

Jeff Mueller

Hometown: New London, Iowa       Age: 28
Married: Yes       Wife’s Name: Breonna
Classes Raced: 4-Cylinder and Stock Car
Years Racing: 8
Current Class: IMCA Stock Car
Weekly Tracks: Lee County, 34 and Vinton
Championships: Quincy ‘08, Lee County ‘06, ‘07 and ‘09
Best Racing Memory: The night I took the challenge to go to the back at the Liberty Cup and ended up 2nd by half a car length.
Future Racing Goal: I would like to be able to race some other stuff and have fun, as long as I’m having fun and my family’s having fun then it’s a lot easier to spend the money to do it.
Sponsors: TA Auto and Tire, Farmington Tax and Accounting and McDonald’s of Mt. Pleasant
T-Shirt Price: $15
T-shirt Model: Sara Mason, Macomb, Ill.