7.24.19 Deery Brothers Late Models Results
WEST UNION, Iowa (July 24) – Eric Pollard had never been to Fayette County Speedway before Wednesday night.
Now he can’t wait to go back.
Pollard led all 40 laps of the Deery Brothers Summer Series main event at West Union, earning $2,000 for his IMCA Late Model tour career first victory.
The win came in front of a big and boisterous grandstand crowd during the county fair, and followed Pollard’s previous career best Deery finish when he ran fourth at Benton County Speedway on June 27.
“We finished top five in Vinton and it seemed like we got the weight off our shoulders,” he said. “To win tonight and get that trophy was awesome.”
Pollard drew the outside pole start after running second in his heat. He got a big jump on the initial start while pole starter Joel Callahan gave chase from the higher line.
Cautions worked to Pollard’s advantage in taking out lapped traffic. The final yellow waved with seven circuits to go but runner-up Andy Eckrich chased Pollard across the stripe two seconds off the pace.
“We had watched the ‘B’ feature to see what the track was going to do. The bottom seemed like the place to be and we didn’t make a lot of (setup) changes,” Pollard said. “I thought maybe we’d have to move up but we weren’t going to give up the bottom until we had to.”
John Emerson, Tyler Bruening and Callahan rounded out the top five. Eckrich also took home the $250 Sunoco Race Fuels feature qualifier drawing prize.
Next on the Deery schedule is another $2,000 to win event, on Aug. 2 at Lee County Speedway. Pollard, now the fourth different winner in as many series events so far this season, is hoping his formula for success works again at Donnellson.
“We’d never been to Vinton before and we finished fourth. It was our first time at West Union and we won,” he said. “I’ve never been to Lee County, either. Maybe that’s a good thing.”
Feature results – 1. Eric Pollard, Peosta; 2. Andy Eckrich, Oxford; 3. John Emerson, Waterloo; 4. Tyler Bruening, Decorah; 5. Joel Callahan, Dubuque; 6. Andy Nezworski, Buffalo; 7. Gary Webb, Blue Grass; 8. Curt Martin, Independence; 9. Jeff Aikey, Cedar Falls; 10. Matt Ryan, Davenport; 11. Joe Zrostlik, Long Grove; 12. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown; 13. Jeremiah Hurst, Dubuque; 14. Jake Neal, Omaha, Neb.; 15. Logan Duffy, Independence; 16. Dalton Simonsen, Fairfax; 17. Stacy Griffis, Solon; 18. Ben Seemann, Waterloo; 19. Jill George, Cedar Falls; 20. Todd Malmstrom, Silvis, Ill.; 21. Brian Harris, Davenport; 22. Darren Ackerman, Elk Run Heights; 23. Travis Smock, Independence; 24. Sean Johnson, Independence.