Defrance Family Honored at Summer Series Finale

 After multiple postponements over the past two seasons, the 500th and final IMCA late model Summer Series race was held at the Marshalltown Speedway, the home track of the " Iron Man. " Darrell Defrance checked in at the inaugural event at 34 Raceway in West Burlington April 11,1987 and each and every one that followed. Between the 2019  and 2020 seasons, IMCA "sold " the series to Joe Kosiski and his SLMR organization. With 499 Summer Series races having been run, it was decided there would be one last hurrah, in part to honor the man who had run them all. It was originally set for last season, but Mother Nature had other ideas, as three attempts at as many tracks were all washed out. Covid issues and inclement weather again resulted in multiple reschedules earlier this year when it would be part of the Dale Defrance Memorial, so it was piggybacked onto the 14th annual World Nationals weekend. Four other IMCA classes, modifieds, sport mods, stock cars, and hobby stocks as well as mod lites would fill out the card for the Thursday night special.                                                                                    One hundred and seventy eight cars overflowed the pit area, and a large week night crowd braved the rapidly cooling temperatures to watch the historic event at the famed high banked quarter mile. Hot laps began at 6:55, and pre race ceremonies honoring Darrell and his family followed, with green flag racing kicking off at about 7:50. Nineteen heat races were in the books by 9:15, and immediately the mod lite feature came to the track. Dillon Raffurty made the long tow from Kansas City, Mo. pay off as he charged from row four, cruising to the win in the fifteen lap event over ninth starting Cory Sonner.    A half dozen B mains then set the starting grids for the rest of the classes, and with no breaks, the sport mods lined up. Forty cars had been whittled down to twenty four, and with Brayton Carter pulling a " two " for the redraw, this one looked like an easy call. But IMCA Super Nationals champion Johnathon Logue was lurking in row three, and within a few circuits he was on the heels of the #01. While he made things interesting, he ultimately settled for runner up honors, as it was Carter in victory lane.                                             Eighteen laps of hobby stock racing was next, and it did not take long for Nathan Ballard to come from row three to put the heat on polesitter Luke Schluetter. Ballard then grabbed the lead, and posted the win, with Schluetter in second.                                                    Over the years no one in the IMCA stock car class has better at "catfishing" around the bottom of the local bullrings than Jeff  Mueller. If there is a low groove with some moisture to be found, Jeff will take up residence there, and Thursday was no exception. He charged to the front mid race from row five, and cruised to the win. Dallon Murty started one row ahead of Mueller and followed him to the front, but could do no better than second. Dad Damon Murty spent most of the twenty laps picking his way forward from the eleventh spot to third at the checkers.                                                With two separate World Finals shows starting tonight, a whopping forty four IMCA modifieds checked in for Thursday action. Five heat races and a pair of B mains left two dozen standing for the twenty lap feature. To say it was a " who's who " of modified racing would be an understatement. Amazingly, the race went caution free, green to checkers.  Local favorites Jimmy and Richie Gustin lined up in row one, and Richie already had a heat race win on the books. But it was the driver from Torrance, California, racing through the midwest this summer, who would be the star of this show. Fresh off a runner up finish in Boone, Cody came from the sixth starting position to the front, then drove non stop to victory lane. Arizona pilot Tim Ward took second, while hotter than a firecracker Tom Berry Jr. came all the way from fourteenth to third. Jeff Aikey also charged through heavy traffic from row six to fourth and Richie Gustin completed the top five.                                                          Now it was late model time, twenty four starters out of the thirty one entrants, racing forty four laps in honor of the senior Defrance, who raced #44. The modifieds had proven that despite all the laps put on the track there were still multiple grooves, as the cool temps helped keep plenty of moisture at the surface. A host of veteran Summer Series drivers had made the trip to Marshalltown for this marqee event, and Dirt Hall of Famer Gary Webb made the most of it, as the seventy one year old legend pulled the number one to start on the pole. But it was his row one mate Dave Wada who led the opening circuits. The first caution came at lap two, as Kyle Krampe stopped on the track after contact. Nick Marolf, Krampe, Richie Gustin, and Shawn Cooney all retired at this point, leaving us with nineteen cars, as Andy Eckrich was already on the way home with engine woes. Another of the double duty drivers, Jeff aikey started third and moved around Webb for second as the field restarted Delaware double file behind Wada. Aikey then took the lead as lap three was scored. He than checked out on the field before a second caution for a spin by Eric Pollard at lap eight. Webb charged back to second on the restart, and fifth starting Matt Ryan followed in third. Again Aikey built a big advantage. The driver on the move now was Justin Kay, who had lined up in row nine. He entered the top five at lap twenty as he pounded the cushion, and soon found himself locked in a battle for fourth with Curt Martin. Aikey had built a straightaway lead, and by the halfway mark he was in slower traffic. He had lapped up thru tenth place when a final caution came with just six laps remaining for a slowing Martin. By then his lead was more than eight seconds. The late restart did nothing to slow his pace, and the all time Summer Series win leader put one final notch on his belt as the checkers waved. Ryan and Kay took advantage of the late yellow to move to second and third, while Webb completed his strong run in fourth. The man of the hour, Defrance charged to a top five finish after starting in tenth. Wada led the second five in front of row eight starters Andy Nezworski and Ben Seeman, youngster Logan Duffy and B main winner Curtis Glover.                                                    The clock on the dash read 11:58 as we started the car for the long trip home, with plenty of top notch racing to discuss. Thanks to Toby and his group for exciting non stop action, promoters please take note, 178 cars and thirty one races in four hours! Also thanks to Jeff for the ride and hanging in there until the end.                                  While Marshalltown hosts their World Finals this weekend, we will take tonight off, then plant ourselves at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, tomorrow, Saturday, for the IMCA late model Drive for Five Finale, along with Sprint Invaders, sport mods, and sport compacts. LCS fans, please note the earlier start times, hot laps at 6:00 PM.