Ray Guss Jr. sends Summer Series reminder with dominant win in Marshalltown

MARSHALLTOWN — The IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series for Late Models has been around since 1987, and in that time, it's had a number of legendary racers take part in its events.

So when one of those guys wins, fans and fellow racers are quick to acknowledge it.

On Tuesday night at Marshalltown Speedway, it was Ray Guss Jr.'s turn to remind everyone what made him 'The River City Hustler.' Guss put on an old school beat down of the Late Model field in the 50-lap main event, beating Tyler Droste by more than a straightaway. Wins haven't come as often as they might've a few years ago, but at least for one night, Guss was true to the form that made him a dirt legend.

'All I want to be is competitive. The wins, I know, aren't going to come like they used to,' Guss said. 'When I was young and coming out and beating some of them old veterans, now I know what those old veterans felt like.'

The victory was Guss' 31st such win on the Summer Series tour, still second all-time to current points leader and seven-time champion Jeff Aikey, who finished 14th on Tuesday night. Guss marked the fifth different winner in five Summer Series races this season, and won ahead of Droste, Ryan Dolan, Joel Callahan and Cayden Carter.

Guss also hadn't won a Summer Series race since the Memorial Day Special at Boone Speedway in 2014, so the win was a long time coming for Guss in a few ways. The veteran driver wasn't much for dwelling on that thought, though. Rather, he was grateful to be back in Victory Lane — with some self-deprecating humor tagging along, too.

'I don't know where second place was, but I was pushing with everything I have because these things have been getting tougher and tougher to win, and there's some really good youngsters coming up,' Guss said. 'There's an old saying: 'Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while.' We keep plugging at it and plugging at it, and this is what makes it worth it.'

Droste, who was second for the second straight year at Marshalltown, was one who spoke up and acknowledged Guss for his win and what it means to race with a guy like that.

The Waterloo driver obviously wanted more out of the night, but finishing second to someone who's raced that long is nothing to sneeze at. It was just one more lesson among many.

'We were second best (Tuesday night), that's how it goes,' Droste said. 'You always want to win, but you look at the caliber of cars that are here; we have the best of the best who have been racing for 20 or 30 years. You can't complain about running like that against these guys.'

That respect Guss has garnered for his years of winning was shown after the race, when a number of fellow racers, in addition to Droste, made their way to Victory Lane to congratulate him.

But as much as it felt good to have kind words from competitors and the fans, Guss said racing against and beating younger drivers like Droste and Carter remind him what it was like when he was in their position.

It also signaled a bit of a shift in perception. When Guss was winning more consistently, he had his detractors and fewer friends among drivers — as any dominant driver encounters when they're dominant. Guss' gratitude over the cheers from the crowd and his fellow racers was clear.

'It's definitely more boos when you're winning all the time, and it's nice to have the cheers now,' Guss said.

IMCA DEERY BROTHERS SUMMER SERIES

MARSHALLTOWN SPEEDWAY RESULTS

1. Ray Guss Jr., Milan, Ill.; 2. Tyler Droste, Waterloo; 3. Ryan Dolan, Lisbon; 4. Joel Callahan, Dubuque; 5. Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa; 6. Denny Eckrich, Tiffin; 7. Joe Zrostlik, Long Grove; 8. John Emerson, Waterloo; 9. Andy Eckrich, Oxford; 10. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown; 11. Richie Gustin, Gilman; 12. Tyler Bruening, Decorah; 13. Curt Schroeder, Newton; 14. Jeff Aikey, Cedar Falls; 15. Matt Ryan, Davenport; 16. Chad Holladay, Muscatine; 17. Andy Nezworski, Buffalo; 18. Rob Toland, Davenport; 19. Eric Pollard, Peosta; 20. Gary Webb, Blue Grass; 21. Scott Fitzpatrick, Wheatland; 22. Jason Rauen, Farley; 23. Kyle Hinrichs, Swisher; 24. Curt Martin, Independence.

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