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IMCA: Gallaher gets 1st career Deery Series victory

11 June 1999

WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa - This past Wednesday night, Terry Gallaher beat a pair of 
three-time champions across the finish line, to win the first Deery Brothers 
Summer Series for I.M.C.A. Late Models event of his career.  Gallaher, of 
Hannibal, Mo., led from start to finish Wednesday night at the 34 Raceway 
in West Burlington.  Runner-up honors went to Jeff Aikey of Cedar Falls, while 
Gary Webb of Blue Grass was third.
                    
"I've had a good career, and this was a really neat win," Gallaher said.
"I'd been a little bit against this spec motor thing for a while because I
had the other motors and stuff, but we made the switch this year and I'm
really enjoying it. I'm having a good time.  To win with Aikey and Webb
behind me...that was a neat win last night. I was very proud of that,"
added Gallaher, owner of the only full-serve gas station in Hannibal. "I
have a tough time getting away from my business, and I wish my wife (Linda)
could have been there. She had to stay home and take care of the shop."  

Chris Smyser of Lancaster, Mo., started outside Gallaher on row one and ran
second most of the race before giving way to Aikey, who moved steadily
toward the front from his 8th-place start.  Traveling through lapped
traffic, Aikey cut into Gallaher's lead before running out of time to make
the pass.
                    
"They had a pretty good hole coming off of four and I had to run right
through the hole. The car was really the best right through the hole - once
in a while you"ll find 'em like that,' said Gallaher. "I thought the lapped
traffic was going to get me beat. We had a lot of lapped traffic and Aikey
was coming up right behind me."
                    
Smyser settled for fourth, while Boone McLaughlin of Mediapolis, Iowa, was
fifth.  Heat winners were Gallaher, Aikey, Dennis Woodworth of Ursa, Ill.,
Mark Holtmeyer of Quincy, Ill., and Tom Darbyshire of Morning Sun, Iowa,
who blew his motor at the checkered flag and couldn't run in the feature.
Tom Bowling Jr. of Burlington, Iowa, and Rob Toland of Hillsdale, Ill., won
the "B" races.  Aikey's second-place finish moved him to the top of the
series standings, with 190 points.  He'd been tied with Curt Martin of
Independence, Iowa, who was sixth at West Burlington and now has 182 Deery
series points.  Aikey won I.M.C.A. Late Model series crowns in 1987, 1988
and 1996. Webb was the series champ in 1994, 1995 and 1997 Feature Results
– 1. Terry Gallaher, Hannibal, Mo.; 2. Jeff Aikey, Cedar Falls, Iowa; 3.
Gary Webb, Blue Grass, Iowa; 4. Chris Smyser, Lancaster, Mo.; 5. Boone
McLaughlin, Mediapolis, Iowa; 6. Curt Martin, Independence, Iowa; 7. Ted
Pallister, Wapello, Iowa; 8. Darren Miller, Chadwick, Ill.; 9. Rob Toland,
Hillsdale, Ill.; 10. Denny Woodworth, Ursa, Ill.; 11. Jeff Laue,
Burlington, Iowa; 12. Jay Johnson, West Burlington, Iowa; 13. Johnny
Johnson, West Burlington, Iowa; 14. Brenton Slocum, Burlington, Iowa; 15.
Greg Hunter, Independence, Iowa; 16. Mark Holtmeyer, Quincy, Ill.; 17. Jody
Wood, Kahoka, Mo.; 18. Ray Guss Jr., Milan, Ill.; 19. Randy Wages, Moline,
Ill.; 20. Tom Bowling Jr., Burlington, Iowa; 21. Lonnie Bailey, Quincy,
Ill.; 22. Mark Burgtorf, Quincy, Ill.; 23. Mike Smith, Jewell,
Iowa; 24. Kevin Kirkpatrick, Waterloo, Iowa; 25. Tommy Elston, Keokuk,
Iowa; 26. Jim Sandusky, Moline, Ill.

Source: IMCA Racing News