34 Raceway
Burgtorf grabs $10,000 as Grady takes title.
From series reports
Mark Burgtorf (7) pocketed $10,000 at 34 Raceway. (Dana Royer)
WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa (Sept. 15) — Only the rain slowed Mark Burgtorf’s drive to the front of the field in the Pepsi USA Nationals Deery Brothers Summer Series feature at 34 Raceway. | Slideshow
Burgtorf took charge after midway in the 100-lap main event, holding off Jason Frankel late in the contest to become the first three-time winner in Pepsi history and earn the $10,000 top prize. Ray Guss Jr. made some noise late in the race before ending in third in the series finale.
Jeremy Grady was fourth in the official results, following the disqualifications of Lonnie Bailey and Joey Gower in postrace tech, to clinch his first career Deery championship and a $5,000 share of the series point fund. Grady had gone into the tour finale with an eight-point advantage over Darrel DeFrance, who ran fifth.
Fifteen laps were in the books before the feature was interrupted by a 45-minute rain delay. After racing resumed, Frankel passed Bailey for the front spot on lap 29 and brought Burgtorf along into lapped traffic.
The front pair weaved through the pack throughout a lengthy green-flag session before Frankel got stuck be hind a back runner and Burgtorf sailed past on the higher line.
Burgtorf and Frankel continued to distance themselves from the rest of the field, with the third-place car half a lap behind when the first caution came on the 68th circuit. They’d pull away again following the restart, with Guss advancing to third before the second and final yellow appeared with 14 laps left.
Frankel remained a threat to the checkers, staying on Burgtorf’s back bumper to the finish.
Notebook
The victory was the Deery career 19th for Burgtorf, who also won the Pepsi in 2000 and last year. ... Andy Nezworski, the winner of the J&J Steel Ironman Challenge during Friday's preliminaries, improved 16 spots in the main event to finish sevent. ... Luke Goedert finished 13th and wrapped up series rookie of the year honors. ... Hershel Roberts won the drawing for feature qualifiers for a set of Brodix cylinder heads. Tim Lance won the Brodix drawing for non-qualifying drivers.
