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NASCAR
O'Reilly Auto Parts
All-Star Series
2001 Season
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AIKEY WINS FIRST O¹REILLY AUTO PARTS ALL-STAR SERIES RACE OF ¹01
Drivers of NASCAR¹s only dirt track series now head to Farley and West Liberty
DAVENPORT, IOWA (July 5, 2001) Jeff Aikey of Cedar Falls, Iowa, captured his
first O¹Reilly Auto Parts All-Star Series, NASCAR Touring race of the season on
Thursday at the half-mile Davenport Speedway. The Davenport 40, presented by
John Keady¹s GM Superstore, had been delayed two days due to inclement weather.
But that didn¹t decrease competition once the race took place.
Aikey, driver of a Grand American Late Model sponsored by The Steak Out, started
on the pole and grabbed the initial lead, keeping it for 10 laps.
For the first four of those circuits, Ray Guss Jr. of Milan, Ill., pursued Aikey.
Then it was Joe Kosiski of Omaha, Neb., running in second place the fifth
through the ninth laps. Things began to get exciting when Gary Webb of Blue
Grass, Iowa, grabbed second place on the 10th lap.
By the 11th lap, Webb had passed Aikey for the lead and was pacing the field,
something he did through the 22nd lap. Then Aikey was back in front for laps 23
through 27.
Webb took the lead again on lap 28 but just briefly before Aikey put his car in
front on the 29th circuit and sailed to the win.
In a post-race interview, Aikey said it had surprised him when Webb had passed
him on the 11th lap.
³I didn¹t think anybody was there. And he slipped by me on the outside, and I
said, ŒHoly smokes,¹² said Aikey.
How did he get the lead back?
³I just kept picking away, and the hotter I got my tires, the better they
worked,² Aikey said. He added: ³My guys did stuff to the car before the
feature, and I was a little leery of it. But, boy, that sucker was fast!²
Following Webb and Aikey under the checkers were Kosiski; Skip Frey of Ely,
Iowa; and rookie-of-the-race Brian Harris of Davenport, Iowa.
Harris earlier had won a qualifying race, as did Aikey, Guss and Dana Wells of
Muscatine, Iowa. Denny Eckrich of Tiffin, Iowa, won a consolation event. Dan
Galant fo Clinton, Iowa, the driver who won the most passing points in his
qualifying race, won the Bud Pole Award.
Aikey said he¹d be trying to pick up his second and third wins of the season
when the O¹Reilly Auto Parts All-Star Series cars run on Friday, July 6, at
Farley (Iowa) Speedway and Saturday, July 7, at West Liberty (Iowa) Raceway.
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O¹Reilly Auto Parts All-Star Series Race Report
Davenport Speedway
Davenport, Iowa
July 5, 2001
Race No. 7
First Qualifier:
1. Ray Guss Jr.- Milan, Ill.
2. Skip Frey- Ely, Iowa
3. Gary Webb- Blue Grass, Iowa
4. Darren Miller- Chadwick, Ill.
5. Ed Kosiski- Ralston, Neb.
6. Mark Ward- Muscatine, Iowa
7. Wayne Brau- Annawan, Ill.
8. John Hampel- Nodaway, Iowa
9. Jeff Bair- Solon, Iowa
10. Tom Cannon- Iowa City, Iowa
Second Qualifier:
1. Dana Wells- Muscatine, Iowa
2. Terry Neal- Ely, Iowa
3. Kyle Berck- Marquette, Neb.
4. Dan Galant- Clinton, Iowa
5. Kevin Kile- West Liberty, Iowa
6. Rob Kirchner- Donnellson, Iowa
7. Billy Tuckwell- Metamora, Ill.
8. Nick Marolf- Moscow, Iowa
9. Donnie McClellan- Grant City, Mo.
10. Mike Cothron- Moline, Ill.
Third Qualifier:
1. Jeff Aikey- Cedar Falls, Iowa
2. Steve Kosiski- Papillion, Neb.
3. Jay Johnson- West Burlington, Iowa
4. Denny Eckrich- Tiffin, Iowa
5. Kurt Kile- West Liberty, Iowa
6. Dave Eckrich- Oxford, Iowa
7. Johnny Johnson- West Burlington, Iowa
8. Chuck Mayerhofer- Dixon, Iowa
9. Brian Morgan- Muscatine, Iowa
10. Rob Moss- Iowa City, Iowa
Fourth Qualifier:
1. Brian Harris- Davenport, Iowa
2. Joe Kosiski- Omaha, Neb.
3. Rollie Frink- Davenport, Iowa
4. Fred Remley- Blue Grass, Iowa
5. Jason Hobscheidt- Nehawka, Neb.
6. Kurt Stewart- Ainsworth, Iowa
7. Sonny Findling- Kirksville, Mo.
8. Kurt Kile- West Liberty, Iowa
9. John Anderson- Omaha, Neb.
10. Tom Reints- Ottawa, Ill.
Bud Pole Award:
1. Galant
Consolation:
1. Denny Eckrich
2. Stewart
3. Findling
4. Johnny Johnson
5. Hampel
6. Anderson
7. Andy Nezworski- Buffalo, Iowa
8. McClellan
9. Cannon
10. Morgan
John Keady¹s GM Superstore-sponsored 40-lap feature:
1. Aikey
2. Webb
3. Joe Kosiski
4. Frey
5. Harris
6. Kurt Kile
7. Steve Kosiski
8. Remley
9. Kevin Kile
10. Berck
11. Anderson
12. Denny Eckrich
13. Stewart
14. Wells
15. Dave Eckrich
16. Guss
17. Johnny Johnson
18. Frink
19. Galant
20. Miller
21. Hampel
22. Neal
23. Jay Johnson
24. Ed Kosisiki
25. Hobscheidt
26. Findling
Bud Pole Award: Dan Galant
Current Point Leaders: Kyle Berck 1118, Joe Kosiski 1073, Ray Guss Jr. 985, Ed
Kosiski 983 and Sonny Findling 957
Rookie of the Race: Brian Harris
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