Ryan earns first Deery Series win during Slocum 50 at 34 Raceway

"I wanted to win this race more than any race anywhere."

When Matt Ryan uttered those words, you just knew the right guy was standing in victory lane.

That was the scene at 34 Raceway on Saturday night after Ryan won the Slocum 50 at 34 Raceway, an event to honor the memory of his good friend and fellow racer Brent Slocum. The race, the third annual in Slocum's honor, was the second race in this year's Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models.

At the start of the 50-lap affair, pole-sitter Dennis Woodworth set the pace with Billy Tuckwell in pursuit. Rob Toland, who started inside of row three, worked the low side and into a challenge for the lead a handful of laps into the event. He pulled even with Woodworth on lap four, then inched ahead one lap later prior to the race's first caution on lap seven.

By the time Toland secured the top spot, Boone McLaughlin, who started outside of Toland, was making noise of his own as he ran the high groove into second just prior to the caution.

On the restart, Woodworth went to work on the low side, making his way past McLaughlin one lap later, then returned the favor on Toland before the next stoppage on lap 11. During that yellow period, Toland suffered a flat tire and was forced pitside. Terry Neal worked his way into the top 10 after a seventh row start before stopping in turns one and two to bring out the yellow.

When racing resumed, Brian Harris and Ray Guss Jr., who started in the sixth and seventh rows, respectively, worked through traffic and into the top four before contact between the two sent Harris to the back of the pack and Guss to the pits with mechanical problems.

Woodworth continued to show the way, however was unable to separate himself from the pack by the time the caution flag waved again on lap 18 when Keith Pratt's machine stopped on the high side of turns one and two. McLaughlin continued to hold the runner-up spot with Ryan pursuing on the restart.

When the green flag waved, Ryan went to work up top and sped past McLaughlin when Mark Burgtorf entered the mix. Burgtorf, who made the feature as a provisional by virtue of hard charger points, settled into the top five just 20 laps in after starting 22nd.

McLaughlin worked his way back around Ryan as he attempted to chase down the leading Woodworth. This left Ryan to do battle with Burgtorf for third as the 7B continued to move forward. By the time the lead pair entered lapped traffic on the 28th circuit, they distanced themselves from Ryan and Burgtorf. McLaughlin, however, pushed high in turn two, which allowed Ryan to move into second, a straightaway behind the leader, when the caution flag waved one final time on lap 31.

On the restart, Ryan worked the low side to make his way past Woodworth for the lead, then pulled away from the pack running the high groove as Woodworth exited to the pits. McLaughlin, meanwhile, mounted one last charge and reeled in Ryan as laps wound down. He pulled onto the rear bumper of Ryan's #07 the final time off turn four, but came up less than a car-length short at the line. Ryan took the win, his first series win in career history, ahead of McLaughlin and Burgtorf. Neal made an impressive run from the back to come home fourth. Tom Darbyshire and Matt Strassheim, who came from 21st and 23rd starting spots, completed the top six.

Justin Parrish took advantage of his pole position start to take the early lead in the 25-lap 305 Sprint feature. Parrish paced the field while Matt Krieger and Bobby Mincer tussled for the runner-up spot. Parrish, Krieger and Mincer were running in that order when the first yellow flag waved on lap 14.

Following rollovers on a pair of subsequent restarts that involved the machines of Krieger, Alan Ambers and Nick Guernsey, Parrish once again held the point while Jayson Dittsworth motored into second after an initial start from the fifth row. At first, Dittworth challenged high, then shot to the low side of Parrish in turn two to take the lead with only two laps remaining. Dittsworth pulled away to score the victory. Parrish, Mincer, Chad Huston and Justin Newberry rounded out the top five.

In what may have been the most entertaining feature of the night, Nick Wilkerson made a late pass on Wayne Noble to take the victory in the 15-lap 4-Cylinder feature. Noble, who started on the pole, held the top spot throughout the event as Wilkerson moved through traffic from a fifth row start. Running the high side, Noble held off both Wilkerson and Darren Smith for much of the event as Wilkerson remained committed one groove lower.

Wilkerson proved to have the preferred line when he swept beneath Noble to take the lead on the final lap, en route to the win by just a couple of feet. Smith ran a close third ahead of Brad Chandler.

It was a great night to kick off  2011 in southeast Iowa. Many race fans throughout the region felt the same way as an estimated 3,100 filled the pit area and grandstands to open the season. My hat's off to Brad Stevens and the rest of the High 5 Racing Team for all the hard work they do every year to make the Slocum event a success. The countless hours they put in to obtain sponsors, get the word out and organize the event really paid off Saturday night.

I also have to give a shout out to Mitch Swinton of the Lil' Racer Car Club. An advocate for the youth movement in racing, you'd swear Mitch is everywhere in southeast Iowa. While he also has crews working at CJ Speedway, West Liberty Raceway, Cedar County Raceway and Hawkeye Downs Speedway, the Lil' Racer Car Club made its debut in Burlington on Saturday night. Although he was short-handed, Mitch was inundated with youngsters and signed up 93 kids for the club at 34 Raceway. It's vital in our sport to get youth involved to ensure that racing continues to be an option for family entertainment and Mitch goes above and beyond to make sure that happens. When you see Mitch at a track this summer, and you're bound to run into him somewhere along the way, please stop by to thank him and his crew for their hard work.

Be sure to visit the Positively Racing home page as a number of our bloggers were on-hand Saturday night. The Deery Series got its third event of the season in the books on Sunday with a visit to Quincy Raceway. Be sure to check out fellow blogger Jeff Broeg's recap on the Back Stretch.