PHOTO PROVIDED BY MIKE RUEFER • Marshalltown’s Darrel DeFrance, right, added a 14th Deery Brothers Summer Series trophy to his collection by winning the Sunday night main event at Quad City Speedway.

EAST MOLINE, Ill. — The ironman of the Deery Brothers Summer Series was golden Sunday night at Quad City Speedway.

Darrel DeFrance, competing in his record-extending 473rd consecutive IMCA Late Model tour event, ran the lower line and led the 40-lapper from start to finish. He held off Jesse Sobbing as the race wound down to win by half a car length.

“I could hear him out there. I knew the bottom was going away a little and figured the higher line was coming in,” said DeFrance. “The car worked right for us tonight. We made a few adjustments and it worked just right.”

Early challenger Jeremiah Hurst ended in third. Rob Toland and 17th starting Ray Guss Jr. completed the top five.

With DeFrance locked down low, Sobbing stuck with the higher groove and worked his way back to third, then passed Hurst on a restart with 10 laps left.

The rookie contender ran virtually side-by-side with DeFrance before coming up just short at the finish.

The win, good for $2,000, was the 14th of DeFrance’s distinguished tour career and second at East Moline, where he’d taken the checkers on July 25, 1993. His most recent Deery win had been in April of 2012.

“We’ve had success at East Moline before, but it’s been a while,” DeFrance said. “Those last few laps were nerve-wracking so there was a lot of relief when it was over. All the hard work my crew puts in makes it worth it. It’s fun to be competitive again.”

Chad Holladay was the $250 Sunoco Race Fuels feature qualifier drawing winner.

DeFrance will continue his perfect Deery Series attendance streak at the Memorial Day event at Boone Speedway on May 29.