By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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Ryan Blaney, whose No. 12 car included late Rockford Speedway owner Jody Deery’s name this weekend, captured the NASCAR Cup Series Championship on Sunday.
Blaney passed Kyle Larson at the Phoenix Raceway and then held him off the final 30 laps to finish second in the race and claim the NASCAR season title. Ross Chastain finished first in the race at Phoenix as Blaney earned his first Cup Series championship.
More Speedway: ‘Hanging on to every minute’: Racers relish the final weeks at Rockford Speedway
Blaney’s Team Penske Ford Mustang was detailed with Deery’s name to honor her as a NASCAR Home Track Hero, a recognition Advanced Auto Parts has been providing to different short track leaders throughout the season.
“I’m screaming, sweating, I’m running around my living room, stepping on the gas trying to help him pass,” Susan Deery, Jody’s daughter, said of watching Sunday’s race on TV. “You gotta believe she had something to do with it.”
Jody Deery was chosen as this week’s NASCAR Home Track Hero as the Rockford Speedway held its final scheduled event in its 76-year history.
“My phone was blowing up from people that aren’t even race fans that were watching,” Susan Deery said. “It’s like my mom won the race. … She’s a significant person in this area, and it’s nice to see people still recognizing that.”
Jody and Hugh Deery are legends in the Rockford racing community. They took ownership of the Speedway in 1966, and after Hugh died in 1984 Jody ran the track with support from her children. All eight of the Deery children — Gunner, Ted, Jack, Susan, Tom, Brad, Chuck and David — had roles at the Speedway over the years. Susan and David ran the business after Jody retired in 2020. Jody Deery died in June 2021.
Earlier on Sunday, the Speedway hosted the Steals & Deals swap meet and car show, the final scheduled event at the track.
Then the 29-year-old Blaney delivered a clutch performance for Team Penske and a storybook ending for the Deery family as the Rockford Speedway’s era comes to an end.
“What a perfect day,” Susan Deery said. “Literally the end of Rockford Speedway, and Jody takes a guy to his championship.”
Honoring a hero.
We’re proud to carry the late Jody Deery and her legacy on @Blaney’s c-posts at @phoenixraceway for the season finale. pic.twitter.com/nGiaCGCF4a
— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) November 5, 2023
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas