MILLER OVERPOWERS FIELD TO WIN PUMP AND PANTRY LATE MODEL NATIONALS
Illinois driver leads from start to finish in annual Mid-Nebraska Speedway event
By Tom Lathen
WORLD Dirt Racing League

DONIPHAN, NEB. (July 22, 2006) - Darren "The Thriller" Miller stormed to the advantage on the opening circuit Saturday night (July 22) and raced to an overpowering victory in the championship race at the annual Pump and Pantry Late Model Nationals, a WORLD Dirt Racing League PolyDome Late Model Series event, here at Mid-Nebraska Speedway.

The Milledgeville, Ill., driver took the long way around the three-eighths mile race track on the initial circuit to outrun polesitter Denny Eckrich, then he survived six caution flags to grab the victory in the annual central Nebraska event.

"It was a long drive and a long wait before we got to race tonight, but it was worth it," commented Miller in AMSOIL Victory Lane. "As it turned out, I'm glad we came.

"We've raced here three times now," he added. "We've got a first, a second and a third, so I guess I'm starting to like this place."

Miller's NAPA Auto Parts/Rocket/Pro Power Ford Taurus started the 50-lap event on the outside front row and narrowly won the race with Eckrich up the front straightaway at the drop of the green flag. As the pair raced through turns one and two, however, Miller powered off the banking and rocketed down the backstretch to move to a comfortable advantage, with Eckrich running second just ahead of Kyle Berck, Jason Utter and Kelly Boen.

The first caution flag appeared on lap five when Kansas driver Ted Martin slowed in turn four with a flat tire. On the subsequent restart, congested traffic in front of the packed grandstands sent Elk River, Minnesota's Trent Follmer careening sideways into turn one and shot central Nebraska veteran Al Humphrey's car number 6 into the concrete retaining wall two-thirds of the way up the front straightaway.

With Miller holding a half-dozen car length advantage over Berck, who was now running second, a third caution flag was displayed on lap 14 when Rob Moss coasted to a stop down the backstretch. Miller was undaunted, however, and before encountering lapped traffic on lap 20, had raced to a lead of nearly a full straightaway.

Cautions flags on laps 26 and 28 regrouped the field and, as the leaders darted through lapped traffic, Boen, who was now running second, began to apply pressure to the front-running Miller.

Boen showed Miller a front fender as the duo raced into turn one on lap 38, but Miller blasted out of turn two to fend off the Henderson, Colo., driver's challenge.

"It was hard to get off the bottom there compared to the top, so I wasn't that worried about someone down there," noted Miller. "Unless I jumped the cushion, I knew I would be just fine."

Added the winner: "I got up there (over the cushion) a couple of times, and when you got up there in that stuff, you could almost get stuck. But I never did see anybody (behind me)."

Boen was unable to mount a serious challenge over the final dozen circuits, and Miller cruised home to grab the impressive victory.

"The race track was really slick in spots, but it was really tacky up in the cushion," commented the 29-year old full-time racer. "We tried to tighten the car up to be able to run in the slick, but when you hit that cushion I was too tight.

"You just had to kind of deal with it, I guess."

Berck held off the challenges of Chad Simpson to grab third, with Dave Eckrich finishing fifth ahead of Brian Harris, Denny Eckrich and Chris Simpson.

The two-night Pump and Pantry Late Model Nationals were co-sanctioned by the National Championship Racing Association (NCRA).

For more information on WDRL or the latest PolyDome Late Model Series schedule, check out the WORLD Dirt Racing League's Web site, www.worldraceleague.com.

RACE REPORT
MID-NEBRASKA SPEEDWAY
DONIPHAN, NEB.
SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2006

Hot Lap Time Trials: Darren Miller; Milledgeville, IL (17.593), Denny Eckrich; Tiffin, IA (17.817), Kelly Boen; Henderson, CO (17.954), Brian Harris; Davenport, IA (17.970), Chad Simpson; Mount Vernon, IA (17.989), Steve Kempt; Shelton, NE (17.989), Chris Simpson; Marion, IA (18.069), Eric Pember; Pittsville, WI (18.157), Steve Kosiski; Papillion, NE (18.188), Jason Utter; Columbus Junction, IA (18.195), Bo Egge; Kearney, NE (18.230), Trent Follmer; Elk River, MN (18.343), Dave Eckrich; Cosgrove, IA (18.361), Davey Nall; Phillips, NE (18.435), Tony Gregg; Hastings, NE (18.443), Billy Murphy; Lincoln, NE (18.514), Andrew McKay; Edina, MN (18.517), Rob Moss; Iowa City, IA (18.547), Al Humphrey; Giltner (18.588), Gary Webb; Blue Grass, IA (18.631), Rusty Miller; Norton, KS (18.632), Ben Schaller; Norfolk, NE (18.688), Ted Martin; Bennington, KS (18.816), Corey Zeitner; Bellevue, NE (18.854), Junior Coover; Norfolk, NE (19.089), Jason Keeshan; Grand Island, NE (19.102), Mike Wiarda; Aurora, NE (19.119), Mel Zeitner; Bellevue, NE (19.246), Garry Billings, Jr.; Prairie Village, KS (19.427), Bill Koons; Omaha, NE (19.621), Bob Milander; Pierce, NE (19.646), Jason Landers; Cairo, NE (19.756), Jason Schobinger; Wiggins, CO (20.425), Kyle Berck; Marquette, NE (no-time), Brett LaFollette; Kansas City, KS (no-time), Steve Boley; West Liberty, IA (scratch).

First PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Murphy, 2. Webb, 3. Pember, 4. Harris, 5. Follmer, 6. Rusty Miller, 7. Coover, 8. Billings, Jr., 9. Schobinger.

Second PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Boen, 2. Humphrey, 3. Chris Simpson, 4. Berck, 5. Gregg, 6. Schaller, 7. Egge, 8. Keeshan, 9. Koons.

Third PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Utter, 2. Denny Eckrich, 3. Nall, 4. Moss, 5. Martin, 6. Wiarda, 7. Milander, 8. Kempt, 9. LaFollette.

Fourth PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Darren Miller, 2. Dave Eckrich, 3. Chad Simpson, 4. Kosiski, 5. McKay, 6. Corey Zeitner, 7. Landers, 8. Mel Zeither.

First KSE Racing Products Consolation: 1. Gregg, 2. Schaller, 3. Martin, 4. Kempt, 5. Wiarda, 6. Milander, 7. Billings, Jr., 8. Koons, 9. Coover.

Second KSE Racing Products Consolation: 1. Follmer, 2. Egge, 3. Rusty Miller, 4. Landers, 5. McKay, 6. Keeshan, 7. Schobinger, 8. Corey Zeitner, 9. LaFollette.

Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation Pole Dash: 1. Denny Eckrich, 2. Darren Miller, 3. Utter, 4. Berck, 5. Humphrey, 6. Boen, 7. Webb, 8. Murphy.

Pump & Pantry Late Model Nationals 50-Lap Feature: 1. Darren Miller, 2. Boen, 3. Berck, 4. Chad Simpson, 5. Dave Eckrich, 6. Harris, 7. Denny Eckrich, 8. Chris Simpson, 9. Kosiski, 10. Webb, 11. Pember, 12. Follmer, 13. Schaller, 14. Nall, 15. Murphy, 16. Koons, 17. Billings, Jr., 18. Utter, 19. Kempt, 20. Moss, 21. Gregg, 22. Martin, 23. Humphrey, 24. Egge, 25. LaFollette, 26. Rusty Miller.

Additional Information of Interest:

Number of Entrants: 36

Lap Leaders: Darren Miller (1-50)

Time of Race:43.45.961

Margin of Victory: 3.196

Caution Flags: 6 (Laps 5, 5, 14, 26, 28, 46)

Red Flags: None

Fastest Lap: Darren Miller (17.863)

Series Provisionals: Koons, LaFollette

Rookie-of-the-Race: Follmer

Hard Luck Driver: Al Humphrey

Contingency Award Winners:

Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation: Denny Eckrich, Darren Miller, Utter

QA1 Motorsports: Boen

The Brake Man: Darren Miller

Champ Pans: Boen

Joie of Seating: Berck

Performance Bodies: Chad Simpson

Design 500 Racewear: Dave Eckrich

V-Performance Batteries: Harris

Fast Shafts: Denny Eckrich

Hooker Harness: Chris Simpson

Weld Wheels: Kosiski

Scott Performance Wire: Webb

Design 500 Racewear (non-qualifier): None

KSE Racing Products: Koons, Follmer

Chase Race Decals: Humphrey

2006 WORLD Dirt Racing League sponsors include PolyDome Products, AMSOIL, Hoosier Racing Tires, Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation, Lincoln Electric Company, Chase Race Decals, Wyman's Ford, Gatorade, QA1 Motorsports, The Brake Man, Champ Pans, The Joie of Seating, Performance Bodies, Design 500 Racewear, V-Performance Batteries, Fast Shafts, Hooker Harness, Weld Wheels, Scott Performance Wire, KSE Racing Products, MasterSbilt Race Cars, Rocket Chassis, GRT Race Cars, and Swartz Xtreme Race Cars.