DAVE ECKRICH STEALS FINAL LAP VICTORY IN WDRL LIBERTY FALL CLASSIC
Cosgrove, Iowa, driver surprises front-runner Brian Harris in heavy traffic to claim $5,000 top prize
By Tom Lathen
WORLD Dirt Racing League

WEST LIBERTY, IA (Oct. 7, 2006) - Dave Eckrich surprised Brian Harris on the final lap Saturday night to grab an exciting and popular win in the Liberty Fall Classic, a WORLD Dirt Racing League PolyDome Late Model Series sanctioned-event, here at West Liberty Raceway.

The 37-year old Cosgrove, Iowa, driver saved the best for last, outrunning Harris through turns one and two on the checkered flag lap to score his second series win of the season and claim the top prize of $5,000 in the third-annual event on the Muscatine County Fairgrounds half-mile.

"It just goes to show, you never give up," noted Eckrich in AMSOIL Victory Lane. "I just kept digging and digging, and it happened."

With younger brother Andy roaring off the bottom out of turn two on the opening lap to grab the early advantage, Eckrich settled into the number-three position behind the inside second-row starting Harris and just ahead of Chris Simpson and Brian Birkhofer, who were running wheel to wheel for fourth.

Harris sneaked underneath the leader to grab the point as the pair raced through turns one and two on the following circuit, with Eckrich continuing to run third, ahead of a pack of cars battling it our for fourth.

Placing his Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation/MasterSbilt/Gaerte Engines Pontiac Grand Prix at the bottom of the race track, Harris began to encounter slower traffic on lap nine, but a half dozen laps later, the Davenport, Iowa, hot-shoe had raced to a nearly half-straightaway advantage over Chris Simpson, who was now running second.

Harris continued to maintain a sizeable advantage over the remainder of the field as the lead cars ran through heavy congestion at the race's midpoint, with the eventual winner now running fourth behind Simpson and Andy Eckrich.

The elder Eckrich wheeled into third on lap 28, and three laps later overpowered Simpson out of turn four to grab second. With Harris appearing to have things well in hand, Eckrich used slower traffic to his advantage and began to whittle into the leader's nearly full straightaway cushion, pulling to within a few car lengths of the leader with less than five circuits remaining.

As the white flag waved, the two leaders powered nose to tail in front of the grandstand, with Eckrich wheeling to the outside of the front-runner as the duo headed into turn one. With a trio of slower cars in front of them, Eckrich surprised Harris and snagged the lead heading out of turn two and down the back straightaway.

"I had the advantage because Brian (Harris) had been running the bottom," commented Eckrich about his last-lap pass. "I moved up a groove and moved around, and it just happened that he got held up a little bit. I feel bad for him, but it's our fortune, I guess."

Harris was unable to recover, with Eckrich winning the race to the line by a handful of car lengths.

Simpson, meanwhile, held off Birkhofer to grab third, with series points leader Denny Eckrich finishing ahead of Andy Eckrich and Kyle Berck for fifth.

The event went flag to flag without a caution.

Harris' runner-up finish, coupled with Denny Eckrich's fifth-place run, narrowed the gap in the PolyDome Late Model Series point standings to a mere eight markers with only three events remaining on the 2006 schedule.

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
WEST LIBERTY RACEWAY
WEST LIBERTY, IOWA
SATURDAY, OCT. 7, 2006

Group Qualifying: Brian Harris; Davenport, IA (19.212), Brian Birkhofer; Muscatine, IA (19.464), Denny Eckrich; Tiffin, IA (19.515), Dave Eckrich; Cosgrove, IA (19.600), Johnny Spaw; Cedar Rapids, IA (19.620), Andy Eckrich; Oxford, IA (19.798), Chris Simpson; Marion, IA (19.813), Matt Furman; Iowa City, IA (19.850), Kurt Kile; Nichols, IA (19.972), Eric Pember; Pittsville, WI (19.986), Johnny Johnson; West Burlington, IA (20.032), Trent Follmer; Elk River, MN (20.035), Jason Utter; Columbus Junction, IA (20.037), Nick Marolf; Moscow, IA (20.080), Tommy Elston; Keokuk, IA (20.097), Jeff Aikey; Cedar Falls, IA (20.107), Sam Harroun; West Liberty, IA (20.144), Rob Moss; Iowa City, IA (20.229), Kyle Berck; Marquette, NE (20.362), Chad Simpson; Mount Vernon, IA (20.418), Kevin Kile; West Liberty, IA (20.459), Jeremiah Hurst; Dubuque, IA (20.468), Jeremy Grady; Story City, IA (20.482), Dan Shelliam; Hazel Green, WI (20.513), Hal Russell; Blue Grass, IA (20.927), Jason Rauen; Farley, IA (20.952), Todd Cooney; Des Moines, IA (20.954), Jody Metzger; Muscatine, IA (21.153), Mike Fryer; Freeport, IL (21.155), Darrel DeFrance; Marshalltown, IA (21.339), Sam Halstead; New London, IA (21.419), Wayne Brau; Anawan, IL (21.518), Dave Schrier; Muscatine, IA (22.418).

First PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Dave Eckrich (68.0), 2. Chad Simpson (55.5), 3. Aikey (52.0), Furman (48.5), 5. Kevin Kile (47.25), 6. Russell (43.75), 7. Fryer (40.25), 8. Schrier (36.75), 9. Follmer (31.0).

Second PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Berck (59.0), 2. Chris Simpson (60.0), 3. Denny Eckrich (56.5), 4. Elston (48.5), 5. Johnson (45.0), 6. Hurst (41.5), 7. DeFrance (40.25), 8. Rauen (34.5).

Third PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Birkhofer (68.0), 2. Andy Eckrich (60.0), 3. Moss (52.0), 4. Marolf (48.5), 5. Pember (45.0), 6. Cooney (43.75), 7. Grady (38.0), 8. Halstead (34.5).

Fourth PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Harris (68.0), 2. Harroun (55.5), 3. Kurt Kile (52.0), 4. Shelliam (53.0), 5. Spaw (45.0), 6. Utter (41.5), 7. Metzger (38.0), 8. Brau (34.5).

KSE Racing Products Consolation: 1. Pember, 2. Johnson, 3. Hurst, 4. Cooney, 5. DeFrance, 6. Grady, 7. Rauen, 8. Russell, 9. Follmer, 10. Utter, 11. Metzger, 12. Brau, 13. Fryer, 14. Halstead.

Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation Pole Dash: 1. Andy Eckrich, 2. Dave Eckrich, 3. Harris, 4. Birkhofer, 5. Chris Simpson, 6. Denny Eckrich, 7. Berck, 8. Harroun.

Liberty Fall Classic 50-Lap Feature: 1. Dave Eckrich, 2. Harris, 3. Chris Simpson, 4. Birkhofer, 5. Denny Eckrich, 6. Andy Eckrich, 7. Berck, 8. Shelliam, 9. Chad Simpson, 10. Utter, 11. Furman, 12. Aikey, 13. Follmer, 14. Marolf, 15. Elston, 16. Spaw, 17. Johnson, 18. Kurt Kile, 19. Hurst, 20. Cooney, 21. Moss, 22. Kevin Kile, 23. Pember, 24. Harroun.

Additional Information of Interest:

Number of Entrants: 33

Lap Leaders: Andy Eckrich (1), Harris (2-49), Dave Eckrich (50)

Time of Race: 19:21

Margin of Victory: .357

Caution Flags: None

Red Flags: None

Fastest Lap: Andy Eckrich (21.702)

Series Provisionals: Follmer, Utter

Rookie-of-the-Race: Utter

Hard Luck Driver: Pember

Contingency Award Winners:

Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation: Dave Eckrich, Brian Harris, Brian Birkhofer

QA1 Motorsports: Harris

The Brake Man: Dave Eckrich

Champ Pans: Harris

Joie of Seating: Chris Simpson

Performance Bodies: Birkhofer

Design 500 Racewear: Denny Eckrich

V-Performance Batteries: Berck

Fast Shafts: Shelliam

Hooker Harness: Chad Simpson

Weld Wheels: Utter

Scott Performance Wire: Furman

Design 500 Racewear (non-qualifier): Fryer

KSE Racing Products: Pember

Chase Race Decals: Pember