DENNY ECKRICH GRABS UNEXPECTED WIN IN WDRL OPENER AT FARLEY SPEEDWAY
Race leader Brian Harris suffers late-race flat tire, opening the door for defending champion’s late race heroics
By Tom Lathen
WORLD Dirt Racing League

FARLEY, IA (April 20) -  Denny Eckrich took advantage of race leader Brian Harris’ misfortune Friday night to pick up an unexpected win in the season-opening WORLD Dirt Racing League PolyDome Late Model Series sanctioned Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation 50 here at Farley Speedway.

The Tiffin, Iowa hot-shoe appeared on his way to a third place finish in the $5,000-to-win event, before Harris suffered a flat tire while leading comfortably a mere seven laps from the checkered flag.

“I feel bad for Brian,” noted Eckrich in AMSOIL Victory Lane. “He is a great competitor and he probably would have won this thing if it hadn’t been for the flat tire.”

“We were lucky enough to start sixth after a poor heat race,” added the winner. “This is a brand new car for us and we were searching a little bit, but about halfway through the race, I started grinning because things just started to come to us and the car started feeling really good.”

Coming from his outside third row starting position, Eckrich followed younger brother Andy, outside front-row starter Brian Harris, Chris Simpson, and pole-setter Eric Pember under the flag stand the first trip in front of the grandstand.

Harris wheeled his Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation sponsored car number 21H to the outside of the younger Eckrich as the pair raced up the front straightaway on lap two, and powered to the advantage as the lead cars raced out of turn four a lap later, with Chris Simpson surprising Eckrich to take second.

By the tenth circuit, the 28-year old Davenport, Iowa driver had roared to a dozen car length advantage over the second-place Simpson and as the leaders began to close in on slower traffic, the first of five caution flags flew on lap 22 when Spencer, Wisconsin driver Kerry Hansen got turned around in the corner.

On the restart, Denny Eckrich drove to the inside and raced past Pember and into fourth, but a second caution flag appeared four laps later when Dave Eckrich suffered a flat tire after a brief tangle with Boyceville, Wisconsin driver Rick Hanestad.

The caution flag flew again on lap 33, with Denny Eckrich again taking advantage of the situation, storming to the inside as the green flag reappeared to overtake Andy Eckrich and move to third.

Harris appeared to have things well in hand, racing to good-sized leads following each caution period, but disaster struck seven laps from the checkers, when his outside rear tire let go, bringing out yet another caution flag and opening the door for the opportunistic Eckrich to sieze the advantage.

With Chris Simpson holding the point on the restart, Eckrich again darted to the inside and as the duo raced out of turn two, the popular eastern Iowa pilot outran the 23-year old Marion, Iowa driver to grab the lead.

“Those restarts really helped us,” admitted Eckrich, a five-time track champion at Farley Speedway. “We have a little ‘home court advantage’ here and I know where I can run and what I can do.”

“On that last restart Chris (Simpson) started coming down a little and I thought I might have to get in there and get a little rough with him, but he gave me enough room and we were able to get in there and get around him.

The two-time defending PolyDome Late Model Series champion was slowed only by a final caution flag on lap 47, and won the race to the checkers comfortably over the runner-up Simpson.

“This win is dedicated to my uncle Steve Eckrich,” noted Eckrich. “We lost him about a month ago, and he was just a great uncle and helped all of us out so much throughout our racing careers.”

Pittsville, Wisconsin driver Eric Pember, who earlier had won his qualifying race and the Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation Pole Dash, finished third, followed by fast-finishing Justin “The Jet” Fegers, John Kaanta, and Andy Eckrich. Ray Guss, Jr. wheeled to a seventh place finish, with Todd Davis finishing eighth, followed by Harris, who stormed from the rear of the field following his tire change, to finish ninth. Rounding out the top ten was Hibbing, Minnesota’s Jeff Provinzino.

RACE REPORT:

Group Qualifying: 1. Jason Rauen; Farley, IA (19.649), 2. Terry Casey; New London, WI (19.705), 3. Kerry Hansen; Spencer, WI (20.052), 4. Jeff Tharp; Sherrill, IA (20.362), 5. John Kaanta; Elk Mound, WI (20.389), 6. Dave Eckrich; Cosgrove, IA (20.396), 7. Dan Shelliam; Hazel Green, WI (20.450), 8. Chris Simpson; Marion, IA (20.613), 9. Jeff Aikey; Cedar Falls, IA (20.620), 10. Rick Hanestad; Boyceville, WI (20.625), 11. Andy Eckrich; Iowa City, IA (20.628), 12. Todd Davis; Iowa City, IA (20.678), 13. Craig Jacobs; Freeport, IL (20.730), 14. Eric Pember; Pittsville, WI (20.754), 15. Mike Fryer; Freeport, IL (20.797), 16. Matt Miller; Waterville, OH (20.808), 17. Brian Harris; Davenport, IA (20.809), 18. Ace Ihm (Hazel Green, WI (20.842), 19. Denny Eckrich; Tiffin, IA (20.914), 20. Dave Stolte; Springville, IA (20.924), 21. Justin Fegers; Mound, MN (20.955), 22. Matt Furman; Iowa City, IA (21.013), 23. Adam Hensel; Barron, WI (21.036), 24. Rob Moss; Iowa City, IA (21.092), 25. Jason Utter; Columbus Junction, IA (21.190), 26. Jeremiah Hurst; Dubuque, IA (21.236), 27. Ray Guss, Jr.; Milan, IL (21.303), 28. Jeff Larson; Freeport, IL (21.362), 29. Curt Martin; Independence, IA (21.410), 30. Jeff Provinzino; Hibbing, MN (21.444), 31. Tim Isenberg; Marshfield, WI (21.450), 32. Jon Rogers; Freeport, IL (21.476), 33. Scott Lemke; Rockford, IL (21.487), 34. Mike Klinkkhammer; West Branch, IA (21.624), 35. Joe Callahan; Dubuque, IA (21.673, 36. Bill Koons; Omaha, NE (21.983), 37. Jeff Kennedy; Dubuque, IA (22.079), Andrew McKay; Edina, MN (no time), Chad Simpson; Mount Vernon, IA (no time).

First PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Davis, 2. Chris Simpson, 3. Stolte, 4. Fegers, 5. Martin, 6. Tharp, 7. Lemke, 8. Utter, 9. Kennedy.

Second PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Andy Eckrich, 2. Denny Eckrich, 3. Fryer, 4. Shelliam, 5. Hansen, 6. Furman, 7. Provinzino, 8. Hurst, 9. Klinkkhammer.

Third PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Pember, 2. Casey, 3. Ihm, 4. Guss, Jr., 5. Hensel, 6. Callahan, 7. Isenberg, 8. Dave Eckrich.

Fourth PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Harris, 2. Aikey, 3. Kaanta, 4. Rauen, 5. Jacobs, 6. Larson, 7. Moss, 8. Rogers, 9. Koons.

First KSE Racing Products Consolation: 1. Shelliam, 2. Furman, 3. Lemke, 4. Tharp, 5. Jacobs, 6. Moss, 7. Koons, 8. Utter, 9. Kennedy.

Second KSE Racing Products Consolation: 1. Larson, 2. Hansen, 3. Provinzino, 4. Hanestad, 5. Dave Eckrich, 6. Hurst, 7. Miller, 8. Rogers, 9. Hensel, 10. Callahan, 11. Klinkkhammer.

Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation Pole Dash: 1. Pember, 2. Harris, 3. Andy Eckrich, 4. Chris Simpson, 5. Davis, 6. Denny Eckrich, 7. Aikey, 8. Casey.

Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation 50: 1. Denny Eckrich, 2. Chris Simpson, 3. Pember, 4. Fegers, 5. Kaanta, 6. Andy Eckrich, 7. Guss, Jr., 8. Davis, 9. Harris, 10. Provinzino, 11. Ihm, 12. Hanestad, 13. Casey, 14. Dave Eckrich, 15. Stolte, 16. Fryer, 17. Hansen, 18. Aikey, 19. Larson, 20. Furman, 21. Shelliam, 22. Lemke, 23. Rauen, 24. Utter.

INFORMATION OF INTEREST:

Entrants: 39
Lap Leaders: Andy Eckrich (1-2), Harris (3-43), Denny Eckrich (44-50)
Time of Race: 36:21.991
Margin of Victory: 1.964
Caution Flags: 5 (Laps 22, 26, 33, 43, and 47
Red Flags: none
Rookie-of-the-Race: Kaanta
Hard Luck Driver: Chad Simpson
Series Provisionals: Dave Eckrich, Utter

CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation: Pember, Harris, Andy Eckrich
QA1 Motorsports: Andy Eckrich
AMSOIL: Denny Eckrich
KSE Racing Products: Shelliam, Larson
The Brake Man: Chris Simpson
Champ Pans: Pember
Performance Bodies: Fegers
Design 500 Racewear: Kaanta
V-Performance Batteries: Andy Eckrich
Fast Shafts: Guss
Hooker Harness: Davis
Joie of Seating: Harris
Weld Wheels: Provinzino
BSB Manufacturing: Casey