Series rookie takes advantage of Eckrich equipment failure to grab the victory
By Tom Lathen
(Webster City, IA) Justin Fegers inherited the lead from race leader Denny Eckrich with 15 laps to go Wednesday night, and went on to win the Hamilton County 50, a WORLD Dirt Racing League PolyDome Late Model Series sanctioned event here at Hamilton County Speedway.
Fegers, who had led from the opening circuit, lost the lead on lap 29, but found himself at the point again a half dozen laps later, when the rear end on Eckrich’s car number 50 let go as the front-runner raced out of turn four.
Following Eckrich’s untimely misfortune, the eventual winner was never seriously challenged on his way to the win.
“This win feels really good,” commented Fegers following the win. “I thought we had a shot at the win last night, and tonight I felt like we had the second place car when Denny (Eckrich) got out there, but that’s all part of racing.”
“Guys have equipment failures,” he added. “Sometimes it’s us, tonight it was somebody else.”
The 25-year old Mound, Minnesota driver trailed pole-setter Jeff French into turn one on the opening circuit, but powered off the banking out of turn two to grab the advantage as the pair raced down the back straightaway.
The first of four caution flags came out on lap four when Kyle Berck suffered a flat tire and slowed to a halt along the apron just out of turn four. When racing resumed, Denny Eckrich roared off the bottom out of turn two to grab the runner-up position, with Dave Eckrich and veteran Gary Webb following the same line to drop French to fifth.
A four car tangle involving Brian Harris, Mark Teske, Matt Furman and Darrell DeFrance brought out a second caution flag on lap eleven, but Fegers was undaunted, racing to a seemingly comfortable lead following the restart.
By lap 20, the two pace setters were beginning to work up on slower traffic, allowing Eckrich’s “Flyin 50” to close the gap on the leader. Nine laps later, as the duo raced through heavy traffic, Eckrich drove deep into turn three and powered through the corner to take the advantage racing out of turn four and in front of the grandstand.
“He really surprised me on that one,” noted Fegers of Eckrich’s daring turn three pass. “I really had no idea how big of a lead we had and I was pushing it, but I didn’t want to risk anything in lapped traffic because we’re on a six night swing.”
“Denny stuffed it down in there and showed me that the bottom was pretty quick,” he added. “We were close to getting back by him in traffic there, but once we had that restart, he was pulling.”
A caution flag on lap 31 regrouped the field, but when racing resumed, Eckrich pulled away from the second-place Fegers and raced to a sizeable advantage before his rear end gave way, ending his chances for a second consecutive series win 15 laps from the checkers.
From there to the finish, Fegers outclassed the remainder of the field and won the race to the line a comfortable distance ahead of second place finisher Dave Eckrich.
Hazel Green, Wisconsin driver Ace Ihm drove to a solid third place finish after a 13th place start. Brian Harris rebounded from his lap eleven tangle to finish fourth, followed by Gary Webb, Mark Teske, Kyle Berck, and Johnny Bone, Jr.
RACE REPORT:
First PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Chris Smyser (Lancaster, MO), 2. Dave Eckrich (Cosgrove, IA), 3. Mark Wyman (Papillion, NE), 4. Jeff French (Waukee, IA), 5. John Anderson (Omaha, NE).
Second PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Gary Webb (Blue Grass, IA), 2. Justin Fegers (Mound, MN), 3. Brian Harris (Davenport, IA), 4. Matt Furman (Iowa City, IA), 5. Ace Ihm (Hazel Green, WI).
Third PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Sonny Findling (Kirksville, MO), 2. Denny Eckrich (Tiffin, IA), 3. Johnny Bone, Jr. (Pea Ridge, AR), 4. Mark Teske (Spring Valley, MN), 5. Greg Elliott (Webster City, IA).
Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation Pole Dash: 1. French, 2. Fegers, 3. Denny Eckrich, 4. Wyman, 5. Dave Eckrich, 6. Webb, 7. Smyser, 8. Findling.
Hamilton County 50: 1. Fegers, 2. Dave Eckrich, 3. Ihm, 4. Brian Harris (Davenport, IA), 5. Webb, 6. Teske, 7. Kyle Berck (Marquette, NE), 8. Bone, 9. French, 10. Joe Kosiski (Omaha, NE), 11. Eric Pember (Pittsville, WI), 12. Elliott, 13. Wyman, 14. Bill Koons (Omaha, NE), 15. Denny Eckrich, 16. Kelly Tapper (Webster City, IA), 17. Furman, 18. Smyser, 19. Keith Foss (Winona, MN), 20. Findling, 21. Anderson, 22. Darrell DeFrance (Marshalltown, IA), 23. Caley Emerson (Grand Rapids, MN), 24. Jason Hahne (Webster City).
ITEMS OF INEREST:
Lap Leaders: Fegers (1-28), Denny Eckrich (29-35), Fegers (36-50)
QA1 Motorsports Passing Points: Dave Eckrich (63.8)
Chase Race Decals Hard Luck Award: Denny Eckrich
CONTINGENCY AWARDS:
Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation: French, Fegers, Denny Eckrich
QA1 Motorsports: Dave Eckrich
Oval Craft Racing Aluminum Designs: Fegers, Dave Eckrich, Ihm
Champ Pans: Harris
Design 500 Racewear: Webb
Performance Bodies: Teske
Fast Shafts by Axle Exchange: Berck
Hooker Harness: Bone
Weld Racing Wheels: Kosiski
Sunoco Race Fuels/Diamond Oil Company: Pember
The Brake Man: Wyman
By Tom Lathen
(Webster City, IA) Justin Fegers inherited the lead from race leader Denny Eckrich with 15 laps to go Wednesday night, and went on to win the Hamilton County 50, a WORLD Dirt Racing League PolyDome Late Model Series sanctioned event here at Hamilton County Speedway.
Fegers, who had led from the opening circuit, lost the lead on lap 29, but found himself at the point again a half dozen laps later, when the rear end on Eckrich’s car number 50 let go as the front-runner raced out of turn four.
Following Eckrich’s untimely misfortune, the eventual winner was never seriously challenged on his way to the win.
“This win feels really good,” commented Fegers following the win. “I thought we had a shot at the win last night, and tonight I felt like we had the second place car when Denny (Eckrich) got out there, but that’s all part of racing.”
“Guys have equipment failures,” he added. “Sometimes it’s us, tonight it was somebody else.”
The 25-year old Mound, Minnesota driver trailed pole-setter Jeff French into turn one on the opening circuit, but powered off the banking out of turn two to grab the advantage as the pair raced down the back straightaway.
The first of four caution flags came out on lap four when Kyle Berck suffered a flat tire and slowed to a halt along the apron just out of turn four. When racing resumed, Denny Eckrich roared off the bottom out of turn two to grab the runner-up position, with Dave Eckrich and veteran Gary Webb following the same line to drop French to fifth.
A four car tangle involving Brian Harris, Mark Teske, Matt Furman and Darrell DeFrance brought out a second caution flag on lap eleven, but Fegers was undaunted, racing to a seemingly comfortable lead following the restart.
By lap 20, the two pace setters were beginning to work up on slower traffic, allowing Eckrich’s “Flyin 50” to close the gap on the leader. Nine laps later, as the duo raced through heavy traffic, Eckrich drove deep into turn three and powered through the corner to take the advantage racing out of turn four and in front of the grandstand.
“He really surprised me on that one,” noted Fegers of Eckrich’s daring turn three pass. “I really had no idea how big of a lead we had and I was pushing it, but I didn’t want to risk anything in lapped traffic because we’re on a six night swing.”
“Denny stuffed it down in there and showed me that the bottom was pretty quick,” he added. “We were close to getting back by him in traffic there, but once we had that restart, he was pulling.”
A caution flag on lap 31 regrouped the field, but when racing resumed, Eckrich pulled away from the second-place Fegers and raced to a sizeable advantage before his rear end gave way, ending his chances for a second consecutive series win 15 laps from the checkers.
From there to the finish, Fegers outclassed the remainder of the field and won the race to the line a comfortable distance ahead of second place finisher Dave Eckrich.
Hazel Green, Wisconsin driver Ace Ihm drove to a solid third place finish after a 13th place start. Brian Harris rebounded from his lap eleven tangle to finish fourth, followed by Gary Webb, Mark Teske, Kyle Berck, and Johnny Bone, Jr.
RACE REPORT:
First PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Chris Smyser (Lancaster, MO), 2. Dave Eckrich (Cosgrove, IA), 3. Mark Wyman (Papillion, NE), 4. Jeff French (Waukee, IA), 5. John Anderson (Omaha, NE).
Second PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Gary Webb (Blue Grass, IA), 2. Justin Fegers (Mound, MN), 3. Brian Harris (Davenport, IA), 4. Matt Furman (Iowa City, IA), 5. Ace Ihm (Hazel Green, WI).
Third PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Sonny Findling (Kirksville, MO), 2. Denny Eckrich (Tiffin, IA), 3. Johnny Bone, Jr. (Pea Ridge, AR), 4. Mark Teske (Spring Valley, MN), 5. Greg Elliott (Webster City, IA).
Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation Pole Dash: 1. French, 2. Fegers, 3. Denny Eckrich, 4. Wyman, 5. Dave Eckrich, 6. Webb, 7. Smyser, 8. Findling.
Hamilton County 50: 1. Fegers, 2. Dave Eckrich, 3. Ihm, 4. Brian Harris (Davenport, IA), 5. Webb, 6. Teske, 7. Kyle Berck (Marquette, NE), 8. Bone, 9. French, 10. Joe Kosiski (Omaha, NE), 11. Eric Pember (Pittsville, WI), 12. Elliott, 13. Wyman, 14. Bill Koons (Omaha, NE), 15. Denny Eckrich, 16. Kelly Tapper (Webster City, IA), 17. Furman, 18. Smyser, 19. Keith Foss (Winona, MN), 20. Findling, 21. Anderson, 22. Darrell DeFrance (Marshalltown, IA), 23. Caley Emerson (Grand Rapids, MN), 24. Jason Hahne (Webster City).
ITEMS OF INEREST:
Lap Leaders: Fegers (1-28), Denny Eckrich (29-35), Fegers (36-50)
QA1 Motorsports Passing Points: Dave Eckrich (63.8)
Chase Race Decals Hard Luck Award: Denny Eckrich
CONTINGENCY AWARDS:
Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation: French, Fegers, Denny Eckrich
QA1 Motorsports: Dave Eckrich
Oval Craft Racing Aluminum Designs: Fegers, Dave Eckrich, Ihm
Champ Pans: Harris
Design 500 Racewear: Webb
Performance Bodies: Teske
Fast Shafts by Axle Exchange: Berck
Hooker Harness: Bone
Weld Racing Wheels: Kosiski
Sunoco Race Fuels/Diamond Oil Company: Pember
The Brake Man: Wyman
