By Tom Lathen
(Freeport, IL) Steve Francis survived brake problems on the checkered flag lap Tuesday night to win the J.H. Barkau & Sons/Hooker Harness 40, a WORLD Dirt Racing League PolyDome Late Model Series sanctioned event here at Freeport Raceway Park.
The Ashland, Kentucky driver led from the drop of the green flag and appeared to have things well in hand before a caliper failure nearly put his Moring Motorsports entry into the wall in turn two as runner-up finisher Darren Miller tried desperately to seize the opportunity to steal the victory.
“We blew the right rear caliper as I was going down the straight away,” said Francis of his final lap brake problems. “I went into turn one and had no brakes at all.”
“The pedal just went to the floor and I thought we were going back to Forreston without the truck there.”
After an opening lap caution flag, the pole-setting Francis immediately sprinted into the lead, with Papillion, Nebraska driver Mark Wyman occupying second, as brothers Dave and Denny Eckrich battled it out for third.
Series rookie Bill Koons slowed in turn two bringing out the second caution flag of the night on lap nine, but when racing resumed, the “Kentucky Colonel” again darted into the lead with 35-year racing veteran Gary Webb taking advantage of the restart to wheel into third, a couple of car lengths behind Denny Eckrich, who was now running second.
By the race’s midpoint, Francis had roared to over a half straightaway advantage over Eckrich with Darren Miller, who had started eleventh, now running third a short distance ahead of Brian Birkhofer and Webb. Webb’s chances for a top five finish were derailed on lap 32 however, when the popular Blue Grass, Iowa driver ran over debris on the race track forcing him to watch the final 18 circuits from the pits.
With Miller now running in second, a final caution flag waved four laps from the finish, but Francis proved too much for the Chadwick, Illinois hot shoe, and despite his brush with disaster two turns from the checkers, won the race to the line by nearly a half dozen car lengths.
“There is something about this place that just kind of suits me,” noted Francis. “This is Darren’s (Darren Miller) home track and I know he started about tenth or twelveth but he had an awful good car.”
“He got by Brian (Birkhofer) and all them guys and I really figured he was going to make a real strong run at us, but this Mopar Rocket was pretty good tonight.”
Denny Eckrich held off Birkhofer to finish third, with Dave Eckrich finishing just ahead of two-time series champion Kyle Berck for fifth. John Anderson, who came into the event second in the PolyDome Late Model Series point standings, fought engine problems in both his primary and back-up mounts and limped to a disappointing 24th-place finish.
RACE SUMMARY:
First PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Kyle Berck (Marquette, NE), 2. Steve Francis (Ashland, KY), 3. John Anderson (Omaha, NE), 4. Ray Guss, Jr. (Milan, IL), 5. Tommy Elston (Keokuk, IA).
Second PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Brian Birkhofer (Muscatine, IA), 2. Mark Wyman (Papillion, NE), 3. Dan Shelliam (Hazel Green, WI), 4. Brian Harris (Davenport, IA), 5. Dennis Erb (Carpentersville, IL).
Third PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Dave Eckrich (Cosgrove, IA), 2. Gary Webb (Blue Grass, IA), 3. Chris Simpson (Marion, IA), 4. Darren Miller (Chadwick, IL), 5. Jeff Hayunga (German Valley, IL).
Fourth PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Jeff Larson (Freeport, IL), 2. Denny Eckrich (Tiffin, IA), 3. Mel Abels (Freeport, IA), 4. Keith Foss (Winona, MN), 5. Craig Jacobs (Freeport, IL).
KSE Racing Products Consolation: 1. Jacobs, 2. Eric Pember (Pittsville, WI), 3. Hayunga, 4. Justin Fegers (Mound, MN), 5. Matt Furman (Iowa City, IA).
Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation Pole Dash: 1. Francis, 2. Wyman, 3. Dave Eckrich, 4. Denny Eckrich, 5. Webb, 6. Berck, 7. Birkhofer, 8. Larson.
J.H. Barkau & Sons/Hooker Harness 40: 1. Francis, 2. Miller, 3. Denny Eckrich, 4. Birkhofer, 5. Dave Eckrich, 6. Berck, 7. Harris, 8. Guss, 9. Larson, 10. Foss, 11. Fegers, 12. Wyman, 13. Erb, 14. Webb, 15. Elston, 16. Jacobs, 17. Furman, 18. Hayunga, 19. Abels, 20. Pember, 21. Shelliam, 22. Simpson, 23. Bill Koons (Omaha, NE), 24. Anderson.
INFORMATION OF INTEREST:
Lap Leaders: Francis 1-50
QA1 Motorsports Passing Points: Birkhofer (71.32)
Rookie of the Race: Fegers
Chase Race Decals Hard Luck Driver: Sonny Findling
WDRL Provisionals: Furman, Koons
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS
QA1 Motorsports: Birkhofer
Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation: Wyman, Dave Eckrich, Denny Eckrich
KSE Racing Products: Pember
Oval Craft Racing Aluminum Designs: Miller, Denny Eckrich, Birkhofer
Champ Pans: Dave Eckrich
Design 500 Racewear: Berck
Performance Bodies: Harris
Fast Shafts by Axle Exchange: Guss
Hooker Harness: Foss
Weld Racing Wheels: Fegers
Sunoco Race Fuels/Diamond Oil Company: Wyman
The Brake Man: Webb
Design 500 Racewear Non-Qualifier: Mike Fryer
(Freeport, IL) Steve Francis survived brake problems on the checkered flag lap Tuesday night to win the J.H. Barkau & Sons/Hooker Harness 40, a WORLD Dirt Racing League PolyDome Late Model Series sanctioned event here at Freeport Raceway Park.
The Ashland, Kentucky driver led from the drop of the green flag and appeared to have things well in hand before a caliper failure nearly put his Moring Motorsports entry into the wall in turn two as runner-up finisher Darren Miller tried desperately to seize the opportunity to steal the victory.
“We blew the right rear caliper as I was going down the straight away,” said Francis of his final lap brake problems. “I went into turn one and had no brakes at all.”
“The pedal just went to the floor and I thought we were going back to Forreston without the truck there.”
After an opening lap caution flag, the pole-setting Francis immediately sprinted into the lead, with Papillion, Nebraska driver Mark Wyman occupying second, as brothers Dave and Denny Eckrich battled it out for third.
Series rookie Bill Koons slowed in turn two bringing out the second caution flag of the night on lap nine, but when racing resumed, the “Kentucky Colonel” again darted into the lead with 35-year racing veteran Gary Webb taking advantage of the restart to wheel into third, a couple of car lengths behind Denny Eckrich, who was now running second.
By the race’s midpoint, Francis had roared to over a half straightaway advantage over Eckrich with Darren Miller, who had started eleventh, now running third a short distance ahead of Brian Birkhofer and Webb. Webb’s chances for a top five finish were derailed on lap 32 however, when the popular Blue Grass, Iowa driver ran over debris on the race track forcing him to watch the final 18 circuits from the pits.
With Miller now running in second, a final caution flag waved four laps from the finish, but Francis proved too much for the Chadwick, Illinois hot shoe, and despite his brush with disaster two turns from the checkers, won the race to the line by nearly a half dozen car lengths.
“There is something about this place that just kind of suits me,” noted Francis. “This is Darren’s (Darren Miller) home track and I know he started about tenth or twelveth but he had an awful good car.”
“He got by Brian (Birkhofer) and all them guys and I really figured he was going to make a real strong run at us, but this Mopar Rocket was pretty good tonight.”
Denny Eckrich held off Birkhofer to finish third, with Dave Eckrich finishing just ahead of two-time series champion Kyle Berck for fifth. John Anderson, who came into the event second in the PolyDome Late Model Series point standings, fought engine problems in both his primary and back-up mounts and limped to a disappointing 24th-place finish.
RACE SUMMARY:
First PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Kyle Berck (Marquette, NE), 2. Steve Francis (Ashland, KY), 3. John Anderson (Omaha, NE), 4. Ray Guss, Jr. (Milan, IL), 5. Tommy Elston (Keokuk, IA).
Second PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Brian Birkhofer (Muscatine, IA), 2. Mark Wyman (Papillion, NE), 3. Dan Shelliam (Hazel Green, WI), 4. Brian Harris (Davenport, IA), 5. Dennis Erb (Carpentersville, IL).
Third PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Dave Eckrich (Cosgrove, IA), 2. Gary Webb (Blue Grass, IA), 3. Chris Simpson (Marion, IA), 4. Darren Miller (Chadwick, IL), 5. Jeff Hayunga (German Valley, IL).
Fourth PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Jeff Larson (Freeport, IL), 2. Denny Eckrich (Tiffin, IA), 3. Mel Abels (Freeport, IA), 4. Keith Foss (Winona, MN), 5. Craig Jacobs (Freeport, IL).
KSE Racing Products Consolation: 1. Jacobs, 2. Eric Pember (Pittsville, WI), 3. Hayunga, 4. Justin Fegers (Mound, MN), 5. Matt Furman (Iowa City, IA).
Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation Pole Dash: 1. Francis, 2. Wyman, 3. Dave Eckrich, 4. Denny Eckrich, 5. Webb, 6. Berck, 7. Birkhofer, 8. Larson.
J.H. Barkau & Sons/Hooker Harness 40: 1. Francis, 2. Miller, 3. Denny Eckrich, 4. Birkhofer, 5. Dave Eckrich, 6. Berck, 7. Harris, 8. Guss, 9. Larson, 10. Foss, 11. Fegers, 12. Wyman, 13. Erb, 14. Webb, 15. Elston, 16. Jacobs, 17. Furman, 18. Hayunga, 19. Abels, 20. Pember, 21. Shelliam, 22. Simpson, 23. Bill Koons (Omaha, NE), 24. Anderson.
INFORMATION OF INTEREST:
Lap Leaders: Francis 1-50
QA1 Motorsports Passing Points: Birkhofer (71.32)
Rookie of the Race: Fegers
Chase Race Decals Hard Luck Driver: Sonny Findling
WDRL Provisionals: Furman, Koons
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS
QA1 Motorsports: Birkhofer
Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation: Wyman, Dave Eckrich, Denny Eckrich
KSE Racing Products: Pember
Oval Craft Racing Aluminum Designs: Miller, Denny Eckrich, Birkhofer
Champ Pans: Dave Eckrich
Design 500 Racewear: Berck
Performance Bodies: Harris
Fast Shafts by Axle Exchange: Guss
Hooker Harness: Foss
Weld Racing Wheels: Fegers
Sunoco Race Fuels/Diamond Oil Company: Wyman
The Brake Man: Webb
Design 500 Racewear Non-Qualifier: Mike Fryer
