(YORK, PENNSYLVANIA) Rick Eckert and the Raye Vest Racing team trekked
south last weekend to the Cajun State of Louisiana to compete in a pair of
World of Outlaws Late Model Series event. On Friday, Rick took to the track
at the Baton Rouge Raceway in Baker for round one of the ‘Bayou Battle.’
The York, Pennsylvania native qualified twenty-second fastest in time
trials, but finished third in his heat race to earn a coveted spot in the
50-lap feature event. The driver of the Raye Vest / J&J Steel #24 Rocket /
Cornett Ford Fusion started tenth on the grid and finished a solid ninth in
the final rundown of the $10,000 to win event.
Round two of the ‘Bayou Battle’ was slated for the Fast Trax Speedway in
Chatham, Louisiana on Saturday, but that event was cancelled after inclement
weather stormed through the region. Rick and the team immediately left
Louisiana and headed home where they made a last minute decision to attend
the ‘Octoberfest Qualifier’ at the Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown,
Maryland on Sunday.
At Hagerstown on Sunday, Rick started on the pole of the 30-lap feature
event and was originally beat at the waving of the green flag by outside
polesitter Gerald Davis. However, a multi-car pileup relegated the field to
start single-file on the next restart. Rick held the point on lap one and
continued throughout the $2,000 to win event to capture the second win of
his twenty-fifth anniversary season. Rick bested Ronnie DeHaven, Tim
McCreadie (who also made the trip back from Louisiana), Allen Brannon, and
Gerald Davis for the win.
“It was good to get the win at Hagerstown and receive the automatic starting
spot in the Octoberfest race to be held there in October,” commented former
‘Dream 100’ winner Eckert this week. “It was a day race at Hagerstown and
it is always really hard to pass in a daytime event, but we were in the
right position to get the lead and the win. Then at Baton Rouge on Friday
night, we just didn’t get qualified as well as we needed. That put us
behind because it was hard to pass there as well.”
Rick is currently ninth in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series national
point standings after events. He has registered one Top Five finish and two
Top Ten runs in the four series events held thus far in 2006. Rick
currently finds himself eighty-six points behind point leader Steve Francis
at this juncture of the season and has racked up $8,800 in purse money on
the circuit. The driver known nationwide as “Scrub” has finished third in
the World of Outlaws point standings in 2004 and fourth last season.
The team’s racing plans for this coming weekend are uncertain, but it looks
like they will not be competing in any Dirt Late Model events. At this
time, Rick plans to take the weekend off, except there is an outside chance
that he may race a Microsprint with his nephew once again. The next World
of Outlaws Late Model Series event is scheduled for Friday, April 7 at the
Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pennsylvania.
Rick would like to thank the following sponsors for their commitment to his
race team: Raye Vest, J&J Steel, Inc., Rocket Chassis, Cornett Thunder,
Eckert Trucking, S&S Mobile Power Wash, Diesel Pro, Ohlins, Arizona Sport
Shirts, AT Lubricants, ATL Fuel Cells, Baker Carburetion, Bell Helmets, Bert
Transmissions, Cizmar, Delph Communications, Driver X Gloves, Fastner
Speciality Motorsports, DH Competition Decals by HIP, Hawk Brake Pads,
Hoosier Tire, Hypercoils, Jay-Dee Supply, Jones Racing Products, Karcher,
Kochel Equipment Co., Mahle, Manley Performance, Mason Racin', Motul
Lubricants, Out-Pace Racing Products, Penn Kleen, Performance Bodies,
Performance Friction, Petersen Aluminum, Peterson Fluid Systems, Quarter
Master, Scott Performance Wire, Speed Dawg Performance Apparel, Tim Fitez
Painting, Sunoco HCR Plus, Trick Race Parts, Weld Wheels, and Woodward.
The latest dirt on “Scrub” Rick Eckert can be found online at his official
website, located at www.rickeckertracing.com.
Media Contact: Ryan Delph – Delph Communications
www.delphcommunications.com
south last weekend to the Cajun State of Louisiana to compete in a pair of
World of Outlaws Late Model Series event. On Friday, Rick took to the track
at the Baton Rouge Raceway in Baker for round one of the ‘Bayou Battle.’
The York, Pennsylvania native qualified twenty-second fastest in time
trials, but finished third in his heat race to earn a coveted spot in the
50-lap feature event. The driver of the Raye Vest / J&J Steel #24 Rocket /
Cornett Ford Fusion started tenth on the grid and finished a solid ninth in
the final rundown of the $10,000 to win event.
Round two of the ‘Bayou Battle’ was slated for the Fast Trax Speedway in
Chatham, Louisiana on Saturday, but that event was cancelled after inclement
weather stormed through the region. Rick and the team immediately left
Louisiana and headed home where they made a last minute decision to attend
the ‘Octoberfest Qualifier’ at the Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown,
Maryland on Sunday.
At Hagerstown on Sunday, Rick started on the pole of the 30-lap feature
event and was originally beat at the waving of the green flag by outside
polesitter Gerald Davis. However, a multi-car pileup relegated the field to
start single-file on the next restart. Rick held the point on lap one and
continued throughout the $2,000 to win event to capture the second win of
his twenty-fifth anniversary season. Rick bested Ronnie DeHaven, Tim
McCreadie (who also made the trip back from Louisiana), Allen Brannon, and
Gerald Davis for the win.
“It was good to get the win at Hagerstown and receive the automatic starting
spot in the Octoberfest race to be held there in October,” commented former
‘Dream 100’ winner Eckert this week. “It was a day race at Hagerstown and
it is always really hard to pass in a daytime event, but we were in the
right position to get the lead and the win. Then at Baton Rouge on Friday
night, we just didn’t get qualified as well as we needed. That put us
behind because it was hard to pass there as well.”
Rick is currently ninth in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series national
point standings after events. He has registered one Top Five finish and two
Top Ten runs in the four series events held thus far in 2006. Rick
currently finds himself eighty-six points behind point leader Steve Francis
at this juncture of the season and has racked up $8,800 in purse money on
the circuit. The driver known nationwide as “Scrub” has finished third in
the World of Outlaws point standings in 2004 and fourth last season.
The team’s racing plans for this coming weekend are uncertain, but it looks
like they will not be competing in any Dirt Late Model events. At this
time, Rick plans to take the weekend off, except there is an outside chance
that he may race a Microsprint with his nephew once again. The next World
of Outlaws Late Model Series event is scheduled for Friday, April 7 at the
Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pennsylvania.
Rick would like to thank the following sponsors for their commitment to his
race team: Raye Vest, J&J Steel, Inc., Rocket Chassis, Cornett Thunder,
Eckert Trucking, S&S Mobile Power Wash, Diesel Pro, Ohlins, Arizona Sport
Shirts, AT Lubricants, ATL Fuel Cells, Baker Carburetion, Bell Helmets, Bert
Transmissions, Cizmar, Delph Communications, Driver X Gloves, Fastner
Speciality Motorsports, DH Competition Decals by HIP, Hawk Brake Pads,
Hoosier Tire, Hypercoils, Jay-Dee Supply, Jones Racing Products, Karcher,
Kochel Equipment Co., Mahle, Manley Performance, Mason Racin', Motul
Lubricants, Out-Pace Racing Products, Penn Kleen, Performance Bodies,
Performance Friction, Petersen Aluminum, Peterson Fluid Systems, Quarter
Master, Scott Performance Wire, Speed Dawg Performance Apparel, Tim Fitez
Painting, Sunoco HCR Plus, Trick Race Parts, Weld Wheels, and Woodward.
The latest dirt on “Scrub” Rick Eckert can be found online at his official
website, located at www.rickeckertracing.com.
Media Contact: Ryan Delph – Delph Communications
www.delphcommunications.com
