Dave Eckrich Takes $6,000 Bud Shootout Win At Dubuque Speedway July 7, 2002

The Holiday Budweiser Open Late Model Shootout swing wrapped up on Sunday, July 7^th with racing action at the Dubuque County Fairgrounds Speedway. A first time winner took the checkers in the 50 lap main event, Dave Eckrich drove his Grove powered Precision Performance late model to the win.

Eckrich qualified for the outside front row by taking second to Brian Birkhofer in the Hollywood Graphics fast dash. Eckrich put his car on the top side of the high banked 3/8 mile track and fought off the constant challenges of Birkhofer the entire 50 laps. Birkhofer took the lead on the 40^th lap but his move was erased due to a caution. The last ten laps was a real nail biter as Eckrich and Birkhofer circled the track practically glued together. Neither driver was able to gain any advantage, the margin of victory was less than ½ a car length at the checkers. Eckrich said in victory lane” we were running so close that at times you couldn’t have put a piece of paper between us, but Brian is a professional racer and he raced me clean the entire way.” While the battle for the lead went on several other battles for position went on throughout the field. Local favorite Darren Mish won a heated battle for third coming from an 8^th position start to cross under the checkers ahead of a very strong Darren Miller. Ray Guss Jr. rounded out the top five. Miller, Duane Coulson and Gary Webb won the Iowa Illinois Taylor Insulation qualifying heats. The Hollywood Graphics fast dash went to Birkhofer. The consolation race was won by Jeff Laue.

Modified point leader Jason Schueller advanced form a sixth row start to win his second feature of the season at the Dubuque Speedway. Schueller fought off several late race charges by Ron Barker in scoring the win. Ryan Dolan took third ahead of Mark Schulte.

The NASCAR Pro Stock feature had a first time winner make his way to victory lane, Jeff Reinert won his first ever main event since moving up from the hobby Stock division. Reinert won the late race battle with Bobby Moyer in taking his rookie season Pro Stock win. Jeff Tharp followed Moyer across the line in third.

The Hobby Stock feature win went to Steve Dunkel driving a car owned by Jeff Reinert. Dunkel took the checkers by a few feet over Jerry Merkes. The two drivers swapped the lead back and forth on the white flag lap with Dunkel winning the race off of turn four to the checkers. Larry Benn crossed the line in third.

Brad Klaas won his first ever Farley Flyer feature topping a 20 car starting field. Klaas held off Joe Sarazin at the checkers for the win and the beautiful trophy that went with the win.  

The NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge will be back in action on Sunday, July 14^th with race time set for 6:30 p.m. a the Dubuque County Fairgrounds Speedway.

Budweiser Open Late Model Shootout

Race Results 7/7/02

Farley Flyers Feature

1. 3x Brad Klaas-Lancaster, WI

2. 8 Joe Sarazin-Dubuque

3. 31 Jason Roth-Hazel Green, WI

4. 38 R.J.Simon-Farley

5. 66 Tony Brimeyer-Dubuque

6. 17 Randy Leehan-Apple River, IL

7. 14 Levi Benn-Dyersville

8. 99.3 Loras Feldman-Farley

9. 68 Steve Stackis-Dubuque

10. 21m Bill Flynn-Dubuque

11. 11 Tyler Hardy

12. 69 Becky Roth-Cuba City, WI

13. 21W Dustin Wilwert-Dubuque

14. 01 Damien Miller-Dubuque

15. 75 Chad Nadermann-Farley

16. 21k Danny Kennedy-Dubuque

17. 95 Deb McNabb-Maquoketa

18. 1T Mark Thul-Dubuque

19. 38 Bryan Melocarro-Dubuque

20. 55 Brian Kammerude-Hazel Green, WI

Top 12 in Track Points Did Not Run Qualifying Heats

NASCAR Hobby Stocks

Feature

1. 97 Steve Dunkel-Worthington

2. 8K Jerry Merkes-Farley

3. 13 Larry Benn-Dyersville

4. 98 Jason Rauen-Farley

5. 81 K.C. Ansel-Dubuque

6. 28 Ed McIntyre-Delhi

7. 59 Mike Hughes-Galena, IL

8. 89 Kelly Welter-Dubuque

9. 44x Mike Lynch-Platteville, WI

10. 83 Rob Petsche-Centralia

11. 44 B.J. Schmidt-Dubuque

12. 6 Jed Frieberger-Dubuque

13. 33 Jim Turpin-Shullsburg, WI

NASCAR Pro Stocks

Feature

1. 97 Jeff Reinert-Dyersville

2. 25 Bobby Moyer-Dubuque

3. 12 Jeff Tharp-Dubuque

4. 20 Ty Kleiner-Potosi, WI

5. 16 Dan Shelliam-Hazel Green, WI

6. 56 Andy Eckrich-Cosgrove

7. 35 Jim Brokus-Dubuque

8. 1 John Walker-Cedar Rapids

9. 22 Jeff Valentine-Dubuque

10. 18 Skip Culbertson-Dubuque

11. 2K Jeff Kennedy-Dubuque

12. 71 Kevin Schroeder-Low Moor

NASCAR Modifieds

Feature

1. 3 Jason Schuller-Dubuque

2. 37 B Ron Barker-Dubuque

3. 16 Ryan Dolan-Lisbon

4. 27 Mark Schulte-Delhi

5. 33 Steve Wetter-Platteville, WI

6. 74 Scott Nesteby-Dubuque

7. 20 Korey Burmeister-Glen Haven, WI

8. 10 Jed Hurst-Hazel Green, WI

9. 69 Corey Dripps-Waterloo

10. 63 Scott Olson-Preston

11. 5D Bob Dominacki-Bettendorf

12. 1D Mel Saffran-Dubuque

13. 15 Sean Rupp-Dubuque

14. 19 Jim Allen-Dubuque

15. 92 Tim Zeman-Fruitland

16. 10 M Steve Marks-Muscatine

17. 24M Jan Messer-Manchester

18. 4 Jerry Miles-Dubuque

Iowa Illinois Taylor Insulation Late Models

Budweiser Open Late Model Shootout

Heat 1

1. 32D Darren Miller-Chadwick, IL

2. 58 David Eckrich-Oxford

3. 21h Brian Harris-Davenport

Heat 2

1. 44 Duane Coulson-East Dubuque, IL

2. 7 Mark Burgtorf-Quincy, IL

3. 77 Jeff Aikey-Cedar Falls

Heat 3

1.  56 Gary Webb-Blue Grass

2. 37B Troy Bruder-Freeport, IL

3. 15 Brian Birkhofer-Muscatine

Consolation

1. 45l Jeff Laue-Burlington

2. 51 Matt Furman-Iowa City

3. 87 Clint Hines-Andalusia

Hollywood Graphics Fast Dash

1.      15 Birkhofer

2.      58 Eckrich

3.      56 Webb

50 Lap Bud Shootout

Feature

1. 58 Eckrich

2. 15 Birkhofer

3. 79 Mish

4. 32D Miller

5. 12  Ray Guss Jr.-Milan, IL

6. 99D Darrell DeFrance-Marshalltown

7. 21 Luke Merfeld-Dubuque

8. 7 Burgtorf

9. 21H Harris

10. 77 Aikey

11. 37b Bruder

12. 33g Dan Galant-Clinton

13. 13K Denny Petersen-Tipton

14. 1m Rob Moss-Iowa City

15. 87 Hines

16. 44 Coulson

17. 56 Webb

18. 45l Laue

19. 12n Terry Neal-Ely

20. 37 Rollie Frink-Davenport

21. 25 Kerry Hanson-Spencer, WI

22. 50 Denny Eckrich-Tiffin

23. 51 Furman

24. 8 Mark Merfeld-Dubuque

25. 3 Brad Stewart-Milledgeville, IL

26. 45 Curt Martin-Independence

Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway

7/7/02

By: Jerry Mackey