The NASCAR Weekly Racing Series
presented by Dodge was back in action on Saturday, May 18th at the
West Liberty Raceway located on the Muscatine County Fairgrounds in West
Liberty, Iowa. The rain shortened program of April 20th was finally
completed in addition to a full program of racing.
The NASCAR Iowa Illinois Taylor
Insulation Late Model division included another outstanding field of
competitors. 38 drivers signed in Saturday night looking to add their names to
the 2002 winners list. When the final checkered flag of the night waved it was
Denny Eckrich visiting victory lane with a very important NASCAR Midwest Region
win under his belt. Denny piloted the “Flyin 50” to the front from his 12th
position start. Eckrich was chasing race leader Steve Boley when Boley’s mount
let go of the driveshaft late in the race. The driveshaft caused a yellow with
five laps to go. The last five laps were hotly contested with Eckrich, Matt
Furman, Ray Guss Jr. and Todd Davis all having chances to take the win. Eckrich
was able to get to the checkers ahead of Furman with Guss Jr. in third.
The Miller Time Modifieds ran twin
20 lap features on Saturday night. The makeup feature from April 20th
was run early in the evening and the defending track champion Scott Megonigle
picked up his first win of the 2002 season. Megonigle was challenged late in the
race by Mike Zogg. But Megonigle was up to the challenge in scoring the win.
Zogg took second ahead of Rob Verbeck. The regularly scheduled 20 lap Modified
feature saw Gerry Brick score a win for the “over the hill gang” The Fountain
Transmission team #36 was very impressive all night and the checkers belonged to
the younger of the two Brick brothers. Rob Verbeck completed a successful night
with a second place finish in the second feature crossing the stripe ahead of
Darrell Brick.
Chad Simpson had a perfect night in
the Dadco/Parker Stores Pro Stock division. Two features wins and a heat win
completed a sweep for the Marion, Iowa driver. The makeup feature saw Chad
Simpson take the win over Andy Eckrich and Jason Gingerich. The scheduled 15 lap
feature saw Chad again take the checkers ahead of Eckrich with his brother Chris
taking the checkers in third.
The Hobby Stock feature was won by
Todd Hansen, who came from a sixth row start to capture the checkers. Hansen
drove a smooth race in taking the win over Matt Fulton and Davey Elliott.
Saturday, May 25th the
Wet Liberty Raceway will host the Budweiser Open Late Model Shootout. The
headliner of the night will be a 50 lap Open Late Model Feature paying a
whopping $6,000 to the winner. In addition to the high powered Late Models the
support classes will all be in competition racing for track points. Hot laps
will get underway at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 25th at the West
Liberty Raceway.
Iowa Illinois Taylor Insulation
Late Models
Heat 1
1.
30 Dan Brockert-Muscatine
2.
88 Kevin Kile-West Liberty
3.
18Z Rusty Zook-Riverside
Heat 2
1.
26 Steve Boley-West Liberty
2.
74 Ron Boyse-Kalona
3.
50 Denny Eckrich-Tiffin
Heat 3
1.
51 Matt Furman-Iowa City
2.
12 Ray Guss Jr.-Milan, IL
3.
3t Todd Davis-Iowa City
Heat 4
1.
32 Tom Cannon-Iowa City
2.
8 Sonny Findling-Kirksville, MO
3.
33 Nick Marolf-Moscow
Consolation
1.
13K Denny Petersen-Tipton
2.
66 Fred Remley-Blue Grass
3.
28 Jeff Bair-Solon
Feature
1.
50 Denny Eckrich-Tiffin
2.
51 Furman
3.
12 Guss Jr
4.
3T Davis
5.
8 Findling
6.
66 Fred Remley-Blue Grass
7.
2 Monte Ohrt-West Branch
8.
88 Kevin Kile-West Liberty
9.
31 Brian Morgan-Muscatine
10.
13k Petersen
11.
30 Gus Hughes-Monticello
12.
58 Dave Eckrich-Oxford
13.
74 Ron Boyse-Kalona
14.
77J Steve Johnson-Camanche
15.
18Z Rusty Zook-Riverside
16.
57 TomChristensen-West Liberty
17.
7 Andy Nezworski-Buffalo
18.
4 Bobby Sexton-West Branch
19.
26b Wayne Brau-Annawan, IL
20.
1m Rob Moss-Iowa City
21.
33 Nick Marolf-Moscow
22.
23D Dana Wells-Moscow
23.
26 Boley
24.
21h BrianHarris-Davenport
25.
32 Cannon
26.
30 Brockert
27.
28 Jeff Bair-Solon
28.
45 Mike Klinkhammer-West Branch
Miller Time Modifieds
Heat 1
1.
96 Larry Herring-Lone Tree
2.
9Z Mike Zogg-New Liberty
3.
42 John Brumley-Riverside
Heat 2
1.
M2 Scott Megonigle-Cedar Rapids
2.
19Terry Lawson-New Liberty
3.
22 Darrell Brick-West Branch
Heat 3
1.
36 Gerry Brick-West Branch
2.
45 Steve Kohli-Iowa City
3.
60 Robbie Verbeck-Annawan, IL
Feature
1.
36 Brick
2.
60 Verbeck
3.
22 Darrell Brick-West Branch
4.
45 Kohli
5.
2h Rick Hixson-Orion, IL
6.
96 Larry Herring-Lone Tree
7.
M2 Megonigle
8.
64 Bret Frieden-Walford
9.
9Z Zogg
10.
1 Dan Chapman-Clarence
11.
37b Ron Barker-Dubuque
12.
01M Mitch Way-Davenport
13.
D56 Mike Dains-Mechanicsville
14.
42 John Brumley-Riverside
15.
12 Terry Walker-Riverside
16.
26 Scott Fridley-Mechanicsville
17.
37 Todd Stoolman-West Branch
18.
71Z Raymond Partida-West Liberty
19.
19 Lawson
20.
55 Scott Stecher-Muscatine
21.
34 Dave Hemsted-Lone Tree
22.
2 Jim Vest-Wellman
23.
20 Dan Fellman-Blue Grass
24.
25 Dustin Lovell-Rochester
25.
92Z Tim Zeman-Fruitland
26.
36X Leroy Brenner-Aledo, IL
27.
5 Denny Poulsen-West Liberty
28.
17 Steve Stewart-Washington
Makeup Feature from 4/20
1.
M2 Megonigle
2.
9Z Zogg
3.
60 Verbeck
4.
2 Vest
5.
22 Darrell Brick
6.
1 Chapman
7.
2h Hixson
8.
37 Stoolman
9.
36 Gerry Brick
10.
42 Brumley
11.
45 Kohli
12.
37b Barker
13.
26 Fridley
14.
96 Herring
15.
92 Z Zeman
16.
64 Frieden
17.
71Z Partida
18.
34 Hemsted
19.
25 Lovell
20.
12 Walker
21.
D56 Dains
22.
18 Matt Ruess-West Liberty
23.
01M Way
24.
9 Dick Steadman-Hiawatha
25.
16 Ryan Dolan-Lisbon
26.
7 Mike Thomas-West Branch
DADCO Corp / Parker Stores Pro
Stocks
Heat 1
1.
25 Chad Simpson-Marion
2.
32 Chris Simpson-Marion
3.
24 Monte Hayden-Wilton
Heat 2
1. 56 Andy Eckrich-Cosgrove
2. 0B Matt Bodman-Muscatine
3.3D Dan Lange-Rochester
Heat 3
1.
2R Rusty Daufeldt-Blue Grass
2.
44S Tom Struve-Palo
3.
1 Matt Gichrist-Grandview
Feature
1.
25 Chad Simpson
2.
56 Eckrich
3.
32 Chris Simpson-Marion
4.
1 Gilchrist
5.
2R Rusty Daufeldt-Blue Grass
6.
33 randy Franzen-Maquoketa
7.
62 Norman Bean-Muscatine
8.
0 Bodman
9.
21 Brian VanDusen-Atalissa
10.
17 Gary Beuter-Tipton
11.
36 Jason Gingerich-West Liberty
12.
44S Tom Struve-Palo
13.
9Z Dan Werner-Muscatine
14.
77 Darren Plett-Donahue
15.
7 Dale Franklin-Marion
16.
24 Hayden
17.
25X Bobby Moyer-Dubuque
18.
3D Dan Lange-Rochester
19.
75 Mike Welsh-Davenport
20.
11 Troy Philpott-Muscatine
21.
31 Jeremy Honts-Muscatine
22.
60 Matt Brockert-Muscatine
23.
29 Bruce Miller-West Liberty
24.
99 Ricky West-Muscatine
Makeup Feature 4/20
1.
25 Simpson
2.
56 Eckrich
3.
36 Gingerich
4.
2R Daufeldt
5.
32 Simpson
6.
77 Plett
7.
17 Beuter
8.
62 Bean
9.
21 Van Dusen
10.
11 Philpott
11.
9Z Werner
12.
44S Struve
13.
3D Lange
14.
25X Moyer
15.
75 Welsh
16.
60 Brockert
17.
7 Franklin
18.
24 Hayden
19.
38 Skeet Smith-Wilton
20.
33 Franzen
21.
1 Gilchrist
22.
0B Bodman
23.
31 Honts
24.
29 Bruce Miller-West Liberty
NASCAR Hobby Stocks
Heat 1
1.
D1 Matt Fulton-Muscatine
2.
15 Jared Collins-West Liberty
3.
100 David Schrier-Muscatine
Heat 2
1.
21 Todd Hansen-Muscatine
2.
9 Davey Elliott-Moscow
3.
40 Jake Purdy-West Liberty
Feature
1.
21 Hansen
2.
D1 Fulton
3.
9 Davey Elliott-Moscow
4.
100 Dave Schrier-Muscatine
5.
15 Collins
6.
0 Stan O’Brien-Muscatine
7.
20 Dan Albright-Hiawatha
8.
99 C.J. Ormsby-Moscow
9.
57J JeremieThompson-Ainsworth
10.
25 Jim Schrier-Washington
11.
72 Doug Yates-Monticello
12.
42V Darren Voss-Wilton
13.
66 Jason Erwin-Muscatine
14.
40 Jake Purdy-West Liberty
15.
77 Ed O’Brien-Cedar Rapids
16.
94 Jason Lange-Mt Vernon
17.
S9 Ron Schreurs-Fruitland
18.
46 Jerry Suchomel-Iowa City
19.
7K Tim Kemmerer-Fairfax
20.
2B Bill Butteris-Lisbon
West Liberty Raceway
5/18/02
By: Jerry Mackey
