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ECKRICH KEEPS HEAT ON IN DUBUQUEDUBUQUE SPEEDWAY Denny Eckrich kept the season long points race close at the Dubuque Speedway on Sunday June 10th by winning his second NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Late Model event of the season and pulling within 4 points of defending National Champion Gary Webb. Starting the race in the eleventh and twelfth spots, Eckrich and Webb quickly found their way to the front of the pack, with Eckrich taking the lead away from pole sitter Brian Webb by the fifth lap. Quickly opening up a lead, Eckrich saw his advantage erased by the eighth circuit when caution slowed the field. The ensuing restart saw Webb get underneath Eckrich but unable to pull into the lead as the pair raced side-by-side around the high-banked clay oval for several laps. Webb eventually abandoned the bottom of the racetrack and fell in line behind Eckrich, staying several car lengths back but within striking distance as the pair began encountering slower traffic with ten laps to go. Eckrich found the quicker way through the lapped traffic, opening up his lead to around 10 car lengths at the checkers. Ace Ihm took advantage of the heavy lapped traffic to pressure Webb several times as the race drew to a close, but was unable to find a clean spot to attempt a pass. Rounding out the top five behind Ihm was Ryan Dolan and Ray Guss Jr, who charged from nineteenth to fifth at the checkers. Ryan Dolan backed up his previous weeks win in Modified action, battling Jason Schueller and numerous caution periods. Schueller jumped out to the early lead ahead of Mark Schulte while Dolan began the event in the eighth spot. The race for the lead began following a lap four restart when Dolan lined up just behind Schueller in the second spot. Dolan gave heavy pressure underneath Schueller on the restart before Ron Barker snuck underneath both of them to briefly assume the lead. Barker held the lead during a lap eight caution but quickly surrendered the top spot back to Dolan, who had suddenly found new life on the top of the racetrack. Schueller followed Dolan’s lead to pass Barker for the second spot, as did Rich Smith late in the race. Barker held on to fourth ahead of Jed Hurst. Jeff Kennedy notched the Pro Stock victory by a nose after sliding underneath leader Jeff Tharp on the final corner of the race. Kennedy took the lead away from Bruce Van Gordon early in the event by riding the cushion, but saw Tharp close in and take the lead on the tenth lap. Kennedy stayed on the cushion for most of the remainder of the race before switching to the bottom of the track on the white flag lap, diving underneath Tharp as the pair entered the final corner and emerging with the lead as they raced to the checkers. Jeff Valentine finished a distant third ahead of Brian Culbertson and Dan Shelliam. Larry Benn took home his second Hobby Stock feature win of the year by taking the lead away from Jarvis Eastlick on the seventh lap and cruising home to the easy win. Scott Riechers, Eastlick, Jeff Reinert and Jerry Merkes rounded out the top five after Jed Frieburger’s car failed to make post-race weight and was disqualified. Kelly Welter took home his second straight Fun Car feature win ahead of Ray Fawcett and Brian Strang as the eleven car field raced from green to checkers without a caution flag. Racing action continues this Sunday at the Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway, with hot laps for all five divisions of NASCAR stock cars scheduled for 6 pm and racing to follow. Raceday weather updates can be found by calling your local McLeod USA InTouch Directory category #3741, with post-race results in category #3740. For more information, contact Simmons Promotions at 563-744-3620 or online at www.simmonspromotionsinc.com. LATE MODELS MODIFIEDS PRO STOCKS BOMBERS FUN CARS |
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