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Ray Guss Jr. Opens 2002 With West Liberty Spring Championship Win
The 2002 NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge season got underway on Saturday night April, 6th at the West Liberty Raceway. The popular ½ mile dirt track located on the Muscatine County Fairgrounds in West Liberty played host to the Iowa Illinois Taylor Insulation Spring Championships with 127 race car drivers taking part in the season opener.
Ray Guss Jr began his assault on the NASCAR Midwest region title with a very impressive feature win in the Iowa Illinois Taylor Insulation 50. The race program was run under a draw and redraw format which saw the top three finishers in each of the four Late Model heats redraw for the first 12 starting positions. Gary Webb drew the pole position and appeared to be the man to beat in the early going. Webb had built a comfortable lead in the main event which went flag to flag following a minor spin which caused a yellow before one lap was scored. Webb was working lapped traffic as the crossed flags were displayed signifying the half way point of the race. Webb was caught by the Eckrich brothers, Dave and Denny and Ray Guss Jr. On lap 26 the leaders were three abreast entering turn one. Guss was able to work the bottom of the track to secure the lead. Guss went on to build a comfortable lead and worked lapped traffic the remainder of the race on his way to the $2,000 victory. The second position was hotly contested with the two Eckrich’s and Webb swapping the position several times the last half of the race. At the checkers it was Webb by a car length in second over Dave Eckrich with Denny Eckrich taking fourth ahead of Steve Boley.
The Miller Time Modifieds delighted the fans with plenty of wheel to wheel racing action throughout their 20 lap main event. When the checkered flag flew it was 21 year old Mitch Way scoring his first ever NASCAR feature win and his first ever ½ mile win. Way chased down race leader Bret Frieden while doing battle with a very strong Larry Herring. This trio raced three wide for the lead on lap fifteen before Way was able to break away and score the win. Frieden crossed the stripe in second ahead of Herring and Rick Hixson.
The DADCO Corp/Parker Stores Pro Stocks are going to provide the fans with lots of excitement in 2002. The 15 lap Spring Championship feature saw Bruce Miller score a hometown win for the West Liberty driver. Miller led the entire feature event but was challenged all the way by Ty Kleiner and Jeff Tharp. Miller held his line to perfection in not giving up the lead position. Kleiner settled for a close second, Tharp crossed the line in third but was late DQ’d for failing to meet the minimum weight requirement. This elevated John Maher into third with Norman Bean rounding out the top four. The “Racin Mason” C.J. Ormsby piloted his #99 NASCAR Hobby Stock to the Spring Championship feature win. Ormsby held off a fast closing Jerry Merkes at the checkers, Todd Hansen was able to hang on to third despite having engine problems. Racing action will continue every Saturday night at the West Liberty Raceway with hot laps getting underway at 6:30 with racing slated for 7 p.m. Iowa Illinois Taylor Insulation Late Models Heat 1
Heat 2
Heat 3
Heat 4
Consi 1
Consi 2
Iowa Illinois Taylor Insulation 50
Miller Time Modifieds
Heat 1
Heat 2
Heat 3
Heat 4
Consi 1
Consi 2
Miller Time Modified Feature
DACO Corp/Parker Stores Pro Stocks
Heat 1
Heat 2
Heat 3.
Feature
NASCAR Hobby Stocks
Heat 1
Heat 2 1.66 Jason Erwin-Muscatine 2. 94 Jason Lange-Mt. Vernon 3. 2b Bill Butteris-Lisbon
Heat 3
Feature 1. 99 Ormsby 2. 8K Merkes 3. 21 Hansen 4. 2b Butteris 5. 0 Stan Obrien-Muscatine 6. 57J Thompson 7. 51 Doolittle 8. 66 Erwin 9. 38 T.J. Leslein-Durango 10. 77 Ed Obrien-Cedar Rapids 11. 94 Lange 12. 81 K.C. Ansel-Dubuque 13. 100 Dave Schrier-Muscatine 14. S9 Ron Schreurs-Fruitland 15. 2W Roger Whitccomb-Letts 16. 7 Tim Kemmerer-Fairfax 17. 72 Doug Yates-Monticello 18. 77X John Gulik-Dubuque 19. 42V Derrin Voss-Wilton 20. 15 Jared Collins-West Liberty
West Liberty Raceway 4/6/02 By: Jerry Mackey, simmonspromotions@mcleodusa.net |
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