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Season Championship Wins To Furman, Walker, Gingerich & Hansen; Track Titles To Denny Eckrich, Darrall Brick, Andy Eckrich & Todd Hansen At West Liberty Raceway
The NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge season at the West Liberty Raceway came to a close on Saturday night on KWCC Radio season championship night. It was a beautiful night for racing a large crowd turned out to take in the action packed night of racing.
The Iowa Illinois Taylor Insulation NASCAR Late Model feature saw 27 drivers take the green flag in the 35 lap season championship race. Tom Cannon led the first 15 laps from his pole position start before Matt Furman took over the top spot. Furman advanced from the fourth row and took the lead and went on to score an impressive feature win. Furman had the field bunched on his rear bumper following a couple of late race cautions but Furman was up to the challenge in taking the win ahead of Denny Eckrich and a strong finishing Fred Remley. Denny Eckrich completed an outstanding season by winning the track points title in the NASCAR Midwest Region strongest weekly Late Model Track. The West Liberty Raceway consistently has the largest car count of all NASCAR Late Model tracks in the region and the track has produced a large number of winners in 2002.
The Miller Time Modified feature produced two outstanding races in one on Saturday night. The season championship feature win went to Terry Walker. The #12 of Walker led the entire 20 laps, Walker debuted his new car a few weeks back and has finished the season very strong with two feature wins in the late going of the season. Walker took the checkers ahead of Todd Stoolman and Ryan Dolan. Going into Saturday nights season championship races Darrall Brick had slim 4 point lead over Larry Herring. This meant that Brick could not finish less than two positions behind Herring, that is exactly what happened with Herring taking fourth and Brick taking sixth. This left the point race tied with Brick being awarded the title with the tie breaker being instituted. Brick wins the title by virtue of 4 wins in the season compared to 2 by Herring.
The DADCO Corp./Parker Stores Pro Stock feature saw Matt Gilchrist advance all the way from his 19th position start to take the apparent win in the 15 lap feature. Gilchrist refused to allow officials post race inspect the engine forcing a DQ. This awarded the season championship win to Jason Gilchrist. Gilchrist has finished the season very strong and the championship win was hard earned by the popular West Liberty driver. Andy Eckrich took second and earned his second consecutive track point title in the Pro Stock division. Eckrich will be joining his two older brothers in the NASCAR Late Model division in 2003.
The consistency of Todd Hansen’s efforts throughout the 2002 season earned him the tracks Hobby Stock division point title and Saturday night Hansen put an exclamation point on the season by winning the season championship feature.
Jason Lange ran second ahead of Jeremie Thompson.
A special match race was held between KWCC Radio personalities Hoppi Hopkins and Katie Kile. Both were driving Farley Flyer cars provided by R.J. Simon of Farley, Iowa. Hoppi took a two car length win over Katie earning bragging rights.
The West Liberty Raceway will now lay idle until the running of the sixth annual “Liberty 100” Friday & Saturday, September 20th and 21st. The Liberty 100 will include qualifying heats in all four divisions and the Race of Champions on Friday night. All features being headlined by the 100 lap Bud Shootout Late Model “Liberty” will be held on Saturday, September 21st. The 100 lapper will award the winner $7,000.
Race Results 8/31/02
Iowa Illinois Taylor Insulation Late Models
Heat 1 1. 51 Matt Furman-Iowa City 2. 4 Bobby Sexton-West Branch 3. 50 Denny Eckrich-Tiffin
Heat 2 1. 26 Steve Boley-West Liberty 2. 18Z Rusty Zook-Riverside 3. 3t Todd Davis-Iowa City
Heat 3 1. 45 Michael Klinkkammer-West Branch 2. 43 Kurt Stewart-Ainsworth 3. 66 Fred Remley-Blue Grass, IA
Feature 1. 51 Furman 2. 50 Eckrich 3. 66 Remley 4. 45 Klinkkammer 5. 12 Ray Guss Jr.-Milan, IL 6. 3T Davis 7. 57 Tom Christensen-West Liberty 8. 4 Sexton 9. 18Z Zook 10. 32 Tom Cannon-Iowa City 11. 28 Jeff Bair-Solon 12. 33 Nick Marolf-Moscow 13. 8M Mark Ward-Muscatine 14. 43 Stewart 15. 21h Brian Harris-Davenport 16. M32 Marty Beckler-Tiffin 17. 31b Jason Utter-Columbus Junction 18. 77J Steve Johnson-Camanche 19. 13K Denny Petersen-Tipton 20. 2 Monte Ohrt-West Branch 21. 77 Kurt Kile-West Liberty 22. 31 Brian Morgan-Muscatine 23. 88 Kevin Kile-West Liberty 24. 26 Boley 25. 69 Todd Hormel-West Liberty 26. 23D Dana Wells-Moscow 27. 74 Ron Boyse-Kalona
Miller Time Modifieds Heat 1 1. 19Terry Lawson-New Liberty 2. 12 Terry Walker-Riverside 3. 37 Todd Stoolman-West Branch
Heat 2 1. 2h Rick Hixson-Orion, IL 2. 34 Dave Hemsted-Lone Tree 3. 2 Jim Vest-Wellman
Heat 3 1. 22 Darrall Brick-West Branch 2. 9 Dick Steadman-Hiawatha 3. 16 Ryan Dolan-Lisbon
Feature 1. 12 Walker 2. 37 Stoolman 3. 16 Dolan 4. 96 Larry Herring-Lone Tree 5. 2 Vest 6. 22 Brick 7. 60 Robbie Verbeck-Annawan, IL 8. 2h Hixson 9. 20 John Fellman-Blue Grass 10. 71Z Ray Partida-West Liberty 11. 45 Steve Kohli-Iowa City 12. 44 Wade Lee-Muscatine 13. 25 Dustin Lovell-Rochester 14. D56 Mike Dains-Mechanicsville 15. 42 John Brumley-Riverside 16. 38 Rob Hilyer-Nichols 17. 18 Matt Ruess-West Liberty 18. 5 Denny Poulsen-West Liberty 19. 17 Steve Stewart-Washington 20. 19 Lawson 21. 9 Steadman 22. 34 Hemsted 23. 9Z Mike Zogg-New Liberty
DADCO Corp./Parker Stores Pro Stocks
Heat 1 1. 29 Jason Gingerich-West Liberty 2. 56 Andy Eckrich-Cosgrove 3. 38 Skeet Smith-Wilton
Heat 2 1. 7 Dale Franklin-Marion 2. 32 Chris Simpson-Marion 3. 69 John Maher-West Branch
Heat 3 1. 21 Brian VanDusen-Atalissa 2. 36 Justin Gingerich-West Liberty 3. 2R Rusty Daufeldt-Blue Grass
Feature 1. 29 Gingerich 2. 56 Eckrich 3. 32 Simpson 4. 21 VanDusen 5. 69 Maher 6. 3D Dan Lange-Rochester 7. 9Z Dan Werner-Muscatine 8. 0 Matt Bodman-Muscatine 9. S1 Steve Hunter-Hopkinton 10. 60 Matt Brockert-Muscatine 11. 5m Larry McCall-Mechanicsville 12. 31 Jeremy Honts-Muscatine 13. 36 Gingerich 14. 2R Daufeldt 15. 75 Mike Welsh-Davenport 16. 25 Chad Simpson-Marion 17. 33 Randy Franzen-Maquoketa 18. 26 PaulHallett-Muscatine 19. 7 Franklin 20. 77 Darren Plett-Donahue 21. 24 Monte Hayden-Wilton 22. 38 Smith
NASCAR Hobby Stocks Heat 1 1. 0 Stan O’Brien-Muscatine 2. S9 Ron Schreurs-Fruitland 3. 57J JeremieThompson-Ainsworth
Heat 2 1. 21 Todd Hansen-Muscatine 2. 94 Jason Lange-Lisbon 3. D1 Matt Fulton-Muscatine
Feature 1. 21 Hansen 2. 94 Lange 3. 57j Thompson 4. 0 O’Brien 5. 15 Jared Collins-West Liberty 6. D1 Fulton 7. 25 Jim Schrier-Washington 8. 9 Davey Elliott-Moscow 9. 81 K.C. Ansel-Dubuque 10. 89 Kelly Welter-St. Donatus 11. 42V Darrin Voss-Wilton 12. 2W Roger Whitcomb-Letts 13. 20 Dan Albright-Hiawatha 14. 100 Dave Schrier-Washington 15. S9 Schruers 16. 72 Doug Yates-Monticello 17. 40 Jake Purdy-West Liberty 18. 66 Jason Erwin-Muscatine
West Liberty Raceway 8-31-02 By: Jerry Mackey |
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