His home is Central Pennsylvania, a tough old region filled with blue-collar people with straightforward manners and a passion for racing. It is there that Rick Eckert now celebrates his first World of Outlaws Late Model Series championship, another milestone in an accomplished career flush with success.

As moments go, this one surely ranks at the top. For it came after a tough, painful slog that spanned more than two years, a vexing period that revealed the character and determination of the man MORE