Bristol Motor Speedway
Wisconsin drivers grab $5,000 apiece on WDRL weekend
By Bucky Doren
World Dirt Racing League PolyDome Late Model Series
Wisconsin drivers dominated Labor Day weekend on the World Dirt Racing League PolyDome Late Model Series. Brady Smith, the 2004 WDRL champion from Solon Springs, Wis, won at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., while John Kaanta of Elk Mound, Wis., notched his first-ever WDRL victory at Quad City Raceway in East Moline, Ill.
Deer Creek Speedway
SPRING VALLEY, Minn. (Sept. 2) — Brady Smith dominated the 50-lap feature event at Deer Creek, never looking back in winning by more than a straightaway advantage.
"I can't say enough about my crew," Smith said in victory lane after his $5,000 victory. "They really gave me a great race car. It got a little racy trying to work through lapped traffic, but we could go anywhere.
"We pulled out the new car tonight. We had to do something to change our luck. It felt pretty good during the heat and the pole dash, and we really didn't make a whole lot of changes to the car."
Denny Eckrich brought the 24-car field to the green flag. Outside front-row starter Justin Fegers motored into the lead out of turn two.�Smith followed Fegers around Eckrich and took second place.
Fegers and Smith ran nose to tail and pulled away from the rest of the field over the first 10 laps. As the lead duo started working through lapped traffic, Smith was able to sneak by into the lead in his No. 2 machine.
With Smith pulling away, the battle was on for second. Fegers and Eckrich raced side by side for several laps before Eckrich won that battle. Eckrich held on for second followed by Fegers, Eric Pember and Adam Hensel.
WDRL @ Deer Creek: (1) Brady Smith, (2) Denny Eckrich, (3) Justin Fegers, (4) Eric Pember, (5) Adam Hensel, (6) Dave Eckrich, (7) Kerry Hansen, (8) Chad Simpson, (9) Matt Furman, (10) Nick Herrick, (11) Keith Foss, (12) Rick Hanestad, (13) Chris Simpson, (14) Neil Eckhart, (15) Andrew McKay, (16) Marshall Fegers, (17) John Kaanta, (18) Brian Harris, (19) Gary Webb, (20) Mike Prochnow, (21) Steve Ihm, (22) Ron Schreiner, (23) Tim Isenberg, (24) Curt Martin.
Quad City Raceway
EAST MOLINE, Ill. (Sept. 2) — John Kaanta held off a late-race charge from defending series champion Denny Eckrich at Quad City Raceway to capture WDRL's first-ever visit to the quarter-mile oval.
Kaanta was slowed late in the race by a lapped car, and Eckrich closed in. But the top series rookie held on for the victory one night after a 17th-place finish in Minnesota.
"This is great," a tired Kaanta said in victory lane. "After last night, we really wanted to do well tonight. The crew worked hard, and we got the win."
Maneuvering through lapped traffic was a concern for the race winner.
"I was starting to think that this lapped car is going to really let the rest of the pack to catch up," he said. "I just tried to focus on getting by."
Rob Toland, no stranger to the speedway, had brought the field to life on the fast-paced oval when he jumped out front early. Eckrich, Eric Pember and Kaanta put on some great two- and three-wide racing while battling for second place. Kaanta eventually worked around Eckrich to take second, then he began to reel Toland in.
Toland and Kaanta worked through lapped traffic, staying nose to tail through most of the first 30 laps of the 50-lapper. That's when trouble stopped Toland's bid for the win as he came to a stop in turn three with mechanical problems.
Kaanta took command with four drivers chasing him: Eckrich, Pember, Jimmy Mars and Justin Fegers. Eckrich broke free of the bunch and started closing in on Kaanta.
With three laps remaining, Eckrich was right on Kaanta's rear deck, but it was to be Kaanta's night as he scored the $5,000 payday. Eckrich was second at the checkers followed by Mars, Pember and Fegers.
WDRL @ Quad City: (1) John Kaanta, (2) Denny Eckrich, (3) Jimmy Mars, (4) Eric Pember, (5) Justin Fegers, (6) Dave Eckrich, (7) Tim Lance, (8) Rick Hanestad, (9) Brian Harris, (10) Adam Hensel, (11) Kevin Blum, (12) Gary Webb, (13) Mike Prochnow, (14) Shawn Mulvany, (15) Fred Remley, (16) Adam Oppendike, (17) Bryan Kammerer, (18) Jason Bahrs, (19) Rob Toland, (20) Jason Utter, (21) Chris Simpson, (22) Andrew McKay, (23) Darren Miller, (24) Tim Isenberg.
Notebook
Smith's Bloomquist Race Car has a Vic Hill Racing Engine and sponsorship from AMSOIL, Willow River Saloon, Mid-States Equipment and McFarland Pain Clinic. ... Kaanta's MasterSbilt Race Car has a Pro Power engine and sponsorship from Plank Enterprises and LPI Lift Systems. ... Smith has six career WDRL victories. ... The series moves to Freeport (Ill.) Raceway Park on Sept. 7-8. The opening night pays $2,500 to win while the finale pays $7,500.
