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• Eckert Wins Again At Rolling Wheels Raceway Park

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Eckert Cruises To NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week Victory At Rolling Wheels Raceway Park For Second Straight Year

Keystone State Star Sweeps World of Outlaws Late Model Series Program

By Kevin Kovac, WoO LMS P.R. Director

ELBRIDGE, NY – Oct. 4, 2012 – Rick Eckert has figured out Rolling Wheels Raceway Park.

The 46-year-old star from York, Pa., was untouchable in Thursday night’s 50-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series A-Main, cruising to victory at the five-eighths-mile oval during NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week for the second straight year.

Eckert steered his Team Zero by Bloomquist car past Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., for the lead on lap 11 and never looked back. He had a straightaway-plus advantage wiped out by a lap-35 caution flag but still triumphed by a commanding margin, pulling away over the final circuits to defeat a late-charging Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., by 5.529 seconds.

“I just love this place,” said Eckert, whose four career WoO LMS starts at Rolling Wheels include two wins (2011 and ’12) and two runner-up finishes (’05 and ’10). “It’s turned into my favorite racetrack in the country.”

Runaway WoO LMS points leader Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., had an relative off night, finishing third despite starting from the pole position. He was outgunned for the lead at the initial green flag by McCool and fell back as far as fourth before passing McCool for third on lap 40.

Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., who has frequented Rolling Wheels throughout his career to compete in DIRTcar Northeast Modified events, battled forward from the sixth starting spot to place fourth. McCool, who led laps 1-10 and ran second until lap 39, settled for a fifth-place finish in a car that sported a fresh Halloween-themed wrap.

Eckert earned $11,150 for his sweep of the night’s program. He set fast time – his fifth of 2012 to tie Lanigan for the top spot in that category – won a heat race and dominated the feature.

The triumph was Eckert’s fourth of 2012 and the 28th of his career on the WoO LMS, pulling him into a tie with Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., for third on the national tour’s win list since 2004.

Eckert, who started third, was in a league of his own once he overtook McCool for the lead. He passed Lanigan for second on a lap-four restart and spent six circuits measuring McCool before surging by the 2012 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year.

“Me and Bub talked about tires before the race and I told him what I was putting on,” said Eckert. “He went softer – and this place likes one tire, and one tire only, and if you don’t have it on you’re in trouble, so I wasn’t panicking when he was leading (early).

“I finally moved up in (turns) three and four and about run over (McCool) off of four. I was like, ‘The next lap when we get here, it’ll be good.’ Then (the ensuing circuit) I drove around him down there.”

Eckert praised the performance of his Jay Dickens-powered machine.

“My car was maneuverable,” said Eckert. “I could go anywhere I wanted to go. We caught on to something when we got to Berlin, Michigan (on Sept. 21-22), and since then (the setup) lets me drive (the car) just as hard as I can drive it. I had to drive the wheels off it tonight because when you ease up on it, it ain’t very good.

“My guy (crewman Bob Miller) was telling me I had a big lead, but I couldn’t slow up. If I slowed up I got worse, so I just ran as hard as I could.”

That was actually quite simple for Eckert, who feels utterly comfortable circling Rolling Wheels.

“Our car and my driving style sort of fit this place,” said Eckert. “It’s big – and I grew up on big racetracks – and you gotta drive straight. I drive straighter than the average guy – too straight for most places, and it gets me in trouble – but here it makes up for it for sure.”

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Clanton, 37, advanced from the seventh starting spot to finish second in the Kennedy Motorsports Capital Race Car, but he never drew close to Eckert. The Peach State racer vaulted from fourth to second shortly after a lap-35 restart – passing both Lanigan and McCool – but couldn’t challenge the eventual winner.

“I don’t think there was any catching him,” Clanton said of Eckert. “His car was a little more balanced than what ours was. We got to second and just maintained, and then we got to lapped traffic and he was just more maneuverable. He could pass cars faster than I could.”

Lanigan, 42, was surprisingly never a threat to push his single-season record win total to 16, but he left Rolling Wheels with a 204-point lead in the WoO LMS standings that puts him on the verge of clinching his second career championship. Eckert still is mathematically alive, but Lanigan can claim the title by merely earning a minimum of 82 points – the amount given to the fifth B-Main non-transfer – in each of the season’s three remaining events.

Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., finished a quiet-but-steady sixth after starting fourth. Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis., briefly reached fifth place but settled for seventh. Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., finished eighth, Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., slipped from the fifth starting slot to a ninth-place finish and Coleby Frye of Dover, Pa., earned recognition as the highest-finishing non-Outlaw by rounding out the top 10.

Three caution flags slowed the event. Alan Fink of Brewerton, N.Y., and Sean Beardsley of Central Square, N.Y., spun between turns one and two on the second lap; Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs of Bear Lake, Pa., was sent twirling between turns three and four on lap four; and Bryan Driver of Pennington, N.J., spun on the homestretch on lap 35.

Twenty-five cars were signed in for the program. The only driver unable to start the A-Main was Ricky Elliott of Seaford, Del., whose machine was sidelined for the night by an apparent burnt piston during hot laps.

Eckert earned fast-time recognition with a lap of 18.632 seconds.

Heat winners were Eckert, Fuller and Lanigan. No B-Main was run.

The WoO LMS will be back in action on Wed., Oct. 10, in the Circle K World of Outlaws Late Model Showdown at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, N.C.

Results of WoO Late Model Series at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):

1. (3) Rick Eckert/50 $11,150
2. (7) Shane Clanton/50 $6,050
3. (1) Darrell Lanigan/50 $4,150
4. (6) Vic Coffey/50 $3,550
5. (2) Bub McCool/50 $3,300
6. (4) Clint Smith/50 $2,750
7. (8) Pat Doar/50 $2,550
8. (12) Chub Frank/50 $2,350
9. (5) Tim Fuller/50 $2,250
10. (19) Coleby Frye/49 $1,600
11. (14) Ron Davies/49 $1,050
12. (9) Tim McCreadie/48 $2,200
13. (13) Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs/48 $950
14. (11) Andy Haus/48 $950
15. (17) Dave Zona/48 $850
16. (24) Greg Belyea/47 $800
17. (16) Jim Yoder/47 $770
18. (21) Alan Fink/47 $750
19. (15) Chad Hollenbeck/35 $730
20. (20) Sean Beardsley/32 $800
21. (18) Bryan Driver/18 $700
22. (22) Doug Eck/9 $725
23. (10) Kent Robinson/5 $1,750
24. (23) Dan Stone/3 $700

* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses

Time of Race: 33 Mins., 6.186 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 5.529 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 3 (Laps 2, 4, 35)
Lap Leaders: McCool (1-10); Eckert (11-50)
Provisional Starters: None
Rookie of the Race: McCool ($250)
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Frye ($500)

Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):

1. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 18.632
2. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 18.818
3. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 18.848
4. 25-Shane Clanton/Fayetteville, GA 18.895
5. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 18.966
6. 57J-Bub McCool/Vicksburg, MS 18.971
7. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 19.269
8. 11-Pat Doar/New Richmond, WI 19.300
9. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 19.344
10. 32-Coleby Frye/Dover, PA 19.382
11. 76-Andy Haus/Hamburg, PA 19.511
12. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 19.522
13. 99b-Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs/Bear Lake, PA 19.588
14. 71d-Ron Davies/Warren, PA 19.615
15. 4ds-Chad Hollenbeck/Kingsley, PA 19.628
16. 7R-Kent Robinson/Bloomington, IN 19.678
17. 2-Dan Stone/Thompson, PA 19.720
18. 1d-Bryan Driver/Pennington, PA 19.798
19. 27-Jim Yoder/Selinsgrove, PA 19.905
20. 99z-Dave Zona/Montrose, PA 19.997
21. 15-Alan Fink/Brewerton, NY 20.351
22. 03-Doug Eck/Corry, PA 20.366
23. 18-Sean Beardsley/Central Square, NY 20.439
24. 99-Greg Belyea/Frankford, ONT 21.957
25. 88-Ricky Elliott/Seaford, DE N/T

Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 6 Transfer): Eckert, C. Smith, Clanton, Robinson, Briggs, Yoder, Frye, Eck

Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 6 Transfer): Fuller, Coffey, Doar, Haus, Davies, Zona, Beardsley, Stone

Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 6 Transfer): Lanigan, McCool, McCreadie, Frank, Hollenbeck, Driver, Fink, Belyea

World of Outlaws Late Model Series Contingency Award Winners:

Arizona Sport Shirts ($100 product certificate to 23rd-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Sean Beardsley
Armor All (one case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO team in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Andy Haus
Cometic Gasket ($50 cash to 12th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Tim McCreadie
Comp Cams ($50 cash to 10th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Tim McCreadie
Comp Cams ($50 product certificate to A-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Shane Clanton
Dominator ($50 cash to 6th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Pat Doar
Eibach Springs (one free spring to each B-Main winner or next highest w/decal): None
Gravely ($50 cash to 7th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Pat Doar
JE Pistons ($50 cash to 16th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Sean Beardsley
JE Pistons (one compete set of JE Pro Seal rings to 11th-place finisher or next highest w/decal – $285 value): Tim McCreadie
JE Pistons (one complete set of JE Pro Seal rings to 21st-place finisher or next highest w/decal – $285 value): Doug Eck
Klotz Synthetic Lubricants ($50 cash to 17th-place finisher or next highest finisher): Sean Beardsley
MSD Ignition ($50 cash to A-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Shane Clanton
MSD Ignition ($25 cash to 24th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Doug Eck
Ohlins Pole Award ($50 cash to fast qualifier or next highest w/decal): Rick Eckert
Quartermaster ($100 product certificate to A-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Rick Eckert
Quartermaster ($50 product certificate to 5th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Bub McCool
Quartermaster ($25 product certificate to 15th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Jim Yoder
Roush-Yates Performance Products ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Pat Doar
Roush-Yates Performance Products (carburetor repair kit to 18th-place finish in A-Main or next highest w/decal – $100 value): Sean Beardsley
Roush-Yates Lap Leader Award (one pair of Wiley X Sunglasses to driver who leads most laps in A-Main): Rick Eckert
STP ($50 cash to 2nd-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Darrell Lanigan
SuperFlow ($50 cash to 14th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Andy Haus
VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash to 9th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Tim Fuller
VP Racing Fuels ‘Nice Jugs Award’ (one VP 5-gallon container to fastest qualifier who misses A-Main or next highest with decal – $30 value): None
WIX Filters ($50 cash to 13th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Andy Haus
Wrisco Aluminum (three sheets of aluminum to A-Main winner if decal displayed – $200 value): Shane Clanton
XS Power ($50 cash to 3rd-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Vic Coffey
XS Power ($60 product certificate to 8th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Chub Frank
XS ‘Power Move of the Race’ ($60 product certificate): Rick Eckert

2012 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of Oct. 4 – 37 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):

1. Darrell Lanigan 5200
2. Rick Eckert 4996 (-204)
3. Shane Clanton 4810 (-390)
4. Tim McCreadie 4722 (-478)
5. Chub Frank 4720 (-480)
6. Clint Smith 4634 (-566)
7. Bub McCool 4598 (-602)
8. Vic Coffey 4524 (-676)
9. Tim Fuller 4408 (-792)
10. Pat Doar 4272 (-928)
11. Kent Robinson 4164 (-1036)
12. Jack Sullivan 3474 (-1726)

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Gravely Tractors (Official Lawn Equipment), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), Vicci (Official Uniform), VP Racing Fuel (Official Racing Fuel), DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award) and McCarthy’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning (Raye Vest Memorial Pill Draw Award); in addition to contingency sponsors Butlerbuilt, Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Dominator Race Products, Eibach Springs, JE Pistons, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, QuarterMaster, Roush Yates Performance Parts, Superflow Dynos, Wix Filter, Wrisco Aluminum and XS Power Racing Batteries; along with manufacturer sponsors Integra Shocks, GRT Chassis, Jake’s Carts, Longacre, Racing Electronics, Rocket Chassis, TNT Rescue, and Warrior Chassis.

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LIVE UPDATES 10/4: World of Outlaws Late Model Series At Rolling Wheels Raceway Park

ELBRIDGE, NY – Oct. 4, 2012 – The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is making its second annual visit to Rolling Wheels Raceway Park during NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week, the central New York racing extravaganza that features a $50,000 DIRTcar big-block Modified event at the nearby one-mile New York State Fairgrounds oval.

A five-eighths-mile semi-banked track, Rolling Wheels is hosting the WoO LMS for the fourth time. There have been three different winners in the previous races: Chub Frank in 2005, Darrell Lanigan in 2010 and Rick Eckert in 2011 (the first World of Outlaws show run as part of NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week).

For live updates of all the news, pit notes and results from tonight’s action, click the ‘Full Story’ link below. Be sure to refresh your browser throughout the night to see the latest information.

No doubt about it

10:40 p.m. – Rick Eckert is back at his trailer celebrating his fourth WoO LMS victory of 2012 after absoutely destroying the field. He overtook Bub McCool for the lead on lap 11 and cruised to the checkered, beating a late-charging Shane Clanton to the finish line by 5.529 seconds.

Darrell Lanigan started from the pole position but was outgunned for the lead by McCool at the initial green flag. The WoO LMS points leader never found his winning rhythm, settling for a third-place finish.

A-Main Finish: 1. Rick Eckert, 2. Shane Clanton, 3. Darrell Lanigan, 4. Vic Coffey, 5. Bub McCool, 6. Clint Smith, 7. Pat Doar, 8. Chub Frank, 9. Tim Fuller, 10. Coleby Frye, 11. Ron Davies, 12. Tim McCreadie, 13. Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs, 14. Andy Haus, 15. Dave Zona, 16. Greg Belyea, 17. Jim Yoder, 18. Alan Fink, 19. Chad Hollenbeck, 20. Sean Beardsley, 21. Bryan Driver, 22. Doug Eck, 23. Kent Robinson, 24. Dan Stone

Lanigan’s good fortune continues

9:35 p.m. – Darrell Lanigan drew the pole position for the 50-lap A-Main, setting himself up to chase his 16th victory of the season. Bub McCool will start second, followed by Rick Eckert, Clint Smith, Tim Fuller and Vic Coffey, who poor luck in the feature redraw continued.

With 24 cars ready for action in the A-Main (Ricky Elliott scratched for the night after his car was sidelined by an apparent burnt piston in hot laps), no B-Main is needed tonight.

Dan Stone, who finished second in last year’s WoO LMS show here, will start 23rd after his Super Duece machine was struck by engine woes during heat action. He brought his own No. 21d out of his trailer to run in the A-Main.

The eight-minute horn has been blown to align the A-Main field…

A-Main Lineup:

Row 1: Darrell Lanigan/Bub McCool
Row 2: Rick Eckert/Clint Smith
Row 3: Tim Fuller/Vic Coffey
Row 4: Shane Clanton/Pat Doar
Row 5: Tim McCreadie/Kent Robinson
Row 6: Andy Haus/Chub Frank
Row 7: Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs/Ron Davies
Row 8: Chad Hollenbeck/Jim Yoder
Row 9: Dave Zona/Bryan Driver
Row 10: Coleby Frye/Sean Beardsley
Row 11: Alan Fink/Doug Eck
Row 12: Dan Stone/Greg Belyea

And to wake you up, here’s a shot of the hood of Bub McCool’s Halloween-themed car, which he debuted tonight. That’s not Bub, by the way….

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Heat action

8:55 p.m. – In the three 10-lap heat races, Rick Eckert registered a dominant victory, Tim Fuller rebounded from mechanical trouble to take a checkered flag and Darrell Lanigan pulled off two impressive passes to emerge victorious.

Eckert ran away with the first prelim, winning by 3.682 seconds over Clint Smith. It was the largest margin of victory in the heats.

Fuller, meanwhile, captured the second heat after making a quick 10-minute transmission change following time trials. He is seeking to end an over two-year winless slump on the WoO LMS at a track where he’s won several DIRTcar Northeast Modified events in the past.

Lanigan slipped from his pole position starting spot to third in the final heat, but that didn’t deter him. He sailed around the outside of Tim McCreadie, and two laps later Bub McCool, to gain control of the event.

Heat race finishes can be seen here.

Rick knows Rolling Wheels

8:15 p.m. – Hoping to duplicate his victory in last year’s NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week stop at Rolling Wheels, Rick Eckert started his night off on the right foot by setting fast time with a lap of 18.632 seconds. It was his fifth fast-time honor of 2012, tying him with Darrell Lanigan for the top spot in the that category.

Vic Coffey was second-fastest with a lap of 18.818 seconds, giving him reason to believe that tonight might be the night he finally breaks into Victory Lane on the WoO LMS. Rolling Wheels, of course, is a track he has frequented for special DIRTcar Northeast Modified shows throughout his career.

For complete results from time trials, click here.

Guess who’s fast?

7:45 p.m. – Surprising absolutely no one, WoO LMS record-setter Darrell Lanigan came out of the box fast tonight, leading all drivers in hot laps with a lap of 18.771 seconds. He was followed by Shane Clanton (18.774), Rick Eckert (18.781), Vic Coffey (18.795) and Dan Stone (18.864).

And now Lanigan is blazing around the ‘Fast Track’ for real — Ohlins Shocks Time Trials have begun.

Getting ready

6:45 p.m. – WoO LMS race director Bret Emrick is currently conducting the drivers’ meeting at the tour’s control trailer. A field of 25 cars has been signed in for action, including the 11 WoO LMS regulars plus such challengers as Delaware’s Ricky Elliott and Pennsylvania’s Dan Stone, Ron Davies, Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs, Doug Eck, Coleby Frye, Chad Hollenbeck, Dave Zona, Jim Yoder and Andy Haus.

 

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