Mid-Nebraska Speedway
Eckrich unseats Boen for victory at Mid-Nebraska
Denny Eckrich tunes up in Doniphan. (Jerry Jacobs)
DONIPHAN, Neb. (July 17) — Denny Eckrich of Tiffin, Iowa, made a dramatic third-to-first move Saturday with six laps remaining at Mid-Nebraska Speedway to capture the second round of the O’Reilly NCRA Late Model Nationals. Eckrich earned $4,000 for his second career series victory. | Slideshow
Boen, who earned $2,500 in the previous night’s tuneup feature, settled for second with former track champion Kyle Berck of Marquette, Neb., in third. Travis Dickes of Madison, Neb., and Delbert Smith of Wichita, Kan., rounded out the top five.
Boen took the lead from outside the front row while Berck and Eckrich joined him in a three-car breakaway from the field. Slowed briefly by a lap-12 caution, the trio lapped up to 10th place by the midpoint of the 40-lapper.
After a lap-32 caution for a stalled Al Humphrey of Giltner, Neb., Berck pressured Boen in the low groove and Eckrich decided to try the high side at the 3/8-mile oval. Nearly slipping off the track, Eckrich kept enough momentum down the backstretch to breeze into the lead on lap 34. He led the rest of the way.
In Friday’s weekend-opening feature, Boen took the lead from Berck on the seventh lap after the frontrunners banged together in turn two, flattening a tire on Berck’s car. Eckrich was third while Smith, 11th-starting Corey Zeitner and Berck rounded out the top five.
O’Reilly NCRA Late Model Nationals (Friday): (1) Kelly Boen, (2) Denny Eckrich, (3) Delbert Smith, (4) Corey Zeitner, (5) Kyle Berck, (6) Dylan Smith, (7) Dean Moore, (8) Bo Egge, (9) Travis Dickes, (10) Jase Kaser, (10) Mike Wiarda, (11) Al Humphrey, (12) Alonzo Grosse, (13) Randy Hall, (14) Ron Tex, (15) Steve Kempt, (16) Steve Kempt, (17) Jerry Warner, (18) Will Brack, (19) Wylan Petrie, (20) Cliff Morrow, (21) Jason O’Brien, (22) Gary Gorby. Heat race winners (among 22 cars): Kaser, Berck, Smith. Consolation winner: Dickes.
O’Reilly NCRA Late Model Nationals (Saturday): (1) Denny Eckrich, (2) Kelly Boen, (3) Kyle Berck, (4) Travis Dickes, (5) Delbert Smith, (6) Corey Zeitner, (7) Dean Moore, (8) Al Humphrey, (9) Jason O’Brien, (10) Bo Egge, (11) Jase Kaser, (12) Mike Wiarda, (13) Alonzo Grosse, (14) Gary Gorby, (15) David Brack, (16) Alan Jordening, (17) Alex Humphrey, (18) Tracy Harr, (19) Shawn Harker, (20) Denton Duncan, (21) Waylon Petrie. Heat race winners (among 21 cars): Zeitner, Eckrich, Berck.
