Knoxville Raceway Next up for World Dirt Racing League
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
(Gilman City, MO) by Tom Latham - For the first time in series history, the cars and stars of the WORLD Dirt Racing League PolyDome Late Model Series will compete at the famed Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa.The event is scheduled for Friday, April 28 on the spacious Marion County Fairgrounds half-mile, known as “The Sprint Car Capitol of the World.”
“This is just another step in our long-term commitment to grow the Knoxville Late Model Nationals into a major national event just like the Sprint Car Nationals,” commented Bruce Neimeth, Director of Business Development for Knoxville Raceway. “This is the first time Knoxville Raceway has ever scheduled a total of three Late Model dates during a season,” he added. “The WORLD Dirt Racing League event will be the first of those three dates.”
Heading up the list of drivers expected to participate at Knoxville is popular Muscatine, Iowa traveler Brian Birkhofer. Birkhofer piloted his Daufeldt Transport/Rocket/Pro Power Monte Carlo to the win in the PolyDome Late Model Series season-opener earlier this month at Davenport Speedway in Davenport, Iowa, his sixteenth career WDRL win. Birkhofer is no stranger to Knoxville Raceway, having won the inaugural Knoxville Late Model Nationals in 2004 and finishing second a year ago in spite of an unscheduled mid-race pit stop.
Among drivers expected to challenge Birkhofer at Knoxville is Darren “The Thriller” Miller of Milledgeville, Illinois. Miller, who has nine career PolyDome Late Model Series wins, finished a close second to Birkhofer in the WDRL season-opener.
Eastern Iowa racing brothers Denny and Dave Eckrich will also be on hand at Knoxville. Denny, the younger of the two, is the defending WDRL champion and won four series events a year ago. The driver of “The Flyin’ 50” was forced to take a series provisional at Davenport following an accident in his qualifying race, but raced his back-up mount to an impressive sixth place finish in the 40-lap feature race. Dave meanwhile, has been a perennial WDRL top-five finisher and grabbed his first-ever series win last August at Echo Valley Speedway in West Union, Iowa.
Two-time series champion Kyle Berck of Marquette, Nebraska will also be on hand, along with last year’s WDRL Rookie-of-the-Year Justin Fegers. Fegers, of Mound, Minnesota, established a new Knoxville Raceway track record during qualifying at last year’s Knoxville Late Model Nationals.
Among other drivers expected to participate are John VanDenBerg of Oskaloosa, the only driver ever to qualify for both the Knoxville Sprint Car Nationals and Late Model Nationals in the same year, 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Champion and 5 time World 100 winner Billy Moyer of Batesville, Arkansas, former Eldora Dream winner Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wisconsin, and last year’s NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Division II champion Chris Spieker of Massena, Iowa.
Also expected to participate are 36-year dirt track veteran Gary Webb of Blue Grass, Iowa, along with fellow Iowans Steve Boley of West Liberty, Chad Simpson of Mount Vernon, Chris Simpson of Marion, Brian Harris of Davenport, Matt Furman and Rob Moss, both of Iowa City, Tommy Elston of Keokuk, and Jill George of Cedar Falls, Nebraska drivers John Anderson and Bill Koons of Omaha, Al Humphrey of Giltner, and John Hampel of Union are also expected to be in the field, along with Wisconsin hot-shoes Eric Pember of Pittsville, Rick Hanested of Boyceville, and Kerry Hansen of Spencer, Minnesota drivers Trent Follmer, John Henkemeyer, and Brady Johanneck, veteran Missouri driver Sonny Findling, and Rapid City, South Dakota pilot Mike Stadel.
Six-time Knoxville Raceway Srint Car champion and track record holder Terry McCarl of Altoona, Iowa is also expected to don a fendered, full-bodied Late Model for the WDRL event.
Also on the card are the winged 305 cubic inch sprint cars. Drivers from Iowa and Missouri are expected to be in the field.
Racing action will get underway with hot laps at 6:00. Qualifying races are set to begin at 6:30.
The WDRL event will be the opener of two big nights of racing at Knoxville Raceway. On Saturday night, April 29, the World of Outlaw Sprint Cars and the Knoxville 360 cubic inch winged sprinters will be the featured attraction.
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