MLRA Racing
Denny Eckrich thrilled a standing room only crowd at the I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Nebraska on a special Thursday night show to take the win and the $4,000 winner’s share of the purse to kick off the O’Reilly MLRA Freedom Tour Weekend. Hermitage, Missouri’s Eric Turner came home in second with Terry Phillips third after working his way through a consolation race. Corning, Iowa’s Bryant Goldsmith was fourth. Colorado’s Kelly Boen rounded out the Top-5 charging all the way from the back of the field after stopping under an earlier caution.
Denny Eckrich led the 32 car field to the green flag in the 40 Lap, $4,000 to win A-Main with Steve Kempt to his outside and led the opening lap with Eric Turner getting by Kempt for second. As the opening laps clicked off, Eckrich continued to lead with Turner second and Kelly Boen now occupying the third spot. Eckrich started working lap traffic on lap 8 as Boen was making his charge getting around Turner on lap 9. Goldsmith sat in fourth with Kyle Berck now in fifth. The action was fast and furious with many cars going down a lap in the early going of continuous green flag racing. Anderson was now in sixth with Phillips up to seventh. The caution flag waved on lap 14 as the 68 of Seabaugh slowed and took his mount pit side. Kelly Boen also stopped to avoid and was sent to the rear.
Eckrich led the field back to the green flag but it was Eric Turner getting by and leading lap #15. Eckrich, moved back around on lap #16 with Turner and Berck in tow. Anderson and Phillips had now moved up to fourth and fifth respectively. The caution flag waved once again with 23 to go as Bill Koons spun on the front stretch and stopped. Eckrich led at the halfway point with Turner second, and a fast closing Terry Phillips in third. Berck sat fourth with Goldsmith and Anderson following. Turner continued to lead with 14 to go with Eckrich in second and Phillips losing ground in third. Steve Kempt spun in turn 4 on lap 27 bringing out the caution flag once again. Turner would take his turn leading the field to the green flag now as Eckrich and Phillips stalked the leader. Bryant Goldsmith made a big move on the restart to jump from fourth to the lead with 11 to go. Goldsmith and Turner continued to run side by side with Turner up high and Goldsmith on the bottom. Chris Spieker took a wild ride nearly getting upside down on the backstretch bringing out the red flag with 10 to go. Kyle Berck pitted under the red flag and returned at the rear of the field.
Denny Eckrich took the lead back with 8 to go running the cushion with Turner now back to second and Goldsmith third. Eckrich held on to take the win ahead of Turner, Phillips, Goldsmith, and Boen.
The $4,000 win that came after midnight was the first of the season for Eckrich, who races mainly on the WDRL circuit and until recently has been driving with a broken wrist.
Eckrich’s pass of Goldsmith came on the high side coming out of turn four.
Goldsmith, of Corning, Iowa, had gone in front on lap 29, just before the race’s third yellow had come out, with an inside-turn-four move past Eric Turner.
Turner, of Hermitage, Mo., had reeled in Eckrich with a similar move on lap 27.
The late model competition was stiff enough Thursday that MLRA points leader Al Purkey of Coffeyville, Kan., had to qualify for the A feature by finishing in the top three of a B main. Journal Star
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