Andy Eckrich Tops Night One at Davenport SLMR

   Friday night found us at the Davenport, Iowa Speedway as the eastern division of the  Malvern Bank SLMR - super late model racing  series sponsored by Hoker Trucking was finally able to get their season  back in action. The series,  the brainchild of I-80 Speedway owners Joe and Steve Kosiski began a successful run at eastern Nebraska and western Iowa tracks in 2019. During the past winter, the Kosiski group purchased the Deery Brothers sponsored IMCA Summer Series and split the series into eastern and western divisions. Unfortunately, a combination of the Covid restrictions and inclement weather postponed several series races ahead of a mid August triple header with Friday and Saturday racing in Davenport followed by action this Sunday at the Bullring at RICO in East Moline, Illinois.                                                                                                                                       A whopping 139 cars signed in across five divisions, with late models at 36, mods at 30, and sport mods at 38 all hitting or surpassing the thirty mark! Third in the running order, the late models were set to time trial, then collect passing points in their four heat races, but in a repeat of the MARS series event in June, the timing loop decided not to cooperate, and the cars were lined up by numbers drawn. As it turned out, this probably was a good thing, as the large number of races had the program bumping up against the 10:30 curfew.  It took twenty one heat races and six B mains to finally set the starting grid for the five features.                                                                              Twenty laps of IMCA modified action came first. The first attempt at a green flag was called back, and during the reset, top contender Jason Bahrs became the first of the twenty four car field to retire to the pit area. Brunson Behning, back after about a three year absence lined up on the pole, and shot to the early lead, with veteran Ken Schrader and Chris Simpson in pursuit. By the time the leaders moved in on slower traffic on lap ten, the second running Simpson was closing in on Behning. The caution flag would wave with thirteen laps in the books, and only one more circuit would be scored before a final yellow, as Ryan Duhme, who was now in a battle for second, would spin in turn one. On the restart, it was now IMCA national point leader Tom Berry Jr. lined up in second. However he was no match for Behning who led every lap en route to the win. Berry would come home second in front of a pair of double duty drivers in Simpson and Spencer Diercks, while Schrader completed the top five.                                                                                        The thirty eight car IMCA sport mod field was whittled down to twenty four lined up for fifteen laps. Ben Chapman paced the first three laps running the high line, with Doug Burkhead catfishing the inside groove in second. Lap four saw Burkhead atop the leader board, and after seventh starting Maguire Dejong used that same low line to grab second, Chapman switched to the bottom as the crossed flags signaled the halfway mark of the race. The front five were now all hugging the bottom, as the race went caution free to the checkers! Burkhead said it had been a while since he saw victory lane, but on this night he topped Maguire, Chapman,Logan Veloz, and Dustin Schram.                                                                                           Forty laps was the distance for the late models, with Andy Eckrich and Jason Hahne sitting in row one. Eckrich led lap one, chased by row two starters Matt Ryan and Jason Rauen. The first yellow came on lap two as provisional starter J. C. Wyman spun in turn one. Davenport track champion Ryan elected the high line on the restart, but soon it was seventh starting Justin Kay making noise, charging from eighth on the restart to fifth three laps later. While Eckrich continued in the low groove, Ryan also dropped down on the eighth trip around the 1/4 mile. Spencer Diercks now took up the high side chase, and just ahead of a lap ten caution for a slowing Jeff Aikey, he moved to second. He was applying heavy pressure to the leader when he slipped over the narrow cushion in turns three and four on lap sixteen, but instead of bringing out the caution, he drove to the pit area. As the crossed flags indicated the race was at the mid point, it was Eckrich, Hahne, Ryan, and Kay. Opening a nice lead, Andy was beginning to deal with slower traffic when the yellow waved at lap twenty five. Andy Nezworski had started in row seven wheeling a Jeff Tharp team car, and he now found himself lining up in third, ahead of Ryan and Kay. While the leaders stayed away from the treacherous cushion, Kay decided to take the plunge, vaulting to third at lap twenty nine, and the runner up spot four laps later. He appeared to be running down the leader, but the caution came with four laps to go. Back under green, one more lap was scored before a three car pile up in turns one and two. The scoring loop now seemed to rear its ugly head, as it took seemingly forever to realign the still sizable field for what would be a final restart. Even as the scorers struggled to get it right, Richie Gustin did not appear to agree, first stopping on the front stretch, then driving to the infield and strolling to the stage  for an explanation. With the red light now turned off, it was finally time to go back to racing. Kay again drove to the cushion while Eckrich was careful to avoid the fluid that had been dropped in the low line as the cars sat idle waiting to be lined up. While Kay made a valiant  effort, it was a jubilant Eckrich who would claim the $5,000 top prize. Hahne ran third, chased by Nezworski and Nebraska ace Tad Pospisil. Ryan hung around in sixth, and Rauen, Travis Denning, Tharp, and eighteenth starting Brian Harris in the Lynn Richard #15R filled out the top ten.                                         With time now a factor, the post race celebration took place elsewhere as the street stock main came to the track. One early caution slowed the action, but from the drop of the green, it was Donnie Louck in command. He picked up the win, besting Jesse Owen, Jeff srtuck, Zachary Zuberbier, and Jeffrey Peterson.        IMCA sport compacts closed out the action. Although we had made the decision to beat the heavy traffic and head home, this finale apparently ended with a bit of controversy. The final rundown has Brandon Dahl the winner, with apparent winner Jimmy Dutlinger scored as a DQ. Shawn McDermott, Tim and Todd Sibley, and Jack Fitzgibbon completed the top five.                                                    With one eye towards the sky, we are planning to make the long drive back today for a repeat of the five class program, with another $5,000 on the line for the late models, so check back tomorrow for a recap of the action. I realize the script is a bit jumbled, as my computer apparenty does not like the new format for this blog program. I will keep trying! Thanks for reading!