STEVE KOSISKI HOLDS ON TO GRAB I-80 SPEEDWAY WDRL WIN
Nebraska veteran tops 79-car field to pick up $5,000 top prize
By Tom Lathen
WORLD Dirt Racing League

GREENWOOD, Neb. (May 28, 2006) -- Steve Kosiski muscled past Kelly Boen out of turn two on the second circuit Sunday night and went on to win the annual Alphabet Soup Race sponsored by Dodge, a WORLD Dirt Racing League PolyDome Late Model Series-sanctioned event here at I-80 Speedway.

Over the final few circuits, Kosiski saw a half dozen-car length advantage close to within a few, but the Papillion, Neb., veteran was able to hold on for the win.

"This feels really great," Kosiski said with a smile as he was presented $5,000 in two-dollar bills in Victory Lane. "The car has been working great for us and that sure makes it a lot of fun to drive."

"Winning those Gophers (Gopher 50s) and Yankees (Yankee Dirt Track Classics) have always been prestigious, but this one here is getting as big as any of them right now," he added. "With almost 80 cars here tonight, that's a great, quality field."

After a third-place run in one of seven qualifying races, Kosiski blasted from a fourth-row start in the Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation Pole Dash to finish second, securing an outside front row starting position in the 50-lap Alphabet Soup main event.

Kosiski raced virtually side by side with the pole-sitting Boen the first trip in front of the packed grandstands, but stormed off of the banking out of turn two on the second circuit to grab the advantage.

The race was slowed by caution flags four times in the opening 18 laps, but each time Kosiski's TB & Company-sponsored car number 52 was able to power to the advantage on the restart.

"I kept letting the tires cool down and not scuff them or spin them around," commented Kosiski. "I would let them cool down, and they just kept lighting back up.

"I was real happy with the way the car kept coming back every time."

By lap 25, Kosiski and Boen had begun to break away from the remainder of the field, with Brian Harris, John Hampel and Senoia, Ga., national traveler Clint Smith, who had started 17th, staging a furious battle for third.

Smith was able to move past Hampel and into fourth on lap 27, and as Kosiski and Boen fought their way through lapped traffic, began to close the gap on the front runners. With a half dozen circuits to go, the three pace setters were running nose to tail, setting the stage for an exciting wheel-to-wheel finish.

On the white flag lap, Smith muscled to the inside of Boen into turn one and the duo raced door to door down the back straightaway, with Kosiski maintaining his slim advantage.

The 29-year racing veteran was able to hold on for the popular win, with Boen nudging Smith by a matter of a few feet to secure second.

"I'm normally in the middle of the track or on the bottom," noted Kosiski. "But here I was brushing the wall in (turns three and four)."

The winner added: "When the car is working, you put it where you need to."

Following Kosiski, Boen and Smith to the line was John Hampel, with Denny Eckrich holding off Joe Kosiski for fifth. Dave Eckrich drove his car number 58 to a seventh-place finish, followed by Harris, Al Purkey and John
Anderson.

The event was co-sanctioned by the Midwest Latemodel Racing Association
(MLRA) and the National Championship Racing Association (NCRA).

For more information on WDRL or the latest PolyDome Late Model Series schedule, check out the WORLD Dirt Racing League's Web site, www.worldraceleague.com.

RACE REPORT
I-80 SPEEDWAY
GREENWOOD, NEB.
SUNDAY, MAY 28, 2006

First PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Al Purkey; Coffeyville, KS (60.76), 2. Ed Kosiski; Ralston, NE (58.52), 3. Clint Smith; Senoia, GA (54.52), 4. Steve Boley; West Liberty, IA (54.04), 5. Davey Nall; Phillips, NE (55.32), 6. Cory Zeitner; Bellevue, NE (39.0), 7. Matt Furman; Iowa City, IA (42.04), 8. Shad Badder; Oak Grove, MO (31.0), 9. Mike Danburg; Council Bluffs, IA (27.0), 10. Bill Koons; Omaha, NE (23.0), 11. John Beaman; Littleton, CO (19.0), 12. P.J. Haskins; Adrian, MO (15.0).

Second PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Ben Schaller; Norfolk, NE (60.76), 2. Denny Eckrich; Tiffin, IA (65.56), 3. Trent Follmer; Elk Grove, MN (66.84), 4. Delberet Smith; Wichita, KS (52.28), 5. Fred Miller; Avoca, IA (43.0), 6. Mark Wyman; Papillion, NE (46.04), 7. Charlie Randolph; Muskogee, OK (42.04), 8. Bo Egge; Kearney, NE (31.0), 9. Jason Schobinger; Wiggins, CO (27.0), 10. John Kuchar; Brighton, CO (23.0), 11. Chris Spieker; Massena, IA (19.0).

Third PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Alan Vaughn; Belton, MO (64.28), 2. John Anderson; Omaha, NE (63.8), 3. Steve Kosiski; Papillion, NE (63.32), 4. Billy Murphy; Lincoln, NE (47.0), 5. Mike Brown; Fort Gibson, OK (48.28), 6. Clint Benson; Papillion, NE (39.0), 7. Brian Kenkel; Elkhorn, NE (42.04), 8. Jimmy Judd; Omaha, NE (32.76), 9. Marty Doner; Council Bluffs, IA (27.0), 10. J. T. Botts; Arvada, CO (23.0), 11. Chris Persichetti; Lakewood, CO (19.0).

Fourth PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Kelly Boen; Henderson, CO (64.28), 2. Larry Clausen; North Kansas City, MO (55.0), 3. John Hampel; Union, NE (59.8), 4. Steve Kempt; Shelton, NE (47.0), 5. John Nicholson; Beaver Lake, NE (46.52), 6. Chad Simpson; Mount Vernon, IA (46.04), 7. Brady Johanneck; Spicer, MN (35.0), 8. Brett LaFollette; Kansas City, KS (36.28), 9. Chad Frewaldt; Kansas City, KS (27.0), 10. Dan Sheppard; Greeley, CO (23.0), 11. Scott Daly; Elkhorn, NE (19.0).

Fifth PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Brian Harris; Davenport, IA (74.84), 2. Craig Preble; Yutan, NE (55.0), 3. Jason Utter; Columbus Junction, IA (51.0), 4. Eric Pember; Pittsville, WI (50.52), 5. Robb Moss; Iowa City, IA (43.0), 6. David Barker; Kingsville, MO (39.0), 7. C.J. Lyle; Pleasant Hill, MO (38.52), 8. Chris Cox; Denver, CO (31.0), 9. Jim Clifton; Fort Morgan, CO (27.0), 10. Greg Larsen; Plattsmouth, NE (23.0), 11. Jimmy Morris; Blue Springs, MO (19.0).

Sixth PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Johnny Bone, Jr.; Pea Ridge, AR (62.52), 2. Al Humphrey; Giltner, NE (55.0), 3. Dave Eckrich; Cosgrove, IA (56.28), 4. Joe Kosiski; Omaha, NE (52.28), 5. Kyle Berck; Marquette, NE (51.8), 6. Ron Tex, Jr.; Papillion, NE (39.0), 7. Terry Boushee; Aurora, CO (35.0), 8. David Turner; Adrian, MO (31.0), 9. Ryan Vicker; Creston, IA (27.0), 10. Junior Coover; Norfolk, NE (24.76), 11. Scott Lewis; Brighton, CO (19.0).

Seventh PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Chris Simpson; Marion, IA (59.0), 2. Bryant Goldsmith; Corning, IA (55.0), 3. Tommy Elston; Keokuk, IA (51.0), 4. Todd Gehl; Solon Springs, WI (52.28), 5. Jason Bodenhamer; Centerview, MO (51.8), 6. Alonzo Grosse; Council Bluffs, IA (39.0), 7. Garry Billings, Jr.; Prairie Village, KS (38.52), 8. Todd Bell; Omaha, NE (31.0), 9. Scott Cimfl; Brighton, CO (27.0), 10. Jeff Tilley; Glenwood, IA (23.0), 11. Josh Most; Red Oak, IA (19.0).

First KSE Racing Products Consolation: 1. Clint Smith, 2. Joe Kosiski, 3. Bodenhamer, 4. Preble, 5. Chad Simpson, 6. Pember, 7. Furman, 8. Kempt, 9. Tex, Jr., 10. Boushee, 11. Egge, 12. Daly, 13. Billings, Jr.; 14. Beaman, 15. Bell, 16. Doner, 15. Vicker; 16. Koons, 17. Most, 18. Zeitner, 19. Sheppard.

Second KSE Racing Products Consolation: 1. Utter, 2. Humphrey, 3. Nicholson, 4. Gehl, 5. Randolph, 6. Brown, 7. LaFollette, 8. Miller, 9. Danburg, 10. Kuchar, 11. Morris, 12. Cimfl, 13. Haskins, 14. Judd, 15. Benson, 16. Cox, 17. Frewaldt, 18. Grosse, 19. Larsen, 20. Spieker, 21. Boley.

Third KSE Racing Products Consolation: 1. Goldsmith, 2. Delbert Smith, 3. Berck, 4. Elston, 5. Wyman, 6. Moss, 7. Murphy, 8. Barker, 9. Turner, 10. Lyle, 11. Badder, 12. Clifton, 13. Kenkel, 14. Tilley, 15. Botts, 16. Coover, 17. Lewis, 18. Schobinger, 19. Warner, 20. Johanneck, 21. Persichetti.

Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation Pole Dash: 1. Boen, 2. Steve Kosiski, 3. Vaughn, 4. Harris, 5. Anderson, 6. Denny Eckrich, 7. Bone, Jr., 8. Follmer.

Alphabet Soup 50- Lap Feature, Presented by Dodge: 1. Steve Kosiski, 2. Boen, 3. Clint Smith, 4. Hampel, 5. Denny Eckrich, 6. Joe Kosiski, 7. Dave Eckrich, 8. Harris, 9. Purkey, 10. Anderson, 11. Nall, 12. Vaughn, 13. Humphrey, 14. Chris Simpson, 15. Berck, 16. Schaller, 17. Utter, 18. Brown, 19. Randolph, 20. Goldsmith, 21. Nicholson, 22. Follmer, 23. Wyman, 24. Clausen, 25. Murphy, 26. Delbert Smith, 27. Bone, Jr., 28. Spieker, 29. Ed Kosiski, 30. Zeitner.

Additional information of interest:
* Lap Leaders: Bone (1), Steve Kosiski (2-50)
* Margin of Victory: .636 seconds
* Time of Race: 35-minutes 8-seconds
* Fastest Lap: Boen (20.987)
* Rookie-of-the-Race: Utter
* Hard Luck Driver: Pember
* Passing Points: Harris (74.84)

Contingency award winners:
* QA1 Motorsports: Harris
* Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation: Boen, Steve Kosiski, Harris
* KSE Racing Products: Joe Kosiski, Utter, Delbert Smith
* The Brake Man: Steve Kosiski
* Champ Pans: Boen
* Joie of Seating: Hampel
* Performance Bodies: Denny Eckrich
* Design 500 Racewear: Joe Kosiski
* V-Performance Batteries: Dave Eckrich
* Fast Shafts by Axle Exchange: Harris
* Hooker Harness: Purkey
* Weld Wheels: Anderson
* Scott Performance Wire: Humphrey
* Design 500 Racewear (non-qualifier): Boley
* Chase Race Decals: Pember