BIG MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND OF RACING ACTION ON TAP FOR WDRL DRIVERS
Series travelers head to West Union, Iowa, before two nights of racing at Dubuque Speedway
By Tom Lathen
WORLD Dirt Racing League

GILMAN CITY, Mo. (May 21) - Three big nights of Memorial Day weekend racing action are on tap this weekend for the cars and stars of the WORLD Dirt Racing League PolyDome Late Model Series.

The three nights of holiday weekend racing begin on Saturday at Echo Valley Speedway in West Union, Iowa, when series drivers compete for a $5,000-to-win prize in the Echo Valley 50 at the northeast Iowa 4/10s-mile, high-banked speed plant. On Sunday and Monday night, WDRL competitors will make their first-ever appearance at Dubuque Speedway in Dubuque, Iowa, for Simmons Promotions' annual "Rumble by the River." Qualifying races and a non-points Race of Champions will be held on Sunday night, with the Iowa-Illinois Pole Dash, consolation events and the 100-lap "Rumble by the River" feature event, which pays a whopping $7,000 to win, set for Monday night.

"Race fans will definitely be in for three great nights of racing this weekend," commented series co-founder and president Jim Wilson. "Our events over the years at Echo Valley Speedway have always been very competitive and exciting, and we are really looking forward to our first-ever WDRL show at Dubuque Speedway."

"We expect very strong fields at both race tracks," added Wilson. "The group of drivers we have following our series this year is as talented as we've ever seen and, of course, eastern Iowa has always been a hot-bed for Late Model racing. There is no doubt that race fans will see some great WDRL racing this weekend."

Heading up the extremely strong contingent of WDRL drivers expected at both West Union and Dubuque is current series points leader Justin "The Jet" Fegers. The popular 27-year-old driver from Mound, Minn., who grabbed the PolyDome Late Model Series Rookie-of-the-Year title in 2005, picked up his first series win of the season at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, in late April. He also has yet to finish out of the top five, notching a third-place finish at West Liberty Raceway in West Liberty, Iowa; a fourth-place finish at Farley Speedway in Farley, Iowa; and a fifth-place finish at Freeport Raceway Park in Freeport, Ill.

Also expected is 53-year-old series rookie John Kaanta of Elk Mound, Wis. The 28-year racing veteran is currently second in the WDRL point standings, a scant 15 points behind Fegers. He scored his first-ever series win at Freeport Raceway Park on April 28 to go along with top-five finishes at Farley and West Liberty and a seventh-place finish at Knoxville.

Last year's series champion, Denny Eckrich, is also expected in the field, along with last year's WDRL runner-up, Brian Harris. Eckrich, of Tiffin, Iowa, won the series opener at Farley Speedway but mechanical problems in each of the following three events have dropped him to seventh in the current series point standings. Harris, of Davenport, Iowa, has recorded four consecutive top-10 finishes to open the 2007 campaign, including a near-miss second-place finish on April 21 at West Liberty Raceway.

Other series drivers expected at both West Union and Dubuque include Cosgrove, Iowa's Dave Eckrich, who won the series event at West Liberty Raceway; Eric Pember of Pittsville, Wis., who has top-10 finishes at both Farley Speedway and Freeport Raceway Park; 23-year-old Chris Simpson of Marion, Iowa; Ray Guss Jr. of Milan, Ill.; Matt Furman and Rob Moss, both of Iowa City, Iowa; last year's WDRL Rookie-of-the-Year, Jason Utter, of Columbus Junction, Iowa; Tim Isenberg of Marshfield, Wis.; Billy Koons of Omaha, Neb.; and Andrew McKay of Edina, Minn.

The fields at both northeast Iowa facilities will also include a number of area and regional competitors, including veteran Jeff Aikey of Cedar Falls, Iowa; a two-time weekly champion at Dubuque Speedway, Hazel Green, Wisconsin’s Dan Shelliam; the winner of four consecutive weekly events at Dubuque Speedway, Ace Ihm, also of Hazel Green, Wis.; Iowa City, Iowa's Andy Eckrich, last year's weekly champion at Farley Speedway; two-time IMCA national Late Model champion Curt Martin of Independence, Iowa; Jill George of Cedar Falls, Iowa; Jeff Larson of Freeport, Ill.; Jason Rauen of Farley, Iowa; and Jeremiah Hurst of Dubuque, Iowa.

Dubuque Speedway's Rumble by the River 100 is also expected to attract a number of traveling stars, including former Eldora Dream winner Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., and 2004 WDRL champion Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis.

Action on Saturday night at Echo Valley Speedway will get underway with group qualifying at 6 p.m. and racing set to start at 6:30. On Sunday night at Dubuque Speedway, group qualifying will start at 6:30, followed by racing action at 7. Monday night's action at Dubuque begins with hot laps at 5:30. Heat races follow at 6.

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 .