MARS DOUBLES UP WITH VIKING SPEEDWAY WDRL WIN
Win second in two nights for Menomonie, Wisconsin driver
By Tom Lathen - WORLD Dirt Racing League
August 8, 2006 - Two nights, two different race tracks, two impressive wins.
After banking the $5,000 top prize the night before at Superior Speedway in Wisconsin, Jimmy Mars led the final 46 circuits Tuesday night to grab the checkers in the WORLD Dirt Racing League PolyDome Late Model Series sanctioned Pepsi Cola 50 here at Viking Speedway.
Tuesday night’s win netted the Menomonie, Wisconsin hot-shoe his second $5,000 paycheck in as many nights.
“Its an awesome feeling to get a couple of wins in a row like this,” said the victorious Mars. “Sometimes you can go a while and not get any wins, maybe you get some top-fives, and then, all of the sudden everything lines up for you and the wins start coming.”
“I can’t say enough about this race car again tonight,” he added. “The motor was just awesome, the car worked great, my crew did an outstanding job, so here we are in Victory Lane again.”
Mars powered to the top of the half-mile Douglas County Fairgrounds semi-banked oval to grab the opening-lap advantage, with Chris Simpson running a close second, followed by inside second row starter Kyle Berck and Terry Casey.
As the leaders raced out of turn four on the second circuit however, Simpson stormed off the bottom to grab lead by mere inches, with Mars falling to second, just ahead of the third-place running Berck.
The leaders ran in that order until lap five, when Mars again took the long way around the race track to retake the lead as the front-runners raced in front of the grandstands.
“Chris (Simpson) was really tough tonight,” commented the winner. “He has really come a long ways and he’s just going to get better and better.”
“We raced each other hard and we raced each other clean and I was just fortunate to get back out ahead of him.”
A dozen laps in, Mars had begun to pull away from the remainder of the field and by the time the first caution flag appeared on lap 20, the popular Badger state driver had roared to a nearly half straightaway advantage over the second place running Simpson.
Before another lap was scored, a second caution flag flew when eastern Iowa driver Jason Utter slid off the race track halfway down the back straightaway, but when racing resumed, Mars again placed his Deppe Enterprises/MasterSbilt/Pro Power Monte Carlo to the front of the field, with Simpson continuing to cling to second, followed closely by Berck, Casey and defending PolyDome Late Model Series champion Denny Eckrich.
Mars raced to an advantage of a full straightaway by lap 30, before congested traffic allowed Simpson to begin to close the gap on the race leader. With ten laps remaining, Simpson’s Five-Star Shop Service/Barry Wright/Automotive Engine Machine Pontiac Grand Prix had narrowed the gap to a handful of car lengths, but the 22 year old Marion, Iowa driver was never able to get closer, as Mars took the checkered flag a comfortable distance ahead of the second place finisher.
“The track started to take rubber towards the end and I got a little nervous and fell in line and got behind some lapped cars,” noted Mars.
“I knew Chris (Simpson) was catching me so I got a little bit more aggressive and started moving around a little bit and I found out there was more than one lane of rubber. When I got out there, I was able to shoot past some lapped cars that I thought I maybe I’d have a little trouble with.”
Milledgeville, Illinois driver Darren “The Thriller” Miller, who started 19th in the field, wowed the good-sized crowd over the final circuits, storming through the field to finish fourth, a car length and a half behind Berck, who held on for a solid third place finish. Cosgrove, Iowa’s Dave Eckrich crossed the stripe in fifth, followed by Denny Eckrich, Casey, and John Kaanta.
Race Report:
Qualifying: 1. Darren Miller; Milledgeville, IL (18.253), 2. Dave Eckrich; Cosgrove, IL (18.180), 3. Chris Simpson; Marion, IA (18.439), 4. Chad Simpson; Mount Vernon, IA (18.599), 5. Terry Casey; New London, WI (18.929), 6. Brady Smith; Solon Springs, WI (18.956), 7. John Seitz; Bemidji, MN (19.001), 8. John Hampel; Union, NE (19.110), 9. Marshall Fegers; Mound, MN (19.112), 10. Kyle Berck; Marquette, NE (19.116), 11. Trent Follmer; Elk River, MN (19.119), 12. Don Eischens; Richmond, MN (19.122), 13. Jeff Hinkemeyer; St. Cloud, MN (19.13), 14. Mitch Johnson; Hickson, ND (19.276), 15. Jimmy Mars; Menomonie, WI (19.394), 16. Jeff Wildung; Nassau, MN (18.434), 17. Justin Fegers; Mound, MN (19.497), 18. Brian Harris; Davenport, IA (19.583), 19. Pat Doar; New Richmond, WI (19.711), 20. Denny Eckrich; Tiffin, IA (19.776), 21. Rob Moss; Iowa City, IA (19.839), 22. John Kaanta; Elk Mound, WI (19.864), 23. Eric Pember; Pittsville, WI (19.880), 24. Brady Johanneck; Spicer, MN (19.976), 25. Jason Thoennes; Garfield, MN (20.065), 26. Shawn Kirwin; Morris, MN (20.076), 27. Jason Utter; Columbus Junction, IA (20.165), 28. Brian Hendershot; Wadena, MN (20.533), 29. Terry Anvelink; Navarino, WI (20.607), 30. Paul Mueller; Bismark, ND (20.645), 31. Steve Hucovski; Maple Grove, MN (20.744), 32. Stewart Hayward; Calgary, AB (21.032), 33. Rick Nelson; Alexandria, MN (21.184).
First PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Mars (59.0), 2. Smith (60.0), 3. Chris Simpson (56.5), 4. Denny Eckrich (55.25), 5. Eischens (45.0), 6. Wildung (41.5), 7. Marshall Fegers (38.0), 8. Johanneck (36.75), 9. Anvelink (33.25), 10. Pember (27.5), 11. Nelson (24.0).
Second PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Casey (65.75), 2. Follmer (55.5), 3. Johnson (52.0), 4. Hampel (48.5), 5. Dave Eckrich (45.0), 6. Harris (41.5), 7. Utter (42.5), 8. Justin Fegers (34.5), 9. Moss (31.0), 10. Mueller (27.5), 11. Hucovski (scratch).
Third PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Berck (61.25), 2. Hinkemeyer (55.5), 3. Chad Simpson (54.25), 4. Kaanta (55.25), 5. Thoennes (51.75), 6. Doar (41.5), 7. Miller (38.0), 8. Seitz (34.5), 9. Kirwin (31.0), 10. Hayward (27.5), 11. Hendershot (scratch).
KSE Racing Products Consolation: 1. Miller, 2. Doar, 3. Justin Fegers, 4. Marshall Fegers, 5. Seitz, 6. Kirwin, 7. Johanneck, 8. Mueller, 9. Moss, 10. Hayward, 11. Anvelink.
Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation Pole Dash: 1. Mars, 2. Chris Simpson, 3. Berck, 4. Smith, 5. Casey, 6. Denny Eckrich, 7. Follmer, 8. Hinkemeyer.
Pepsi Cola 50: 1. Mars, 2. Chris Simpson, 3. Berck, 4. Miller, 5. Dave Eckrich, 6. Denny Eckrich, 7. Casey, 8. Kaanta, 9. Johnson, 10. Doar, 11. Wildung, 12. Thoennes, 13. Harris, 14. Chad Simpson, 15. Pember, 16. Moss, 17. Nelson, 18. Justin Fegers, 19. Marshall Fegers, 20. Utter, 21. Eischens, 22. Hampel, 23. Follmer, 24. Smith, 25. Hinkemeyer.
Additional Information of Interest:
Number of Entrants: 33
Lap Leaders: Mars (1), Chris Simpson (2-4), Mars (5-50)
Time of Race: 25:27.190
Margin of Victory: Not available
Caution Flags: 2 (Lap 20, 20)
Red Flags: None
Fastest Lap: Dave Eckrich (18.973)
Series Provisionals: Pember, Moss
Rookie-of-the-Race: Moss
Hard Luck Driver: Smith
Contingency Award Winners:
Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation: Mars, Chris Simpson, Berck
QA1 Motorsports: Casey
The Brake Man: Mars
Champ Pans: Chris Simpson
Joie of Seating: Berck
Performance Bodies: Miller
Design 500 Racewear: Dave Eckrich
V-Performance Batteries: Denny Eckrich
Fast Shafts: Casey
Hooker Harness: Harris
Weld Wheels: Chad Simpson
Scott Performance Wire: Pember
Design 500 Racewear (non-qualifier): None
KSE Racing Products: Miller
Chase Race Decals: Smith
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