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Daily Dirt 03/29/2024 10:16:41

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June 5
Plymouth Speedway,
Plymouth, IN
Sanction: World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series - $10,000
Information provided by: Series and track reports (last updated June 6, 2:22 am)
Eckert repels Heckenast for WoO win at Plymouth
  1. Rick Eckert
  2. Frank Heckenast Jr.
  3. Tyler Bruening
  4. Brandon Sheppard
  5. Ryan Gustin
  6. Mike Marlar
  7. Chris Madden
  8. Max Blair
  9. Dennis Erb Jr.
  10. Ricky Weiss
  11. Cade Dillard
  12. Gordy Gundaker
  13. Trevor Gundaker
  14. Kent Robinson
  15. Chad Finley
  16. Boom Briggs
  17. Pancho Lawler
  18. Mike Mataragas
  19. Troy Worrick
  20. Logan Nickerson
  21. Tristan Chamberlain
presented by
Jacy Norgaard/jacynorgaardphotography.com
Rick Eckert waves the checkers for his 38th career WoO victory.
What won the race: Fighting off challenges from Frank Heckenast Jr. inside and out, former series champ Rick Eckert of York, Pa., scored his first World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series victory since 2017 with a flag-to-flag triumph at Plymouth Speedway. Eckert earned $10,000 in taking the checkers by 1.524 seconds over Heckenast after barely hanging on to the lead mid-race.
Key notes: Eckert, who scored his first series victory since Aug. 2, 2017, at Shawano (Wis.) Speedway, celebrated with donuts in turn three. ... Three-time series champion Billy Moyer was scheduled to start seventh but lost fire during pace laps and was pushed to the pits. ... Series regular Brent Larson of Lake Elmo, Minn., missed the event because of the graduation of his daughter, Maddie. ... Plymouth hosts the WoO’s sister series, the DIRTcar Summer Nationals, on June 20.
On the move: Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., started 11th and finished seventh.
Winner's sponsors: Eckert’s Murray Motorsports Rocket Chassis is sponsored by Countertop & Cabinet Solutions, M&M Painting and Construction and Murray & Son Enterprises.
Points chase: After Plymouth: 1. Brandon Sheppard (2,780); 2. Chris Madden (2,734); 3. Tyler Bruening (2,628); 4. Ricky Weiss (2,584); 5. Cade Dillard (2,544); 6. Ryan Gustin (2,520); 7. Dennis Erb Jr. (2,502); 8. Boom Briggs (2,410): 9. Kyle Strickler (2,332); 10. Brent Larson (2,330).
Current weather: Few Clouds, 88°F
Car count: 22
Fast qualifier: Rick Eckert
Time: 13.652 seconds
Polesitter: Frank Heckenast Jr.
Heat race winners: Rick Eckert, Tyler Bruening, Frank Heckenast Jr.
Next series race: June 17, Stateline Speedway (Busti, NY) $10,000
Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.
From staff and series reports

PLYMOUTH, Ind. — Rick Eckert enjoyed his first World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series victory in four seasons in victory lane. But he didn't get much time to savor it during the 40-lapper at Plymouth Speedway despite leading flag-to-flag.

The 55-year-old York, Pa., driver, a former WoO regular and the 2011 series champion, made all the right moves Saturday in fighting off runner-up Frank Heckenast Jr. and a flurry of pursuers for a $10,000 victory, his first-ever in the Murray Motorsports ride. While Eckert's No. 0 officially led every lap, the outcome was in doubt all the way.

"It wasn't until we come past the start-finish line where I knew I was going to win," Eckert said in victory lane after his celebratory donuts in turn three.

Heckenast, coming off a $5,000 non-touring victory Thursday at Fairbury (Ill.) Speedway, was hot on Eckert's heels most of the way but the Frankfort, Ill., driver ended up 1.524 seconds behind at the finish while tour rookie Tyler Bruening of Decorah, Iowa, was third. Series points leader Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., and Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn. — who was running third early but slipped back to seventh on a botched restart — rounded out the top five.

Eckert, who notched his 38th career series victory and splits his time between his own car and an Allen Murray-owned ride he piloted at Plymouth, was glad for his return to victory lane on the national circuit.

"I was just wondering if it was every going to happen again. We've been so close here lately in my car and in Allen's car. We've had 'em both going really good here lately," Eckert said. "This is a cool racetrack. Traffic was difficult, but there was just enough (traction) out there that you could man up and push and wheelie and try to get around 'em. Hat's off to the racetrack, they worked on the (surface) before the feature and it helped a lot."

Eckert's high line gave him a comfortable lead in the first half of the race, but Heckenast cut the lead to just two-tenths of a second at halfway as lapped traffic forced Eckert to move around the track to find a way past the slower cars.

"There for a little bit, I was just no good in that bottom," Eckert said. "And then I finally cleared a lapped car there and (the bottom groove) got clean, then I was better in the bottom. I could leave the corner a little bit."

Eckert had one last scare on the 35th lap when he might slight contact with the slower car of Boom Briggs just past the flagstand, but he recovered to keep Heckenast in check.

"Rick did a perfect job driving there," Heckenast said. "He had his hands full with those lapped cars. We had three or four shots at him. Two times down there he turned left coming down because of lapped traffic and it was wreck us both or lift, so obviously we lifted."

Heckenast felt like he missed an opportunity with five laps remaining in the Eckert-Briggs mini-tangle.

"I just hate to let 'em get away like that. I don't know if I would've won, but there with (five laps) to go when he really held up — almost got wrecked actually on the front straightaway from the lapped car — I turned right to go to the top to try and blast (the cushion) and I hit the front straightaway wall," Heckenast said. "But it was a good run."

Bruening, who notched his third top-five finish of the season and remained third in series points, credited his Capital Race Car supporters and crew for his solid run in the Skyline Motorsports entry.

"We were sporty. I'll tell you what, when we were in lapped traffic there, I got under Frankie a couple of times and Rick got held up a little bit here and there," said Bruening, looking for his first series victory. "I don't know how it was in the stands, but I felt like we were putting on a helluva show. It was a lot of fun. I'm happy to be up here on the podium. We're right there. I'll tell you what, we're ready to win one."

The 40-lapper was slowed by a single caution on the third lap for a tangle that left the nose of Logan Nickerson's car atop the right-side hood of Tristan Chamberlain's car. Troy Worrick was also involved in the incident and was the only driver of the three to continue.

Notes: Eckert's previous series victory came Aug. 2, 2017, at Shawano (Wis.) Speedway. ... Fourteen driver completed 40 laps. ... The race ended before 9 p.m. at dusk. ... Three-time series champion Billy Moyer was scheduled to start seventh but lost fire during pace laps and was pushed to the pits. ... Series regular Brent Larson of Lake Elmo, Minn., missed the event because of the high school graduation of his daughter, Maddie.

Feature lineup

Row 1: Heckenast Jr., Eckert
Row 2: Marlar, Bruening
Row 3: Sheppard, Gustin
Row 4: Moyer, Blair
Row 5: T. Gundaker, Weiss
Row 6: Madden, Briggs
Row 7: Erb Jr., Mataragas
Row 8: Finley, Robinson
Row 9: Lawler, G. Gundaker
Row 10: Dillard, Chamberlain
Row 11: Worrick, Nickerson

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