7/27/2019
BAPS Motor Speedway
Rick Eckert Wins Creekside Auto Sales Smokey Frye Classic At BAPS
YORK HAVEN, Pa.: When Rick Eckert pulls into the Late Model pit area in central Pennsylvania, he is one of the favorites to sit in Victory Lane.
It’s not just the speed Eckert seems to carry at these races. He also has plenty of experience and has been in every situation imaginable in some of the biggest races in the United States.
So, when Eckert lined up 10th on the grid Saturday night in the Smokey Frye Classic featuring the Ultimate Northeast Super Late Model Series, there was no doubt he had the chops to get to the front.
Eckert didn’t disappoint. He sliced through the field and shot by Ross Robinson to capture the 40-lap event. He earned a nice $4,000 payday for the march.
“The track crew did a great job,” Eckert said in Victory Lane. “It’s pretty awesome. Anytime someone comes from 10th to win, I don’t care what class it is, that’s a pretty good racetrack.”
Matt Cosner started on the pole and took the lead on the opening circuit over Austin Hubbard. Robinson, who started fourth, was also in the mix.
It didn’t take long for Eckert to charge to the front. He was running in the top five by Lap 10 and chased down Robinson by the 14th circuit.
“It was an awesome racetrack,” Eckert said. “That top didn’t look like it was there, and I was messing around that bottom and middle.
“I slid up there, and it wasn’t half bad. I saw it tear open up there, and I knew it would take all we could give it.”
Getting to the top was all Eckert needed. He motored around the cushion and was able to get around Robinson to take over the lead on Lap 17.
Once out front, Eckert pulled away. It wasn’t easy, however, as he had to deal with some brake issues down the stretch.
The final caution was displayed on lap 34, when Kyle Hardy topped on the speedway. Eckert’s brakes came back, and he dominated the rest of the way, taking the win over Robinson, Cosner, Jeff Rine, and Jared Miley.
“We were just getting by guys on that top, and we were running damn hard,” Eckert said. “I about got him, and [Ross] would slide across there in from of me, so I figured I got to get enough speed off the cushion and get a big run on him.
“That last caution came out, and I was sort of glad because my brake pedal was to the floor. I was out of brakes, and running around under caution, they came back. That was awesome, because it was going to be ugly the last six laps.”
Eckert also earned hard charger honors. Gene Knaub set quick time for the 21-car field with a lap of 17.682. Cosner, Hubbard, and Rine were heat winners.
SUPER LATE MODELS “CREEKSIDE AUTO SALES SMOKEY FRYE CLASSIC”
Feature (40 Laps) – 1. 0-Rick Eckert; 2. 7R-Ross Robinson; 3. 66C-Matt Cosner; 4. 2J-Jeff Rine; 5. 10-Jared Miley; 6. F1-Coleby Frye; 7. 119-Bryan Bernheisel; 8. 1W-Billy Wampler; 9. 11-Austin Hubbard; 10. 22-Brett Schadel; 11. 06-Mike Lupfer; 12. 11B-Kirk Baker; 13. 98-Tommy Slanker; 14. 32J-Shaun Jones; 15. 0-Larry Baer; 16. 43A-Tyler Bare (DNF); 17. 36-Kyle Hardy (DNF); 18. 11W-Marvin Winters (DNF); 19. 1-Gene Knaub (DNF); 20. 24-Dylan Yoder (DNF); 21. 07-Robert Stough (DNF).
Lap Leaders – Matt Cosner (1-6), Ross Robinson (7-16), Rick Eckert (17-40)
Super Late Model Time Trial Results – 1. 1-Gene Knaub, 17.682; 2. 11-Austin Hubbard, 17.751; 3. 06-Mike Lupfer, 17.945; 4. 119-Bryan Bernheisel, 17.982; 5. 10-Jared Miley, 18.002; 6. 2J-Jeff Rine, 18.048; 7. 66C-Matt Cosner, 18.068; 8. 43A-Tyler Bare, 18.092; 9. 32J-Shaun Jones, 18.108; 10. 0-Rick Eckert, 18.130; 11. 36-Kyle Hardy, 18.142; 12. 7R-Ross Robinson, 18.160; 13. 1W-Billy Wampler, 18.467; 14. F1-Coleby Frye, 18.490; 15. 11W-Marvin Winters, 18.508; 16. 22-Brett Schadel, 18.678; 17. 98-Tommy Slanker, 18.755; 18. 24-Dylan Yoder, 18.797; 19. 11B-Kirk Baker, 18.969; 20. 07-Robert Stough, 19.806, 0-Larry Baer, No Time.
Super Late Model Heat 1 Finish (10 Laps/All Qualify) – 1. 66C-Matt Cosner; 2. 1-Gene Knaub; 3. 119-Bryan Berheisel; 4. 0-Rick Eckert; 5. 1W-Billy Wampler; 6. 11B-Kirk Baker; 7. 22-Brett Schadel.
Super Late Model Heat 2 Finish (10 Laps/All Qualify) – 1. 11-Austin Hubbard; 2. 36-Kyle Hardy; 3. 43A-Tyler Bare; 4. 10-Jared Miley; 5. F1-Coleby Frye; 6. 07-Robert Stough; 7. 98-Tommy Slanker (DNS).
Super Late Model Heat 3 Finish (10 Laps/All Qualify) – 1. 7R-Ross Robinson; 2. 06-Mike Lupfer; 3. 11W-Marvin Winters; 4. 32J-Shaun Jones; 5. 24-Dylan Yoder; 6. 0-Larry Baer.
Article Credit: BAPS Motor Speedway
