Eckert wins again at Hagerstown

March 16, 2008

Rick Eckert planned to race in Tennessee this weekend, but heavy rains changed his plans.

The York, Pa., driver made the most of it, winning his second straight late model feature at Hagerstown Speedway on Saturday afternoon.

Eckert started eighth, but quickly moved to fourth by the second lap. He tracked down polesitter Josh Richards by the midway point of the 30-lap race and held off Roy Deese Jr. on the final lap for the win.

"Our car was really good again today, the race track was excellent again," Eckert said. "I guess Roy was coming there at the end. I was out there in the middle of the race track messing around and they told me he was getting closer."

Jimmy Phelps, of Baldwinsville, N.Y., was the third different leader in the big block modified feature and scored a nearly two-second victory over Ryan Godown as a tuneup for Saturday's Advance Auto Parts DIRT Series modified 100-lap event.

Bob Drayton led the first lap before spinning in turn four. Danny Johnson took over, but his lead time was short as he slowed and drove off the track with problems after Phelps drove by to lead on the fifth lap. He held the lead the rest of the race, sometimes by as many as seven seconds.

"We've been good at times in the races here, but never had what it took to finish long," Phelps said. "It was just a heck of a lot of fun today."

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