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Berck wins second Late Model Nationals trophy.
By Brad Fosberg
For The Independent
DONIPHAN, NE (July 21, 2007) – The Pump and Pantry Late Model Nationals appeared to be Kelly Boen's for the taking Saturday night. In the end it was Kyle Berck doing the taking winning his second Late Model Nationals trophy.
"The top came to us tonight and we finally figured that out," Berck said. "I'm not one who likes to run the top but that's where it was tonight."
Berck used a late race caution flag to his advantage taking the lead on lap 31 of the 50-lap main event at Mid-Nebraska Speedway.
"Again, Kyle passed me like I was looking around at the scenery," Boen said. "I couldn't catch him after that."
Boen captured the lead seven laps into the race and dominated the first half. The two-time defending NCRA points champion worked his way through lapped traffic and led second place John Anderson by half a lap.
After the first caution flag waved thirty laps into the race the story changed and it was Berck's time to dominate.
"After last night it was good to finish up front," Berck said. "Gosh, I think I kind of owed him one."
Berck become only the second two-time winner of the Late Model Nationals joining Kent Tucker who won back to back races in 1974 and 1975.
"That probably hasn't sunk in yet," Berck said. "I followed Kent Tucker for a long time and to be in that company is just great. It will probably mean more to me over time."
Anderson finished third to Boen and Berck for the second night in a row.
"I wasn't very good on restarts. I just couldn't get going," Anderson said. "But we're happy. This is such a great atmosphere It's a great event."
Joe Kosiski followed up a sixth place finish Friday night by running fourth in Saturday's finale. "I've been coming to this race for a long time and I wanted to do it again," Kosiski said. "I was happy. We had a pretty good weekend."
Another driver who had a good weekend was Mike Wiarda who recorded a pair of top fives in the two day show.
"We kept spinning the tires on restarts," Wiarda said. "I thought I might have had something for Joe (Kosiski) there at the end."
Sanctioning bodies NCRA and CLMA were represented by 46 cars for Saturday's races.
Berck, Boen battle on track again.
By Brad Fosberg
For The Independent
DONIPHAN, NE (July 20, 2007) – Kyle Berck and Kelly Boen have had their share of duels on the race track. The latest battle in this friendly rivalry took place Friday night at the Pump & Pantry Late Model Nationals.
Boen started on the pole in the 30-lap main event at Mid-Nebraska Speedway. Berck started on the outside of the front row and and the race was on.
Boen took the early lead and was challenged by John Anderson through the first 10-laps of the race.
After Boen wrestled the lead back from Anderson, Berck wanted a shot at the top spot.
With 12 laps to go Berck went wide in corner two and took the lead for the first time.
"The car wasn't all that good and I don't know why," Boen said. "Kyle passed me like I was looking for a place to have a sandwich."
Berck stretched the lead to several car lengths with less than 10 laps to go and appeared to be on his way to winning the preliminary event of the two-day show. Lapped traffic would decide this race as Boen caught the leader and made the pass as the white flag waved.
"He did the smartest thing. He went where I wasn't," Berck said. "I couldn't go down there and he won it."
It was an epic battle between two past winners of the Pump and Pantry Late Model Nationals.
"The lapped cars got him and I was probably quicker than he was on the bottom," Boen said. "That's all right, I've been second more times than I care to remember and it was good to win this one."
Any driver will tell you that the second place car is in the catbird's seat when it comes to navigating through traffic.
"I saw him make a move on me with a few to go," Berck said. "I moved down and lost traction and I couldn't hold him off."
Anderson, who is the current NCRA points leader, led the race for a short time early and settled in for a third place finish.
"The top came in for Kyle and I just fell in line and it was a little too late,"Anderson said. "The track came to the top and we weren't ready for it."
Mike Wiarda moved up two positionss from his third row starting spot and finished fourth.
"The car was really good," Wiarda said. "We were reeling John in a little and I think the car was just digging in a little bit more and more as the night went on."
Eddie Kirchoff rounded out the top five.
A total of 47 cars registered for the first night of The Nationals.
A 50-lap main event was planned for Saturday night. The two day show is sanctioned by the NCRA and CLMA.
Kyle Berck returns to NCRA Late Models
By Randy Fisher
PARK CITY, Kan. (March 26, 2007) – Citing a desire to race closer to home, Kyle Berck will run for the 2007 championship in the O’Reilly NCRA Late Model Series, presented by ICM/Ethanol.
“We were leaning that direction during the winter but just decided a couple of days ago,” said the 2002 series champion during a March 14 telephone interview.
During the winter, Berck got married and inherited his father’s farm.
“I’m realizing just how much time all that is going to take,” Berck said of the changes. “We were still determined to go after a championship and the NCRA certainly looked like the best deal for us.”
Some of Kyle’s favorite tracks are on the NCRA schedule. Their proximity to his Marquette, Neb., home was an important factor in his decision.
“It’s just going to work out for the number of races and the locations they run,” he said. “The NCRA has been a great series to run for in the past and we know we’ll have a lot of fun doing it again.”
With two-time defending champion Kelly Boen and other top drivers returning, Berck realizes it will be a tussle for the title.
“This won’t be an easy challenge by any means,” he said. “We know he (Boen) is the guy to beat.”
But Kyle definitely expects to be in the chase.
“Kelly’s a great racer and has certainly fine-tuned his operation the last couple of years,” Berck said. “If we can go out and be a little more consistent and win a few races, I think he’ll have his hands full.”
The 37-year-old Berck is entering his 26th year in racing. He started with go-karts at age 11 and moved to late models at 15. As in the past, Dorothy Lynch Home Style Dressing is the primary sponsor of the orange-and-white racecar. Speedway Motors in Lincoln, Neb., has also been with Berck for several years. Both sponsors will adorn his Masterbuilt/Kuntz Ford powered machine in 2007.
Being married has definitely slowed Berck in one respect. He doesn’t spend nearly as much time at night building racecars in the shop. Kyle says he’s caught up with his customers but like the cobbler’s children, his own racecar is far from ready.
“The car we’re going to race we want to roll out of here April 6,” he said. “Right now, as we speak, it’s sitting here with no brake lines, no engine, no gauges, no rear end, and no body.”
“We’re really struggling to get my own operation off the ground, but it’ll happen like it always does.”
For more information about the NCRA Late Model Series, either call the NCRA at (316) 755-1781 or visit their Web site at www.ncraracing.org.
March 26 - Kyle was interviewed by NCRA, click here to read the interveiw.
January 16 - on December 23 Kyle and Stacy got married. They spend their honeymoon in Orlando and Tampa Bay, Florida visiting Sea World and Clearwater beach among many other places. It was a great get away from the hectic racing world!!! In racing news Kyle has decided to work with the Mastersbilt Race Cars. This is a major change for the KBMR team, but they are excited and looking forward to the 07 season. They are looking at this season as a year of TRANSITION! Kyle is taking over his father's farming operation as Gary is retiring and he recently got married!!!! So as you can see his plate is going to be full this year.
