About WDRL

WORLD DIRT RACING LEAGUE SERIES BACKGROUND

The WORLD Dirt Racing League (WDRL) was founded in December, 2001 by Jim Wilson of Gilman City, Missouri. Wilson, a former Regional Director of the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series, and the founder and Tour Director of NASCAR’s Busch and O’Reilly All-Star Series, has been involved in racing for over 35 years and in 2002 was named one of the 25 most influential people in dirt late model racing by Dirt Late Model magazine.

Wilson began his racing career as an owner/driver in 1967 at age 27 after attending his first stock car race in Newton, Iowa. Two years later, he turned the driving duties over to Joe Merryfield, and in 1975, the combination of Wilson and Merryfield won the prestigious World 100 in Rossburg, Ohio.

In 1980, Wilson formed a drivers/owners association, the Mid-West Racing Association (MWRA) in an effort to bring consistency, affordability, and honesty to stock car racing in the midwest. He served as President of the organization until 1982, when he became associated with NASCAR.

Wilson served as a Regional Director for the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series for 20 years and also founded the organization’s only dirt track touring series, the O’Reilly All-Star Series (formerly the Busch All-Star Series) in 1985. After NASCAR announced the cancellation of the popular series at the conclusion of the 2001 season, Wilson resigned his position to create, promote and present the WORLD Dirt Racing League PolyDome Late Model Series.

The inaugural season of the WORLD Dirt Racing League (2002) included 13 races in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Illinois. A total of 188 Late Models participated during the course of the season, an average of nearly 36 cars per event. The series boasted 12 different winners including eventual series champion (and former NASCAR O’Reilly All-Star Series champ) Kyle Berck of Marquette, Nebraska.

The 2003 WORLD Dirt Racing League PolyDome Late Model Series schedule grew to 20 events in seven states, with Kyle Berck repeating as the series champion, winning a series-high seven feature events. A total of 244 drivers from 14 states and Canada competed in WDRL events, and the series’ average of 42.2 cars per event was among the highest of any touring series in the country.

2004 proved to be another season of substantial growth, with 26 events being run in eight midwestern states. The season’s average of 45.4 cars per event and the total of 323 drivers participating both established new series records. Eleven first-time venues dotted the schedule, with series rookie Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wisconsin capturing the series championship.

In 2005, eastern Iowa driver Denny Eckrich scored four feature race wins to grab the WDRL drivers championship. An average of 41.4 drivers per event participated in the most aggressive series schedule to date, 29 events in seven midwestern states. Seven first-time venues dotted the schedule, with 13 different drivers standing in Victory Lane, including five first-time winners. In all, 306 drivers participated in series events during the course of the season.

Denny Eckrich repeated as the WDRL series champion in 2006, as a total of 277 drivers from 27 states and Canada competed in 26 series events. Three first-time venues, included a stop at the fabled Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, were on the schedule with a series record 16 different drivers, including five first-time winners, finding their way to Victory Lane. The series average of 44.1 cars per event was the second highest in WDRL history.

The 2007 season brought on several new young guns and the competition on the WDRL got even fiercer. These young guns made it tough on some of the drivers that have been around and have raced for a long time. When the dust settled a young driver from Mound City Minnesota came out as the 2007 Champion. After scoring 2 victories in 2007 and with consistent finishes race after race and a tough battle with young gun Brian Harris, Justin Fegers came out on top. The PolyDome Late Models ran 27 races in 2007 with an average car count of 37.5 for the year.