Rick Eckert beside the Warrior House car he drove at Smoky Mountain.
Just prior to the NDRL weekend at Smoky Mountain Speedway, it was announced by Warrior Race Cars boss Sanford Goddard that California driver Eric Jacobsen and Pennsylvania pilot Rick Eckert would spend time in the house cars for that brand as a test drive toward potentially moving into the chassis brand on a full time basis. The temporary deal had been primarily negotiated between Jacobsen and Goddard.
Both Jacobsen and Eckert have driven Bloomquist Race Cars in the recent past.
However, Goddard says there will be no deal between his company and the two drivers. “They have decided to go in another direction,” he said from his Knoxville shop. “They called us and said they would be here to pick up their motor. I’m not sure what Jacobsen plans to do.”
Eckert, a former World of Outlaws Late Models champion, drove one of the Warrior cars in each of the NDRL sanctioned events at Smoky Mountain. He finished 15th in Friday night’s feature, a race won by Warrior driver Dale McDowell. Eckert failed to make the main event on the following night.
The original plan had called for Jacobsen to drive one of the cars in last weekend’s Spring Nationals events at the Volunteer Speedway but business commitments kept him in California.
Goddard says he plans to race his car in the Spring Nationals race at Smoky Mountain on March 29th. “We don’t have a driver definitely lined up yet, but we have some options we’re looking at,” he said.
A Roush Yates Engine belonging to Eric Jacobsen is currently placed inside the Warrior house car.
