7/18/2022
IRA Interstate Racing Association
Jake Blackhurst Crowned King of the Wings as he conquers North Dakota
On Friday, July 15th, 35 Bumper to Bumper IRA Sprint Cars and Buffalo Wild Wings NOSA Sprint Cars would check in to River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND. The Bumper to Bumper IRA Sprint Cars were excited to make the return after a 19-year absence. Thomas Kennedy would claim our Osborn and Son Trucking Fast Time Award laying down the time of 10.295. Heat races were won by Mark Dobmeier, Nick Omdahl, Jade Hastings, and Jordan Goldesberry. This would set up the draw for the dash later in the program. Jordan Goldesberry would win dash one and Jade Hastings would win dash two.
Hastings and Goldesberry would lead the field to the green as Jade Hastings would take the lead from the green. Goldesberry and the rest of the field would follow behind. Coming from the fourth row, Kennedy and Dobmeier would make their presence known. Dobmeier would be the next to challenge Hasting’s lead. Hastings would weave through traffic as Dobmeier would try the top line. 12 laps in and we would drop the yellow. Hastings would now have Dobmeier and Kennedy right behind him. Lead by Hastings, the field went back to green. Goldesberry would be challenged by Pierce and they would battle until Pierce would slide Goldesberry for 4th when we would throw the second caution of the night for the 26 of Blake Egeland spun in turn one. Single file start with 12 laps remaining as Hastings would lead the field to the green again. Kennedy and Dobmeier would immediately challenge for the lead as they all ripped the high side heading into the first turn. Pierce would continue to slowly but surely make the way up battling with Nygaard as we would drop another caution for Shane Roemeling off the pace on the front stretch. When we went back to green with 10 to go it was Hastings, Dobmeier, Kennedy, and Pierce. In three and four Pierce would throw the slider on Kennedy claiming the third place spot. Hartmann would spin on the front stretch causing the field to regroup again. Pierce would reline up third, Dobmeier second and Hastings still leading the way. Changing up his line, Hastings would lead the field on the low side and Pierce would follow to pass Dobmeier for second. 3 laps left, Pierce was on the move, hunting down race-long leader Jade Hastings. Closing the gap every lap, Pierce would challenge in turns one and two unsuccessfully, but in three and four would pull the slider to take the lead with two to go. With open air from there, Pierce would take the checkered on the first night at River Cities Speedway.
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The battle only continued the next day when the teams signed back into the track. Thirty-three sprints checked in to battle on another hot day in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The track would continue to be fast as Grand Forks native, Jade Hastings, would qualify fast time laying down a lap of 10.469. All heat races were done in 9 lap fashion as tribute to Wayne Anderson. Thomas Kennedy out of Winnipeg, MB Canada would take heat one. Jordan Adams would take heat race two, Scotty Neitzel would take heat race three, and winning the fourth and final heat race was Brendan Mullen. This would allow the 4 heat race winners and the next 6 fastest in the top 5 of their heat races would be able to draw for the start in our A-Main Apparel draw for the dash. Dash one was won by the Professor Josh Schneiderman, and dash two was won by Jade Hastings.
Jade Hastings was already prepared with starting a feature against the stacked Bumper to Bumper IRA Sprints and the Buffalo Wild Wings NOSA Sprints as he would jump to the commanding lead at the drop of the green. Ripping the high side, he became the force to be reckoned with again. Other competitors would make moves tot work their way up the charts on the bullring. Blackhurst, Schneiderman, and Mullen would stay close to Hastings. Three laps in and lap traffic would become a factor. Weaving through traffic for the second day in the row, it looked effortless for Hastings. We would continue to stay green until Nick Omdahl would take a trip over the edge of the speedway. Schneiderman would fall off the pace while Kennedy would make the pass for his position. Dobmeier would make a run on the 2-time and defending IRA champion Jake Blackhurst. Kennedy in second as we reach the halfway point battling with Blackhurst and Jade Hastings was still checked out. The laps would count down to 10 to go, and Hasting’s lead would shrink. Dobmeier would pull off, and we would continue to go green for one more lap when the 0 of Nick Omdahl would find himself outside of the bullring. He pulled back in the track and we went back to green with 8 laps to go. Hastings would lead to green followed by Thomas Kennedy and Blackhurst. Hastings would immediately be challenged by Kennedy. The pressure was on as the first of many sliders would be thrown with three to go thrown in turn one and two. Hastings would return the favor in three and four. White flag would wave as Hastings and Kennedy would be door to door in turns one and two and they both would go low in 3 and 4. The crowd would erupt with amazement when the Rhine Auto 39 of Blackhurst, ripped the high side and would pass both competitors to take the Buffalo Wild Wings King of the Wings title championship belt.
Our season continues this Friday July 22nd at the Outagamie Speedway in Seymour, Wi we look forward to seeing everyone there!!
Article Credit: Madeline "Chatty Madi" Schultz
Submitted By: Dakoda Tennyson
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