7/12/2014
IRA Interstate Racing Association
THE STREAK STAYS ALIVE AT FIVE! BALOG CAPTURES RICK SCHMIDT MEMORIAL AT THE DODGE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS!
TRAVIS WHITNEY OVERCOME MECHANICAL ILLS TO GAB SECOND AT THE HORSE-POWER HALF-MILE!
July 11, 2014; Beaver Dam, WI. – After an extended break in the 2014 schedule for the Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprints it was time to get back at it. Heading into the break six-time and defending IRA champ Bill Balog had collected four straight A-main victories.
Tonight that streak was extended to five as Balog showcased amazing skills in lapped traffic to overtake Travis Whitney at the halfway point of the contest. Once out front Balog navigated the chicane of lapped cars in a fashion, which kept Whitney looking at Balog’s tail-tank for the remainder of the contest. When the checker flag fell it was Balog standing in victory lane, while Whitney had to settle for runner-up honors, almost a straightaway behind. The final podium spot went to Steve Meyer who his having a successful 25th season in racing.
Balog’s continued his trend of recent domination of the half-mile fairgrounds track. It marked the second straight year that Balog had captured the 23-lap A-main event held in honor of Rick Schmidt. Last season, Balog not only won the A-main, but he scored a clean sweep, and established a new track record as well. This year Whitney prevented Balog’s sweep by establishing the fastest time in qualifying. More impressively Whitney set the fastest time of the 27 cars at hand in just a single qualifying laps as he came to a halt on his second lap with mechanical difficulties.
Mechanical attrition also came in the form of blown engines for Blake Nimee, Robbie Pribnow, and visiting Knoxville Raceway driver Ryan Bunton. This reduced the field to 24 starters for the A-main contest.
Polesitter Jordan Goldesberry made the long trip up from Springfield, Illinois payoff, by jumping into the lead ahead of fellow front row starter Wayne Modjeski. Modjeski quickly fell back into the field.
Local favorite Scotty Neitzel powered into the second spot after the opening lap, with Whitney making his was to fourth from his sixth place starting spot by the completion of first orbit of the half-mile clay oval.
The only slowdown of the contest occurred on the next circuit when a cone got knocked onto the racing surface in turn two.
When the green flag returned Neitzel sailed past Goldesberry for the top spot, but it was Whitney who caught the fans attention, as he faulted from fourth to second on the restart. Before the lap was complete Whitney was able to work around Neitzel for the lead.
Once out front Whitney steadily pulled away from the field. Further back Balog was also on the move. He caught Goldesberry for third on lap three, and then ran down Neitzel. Balog stalked Neitzel for several circuits before making his move to the runner-up spot in lapped traffic on lap eight.
Out front, Whitney had extended his lead to over a straightaway, and he quickly began to put cars a lap down. By the halfway point of the contest Whitney had placed over half the field a lap behind.
It was lapped machines however which began to slow Whitney’s pace. On lap 14 he was temporarily trapped behind a pair of cars, and Balog sliced the commanding lead in half in a single lap. By the next circuit, Balog had closed within six car lengths often splitting the gap between lapped cars going three wide up the middle.
It was Balog’s prowess in lapped traffic, which placed him within striking distance of Whitney on lap 15. Balog made a decisive move to the bottom of the track in turn three, sliding past Whitney for the lead position before lap 16 began.
Once out front Balog maintained a pace which allowed him to steadily pull away from Whitney for the duration of the contest. Balog’s pace was so frantic that he had lapped all but the top seven machines by the time he roared under the checker.
Whitney had to settle for runner-up honors, a noteworthy effort, as earlier in the program in qualifying his car had lost power. The crew diagnosed the problem and a solid second place showing was proof that the mechanical ills were solved.
Meyer managed scrambled to the final podium spot having reached the third position with just three laps to go in the event. He went wheel to wheel with Neitzel for the position before securing the position. Neitzel held onto fourth followed by Goldesberry who completed the top five runners.
The sixth spot showcased a remarkable effort by Todd Hepfner who wheeled a car owned by Brandon Thone this evening. Hepfner had flipped the car in qualifying but his crew was able to fix the car in time for the heat race. Hepfner then started the A-main in the 18th spot, but with an aggressive drive he was able to stay on the lead lap, and race up to the sixth position by the checker.
Rookie Scotty Thiel was the final car on the lead lap in the seventh position. Jeremy Schultz, Tommy Sexton and Scott Biertzer completed the top ten.
In earlier action three heat races were held with victories going to Rose, Biertzer and Balog.
Whitney’s time of 16,690 seconds was the fastest of the evening eclipsing the time of 16.860 seconds set by Balog which was the second fastest of the evening. Neitzel was the third quickest of the evening’s qualifiers with a lap of 17.050 seconds.
The series now packs up, and heads north to Rice Lake, Wisconsin. The 900 horsepower sprint cars will take to the high-banked third-mile clay oval for the lone appearance of the IRA Sprints this season at Rice Lake Speedway.
The show, held on Saturday night July 12th, will also host the tracks own Super Stocks, Midwest Modifieds, Street Stocks and Pure Stocks in addition to the Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprints.
The Rice Lake Speedway is located one mile north of Rice Lake Wisconsin midway between state highway 48 and Barron County SS. The track phone number is 715-236-2002 and more information can be obtained from co-owner Dave Adams at 715-205-2861. The speedway website provides more information at www.ricelakespeedway.net
Over two dozen teams are expected to venture to both of the upcoming events.
The 2014 Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series scheduled season will consist of 30 shows to be held at 15 different area tracks.
IRA proudly moves into 2014 backed by its long time supporting series partners led by title sponsor Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts & Service Centers, and associate series partners Osborn & Son Trucking, TW Metals, Hoosier Tire, Cedar Creek Motorsports, Cummins Onan, and Carriage Auto Body.
The Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprints are a featured member of Racetext.net a website dedicated to bringing fans the best possible coverage of local short track racing.
For more information on the IRA Outlaw Sprints check out the tour website at www.irasprints.com or by logging onto the series Facebook page at www.facebook.com/irasprints the series is also on twitter at #IRA_sprints.
IRA Sprint Cars | IRA Interstate Racing Association
Event # 8 – Dodge County Fairgrounds – Beaver Dam, WI – July 11, 2014
Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts A Feature (23 Laps): 1. 17B-Bill Balog[5]; 2. 16-Travis Whitney[6]; 3. 85M-Steve Meyer[3]; 4. 2W-Scott Neitzel[4]; 5. 65-Jordan Goldesberry[1]; 6. 94H-Todd Hepfner[18]; 7. 64-Scotty Thiel[10]; 8. 5J-Jeremy Schultz[12]; 9. 83-Tommy Sexton Jr.[20]; 10. 4B-Scott Biertzer[7]; 11. 35-Ben Schmidt[19]; 12. 23-Russell Borland[9]; 13. 6-Bill Rose[8]; 14. 68-Dave Uttech[11]; 15. 95A-Ken Jay Fiedler[14]; 16. 7-Scott Uttech[15]; 17. 94-Brandon Thone[17]; 18. 43-Jereme Schroeder[21]; 19. 41-Dennis Spitz[22]; 20. 73-Dennis Weisner[23]; 21. 71-Chad Tessman[24]; 22. (DNF) 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski[2]; 23. (DNF) 4K-Kris Spitz[16]; 24. (DNF) 7F-Lance Fassbender[13]
Weld Racing Products Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 6-Bill Rose[2]; 2. 68-Dave Uttech[3]; 3. 16-Travis Whitney[6]; 4. 65-Jordan Goldesberry[4]; 5. 85M-Steve Meyer[5]; 6. 94H-Todd Hepfner[8]; 7. 43-Jereme Schroeder[1]; 8. 41-Dennis Spitz[7]; DNS 6R-Ryan Bunton
DMI Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 17B-Bill Balog[4]; 2. 5J-Jeremy Schultz[3]; 3. 64-Scotty Thiel[2]; 4. 7-Scott Uttech[1]; 5. 4K-Kris Spitz[7]; 6. 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski[5]; 7. 73-Dennis Weisner[6]; DNS 83-Tommy Sexton Jr.; DNS 79-Blake Nimee
All-Star Performance Parts Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 4B-Scott Biertzer[1]; 2. 2W-Scott Neitzel[6]; 3. 7F-Lance Fassbender[3]; 4. 23-Russell Borland[4]; 5. 94-Brandon Thone[7]; 6. 95A-Ken Jay Fiedler[2]; 7. 35-Ben Schmidt[5]; 8. 71-Chad Tessman[8]; DNS 20R-Rob Pribnow
Osborne & Son Qualifying: 1. 16-Travis Whitney, 16.690[7]; 2. 17B-Bill Balog, 16.860[13]; 3. 2W-Scott Neitzel, 17.050[3]; 4. 85M-Steve Meyer, 17.308[16]; 5. 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski, 17.335[14]; 6. 35-Ben Schmidt, 17.443[10]; 7. 65-Jordan Goldesberry, 17.448[15]; 8. 64-Scotty Thiel, 17.482[4]; 9. 23-Russell Borland, 17.520[12]; 10. 68-Dave Uttech, 17.524[9]; 11. 5J-Jeremy Schultz, 17.593[17]; 12. 7F-Lance Fassbender, 17.600[1]; 13. 6-Bill Rose, 17.698[22]; 14. 83-Tommy Sexton Jr., 18.129[24]; 15. 95A-Ken Jay Fiedler, 18.238[27]; 16. 43-Jereme Schroeder, 18.242[6]; 17. 7-Scott Uttech, 18.246[20]; 18. 4B-Scott Biertzer, 18.330[25]; 19. 41-Dennis Spitz, 18.489[11]; 20. 4K-Kris Spitz, 18.522[23]; 21. 94-Brandon Thone, 18.627[26]; 22. 94H-Todd Hepfner, 18.911[19]; 23. 73-Dennis Weisner, 19.215[2]; 24. 71-Chad Tessman, 22.409[18]; 25. 6R-Ryan Bunton, 17.440[5]; DNS 79-Blake Nimee; DNS 20R-Rob Pribnow
Submitted By: Jeffrey Sachse
