6/2/2016
IRA Interstate Racing Association
BUMPER TO BUMPER IRA OUTLAW SPRINTS HEADLINE EVENTS AT CEDAR LAKE AND ANGELL PARK SPEEDWAYS THIS WEEKEND!
YOUNG TALENT DOMINATES THE TOP OF THE BUMPER TO BUMPER IRA SPRINT SERIES STANDINGS!
June 1, 2016; Appleton, WI – The Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprints head into the first weekend in June prepared to showcase yet another double-header weekend of action. The 900 horsepower winged sprints are set to participate at Cedar Lake Speedway on Saturday evening June 4th.
The IRA Sprints play an important role in the 5th annual Triple Crown with a huge purse for the show. The event will again feature the IRA Outlaw 410 Sprint Cars along with Late Models & Modifieds each racing for $3,000 to win. Fans can expect the absolute best racing talent in the area to compete for a share of the prize money on the high banked 3/8 mile oval.
Pits will open at 3:00pm with Grandstands opening at 5:00pm. Racing begins at 6:00pm. Tickets for this special event will be $25 for adults, $12 for students age 6-16; while children ages 5 and under are free.
For more information on the Triple Crown event log onto the Cedar Lake Speedway website at www.cedarlakespeedway.com
Last year Bill Balog topped the IRA portion of the Triple Crown event. Heading into the show this year Balog has recorded three victories including the most recent race held at the 141 Speedway this past Sunday.
Balog is the only driver in the series with more than a single win this season. Balog is expected to participate in both IRA events this weekend hoping to add to his impressive win total.
On Sunday the series will head to Angell Park Speedway. The race will mark the second appearance for the 410 sprints this year.
The first show for the Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprints at the track this year saw Scotty Thiel outrun Parker Price Miller for the victory. The win was the second of Thiel’s career. That victory coupled with a solid second place showing at the 141 Speedway this past weekend vaulted Thiel to the top of the point standings. This weekend marks the first time in Thiel’s career that he will head into the race weekend atop the season standings.
The Sunday, June 5th show will be featuring the Bumper-to-Bumper IRA Sprint Cars, Badger Midgets, and Wisconsin Dirt Legends
Pit gates will open at 2:00pm, with spectator gates opening at 4:30pm. Hot laps will begin at 6:00pm with qualifying and racing to follow.
General admission is $20.00 for adults while students ages 12 to 18 are $15. Children under the age of 12 are admitted FREE.
For more information, visit www.angellparkspeedway.net.
So far this young season the Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprints have been showcasing the new talent the series has to offer.
Five of the top six in points have been members of the IRA Sprints for less than five seasons and two are former Rookie of The Year title holders.
As mentioned Thiel a graduate of the 360 sprint car ranks leads the way atop the standings chased by 2013 Rookie of the Year and two time Wilmot Raceway champion Jeremy Schultz.
Robbie Pribnow who won the rookie title one year earlier in 2012 sits third in the standings. For Pribnow the third place ranking is a career best and a statement to his talent having just returned to 410 sprint action full time after several seasons of very limited appearances.
Ben Schmidt currently holds down the fourth spot. This season he is driving multiple cars to maintain his point chase. Like the other drivers at the top of the list Schmidt has an impressive background in 360 sprint action having collected several titles.
The highest ranking veteran racer in the standings is two-time series champion Scotty Neitzel. With over two decades of IRA competition under his belt Neitzel is showing no signs of slowing down and he was in the thick of the title chase last season.
Blake Nimee comes into the weekend ranked sixth in points. Nimee had a breakout season last year recording his first two career victories and placing himself in the title chase.
Balog who is not running a full schedule has climbed to seventh in points based on the strength of his three wins thus far.
Eighth and ninth in the standings are being held by driver who are running a majority of races for the first time in several years. Matt Vandervere and Scott Biertzer have shown some serious speed this season and both could be contending for victories as the year progresses.
Kyle Marten, the 2015 IRA Rookie of the Year rounds out the top ten in spite of some bad luck the past two events. Marten got caught up in an early accident at 141 Speedway but with gritty determination he was able to finish the event less his nose wing. That effort kept him in the top ten in the series standings.
Other IRA stars such as Wayne Modjeski, Russel Borland, Mike Reinke, Josh Walter, Kris and Dennis Spitz, Scott Uttech, Phillip Mock, Steve Meyer, Michael Decker, Bill Wirth, Jordan Goldesberry, Jereme Schroeder and Dave Uttech make up the majority of drivers which have kept the IRA series strong with their support.
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.
The IRA Sprints are presented by its long time supporting series partners. The series support is led by title sponsor Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts & Service Centers, and associate series partners Hoosier Tire, Osborn & Son Trucking, TW Metals, Cummins Onan, and Twin Lakes Marine.
Upcoming 2016 Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series Events:
6/4/2016 - Cedar Lake Speedway - New Richmond, WI
6/5/2016 - Angell Park Speedway - Sun Prairie, WI
6/11/2016- Beaver Dam Raceway - Beaver Dam, WI
6/18/2016- Plymouth Dirt Track - Plymouth, WI
6/19/2016 – Angell Park Speedway – Sun Prairie, WI
Article Credit: Jeffrey Sachse
Submitted By: Jeffrey Sachse
