IRA Sprints

From Iowa to Victory Lane: Kelby Watt Grabs First...
Pokorski pushes to season-best Plymouth 360 runner...
Wings over the Red Clay
From Iowa to Victory Lane: Kelby Watt Grabs First...

From Iowa to Victory Lane: Kelby Watt Grabs First...

6/23/2025 -
Title: From Iowa to Victory Lane: Kelby Watt Grabs First Ever 410 Victory By: Gracie Cleveland Photo by HW Designs Plymouth Dirt Track attracted a 25-
Pokorski pushes to season-best Plymouth 360 runner...

Pokorski pushes to season-best Plymouth 360 runner...

6/17/2025 -
(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) June 17, 2025 – For the third straight week, Alex Pokorski seized a place on the podium in Akright Auto Plymouth Dirt Track Ra
Wings over the Red Clay

Wings over the Red Clay

6/19/2025 -
Next Friday night the Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association wing 410 sprint cars head to Bloomington Speedway. They will be joined by the Riv

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From Iowa to Victory Lane: Kelby Watt Grabs First Ever 410 Victory

From Iowa to Victory Lane: Kelby Watt Grabs First Ever 410 Victory

6/23/2025
Title: From Iowa to Victory Lane: Kelby Watt Grabs First Ever 410 Victory By: Gracie Cleveland Photo by HW Designs Plymouth Dirt Track attracted a 25-car field on a hot, sunny 96-degree day for the Road America Challenge and Round 4 of the Hopf Farms Bullring Showdown. The...more
Wings over the Red Clay: Always tough IRA 410s this Friday

Wings over the Red Clay: Always tough IRA 410s this Friday

6/22/2025
Remember just a few weeks ago when Travis Arenz upset the High Limit High Rollers? One of the great upsets in sprint car history -- or was it? The Bumper to Bumper IRA Sprints is a tough group, with a loyal following, and great core group of travelers. You know where...more
Wings over the Red Clay

Wings over the Red Clay

6/19/2025
Next Friday night the Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association wing 410 sprint cars head to Bloomington Speedway. They will be joined by the Riverway Plumbing and Mechanical Huntley's Hoosier Wing Sprint Car Series 305s and the TexaCon Cut Stone Super Stocks. Wing...more

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Blackhurst Takes Championship
2588
10/4/2018

10/4/2018

IRA Interstate Racing Association


Blackhurst Takes Championship

The Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association got the 2018 season underway during what seemed like possibly the rainiest spring dirt track racing has ever seen. When the drivers were able to compete, Scotty Thiel quickly showed he would be the man to beat. 3 top fives including a win on the first 3 races put Thiel at the top of the point standing, and a 2nd win in June cemented Thiel as the series front runner.
As spring turned to summer, a new contender emerged. Hanna City, Illinois Jake Blackhurst picked up his first career IRA A main victory at the Dodge County Fairgrounds on July 6th and backed that up with a 2nd place finish the following night at Fairbury American Legion Speedway. Blackhurst then went on to win the next 3 regular points paying events for the IRA.
At the same time a crack started to show in Thiel's armor. The teams engine program was struggling and because of it Thiel had not finished multiple nights. Thiel's problems combined with Blackhursts hot streak closed the points gap and the pair were just a few points apart heading into the season's final stretch.
After a strong run in Superior, Wisconsin, Blackhurst entered Cedar Lake Speedway on September 8th leading Scotty Thiel by a mere 6 points. Another engine gremlin would bite Thiel while leading his heat race, causing him to scratch for the remainder of the night, giving Blackhurst a comfortable points lead.
Thiel however was determined to beat his longtime friend for the championship but with just five nights of racing left, it would be a tall order. Thiel seemed up to the challenge though, as he finished ahead of Blackhurst in every remaining race.
The season would be decided with a doubleheader weekend at the Plymouth Dirt Track, a place Scotty Thiel cut his teeth at, seemingly giving Thiel the advantage, but he entered the weekend trailing Blackhurst by 36 points. Thiel proved Friday night that he came to win, fending off challenges from both Sammy Swindell and Tony Stewart to pick up the victory and cut Jake Blackhursts lead to just 15 points. Saturday night was shaping up to be a dog fight between the two young guns. After the heat races were over Scotty Thiel was now just 10 points behind Blackhurst. The Invert draw worked in Scotty’s favor as it put him on the front row and Jake Blackhurst would have to start 7th. A bad start for Thiel would send him back to the 5th position while Jake Blackhurst moved up into 6th. The duo battled for the 5th position for the duration of the race, with Thiel coming out on top of that battle, but 7 points short of Jake Blackhurst's points total.
As the dust settled it was the Hanna City, Illinois native Jake Blackhurst and his father Paul who stood victorious as season champions. The father son team collected 4 wins, 13 top fives and 18 top tens in route to there championship, and Jack Blackhurst is the first Illinois driver to win the IRA championship since Dave Moulis in 1992.


Article Credit: Gared Tennyson

Submitted By: Kim Tennyson

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