7/1/2024
IRA Interstate Racing Association
Guilford Seals the Deal on First Time Series Win at Beaver Dam Raceway
Guilford Seals the Deal on First Time Series Win at Beaver Dam Raceway
30 sprint cars checked into Beaver Dam Raceway to conclude the June portion of the Bumper to Bumper IRA Sprint Car Schedule for an open wheel spectacular. Fans were treated to a thrilling feature and magnificent fireworks show put on by the track.
Starting off strong early in the night, Scotty Thiel would be the fastest in Box3 Media hot laps and Quicktime overall in qualifying with a 12.962. In heat race action, Shufflebotham Tree Service Presents Allstar Performance Heat 1 was won by Mike Reinke, Kristine Hartmann-Pleasant View Realty presents Weld Racing Heat 2 was won by Sage Fruit, HRP Racing Rookie of the Year contender Logan Julien, and King Racing Products heat 3 was won by Scotty Neitzel.
Behling Racing Equipment B-Feature was won by Jordan Goldesberry, and Optimum Electric Dash winners of the night were Jake Neuman and Jake Blackhurst, who set the front row of our 30 lap feature event of the night.
Jake Blackhurst would be the first to jump to the lead breaking away from the rest of the field. Neuman was hunting for redemption from the April race back here at the beginning of the season, he would fall to second. Guilford would follow Blackhurst to the cushion and would slip into second past Neuman on the second lap.
Julian and Neuman would battle for third behind Guilford and Blackhurst. As smoke would begin to arise under the hood of the 96, but we would stay green only for a lap further until the 8 of Chase McDermand would draw out our first caution of the night with 5 laps complete. The battle for the lead would continue when we went back to green, Blackhurst would try to run away once more from the rest of the field. Neuman and Julien would begin to hunt down Guilford for a podium spot, but Nueman would hang onto third. Reinke would be the next to knock on the backdoor of the rookie of the 85J, and would pass him for the 4th and Neuman would the third spot. Thiel would take to the cushion next and pass Julien for fourth.
Another close call for our leaders would happen as the 1 of Colburn would spin in the apex of turn one and two. Guilford was only .3 seconds away from the lead the last lap around, and with 11 laps complete there was still time for the Auckland, NZ to catch Nine-six motorsports driver Jake Blackhurst. Blackhust, Guilford, Reinke, Neuman, Julien would be in the top 5 with Scotty Thiel outside the top 5.
Blackhurst would continue to lead the way around the Beaver Dam raceway, and the battle would be behind with Reinke and Julien exchanging sliders and ultimately having the 10W taking the final podium spot. Halfway home and Guilford would pull a hail-mary of a slide on Blackhurst, but Blackhurst would take the lead back at the line when the red flag would come out for the 19AZ of Hayden Reinbold. He would walk away from the scene.
The racing would heat up with only half of the race completed. Reinke would jump on the restart to try to grab second from Guilford but would be unsuccessful this time around. Thiel would break into the top 5 behind the leaders and pass Julien for fourth.
Blackhurst and Guilford would catch up to the lap cars with 10 laps remaining. Guilford would try to fire his first of many sliders during this time, but would have to follow the 96 one more time around the speedway. Blackhurst would try to put more lap cars in between him and the 79M. Six laps would remain as Guilford slider would stick and he would take the lead. Blackhurst would next fall victim to the 10W of Reinke, Thiel, and Julien.
Guilford would take the win at Beaver Dam Raceway, Reinke would hang onto second, Scotty Thiel would round out the podium.
The IRA Sprint Car Series takes the next two weeks off for the fourth of July and the week after to allow teams to race Wilmot Raceway with the World of Outlaws. The series will be back in action Thursday, July 18th to kick off the Buffalo Wild Wings King of the Wings event hosted at the Norman County Raceway. Then the series takes on North Dakota’s NOSA in a double header event at River Cities Speedway.
Watch the IRA Sprints at Beaver Dam replay on FloRacing, where every live and on-demand race is at your fingertips.
FloRacing Full Replay of event: https://www.floracing.com/events/12002373-2024-ira-sprints-at-beaver-dam-raceway/videos?playing=12694525
Photo: HW Designs
Article Credit: Madeline "Chatty Madi" Schultz
Submitted By: Madeline Schultz
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