5/8/2026
IRA Interstate Racing Association
McCarl Charges from 13th to Win Season Opener at Davenport Speedway
Davenport, Iowa — May 8, 2026
The inaugural appearance of the Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts IRA Sprint Car Series presented by Ollie’s Bargain Outlet at Davenport Speedway attracted a strong field of 35 sprint cars to kick off the 2026 season.
Early in the evening, Paul Nienhiser set the time to beat in Box3 Media Hot Laps aboard the No. 9x, while California native Joel Myers Jr. claimed the first Hi-Plains Building Division QuickTime Award of the season by topping the charts in Carbon Safety Technologies Qualifying.
Heat race victories went to Colton Fisher in the Fox Lake Harbor & Allstar Performance Heat Race No. 1, Travis Arenz of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, in the Maximum Property Services–Behling Racing Equipment Heat Race No. 2, Riley Goodno in the Engler Machine & Tool and DMI Heat Race No. 3, while Heat Race No. 4, presented by Ollie’s Bargain Outlet and Five Star Race Car Bodies, rounded out preliminary action.
In dash competition, Ayrton Gennetten earned the pole position for the evening’s feature by winning Optimum Electric Company Dash No. 1. Landon Crawley captured 5 Star Firearms Dash No. 2 to line up alongside Gennetten on the front row. The Ollie’s Bargain Outlet B-Feature was won by Logan Julien in the No. 85J.
The 25-lap feature saw Gennetten jump to the early lead before Myers Jr., who had shown speed throughout the night, capitalized on the changing racing surface to take command on lap three. Crawley soon followed into second, leaving Gennetten to battle for a podium position.
An Ollie’s Bargain Outlet caution on lap seven for an incident in turn two erased Myers Jr. 's advantage and tightened the field for the restart. Gennetten mounted a strong challenge to reclaim second, making the pass entering turn four.
Meanwhile, Austin McCarl was methodically carving his way through the field in the No. 88 after starting 13th. As the laps wound down, McCarl’s charge intensified. With five laps remaining, he surged past both Crawley and Gennetten to move into second and set his sights on race leader Myers Jr.
With three laps to go, all eyes were on the rapidly closing McCarl. The battle for the win came alive on the final lap as McCarl and Myers Jr. raced side-by-side into turn one and down the backstretch. Myers Jr. narrowly held the advantage at the stripe entering turn three, but McCarl expertly used a lapped car to complete the decisive pass and steal the victory in dramatic fashion.
McCarl claimed the win by just 0.173 seconds over Myers Jr., while Gennetten completed the podium in third.
The action continues tonight at Sycamore Speedway, where pit gates open at 1:00 p.m., grandstands open at 5:30 p.m., and hot laps begin at 6:30 p.m. with racing to follow. The Bumper to Bumper Auto Value IRA Sprint Car Series presented by Ollie’s Bargain Outlet will be joined by the Wisconsin Wingless Sprint Car Series and the IRA Lightning Sprints. Fans can watch all the action live on FloRacing
Photo by Brendon Bauman Photos
Article Credit: Madeline Ruh
Submitted By: Madeline Schultz
