From Bill W.
September 28, 2010 – Sprint car pilot Brandon Wimmer and car owner Rick Ferkel had a successful trip out West as they competed at specials in both Illinois and Missouri. The result was a fourth place finish at the “Shaheen’s Blast from the Past” race at the Jacksonville (IL) Speedway, and a fifth place run at the “Queen’s Royale” at the St. Francois County Raceway near Farmington, Missouri. This weekend, the team is planning on competing in a pair of “Buckeye State” open shows at Eldora Speedway and Millstream Speedway.
The competition was good at Jacksonville on Friday night, so a good pill from the draw helped things. Brandon started inside row two and finished second in the heat. “That’s the first time in a long time that I can remember drawing well,” says the Fairmount, Indiana driver. “We actually drew an eleven.”
That set Brandon up outside row four for the main event. He almost didn’t make the first circuit. “I tried to get upside down on the first lap!” he says. “The cushion coming off of four was against the wall. I got into it hard, and I don’t know how I didn’t get upside down. That dropped us back to tenth or eleventh.”
Undeterred, he worked his way forward in Ferkel’s #0. “I slowly worked my way back up,” says Brandon. “I got going really well towards the end. I got several guys when the race was winding down. At the start of the night, it was tough to pass. That place is pretty narrow. As it slicked off in the feature, we got better and better.”
Eventually, he would surge to fourth at Randy Standridge’s checkered flags. “I think the only car we got passed by was (eventual winner) Shane Stewart,” he says. “Everyone else, we were doing the passing. It was a good night, especially after our brush with the wall. It’s the kind of place that you’re not going to get through it without touching somebody, so we felt fortunate with fourth.”
Thirty-five sprinters gathered on Saturday night for the Queen’s Royale at the St. Francois County Raceway. A heavy track greeted competitors at the unconventional 3/8 mile oval. Brandon won at the track in 2006, and finished fifth in this race a year ago. He would qualify fifteenth. “We were just too tight,” he explains. “It was really tacky out there.”
Things slicked off in a hurry, and Brandon found himself playing catch-up in the heat. “We came out for the third heat, and the car was loose,” he says. “We spun out the first or second lap. We were able to make our way back up to fourth from the back.”
Brandon would post outside of row six for the main event. He would again put a charge on and eventually end up fifth in the final rundown. “The track got wider in the feature, and we slowly worked our way up,” he says. “I was surprised by the amount of good cars that showed up for those races.”
All in all, the weekend was graded a success by Brandon. “It was a good weekend,” he says. “Of course, we planned on going up there and winning, but two top fives wasn’t bad at all.”
Next up, will be two open competition events this weekend in Ohio. An open show paying $3,000 to the winner will be held Saturday night at the Eldora Speedway near Rossburg, and Sunday’s event will be held at the Millstream Speedway near Findlay.
Team Mannatech
Brandon has realized that a driver not only needs good equipment on the racetrack, but needs to also be in the best physical shape to be a success. That’s why Brandon has added a wellness program to his daily routine, which includes adding a line of scientifically validated nutritional products from Mannatech. Mannatech, Incorporation is a leading developer and provider of proprietary nutritional supplements, weight management products and skin care solutions. Athletes around the world rely on Mannatech products because they are formulated from high quality, natural plant sources and are formulated without any substances banned by major worldwide anti-doping agencies.
Brandon has been invited to serve on an elite team of athletes called Team Mannatech because of the results he has had with the products and will be working to share his experience with drivers, crews and fans. With more than 200 athletes representing countries around the globe, Team Mannatech members have been drawn from the exclusive ranks of sports legends, the everyday athlete and young enthusiasts destined to become superstars. They inspire action and attract passionate wellness champions and are all role models for their sport, committed to helping people of all ages lead a healthy, active lifestyle.