From IRA
Beaver Dam, WI — (June 16, 2012) — Fans were on their feet as the Bumper to Bumper IRA Sprint Car main event at Beaver Dam Raceway came down to the last lap. Mike Reinke was fighting hard to regain the lead he had just given up to Mike Kertscher on the final lap as the pair worked through lapped traffic. Heading into the final turns Kertscher would hug the low line while Reinke was flat out in the high line coming off the banked corners. In a drag race to the finish Reinke’s momentum closed the gap on Kertscher but the speed wasn’t enough as Kertscher would collect his second A-main victory of the season by less than two feet. Reinke who had lead much of the final third of the race would settle for second.
Reinke and Kertscher has started in the third row of the 30 lap contest and they began their charge at the drop of the green flag. It was front row starter Bill Wirth who put on a show for the fans early on as he bolted past pole sitter Bill Warren on lap two to take over the top spot.
Wirth whose team is competes with limited funds proved his talent as a wheel man keeping his #53w out front in the early going pulling away from the field. Tommy Sexton the 2011 Wilmot Raceway track champion found himself doing battle with Warren for the runner-up spot while Reinke began to make it a three way battle for the position.
Sexton would tag the wall coming off turn four on the fifth lap allowing Reinke to flash by for third. Reinke wasted little time in his charge toward the front surpassing Warren for second by lap eight. Wirth meanwhile had build up a straightaway advantage on the field.
On lap ten the first of two cautions would fly when Russel Borland would roll to a stop on the backstretch. The caution negated Wirth’s lead and placed Reinke on his rear nerf bar for the restart.
Underway again Wirth got a good jump pulling away from Reinke who had to fend off the challenges of Sexton. Kertscher had climbed to fourth with Jim Moughan holding down the fifth position as the race apssed the halfway point.
Wirth and Reinke would pull away from the field as Sexton and Kertscher began to exchange the third spot performing flawless cross over moves as each end of the track.
Wirth had build up a eight car length lead on Reinke when the second and final caution flag flew when Michael Decker looped his machine in turn two on lap eighteen.
Taking the green flag for the final restart of the contest Reinke was tenacious in his battle to wrestle the top spot from Wirth. Reinke would charge ahead on lap 20 as Wirth had to content with Kertscher who was making a late race charge toward the front. Wirth and Kertscher exchanged the second spot until lap 23 when Kertscher finally nailed down the position.
Reinke’s lead would stand at six car lengths with five laps to go. Kertscher began to whittle away at the margin. Reinke would slow briefly for lapped traffic on the final lap allowing Kertscher to close the gap and slip ahead as the white flag flew. Reinke wasted little time in regaining his momentum but his effort to repass Kertscher fell just shot at the line. The two foot margin of victory for Kertscher was the closest winning effort of the 2012 season after a clean hard fought battle the appreciative crown cheering in approval of both drivers efforts. It was Kertscher’s 16th career victory in the Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series, and his second of the year having won at 141 Speedway back in May.
Reinke’s second place performance allowed him to close the lead on current point leader Bill Balog. Balog still maintains a slim four point advantage in his efforts to secure a fifth series title. Balog’s woud finish third in this evening’s contest. After a miscue in his heat race Balog was forced to work his way through the B-main from the tail of the field. In the main event he started eleventh and managed to advanced to the third spot by the checkered flag passing Wirth for the position with two laps to go.
Wirth’s efforts were notable turning in his best performance of the 2012 season having lead 18 laps of the A-main and completing the event with a hard fought fourth place finish. Phillip Mock completed the top five. It was Mock’s second consecutive top five performance and he has placed in the top ten the last six events.
Sexton, Jordan Goldsberry, Warren, Moughan and Todd King completed the top ten. Only a single car had dropped from the contest leaving 21 cars on track at the checkered flag.
There were no red flags during the evening, though hard contact between Balog and Scott Biertzer in the second heat would result in Biertzer being unable to complete the evening’s program due to heavy damage to his car.
The B-main saw thirteen drivers attempt to make the main event in a contest which was won by rookie competitor Robbie Pribnow. Balog would chase Pribnow to the checkered flag but settle for second. Andy Hunt, fast qualifier Scott Young, Brandon Thone, Doug Wondra and Michael Decker comprised the top seven and were the transfer cars.
Twenty-nine cars had checked into the pit area for the program with Young turning in the fastest lap of the day with a 13.571 second tour of the third-mile clay oval. Biertzer was second quick with a lap of 13.638 seconds.
The Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series now makes its next appearance at Oshkosh Speedzone Raceway for a Friday Night show on the wide semi-banked third mile clay oval. The sweeping turns allow the 410 sprinters to battle three and four wide while approaching speeds of up to 120mph. A field of nearly 30 cars is expected for the June 22nd event.
In addition to the Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprints the tracks own Modified division will be on hand. Known as “Wisconsin’s Modified Action Track” the Oshkosh Speedzone has averaged nearly 40 cars a week in the class. The IMCA Northern Sport Modifieds will also be on hand for the race program. Racing will start at 7:00pm
Adult admission is just $20.00. Students ages 11 through 15 are admitted for $10.00 and children 10 and under are admitted free. For additional information consult the track website at www.oshkoshspeedzone.net
For more information on the IRA Outlaw Sprints check out the tour website at www.irasprints.com The Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprints can also be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/irasprints and the series is also on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ira_sprints
The IRA Outlaw Sprint Series is proudly supported by Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts & Service Centers, Osborn & Son Trucking, Goodyear, TW Metals, Cummins Onan, DNA Energy Drink& Snacks, MPT Industries, UltraLube, Big Game Treestands, Carriage Auto Body, Otis Gun, Mother’s Polishes and Waxes and Polaris DEFENSE. The office of the IRA Sprints can be reached at 815-759-9269 or by e-mail at steve@irasprints.com
BOX SCORE:
Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprints:
A-Main: 1.) Mike Kertscher; 2.) Mike Reinke; 3.) Bill Balog; 4.) Bill Wirth; 5.) Phillip Mock; 6.) Tommy Sexton; 7.) Jordan Goldsberry; 8.) Bill Warren; 9.) Jim Moughan; 10.) Todd King; 11.) Scott Neitzel; 12.) Kris Spitz; 13.) Dave Uttech; 14.) Wayne Modjeski; 15.) Scott Uttech; 16.) Robbie Pribnow; 17.) Scott Young; 18.) Andy Hunt; 19.) Doug Wondra; 20.) Brandon Thone; 21.) Michael Decker; 22.) Russel Borland
B-Main (Top 10): 1.) Pribnow; 2.) Balog; 3.) Hunt; 4.) Young 5.) Thone; 6.) Wondra; 7.) Decker 8.) Darrell Dodd; 9.) Brian Portschy; 10.) Jereme Schroeder
Heat 1: 1.) D. Uttech; 2.) Goldsberry; 3.) Reinke
Heat 2: 1.) King; 2.) Neitzel; 3.) Wirth
Heat 3: 1.) Warren; 2.) K. Spitz; 3.) Kertscher
Qualifying: (Top 10) 1.) Young, 13.571 Seconds; 2.) Biertzer, 13.638 secs; 3.) Kertscher, 13.667 secs; 4.) Reinke, 13.710; 5.) Balog, 13.823; 6.) Moughan, 13.842; 7.) Sexton, 13.855; 8.) Wirth, 14.070; 9.) Warren, 14.131; 10.) Modjeski, 14.150.