From IRA
Plymouth, WI – (August 13, 2014) — Fans attending the 18th Annual Frank Filskov Memorial Race on a cool evening at the Plymouth Dirt Track were able to witness two steadfast IRA favorites run wheel to wheel for the victory in the esteemed event.
The combined distances of the Filskov Memorial race plus the 360 sprint main even combined for 55 laps of A-main action to also honor Brian Portschy, a local racer had also had turned laps in IRA sprint competition.
Scotty Neitzel had opened the 2014 season at Plymouth Dirt Track claiming a win behind the wheel of a 360 sprint during the tracks weekly racing program. For awhile it appeared the veteran racer was going to wrap up the final event of the year at the track with a visit to victory lane behind the wheel of his 410 sprint in an IRA contest.
Mike Reinke, however, had other plans. While Neitzel was able to master the low line around the recently reconfigured third-mile clay oval, it was Reinke who found the fastest route. After pressuring Neitzel for the top spot for several laps, Reinke was able to shoot to the lead utilizing the high line on lap 20 of the special 27 lap contest.
Once out front Reinke was able to pull away from Neitzel taking his second victory of the year in convincing fashion. Neitzel crossed the finish line in second for the second straight season in the Filskov memorial, having been edged for the win by Bill Balog last year.
Wayne Modjeski nabbed the final podium spot after turning in his best run of the 2014 season eclipsing his fourth place performance earlier in the season at 141 Speedway.
Neitzel has started on the pole of the 27-lap A-main contest. The unique distance, a tribute, to match Filskov’s number which he ran in IRA competition.
After a false start racing began in earnest with Neitzel gaining the upper hand on Modjeski who had been positioned outside the front row. Reinke was able to power his way into the third spot ahead of Ben Schmidt. Schmidt, who has several titles to his credit in 360 sprint action at Plymouth, gave the partisan fan base plenty to cheer about this evening having earlier become the first of four drivers who were able to eclipse the track record in qualifying.
The first caution flew on lap four as multiple incidents took place. Phillip Mock making his return to action after having expired his engine a couple months ago, again suffered mechanical ills with his powerplant while running just outside the top five. Mock lost speed quickly and was clipped by Bill Rose.
Rose’s perfect season of starting every A-main, and finishing every lap came to an abrupt end as he pulled into the infield with steering issues. Rose, had some satisfaction this evening however, as the Plainfield, Indiana native earned the fastest qualifying time establishing a new track record of 11.888 seconds. It was the first time in his career that Rose had set a new qualifying standard in winged sprint car action.
At the same time 2013 Rookie of the Year Jeremy Schultz went for a spin in turn two drawing the caution. He would return to action, while Mock, and Rose retired from the contest.
When the race restarted, Neitzel went back to the lead, while Reinke gave Modjeski all he could handle while attempting to garner the second spot. After several laps of side by side action, Reinke used the high line on the track to secure the runner-up spot at Modjeski’s expense.
Neitzel had pulled out to a solid lead by lap ten as the leaders began to encounter lapped traffic. A caution on lap 12 for rookie contender Scotty Thiel drew the second yellow flag of the race. Thiel who had been running in the 10th spot had suffered a flat tire coming to a halt in turn four.
Once the race resumed, the final 15 circuits went uninterrupted. Neitzel again gained the upper hand as starter Jim Barr’s green flag waved in the air, but Reinke immediately began to supply the pressure. Behind the lead duo Modjeski held fast to the inside line in third, challenged by Schmidt.
Testing the high line around the track Reinke soon was able to reel in Neitzel. Reinke’s line was especially effective coming off turn two, and that is where he made his move for the lead on Neitzel on lap 20. With a sweeping pass Reinke was able to nab the top spot, and he quickly scrambled away as lapped traffic began to thicken.
Over the closing circuits, Reinke was able to extend his lead to eight car lengths by the time the checkered flag fell. Neitzel settled for runner-up honors and was well aware of the challenge of trying to hold off Reinke.
“I knew Mike (Reinke) would be coming around the top. The way the track was, not many guys would be able to make that work. I heard a motor a lap or two before that happened ( the pass for the lead ) and I knew it would be him”, noted Neitzel. “Mike’s a good racer, when the top is there for him he’s good at it. The first time I went there I wasn’t as comfortable as I would have liked. It just didn’t go our way, Mike did a heck of a job”, stated Neitzel on the battle for the win.
Reinke addressed the crowd from victory lane and was obviously pleased with the victory.
“Frank was a pretty good friend of ours, he was quite a jokester. If there was a joke to be played it was usually going to be on me. I miss the guy terribly, and I have been wanting so bad to win this race. Words can describe it at all”, said Reinke in honoring Filskov with tonight’s victory.
Reinke indicated he knew it would take using the high line as a means to achieve victory. “The way everybody was tonight, everyone was on the bottom. I knew I could trust him (Neitzel) where I was at. If I was going to pass a car, and win the race I was going to have to figure out how to make the top work. We had a car to win and we finally got it done”, said Reinke obviously pleased with the efforts of his crew.
Modjeski had spent the last half of the feature repelling the challenges of Schmidt who tried one last time on the final circuit to reach the final podium spot. Modjeski’s efforts had proved successful edging Schmidt by less than a car length. Schmidt had to settle for the fourth spot.
Steve Meyer quietly worked into the fifth in the closing stages of the race with a very quick machine.
Sixth place went to Bill Wirth. Wirth’s performance was notable having had to completely rebuild his car after a failed steering component resulted in a hard crash at 141 Speedway two weeks ago. Starting from scratch with a new chassis, Wirth’s crew was able to finish the car just in time for tonight’s show.
Jason Johnson earned the seventh spot. Scott Biertzer grabbed eighth followed by B-main winner Matt Vandervere, and Dave Uttech to round out the top ten positions.
19 of the 22 starters were still on the track at the finish with the top 12 on the lead lap.
In earlier action, Vandervere outran Meyer for the victory in the B-main. Ken Jay Fiedler, Blake Nimee, Darrell Dodd, Brian Kristan and Byron Walters earned transfer spots.
Heat race victories were captured by Wirth, and Mock, and the wins for both drivers negated a bit of bad luck as both have had several misfortunes this season. Brandon Thone captured the final heat race after a wheel to wheel duel with Reinke. The victory for Thone was his first heat race win of the season, and it happened in dramatic fashion.
On the other end of the scale, the Spitz family racing team endured a trying evening with bad luck too difficult to overcome. In his heat race Dennis Spitz rolled his ride after contact with Nimee, and the damage was too severe to continue on in the program. Kris Spitz would fare no better with gremlins in the engine that could not be diagnosed ending his evening in his heat race.
26 cars had checked into the pit area. 23 of which qualified within one second of the evening’s fastest time set by Rose. The trip of 11.888 seconds by Rose established a new track record eclipsing the mark of 12.085 seconds set by Reinke in the last appearance by the Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprints two weeks ago. Schultz was second quick at 11.970 seconds and Reinke was third fast at 12.002 seconds. Schmidt was the first driver to lower the old mark with a lap of 12.014 seconds that eventually was the fourth fastest of the evening.
Fans have just three opportunities to catch the Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint series yet this season.
Next weekend Beaver Dam Raceway presents a show on Saturday September 20th. The season concludes with a double header weekend which will begin with a show at Luxemburg Speedway on Friday Night September 26th. The final race of the 2014 season takes place the following night at the Dodge County Fairgrounds on Saturday night September 27th.
IRA proudly moves continues it’s 2014 season backed by its long time supporting series partners led by title sponsor Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts & Service Centers, and associate series partners Osborn & Son Trucking, TW Metals, Hoosier Tire, Cedar Creek Motorsports, Cummins Onan, and Carriage Auto Body.
The Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprints are a featured member of Racetext.net a website dedicated to bringing fans the best possible coverage of local short track racing.
For more information on the IRA Outlaw Sprints check out the tour website at www.irasprints.com or by logging onto the series Facebook page at www.facebook.com/irasprints the series is also on twitter at #IRA_sprints.
IRA Sprint Cars – IRA Interstate Racing Association
Event #22 – Plymouth Dirt Track – Plymouth, WI – September 13, 2014
IRA Sprint Cars | IRA Interstate Racing Association
18th Annual Frank Filskov Memorial – Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts A Feature (27 Laps): 1. 02-Mike Reinke[4]; 2. 2W-Scott Neitzel[1]; 3. 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski[2]; 4. 35-Ben Schmidt[3]; 5. 85M-Steve Meyer[12]; 6. 53W-Bill Wirth[9]; 7. 44-Jason Johnson[10]; 8. 4B-Scott Biertzer[17]; 9. 10V-Matt Vandevere[11]; 10. 68-Dave Uttech[13]; 11. 94-Brandon Thone[7]; 12. 7-Scott Uttech[15]; 13. 79-Blake Nimee[19]; 14. 64-Scotty Thiel[16]; 15. 23-Russell Borland[14]; 16. 95A-Ken Jay Fiedler[18]; 17. 5J-Jeremy Schultz[5]; 18. 5-Bryon Walters[22]; 19. (DNF) 5K-Brian Kristan[21]; 20. (DNF) 6-Bill Rose[6]; 21. (DNF) 1M-Phillip Mock[8]; 22. (DNF) 11-Darrell Dodd[20]
Behling Racing Products B Feature (12 Laps): 1. 10V-Matt Vandevere[1]; 2. 85M-Steve Meyer[2]; 3. 95A-Ken Jay Fiedler[3]; 4. 79-Blake Nimee[7]; 5. 11-Darrell Dodd[5]; 6. 5K-Brian Kristan[8]; 7. 5-Bryon Walters[4]; 8. 43-Jereme Schroeder[9]; 9. 73-Ty Bartz[6]; DNS 4K-Kris Spitz; DNS 41-Dennis Spitz
Weld Racing Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 53W-Bill Wirth[1]; 2. 6-Bill Rose[4]; 3. 35-Ben Schmidt[5]; 4. 68-Dave Uttech[3]; 5. 4B-Scott Biertzer[7]; 6. 73-Ty Bartz[6]; 7. 95A-Ken Jay Fiedler[2]; 8. 43-Jereme Schroeder[8]; DNS 85M-Steve Meyer
All Star Performance Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 1M-Phillip Mock[1]; 2. 64-Scotty Thiel[2]; 3. 23-Russell Borland[3]; 4. 5J-Jeremy Schultz[6]; 5. 2W-Scott Neitzel[4]; 6. 10V-Matt Vandevere[5]; 7. (DNF) 4K-Kris Spitz[7]; 8. (DNF) 79-Blake Nimee[8]; 9. (DNF) 41-Dennis Spitz[9]
DMI Heat 3 (10 Laps): 1. 94-Brandon Thone[1]; 2. 02-Mike Reinke[6]; 3. 7-Scott Uttech[3]; 4. 44-Jason Johnson[4]; 5. 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski[5]; 6. 5-Bryon Walters[2]; 7. 5K-Brian Kristan[8]; 8. 11-Darrell Dodd[7]
Osborn & Son Qualifying: 1. 6-Bill Rose, 11.888[14]; 2. 5J-Jeremy Schultz, 11.970[17]; 3. 02-Mike Reinke, 12.002[19]; 4. 35-Ben Schmidt, 12.014[5]; 5. 10V-Matt Vandevere, 12.107[11]; 6. 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski, 12.150[15]; 7. 85M-Steve Meyer, 12.248[3]; 8. 2W-Scott Neitzel, 12.274[23]; 9. 44-Jason Johnson, 12.277[21]; 10. 68-Dave Uttech, 12.297[18]; 11. 23-Russell Borland, 12.298[7]; 12. 7-Scott Uttech, 12.305[9]; 13. 95A-Ken Jay Fiedler, 12.399[4]; 14. 64-Scotty Thiel, 12.479[20]; 15. 5-Bryon Walters, 12.522[25]; 16. 53W-Bill Wirth, 12.538[26]; 17. 1M-Phillip Mock, 12.562[22]; 18. 94-Brandon Thone, 12.563[12]; 19. 4B-Scott Biertzer, 12.566[13]; 20. 4K-Kris Spitz, 12.694[16]; 21. 11-Darrell Dodd, 12.715[24]; 22. 73-Ty Bartz, 12.829[10]; 23. 79-Blake Nimee, 12.868[1]; 24. 5K-Brian Kristan, 13.110[6]; 25. 43-Jereme Schroeder, 13.784[2]; DNS 41-Dennis Spitz