Wilmot, WI — (May 16, 2015) — For the fans at Wilmot Raceway, the seats purchased with an admission ticket were barely used. With the intense on track action, there was barely time to sit down as eventual winner Jeremy Schultz found himself in the thick of battle throughout the 30 lap A-main contest.
Schultz a former 360 Sprint, and Wilmot Raceway champion had taken the lead when a miscue was made by front running Trey Datweilwer. Datweiler making an impressive rookie showing paced much of the first half of the contest before that miscue allowed a determined Schultz to scramble into the lead.
Schultz then had to fight off the challenges of local favorite Dave Uttech, and a hard charging Ben Schmidt to score his first Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint victory of the 2015 season.
The 24 car starting field roared to life, and Datweiler surprised Schultz by bolting from his outside front row starting berth into the lead. While Dave Uttech, and Todd Daun gave chase.
Three laps were in the record books when heat race winner Matt Vandervere slowed on the backstretch and was overrun by Wayne Modjeski. Both drivers retired from the contest when the race resumed.
Datweiler worked the high groove to perfection as the contest resumed and maintained his lead over Schultz. Uttech hugging the lower groove continued in third while Schmidt moved into the fourth slot.
A spin by Brian Kristan in the second turn on the seventh circuit kept the field bunched.
Datweiler again got a solid start, and pulled out to the lead while Schultz, and Uttech swapped the second spot back and forth.
Just before the halfway point Datweiler slipped over the cushion in turn two breaking his momentum allowing both Schultz to sweep past bringing Uttech with him.
Uttech hugging the low line then pressure Schultz for the top spot. The pair ran wheel to wheel for the lead with Schultz finally able to edge ahead at the halfway point of the contest.
The only red flag incident of the event occurred on lap 23 when Blake Nimee, and B-main winner Scotty Thiel made contact which sent Nimee into a series of end over end rolls heading into turn three. Nimee was assisted from his car and was walked to the ambulance, shaken but otherwise unhurt. Thiel, who earlier dominated the B-main event, was also done for the evening.
The dash to the checkered began with Schultz blasting back into the lead, while Datweiler, Uttech, and Schmidt wrestled for the second spot. That battle lost one of it’s chief contestants when Datweiler went into turn two a bit hot, and executing a slow spin off the top of the cushion with for laps to go. That incident drawing the final slowdown of the race.
The field roared to life one final time, and again Schultz was flawless on the restart. Uttech hugging the bottom line attempt to claw his way into the lead but Schultz repelled the challenge. Schultz got an addition break as the white flag flew, and Schmidt drew along Uttech to challenge for the second spot.
Out of the final turn Schultz powered to the finish a couple car lengths ahead of his rivals. Schmidt, and Uttech slapped wings while heading for the finish with both cars temporarily on the edge of control. Schmidt was able to get his car pointed the right direction the quickest, and took runner-up honors by inches. Uttech had to settle for third after his strongest effort in the past couple seasons.
Daun who had stayed just behind the leaders the entire contest finished solidly in fourth just ahead of a fast closing Jordan Goldesberry who had advanced into the featured contest through the B-main.
Raymond Hensley, Scott Biertzer, Phillip Mock, point leader Bill Rose and Scott Uttech finished sixth through tenth respectively.
In earlier action, Thiel dominated the B-main event finishing nearly a quarter-lap ahead of Goldesberry. Scott Uttech and Kyle Marten finished the race in third, and fourth to transfer to the main event. Marten, the leading rookie this season encountered mechanical issues with his car and withdrew from the main event during warm up laps.
This put fifth place finisher Rick Kelsey into the main event as the alternate to round out the 24 car starting grid.
Schultz, Vandervere, Schmidt and Schultz captured heat race victories.
Bill Wirth overcame engine woes suffered at the last event to nail down his first career fast qualifying effort besting a field of 32 drivers. Wirth’s lap that included a wheel stand was an impressive 13.789 second effort. Rose was second quick with a lap of 13.800 seconds. Schmidt was third fast turning in a lap of 13.899 seconds. The entire 32 car starting field was separated by just over 1 second.
The Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series will celebrate the Memorial Day weekend with an appearance at 141 Speedway on Sunday, May 24th, as they host their next event on the challenging bullring located in Northeastern Wisconsin.
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.
The IRA Sprints are presented by its long time supporting series partners. The series support is 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.
Todd Lehr won the non-wing crate sprint car feature.