By Gared Tennyson
22 Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association(IRA) sprint car teams signed in to compete in the Norm Nelson Classic at the Historic Angell Park Speedway. Osborn and Son Trucking Qualifying saw Bill Balog take quick time over Jeremy Schultz and Paul Nienhiser. Scotty Thiel and and Scotty Neitzel rounded out the top 5.
Weld Wheels Heat Race 1 saw Thiel quickly move from 3rd to the lead followed close behind by Balog. Balog would make a few challenges for the lead, but could not find a way around Thiel’s Professional Plating machine. At the line it would be Thiel over Balog. Todd Daun came across in 3rd followed by Steve Meyer and Mike Reinke.
Allstar Performance Heat Race 2 would be dominated by outside front row starter, Phillip Mock. Mock picked up the win over Neitzel and Russel Borland. Schultz and Ben Schmidt would finish 4th and 5th respectively.
DMI Racing/ R&H Enterprises Heat Race 3 was won by pole sitter Kyle Marten in the Oostburg Concrete 99. Nienhiser would come home in 2nd ahead of Wayne Modjeski and Tayler Malsam. Scott Uttech would complete the top 5 in his 7 machine.
A main action saw Neitzel take the early lead but soon Thiel was on his bumper. Thiel was able to get around the 2w of Neitzel and take off from the field. As the race wore on Schultz moved into 2nd ahead of Nienhiser. Balog had moved from his 10th starting position into 4 when the caution flag fell with just 3 laps remaining for Steve Meyer who blew a tire. The restart gave Balog a chance to move around Nienhiser for 3rd, and Schultz an opportunity to challenge for the win, but the 64 machine was just too strong and it was Scotty Thiel pulling into victory lane for the 2nd time this year in IRA competition. Schultz would settle for 2nd and Balog would come home 3rd. Scotty Neitzel would bring his 2w across in 4th and Nienhiser would finish in 5th.
The IRA is set to return to action Saturday night July 22nd at the Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Then the teams travel north to the Langlade County Speedway in Antigo, Wisconsin on July 28.
The IRA would like to thank our wonderful sponsors, Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts, Osborn and Son Trucking, TW Metals, Carriage Auto Body, Cummins Onan, Hopf Farms, Hagar’s Half Pound Cookies and Hoosier Tire..
A Feature 1
1. 64-Scotty Thiel, [4]; 2. 5J-Jeremy Schultz, [5]; 3. 17B-Bill Balog, [10]; 4. 2W-Scott Neitzel, [1]; 5. 9-Paul Nienhiser, [7]; 6. 02-Mike Reinke, [13]; 7. 99-Kyle Marten, [6]; 8. 26-Tayler Malsam, [3]; 9. 1M-Phillip Mock, [2]; 10. 85M-Steve Meyer, [12]; 11. 65-Jordan Goldesberry, [17]; 12. 23-Russel Borland, [11]; 13. 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski, [9]; 14. 7-Scott Uttech, [15]; 15. 73-Ben Schmidt, [14]; 16. 4K-Kris Spitz, [19]; 17. 0-John Fahl, [16]; 18. 12-Michael Decker, [20]; 19. 19-Todd Daun, [8]; 20. 68-Dave Uttech, [18]; 21. 41-Dennis Spitz, [21]; 22. 18-Keith Fellner, [22]
Heat 1
1. 64-Scotty Thiel, [3]; 2. 17B-Bill Balog, [4]; 3. 19-Todd Daun, [2]; 4. 85M-Steve Meyer, [5]; 5. 02-Mike Reinke, [6]; 6. 0-John Fahl, [1]; 7. 4K-Kris Spitz, [7]; 8. 18-Keith Fellner, [8]
Heat 2
1. 1M-Phillip Mock, [2]; 2. 2W-Scott Neitzel, [3]; 3. 23-Russel Borland, [1]; 4. 5J-Jeremy Schultz, [4]; 5. 73-Ben Schmidt, [6]; 6. 65-Jordan Goldesberry, [5]; 7. 12-Michael Decker, [7]
Heat 3
1. 99-Kyle Marten, [1]; 2. 9-Paul Nienhiser, [4]; 3. 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski, [2]; 4. 26-Tayler Malsam, [3]; 5. 7-Scott Uttech, [6]; 6. 68-Dave Uttech, [5]; 7. 41-Dennis Spitz, [7]
Qualifying 1
1. 17B-Bill Balog, 00:12.203[16]; 2. 5J-Jeremy Schultz, 00:12.217[1]; 3. 9-Paul Nienhiser, 00:12.351[19]; 4. 64-Scotty Thiel, 00:12.452[22]; 5. 2W-Scott Neitzel, 00:12.487[10]; 6. 26-Tayler Malsam, 00:12.492[8]; 7. 19-Todd Daun, 00:12.513[6]; 8. 1M-Phillip Mock, 00:12.526[9]; 9. 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski, 00:12.529[4]; 10. 0-John Fahl, 00:12.541[7]; 11. 23-Russel Borland, 00:12.545[2]; 12. 99-Kyle Marten, 00:12.554[18]; 13. 85M-Steve Meyer, 00:12.604[12]; 14. 65-Jordan Goldesberry, 00:12.695[13]; 15. 68-Dave Uttech, 00:12.725[14]; 16. 02-Mike Reinke, 00:12.741[20]; 17. 73-Ben Schmidt, 00:12.759[21]; 18. 7-Scott Uttech, 00:12.793[11]; 19. 4K-Kris Spitz, 00:12.908[15]; 20. 12-Michael Decker, 00:12.923[5]; 21. 41-Dennis Spitz, 00:13.444[17]; 22. 18-Keith Fellner, 00:14.132[3]
Feature: 1. 64-Scotty Thiel, [4]; 2. 5J-Jeremy Schultz, [5]; 3. 17B-Bill Balog, [10]; 4. 2W-Scott Neitzel, [1]; 5. 9-Paul Nienhiser, [7]; 6. 02-Mike Reinke, [13]; 7. 99-Kyle Marten, [6]; 8. 26-Tayler Malsam, [3]; 9. 1M-Phillip Mock, [2]; 10. 85M-Steve Meyer, [12]; 11. 65-Jordan Goldesberry, [17]; 12. 23-Russel Borland, [11]; 13. 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski, [9]; 14. 7-Scott Uttech, [15]; 15. 73-Ben Schmidt, [14]; 16. 4K-Kris Spitz, [19]; 17. 0-John Fahl, [16]; 18. 12-Michael Decker, [20]; 19. 19-Todd Daun, [8]; 20. 68-Dave Uttech, [18]; 21. 41-Dennis Spitz, [21]; 22. 18-Keith Fellner, [22]