By T.J. Buffenbarger
LAKE ODESSA, MI (August 15, 2025) – With the season winding down for the Great Lakes Super Sprints and Great Lakes Traditional Sprint both series found familiar faces in victory lane Friday night at I-96 Speedway in Jared Horstman and Steve Irwin.
Irwin, from Fenton, Michigan, was able to hold off an early challenge from Brian Ruhlman to drive away 4.349 second advantage at the finish. The victory secured Irwin the 2025 Great Lakes Traditional Sprints point championship, the 12th point title of his career in winged and non-winged sprint car racing on pavement and dirt.
Horstman, from Cloverdale, Ohio narrowly missed a massive accident on the front stretch that eventually placed the second position, running down Dustin Daggett in slower traffic with two laps to go for the victory. The win was seventh victory of the 2025 season.
The Great Lakes Super Sprints Main Event
Scotty Thiel and Chase Ridenour started on the front row for the 25-lap main event. Thiel shot into the lead at the start with Daggett getting a tremendous start to go from fifth to second position on the opening lap.
Thiel stretched his lead to 0.274 seconds until lap six when Chase Dunham and Ridenour made contact racing for position sending Dunham flipping through the air into the wall and tumbling down the front stretch. Ridenour was clipped by Horstman, who was able to stay under power while Ridenour slid to a stop on the front stretch. Both drivers emerged from their cars under their own power but were unable to continue.
While firing for the restart Thiel was unable to get his car into gear and had to go into the work area, handing the lead over Daggett.
Daggett held onto the top spot until starting to overtake slower cars towards the end of the race. With the lead shrinking from 0.386 seconds down to 0.066 seconds, Horstman was able to close in on Daggett’s back bumper.
With two laps to go Daggett got boxed in by a slower car, giving Horstman the opportunity to drive into the lead going into turn three. Horstman was able to hold on over the final two laps for the victory.
Daggett held on for the runner up position while Thiel was able to come from the tail of the field back up to third position. Ryan Ruhl and Mike Keegan rounded out the top five.
Great Lakes Traditional Sprints
Brian Ruhlman led the opening four circuits of the 25-lap GLTS main event before Irwin, who started fourth, was able to take the lead. The duo raced side by side for multiple laps before Irwin pulled away.
Behind Irwin, Ruhlman had his hands full with Jay Steinebach moving up from fifth starting position to challenge him for second.
Up front it was total domination by Irwin taking his first victory of the season over Ruhlman, Steinebach, Lee Underwood, and Max Frank.
During hot laps Ralph Brakenberry was involved in an incident in turn four. Brakenberry was awake and alert, talking to the safety team before being transported to a Grand Rapids, Michigan area hospital.
The Great Lakes Super Sprints return to action Saturday night at Butler Motor Speedway in Quincy, Michigan paired with their weekly winged 410 division for another sprint car double header. The Great Lakes Traditional Sprints return to action Saturday September 6, 2025 at Silver Bullet Speedway in Owendale, Michigan.
I-96 Speedway
Lake Odessa, Michigan
Friday, August 15, 2025
Great Lakes Super Sprints
Ti22 Performance Qualifying
1. 51-Scotty Thiel, 14.025[6]
2. 71H-Max Stambaugh, 14.134[17]
3. 38-Chase Ridenour, 14.156[20]
4. 66-Chase Dunham, 14.194[4]
5. 16-Ryan Ruhl, 14.216[9]
6. 85-Dustin Daggett, 14.219[18]
7. 23-Devon Dobie, 14.226[1]
8. X-Mike Keegan, 14.311[13]
9. 6-Ryan Coniam, 14.338[21]
10. 17-Jared Horstman, 14.360[11]
11. 13-Van Gurley Jr, 14.366[10]
12. 13T-Andy Teunessen, 14.423[14]
13. 10S-Jay Steinebach, 14.440[3]
14. 49T-Gregg Dalman, 14.471[12]
15. 14-Keith Sheffer Jr, 14.498[7]
16. 27K-Zac Broughman, 14.826[19]
17. 3A-Mike Astrauskas, 14.921[16]
18. 67-Kevin Martens, 14.946[15]
19. 33-Jeremy Ferguson, 15.094[2]
DNS: 7C-Phil Gressman, 15.094
DNS: 84-Levi Poortenga, 15.094
Engler Machine Tool Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 51-Scotty Thiel[1]
2. 66-Chase Dunham[2]
3. 17-Jared Horstman[4]
4. 10S-Jay Steinebach[5]
5. 23-Devon Dobie[3]
6. 33-Jeremy Ferguson[7]
7. 27K-Zac Broughman[6]
Beacon Bridge Markets Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 71H-Max Stambaugh[1]
2. X-Mike Keegan[3]
3. 16-Ryan Ruhl[2]
4. 13-Van Gurley Jr[4]
5. 49T-Gregg Dalman[5]
6. 7C-Phil Gressman[7]
7. 3A-Mike Astrauskas[6]
Miami Paint Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 85-Dustin Daggett[2]
2. 38-Chase Ridenour[1]
3. 6-Ryan Coniam[3]
4. 13T-Andy Teunessen[4]
5. 67-Kevin Martens[6]
DNS: 14-Keith Sheffer Jr
DNS: 84-Levi Poortenga
Michigan CAT A-Main (25 Laps)
1. 17-Jared Horstman[7]
2. 85-Dustin Daggett[5]
3. 51-Scotty Thiel[1]
4. 16-Ryan Ruhl[8]
5. X-Mike Keegan[6]
6. 71H-Max Stambaugh[3]
7. 49T-Gregg Dalman[14]
8. 23-Devon Dobie[13]
9. 13-Van Gurley Jr[11]
10. 7C-Phil Gressman[17]
11. 27K-Zac Broughman[18]
12. 10S-Jay Steinebach[10]
13. 3A-Mike Astrauskas[19]
14. 33-Jeremy Ferguson[16]
15. 67-Kevin Martens[15]
16. 13T-Andy Teunessen[12]
17. 38-Chase Ridenour[2]
18. 66-Chase Dunham[4]
19. 6-Ryan Coniam[9]
DNS: 84-Levi Poortenga
DNS: 14-Keith Sheffer Jr
Great Lakes Traditional Sprints
Qualifying
1. 0-Steve Irwin, 16.421[3]
2. 49-Brian Ruhlman, 16.536[6]
3. 10S-Jay Steinebach, 16.699[8]
4. 22P-Parker Frederickson, 16.793[16]
5. 25-Max Frank, 16.981[15]
6. 3A-Mike Astrauskas, 17.282[5]
7. 33-RJ Payne, 17.329[18]
8. 33F-Jason Ferguson, 17.338[2]
9. 24-Lee Underwood, 17.535[17]
10. 22-Tom Lowe, 17.589[4]
11. 00-Joe Irwin, 17.706[12]
12. 5X-Trent Musk, 17.758[10]
13. 21S-Bryar Schoreter, 17.906[1]
14. 33A-Jesse Ainsworth, 18.537[9]
15. 10G-Kent Gardner, 19.147[7]
16. 56-Mark Irwin, 19.198[14]
17. 37-David Gross, 19.198[19]
18. 20-Aiden Salisbury, 19.198[11]
DNS: 2T-Ralph Brakenberry, 19.198
Engler Machine and Tool Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 0-Steve Irwin[4]
2. 22-Tom Lowe[1]
3. 21S-Bryar Schoreter[5]
4. 56-Mark Irwin[6]
5. 37-David Gross[7]
6. 22P-Parker Frederickson[3]
7. 33-RJ Payne[2]
Miami Paint Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 49-Brian Ruhlman[4]
2. 25-Max Frank[3]
3. 33F-Jason Ferguson[2]
4. 00-Joe Irwin[1]
DNS: 33A-Jesse Ainsworth
DNS: 20-Aiden Salisbury
MacAllister CAT Rental Store Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 10S-Jay Steinebach[4]
2. 24-Lee Underwood[2]
3. 3A-Mike Astrauskas[3]
4. 5X-Trent Musk[1]
5. 10G-Kent Gardner[5]
DNS: 2T-Ralph Brakenberry
MacAllister CAT Rental Store A-Main (25 Laps)
1. 0-Steve Irwin[4]
2. 49-Brian Ruhlman[2]
3. 10S-Jay Steinebach[5]
4. 24-Lee Underwood[1]
5. 25-Max Frank[3]
6. 22P-Parker Frederickson[14]
7. 33F-Jason Ferguson[7]
8. 3A-Mike Astrauskas[8]
9. 33-RJ Payne[13]
10. 5X-Trent Musk[11]
11. 00-Joe Irwin[10]
12. 21S-Bryar Schoreter[6]
13. 10G-Kent Gardner[12]
14. 56-Mark Irwin[9]
15. 37-David Gross[17]
DNS: 22-Tom Lowe
DNS: 33A-Jesse Ainsworth
DNS: 2T-Ralph Brakenberry
DNS: 20-Aiden Salisbury