6/29/2016
IRA Interstate Racing Association
DOUBLING UP THE EXCITEMENT ON INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND AS THE BUMPER TO BUMPER IRA SPRINTS RETURN TO ACTION!
BUMPER TO BUMPER IRA OUTLAW SPRINTS PRESENT SHOWS AT MANITOWOC AND SEYMOUR AS SEASON RESUMES!
June 28, 2016; Appleton, WI – The Independence Day weekend will see the Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprints resume their 2016 racing season after one week break in the action.
A pair of Northeastern Wisconsin tracks will host the 900 horsepower winged sprints and in both cases it will mark the final time the sprints are appearing this season. At one track it will be the final time ever for the 410 sprints to appear.
The Manitowoc Speedway will be hosting the Harbor Town Showdown presented by Six Four Promotions on Friday Night July 1st.
The track is scheduled for demolition at the conclusion of the 2016 season to make way for a food store.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early as a huge spectator turnout is expected for this last 410 sprint program ever to take place on the third-mile semi-banked banked oval.
In a race which played out in front of a packed house earlier this year, Brandon Wimmer made a pass on Scotty Neitzel with two laps to go to claim the A-main at the event held at the track back in early May.
Heading into this Friday Nights show Scotty Thiel is seeking to earn his third straight Bumper to Bumper IRA Sprint Series victory. He swept a weekend of events when the series last ran two weeks ago. Thiel, the series point leader showed the way to victory lane at both Beaver Dam and Angell Park Speedway.
Seven-time series champion Bill Balog will challenge Thiel throughout the upcoming weekend. Balog scored his first career World of Outlaws main event win this past weekend at Beaver Dam Raceway. In doing so he became the first regular IRA series driver to ever score a victory in the World of Outlaws showcase series.
In addition to a field of nearly 30 Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint cars expected in attendance for this Friday Nights show, a pair of other divisions will be taking to the track. IMCA type Sport Modifieds and Grand Nationals will present a full program including feature contests each paying $500 to win. INEX Legends will also join the show.
Pits will open at 3:00pm with grandstand gates opening at 4:00pm. A driver autograph session will be held from 4:30pm to 5:15pm behind the grandstands giving fans a chance to meet the drivers and see the cars up close and personal. Racing action begins at 7:00pm!
Adult tickets are just $20, with student pricing for children ages 6-14 admitted for just $10. Kids ages 5 and under are admitted free with a paid adult.
To reach the track from Interstate 43 take Manitowoc Exit 149 travel east on highway 151. Turn North on Rapids Rd., there are several entrances to the grounds at that point.
The series then will head to Seymour Raceway Park for a program on Sunday Night July 3rd. The wide, third-mile, semi-banked clay oval is now run under the direction of Dave Panske.
Seymour Speedway successfully hosted a return of the IRA Sprints in 2014 after a decade absence. Balog won that contest by a narrow margin over Thiel. Since that event the track has twice tried to host Bumper to Bumper IRA Sprint Car events and on both occasions weather forced cancellation of the show.
The extended forecast is looking for nearly ideal conditions to present the Budweiser Summer Holiday Classic series which will feature the 50th Anniversary tour for the IRA Sprints along with the first appearance for the IMCA Modifieds this year. Rounding out the night will be the IMCA Sport Mods.
Over two dozen Bumper to Bumper IRA Sprint Series teams are expected for the program.
Jeremy Schultz and Scotty Neitzel are the chief rivals to Thiel in the 2016 season point chase. Both Schultz, and Neitzel are seeking their first victories of the year having already turned in runner-up performances since the season began. Balog, running a partial schedule in 2016 is expected to run both weekend events. He currently sits fourth in points but leads the series so far this season in the win column with four.
Robbie Pribnow, the 2012 Bumper to Bumper IRA Sprint Series rookie of the Year, returned to action after a couple years off and has already placed himself on the podium this year. Ben Schmidt, Scott Biertzer, Matt Vandervere, Kyle Marten and Mike Reinke make up the current top ten in the standings.
The extended forecast is looking for nearly ideal conditions to present the Budweiser Summer Holiday Classic series which will feature the 50th Anniversary tour for the IRA Sprints along with the first appearance for the IMCA Modifieds. Rounding out the night will be the IMCA Sport Mods.
Qualifying will begin at 6:00pm with racing action to follow.
Admission for the program is $20 for adults, while students and seniors are admitted for $15. Children under the age of 12 are admitted FREE.
The track is location at 637 N Main St, in Seymour, Wisconsin at the Outagamie County Fairgrounds. The main gate is on Highway 55 just north of downtown Seymour.
Additional information can be found at the track website www.gosrp.net. The race day phone is 920-833-7726
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 Hoosier Tire, Osborn & Son Trucking, TW Metals, Cummins Onan, and Twin Lakes Marine.
Upcoming 2016 Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series Events:
7/1/2016 – Manitowoc Speedway – Manitowoc, WI
7/3/2016 – Seymour Speedway – Seymour, WI
7/8/2016 - Dodge County Fairgrounds – Beaver Dam, WI
7/16/2016 – Wilmot Raceway – Wilmot, WI
7/17/2016 – Angell Park Speedway – Sun Prairie, WI
Submitted By: Jeffrey Sachse
