8/29/2016
IRA Interstate Racing Association
MEYER GETS LEAD REPRIEVE, WINS BATTLE WITH SCHULTZ FOR VICTORY IN BUMPER TO BUMPER IRA SPRINT CONTEST AT ANGELL PARK!
MEYER SCORES SECOND WIN OF 2016 SEASON IN BUMPER TO BUMPER IRA SPRINT ACTION, TAKING THE CHECKERED AT ANGELL PARK SPEEDWAY!
August 28, 2016; Sun Prairie, WI – Steve Meyer took the lead, lost the lead and then held tenaciously onto the lead in the closing stages of the main event Sunday evening at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.
One month ago the veteran racer scored top honors at Langlade County Speedway snapping a winless streak that had dated back to 2007. Meyer had no intention of having such a dry spell again.
One month later he stood in victory lane here at Angell Park Speedway after fending off the challenges of title contender Jeremy Schultz.
Meyer was thrilled to be back in victory lane in what was a car he basically pulled out of retirement.
“We tore up a car a couple weeks ago and that one was junk. We all kind of looked around and everyone was wondering are we going to get a new one? I said no, what we are going to do is bring a car out we ran really good with three or four years ago. We had it in storage. I said let’s bring that car out, make a few changes to it. Seems like it paid off!”, exclaimed Meyer.
The battle for the win was full of drama.
Meyer had overhauled Jordan Goldesberry for the lead on lap 21 of the 30 lap A-main. On the next circuit, Goldesberry had a mechanical failure that sent his car head first into the turn one wall forcing a red flag.
On the restart Schultz got the jump on Meyer and flew into the lead but before the lap was complete Dennis Spitz spun in turn two placing Meyer back at the front of the field. Once the second restart Meyer was flawless fending off the challenges of Schultz to maintain the lead to the checkered flag to win by four car lengths.
“Steve was just a little better. I had showed him the nose on that last yellow. I had got by him had that stuck I think we would have won that thing. On that last restart he knew what I was going to do and he had a good start.
“I’m just glad to be back on the podium tonight after the melee last night. For us we’ll keep chugging along”, noted Schultz.
The podium was completed with Parker Price-Miller advancing up to the third spot after a torrid battle with seven-time IRA champion Bill Balog over the final circuits.
The 30 lap main event rolled off with 25 starters taking to the third-mile clay oval and the drivers saluted the fans at Angell Park Speedway for the final time this season.
It was Goldesberry who appeared to have things going his way when the race began. The hard charging racer from Springfield, Illinois launched from his outside front row starting berth into the initial lead as Meyer who had started on the outside front row filtered into the second spot.
Just four laps were in the books when the first caution flew when Tim Vandervere spun in turn two.
The race quickly resumed with Goldesberry, Meyer, Schultz and Balog running in tight formation. Goldesberry had just begun to open a small advantage on the field when the caution flew again, this time for Ben Schmidt who wound up against the turn one wall.
Schmidt who had a successful showing the night before with a solid showing at Knoxville Raceway found himself unceremoniously hauled away on the back of a wrecker this evening after running inside the top ten.
When again began again Goldesberry went back to setting the pace and as before he began to open a gap on Meyer who was unable to match the leaders pace.
By the halfway point Goldesberry had opened a dozen car length lead before he encountered lapped traffic. Meyer meanwhile narrowly avoided having his evening go awry as he tagged the wall on the backstretch allowing third running Schultz to reel him in. Meyer was able to gather up his ride and continued on.
As lapped traffic got thicker Meyer began to reel in Goldesberry who was unable to match his earlier pace. By lap 20 Meyer had closed within striking distance and on the next lap, Meyer made a well-timed pass to take over the lead spot.
Goldesberry appeared to rally and sought a way back to his former lead position but on the next circuit, calamity struck. Heading into turn one Goldesberry had something break on the front end of his car sending him hard into the turn one wall. The red flag was quickly shown due to the severity of the impact.
After a moment Goldesberry climbed from his battered vehicle uninjured but obviously done for the evening.
The field pushed off again and after the green flag returned. Schultz was quick to react getting the jump on Meyer. Schultz darted to the bottom of the track and came away with the lead but second later the caution flew as Dennis Spitz got crossed up exiting turn two.
The caution gave Meyer a reprieve, negating the pass by Schultz thus returning him to the top spot for the restart.
When the race began again Meyer wasted no time, launching out ahead of Schultz as the green flag waved. Behind the lead pair Balog was running third pressure by Price-Miller who had advanced up from his 10th place starting spot.
Meyer’s pace out front allowed him to slowed pull away from Schultz and attention focused on the battle between Balog and Price-Miller. With just two laps to go Price-Miller found room under Balog to annex the third spot and he quickly closed the gap on Schultz.
Meyer quickly brought the race to it’s conclusion accepting the victory by four car lengths over Schultz. Price Miller reached the line in third another two car lengths behind.
Balog claimed the fourth position after having won the Bill Waite Jr. Memorial at LaSalle Speedway last evening. Mike Reinke who spent the entire main event running in the top five completed a solid showing with a fifth place finish.
Blake Nimee who had earlier dominated his heat race crossed the line in sixth. Jim Moughan finished seventh followed by Scotty Neitzel, Windom and Brandon McMullen.
20 of the 25 starters were still on track at the finish.
Heat race victories were captured by Jon B. Miller; Balog and Nimee.
The evening proved to be challenging for title contender Scotty Thiel. Thiel expired a motor during qualifying and the crew quickly changed engines. He was able to return to action for his heat race and promptly clicked off a second place finish putting him solidly in the feature.
Thiel was then running well within the top ten when he suddenly dropped from the contest when he lost oil pressure.
Thiel, along with Schultz and Neitzel are the remaining title contenders for the 2016 season championship.
The Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprints series continues with six events left on the 2016 season schedule. Next weekend will see two contests take place with a Friday Night show at the Plymouth Dirt Track during the running of the Sheboygan County Fair. Then on Sunday the series will head to 141 Speedway located just north of Francis Creek, 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 Hoosier Tire, Osborn & Son Trucking, TW Metals, Cummins Onan, and Twin Lakes Marine.
Remaining 2016 Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series Events:
9/2/2016 – Plymouth Dirt Track – Plymouth, WI
9/4/2016 – 141 Speedway – Francis Creek, WI
9/9/2016 – Amsoil Speedway – Superior, WI
9/10/2016 – Cedar Lake Speedway – New Richamond, WI
9/17/2016 – Beaver Dam Raceway – Beaver Dam, WI
10/1/2016 – Dodge County Fairgrounds – Beaver Dam, WI
410 Sprints | IRA Interstate Racing Association
Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series A-Main - (30 Laps) - 1. Steve Mayer; 2. Jeremy Schultz; 3. Parker Price-Miller; 4. Bill Balog; 5. Mike Reinke; 6. Blake Nimee; 7. Jim Moughan; 8. Scotty Neitzel; 9. Windom; 10. Brandon McMullen; 11. Kyle Marten; 12. Kris Spitz; 13. Russel Borland; 14. John B. Miller; 15. Matt Vandervere; 16. Bill Wirth; 17. Wayne Modjeski; 18. Dennis Spitz; 19. Michael Decker; 20. Scott Uttech; 21. Scotty Thiel; 22. Tim Vandervere; 23. Jordan Goldesberry; 24. Ben Schmidt; 25. Dave Uttech
Article Credit: Jeffrey Sachse
Submitted By: Jeffrey Sachse
