The Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions made their yearly return to the land of cheese May 20th-May 22nd. Three races were on tap for the weekend, and all jammed packed of the best racers with the best action.
Fans counted down the days until the series would kick off this triple header weekend at Wilmot Raceway in Wilmot, WI. Haulers rolled into the pits with talks of rain in the area. The promoters and the racers were optimistic and looking forward to letting their winged sprints on the track. Fans started filling the stands and excitement filled the raceway when the first set of hot laps pushed off on the track and Blake Anderson’s voice rang through the facility. Just as fans started getting a taste of the speed the track at Wilmot Raceway had, Mother Nature showered its first of many scattered showers onto the track. The rain would go on only for a couple of minutes and wouldn’t destroy the track. The series would reline up the cars for a second go at hot laps when the final downpour from mother nature would have the series surrendering to mother nature for the night, canceling night one of the weekend.
Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, WI would host the Sprints next. The track showed right away that it would be a fast night. When the cars would go out to qualify, the top twelve cars would crush the previous track record. The new track record would be held by Parker Price-Miller with a time of 10.895. The night would continue and the battle would brew between the two series when both IRA Sprint driver Danny Schlafer would win his heat race against All Star front-runners and join the ten time IRA Sprint Car Series Champion, Bill Balog, in the dash and then on the front row of the feature. Thiel would also join the top group of sprints battling for a podium finish from the night. The name of the game was lap cars, in which Bill Balog would maneuver what looked like effortlessly and lead all 30 laps of the feature. Wisconsin’s Danny Schlafer, a regular contender with the Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series, finished second on Saturday night at Plymouth, followed by Scotty Thiel, Parker Price-Miller, and Kyle Reinhardt. “It feels really good to get a win in front of these Wisconsin fans, as well as get a win for all of our great partners. They are the reason we get to do this and it feels good to be standing up here for them,” Balog said. The crowd went wild for the finish, not only for Balog, but for Schlafer and Thiel who had their career best finish against the All Star Circuit of Champions and their history with the track.
The haulers would load up and unload at the historic Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, WI for the final night of the Tezos All Star Circuit of Champion invasion of Wisconsin. 33 Sprints checked in. One being a very special visit again from another cancer fighter, Matt VanderVere, in the 10V. He was at Wilmot Raceway for his return, but his return was postponed until Sunday. It was great to see him and his car back at the track. The sprints would start off the night, laying down a fast time of 11.952 set by Cap Henry. Balog would continue his Wisconsin track dominance by winning his heat race alongside Cory Eliason, Kevin Thomas Jr, and Chris Windom. Justin Peck won the dash leading into the 30 lap feature. The battle upfront was between Balog and Schuerenberg when numerous red and yellow flags would arise in the race. With 15 laps in the books and flags coming out, Balog would make a head-turning dash to the infield with reports of the flat tire. He would have to regroup, and would have to fight from back in the field again. Another flag would arise, halting our drivers and Balog would return to the infield. Schuerenberg earned his $6,000 payday from the outside of row two, securing his place at the front of the field on lap 26 when race-long leader, Justin Peck, was forced to manhandle an ill-handling race car, losing momentum with Schuerenberg ultimately sneaking by. Peck did his best to reclaim, but time ran short. Despite his hiccup in turn two, Peck held on to finish second on the Angell Park surface, followed by Parker Price-Miller, who raced most of the main event with a nose wing upside down barely attached, Bill Balog fourth, and a hard-charging Tyler Courtney fifth.
The Bumper to Bumper Sprints will be back in action at the ? mile banked Rice Lake Speedway in northern Wisconsin Saturday (5/28) and 141 Speedway in Francis Creek, WI Sunday (5/29). If you can’t be in the grandstands, you can catch all the action live on Floracing.
- Dakoda Tennyson on May 24, 2022
- Article Date: 5/24/2022 by Madeline "Chatty Madi" Schultz