(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) May 8, 2024 – On a “survival-of-the-fittest” type of night, Austin Hartmann and the 87A Hartmann Racing team endured some sour luck to post a 17th place main event place showing in the second Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series event of the 2024 campaign Saturday, May 4 at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis.
Rain prior to the event left the traditionally racy three-eighths mile Cedar Lake Speedway facility with an extremely fast and rugged racing surface, which befuddled several drivers in the 25-car field throughout the evening’s proceedings.
The fifth-year Sprint Car driver fired up the night by qualifying 15th overall with a lap of 11.329 seconds before starting and finishing fifth in the third IRA eight-lap heat race.
“Going into the night, I knew it’d be a ‘hammer down, elbows up’ kind of track,” Hartmann said. “We were set up pretty well for qualifying. We just had too much gear in the car and were a tick tight from the middle of the corner to exit. In the heat race we went up 20 points in gear size, which helped us in a major way and I was able to hold our position.”
The 2020 Midwest Sprint Car Association and Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car Rookie of the Year Award winner began the 30-lap IRA main event from the 14th starting spot and was hanging tough in the top 15 when debris on the track left Hartmann’s machine with a flat right rear tire on lap 15.
After bringing out a caution flag and retreating to the work area, the 87A Hartmann Racing crew got the Plymouth, Wis. driver back on the track with a new Hoosier right rear tire on his machine.
Hartmann rejoined the field at the back of the pack and kept pace over the final 15 laps to place 17th in a race won by Scotty Thiel.
“Between having 30 tear offs on my helmet and knowing the abuse the car was going to take, the feature was as intense as I expected it to be,” Hartmann said. “After blowing a tire 15 laps in, my crew, plus Ozzie and Dakota from the 73 team [Scotty Thiel], got a new right rear tire on, so we didn’t DNF. We’ll take the good with the bad and carry on to Sycamore this Saturday.”
The team was scheduled to participate in the IRA series’ debut appearance at Ogilvie Speedway in Ogilvie, Minn. on Friday, May 3. However, rain washed out the event.
The 87A Hartmann Racing team is set to compete in a Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series at the Sycamore Speedway in Maple Park, Ill. on Saturday, May 11.
Hartmann is eager to make his third Sycamore Speedway appearance after registering a solid ninth place showing in IRA A-main competition on June 10, 2023.
The Badger Midgets and IRA Lightning Sprints are also on the card.
Qualifying is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. with racing at 7:30 p.m.
All Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association events will be streamed live on FloRacing during the 2024 season.
The sponsorship partners for the 2024 87A Hartmann Racing team include Kristine Hartmann of Pleasant View Realty, Shufflebotham Tree Service, Competition Specialists, Feldmann Sales & Service, Holler n Hills, Quasius Construction Inc., TheD8Dispensary, AF Inc., Metalcraft, Rich’s Truck and Auto Repair, Fastenal of Plymouth, Waldo Oil, RC Custom Design, Hepfner Racing Products, Maxim Chassis, Berryman Racing Shocks and My Race Pass.
The 2024 87A Hartmann Racing team consists of Eric Bergschultz, Ian Schultz, Karlee Hartmann, Andrew Shufflebotham and Kristine Hartmann.
Additional information on the 87A Hartmann Racing team can be found by visiting the team’s website www.team87a.com and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/87Ahartmannracing.
87A Hartmann Racing Sponsor Showcase – Competition Specialists
Headquartered at 1342 Earl St. in Menasha, Wis., Competition Specialists has been a high-performance race engine builder, specializing in oval track engines, since 1982.
Under the leadership of Steve Blom and Jason Johnson, Competition Specialists aims to carry on the tradition of reliable and powerful racing engines. With Steve's 40-plus years of engine-building knowledge and Jason’s family tradition of building race-winning engines with his Hall of Fame great grandpa and grandpa, this newly formed partnership forged in 2022 brings proven winning power.
Competition Specialists builds a wide range of race engines for Sprint Cars, Dirt Late Models, Asphalt Late Models, Modifieds, Street Stocks, Sportsman and road course cars. In addition, the team of engine builders at Competition Specialists can build marine engines (inboard, small block and big block), hot rod engines (Mopar, Ford and Chevrolet) and other V-8 engines by request.
Competition Specialists features a full-service machine shop where detail is the highest priority from drop off to ready-for-assembly, including the ability to mill heads, blocks and injections. The machine shop also includes lathes to turn cranks and cams. The top-of-the line equipment showcased throughout the shop can also balance cranks, rods and flywheels, while providing the ability to flow cylinder heads for maximum horsepower.
Precision and inspection rank as a top priority for every part that comes through the Competition Specialists machine shop doors. Through a thorough evaluation and examination process, Competition Specialists’ technical staff can find cracks invisible to the eye by closely magnifying every inch of every part.
Contact Competition Specialists by calling 920-725-9384, emailing sales@competitionspecialists.com, visiting www.competitionspecialists.com or checking out the Competition Specialists Facebook page.
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For more information on Pedal Down Promotions, email pedaldownpromotions@gmail.com, visit www.pedaldownpromo.com or call 920-323-7970.
Austin Hartmann 87A Hartmann Racing
2024 Upcoming Schedule
Saturday, May 11 – Sycamore Speedway, Sycamore, Ill. (IRA)
Saturday, May 18 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis. (IRA)
Sunday, May 19 – Angell Park Speedway, Sun Prairie, Wis. (IRA)
Saturday, May 25 – Wilmot Raceway, Wilmot, Wis. (IRA)
Sunday, May 26 – 141 Speedway, Francis Creek, Wis. (IRA)
Austin Hartmann 87A Hartmann Racing
2024 Statistics
Total Events – 4
IRA Events – 2
World of Outlaws Events – 1
A Main Victories – 0
B Main Victories – 0
Top Five A Main Finishes – 0
Top 10 A Main Finishes – 1
Top 15 A Main Finishes – 2
Top 20 A Main Finishes – 3
Heat Race Victories – 0
Dash Appearances – 0
Dash Victories – 0
Fast Qualifier Awards – 0
- Jeff Pederson on May 09, 2024
- Article Date: 5/9/2024 by Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions