KERTSCHER COLLIDES, COLLECTS WAYNE DAUN / AL & MARIE WINKLER MEMORIAL AT WILMOT!
Rookie Battle Intense as Schultz and Fassbender Duel for Podium Finish!
Wilmot, WI, May 25, 2013 – It may not go down in the victory books as one of the most popular victories in Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series history but it will be one talked about for some time. Mike Kertscher would collect his second straight victory in IRA competition by capturing the Wayne Daun / Al & Marie Winkler Memorial race at Wilmot Raceway following up his win at Beaver Dam one week ago. However it was not without a bit of drama.
On lap 11 of the 30 lap A-main event, race leader Scott Neitzel and Kertscher were attempting to work lapped traffic has the pair headed for turn three. Neitzel who had had set the pace since the opening lap would move up the track in effort to clear back markers which provided Kertscher with a brief window of opportunity to take the lead. The attempt however went awry with Kertscher making contact with Neitzel. The contact resulted in Neitzel taking a hard flip entering turn four producing the only red flag of the contest.
Neitzel would emerge from his battered machine unhurt but obviously displeased with the incident. Since Kertscher had not broken his momentum nor had any damage to his car and additionally since there is no contact rule in effect in sprint car racing Kertscher inherited the lead while Neitzel was sidelined for the event.
Kertscher would go on to pace the final 19 circuits fending off a late charge by Lucas Wolfe a former regular on the World of Outlaws tour who took over the #82 Buffalo Wild Wings entry owned by Todd and Susan LaHaise. Last year the team has picked up an IRA victory at the Dodge County Fairgrounds with Justin Henderson behind the wheel.
Third place proved the 2013 Rookie of the Year battle in the Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series is going to be one to watch as rookies Jeremy Schultz and Lance Fassbender spent a fair portion of the race doing battle. Both drivers are former champions in area 360 sprints and have showcased their talent so far in 2013 with strong performances in the more powerful 410 machines. At the checkered Schultz edged Fassbender for the final podium spot marking the third consecutive third place run for Schultz. For Fassbender his finishes have improved with each start in the series this year with tonight’s fourth place run a career high with the series.
The 30 lap A-main event started with Neitzel sitting on the pole and Schultz to his outside. Kertscher the 2012 Wilmot Raceway champion lined up inside the second row next to Wolfe.
At the drop of green flag Neitzel blasted into the lead with Schultz dropping in behind Neitzel leaving Kertscher to do battle with Wolfe for the third spot. Kertscher would gain the upper hand on the third position and soon began to pressure Schultz for runner-up honors. Kertscher wasted little time in securing the second spot by lap three.
Neitzel meanwhile had begun to extend his lead sailing around the third-mile clay oval. By lap eight Neitzel began to reach lapped traffic which slowed his pace slightly allowing Kertscher to close within a few car lengths. Neitzel opted for the lower groove around the raceway while Kertscher would power off the turns on the high line attempting to use the momentum to make a pass.
On lap 11, Neitzel encountered a pair of lapped cars racing side by side taking a moment to size up a way to make a quick pass. Kertscher opted to dive to the bottom in turn three in an attempt to clear Neitzel and the lapped cars but the maneuver didn’t go as planned resulting in contact between himself and Neitzel whose machine began to tumble down the track resulting in the red flag.
Neitzel would retire from the contest and Kertscher inherited the lead. Schultz would line back up in second followed by Fassbender, Wolfe and visiting racer Bret Triplett from Lincoln, Illinois who competes in both winged and non-winged sprint events in his home state.
Action resumed with Kertscher charging away from the field leaving the focus of the battle on second place. Schultz, Wolfe and Fassbender swapped positions with Wolfe eventually working his way past Schultz with less than ten laps remaining.
The task at hand for Wolfe was to slice into Kertscher’s straight away lead. With each passing lap Wolfe would narrow the gap closing within six car lengths as the white flag flew. Kertscher however had a clear track ahead of him and making no errors on the final lap crossed the finish line with a four car length advantage on Wolfe. Schultz would earn the third spot.
Fassbender earned his career high fourth place run by turning back the challenges of Triplett who completed the top five.
“Wild Bill” Wirth who earlier won the B-main spent the race quietly working his way toward the front finishing solidly in sixth after a late race pass of Scott Uttech. Uttech, Tommy Sexton, Russel Borland and Todd Daun completed the top ten finishers.
19 cars were still on the track at the drop of the checkered flag.
In earlier action Wirth had captured the B-main with a pass of Phillip Mock for the lead late in the contest. Patrick Hayes, Nick Alden, Jordan Goldsberry and Mike Decker comprised the top six and the transfer cars into the main event. The battle for the final transfer spot came down to the final lap with Decker making a pass on Dave Uttech to make the big show. 18 cars had started the B-main event.
Four heat races were held this evening with Triplett, Scott Uttech, Kertscher and Fassbender enjoying wins.
Misfortune plagued several driver tonight including 2012 Rookie of the Year Robbie Pribnow who got upside down in his heat race damaging his machine too much to continue in the nights program. Kris Spitz, Raymond Hensley and Dave Maynard fought mechanical gremlins throughout the night. Maynard and Hensley were unable to compete in any events. Spitz was finally able to get his car working correctly but was unable to finish higher than eighth in the B-main.
37 cars attempted to qualify into the program tonight, a season high number of entries for the Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprints. Phillip Mock turned in the fastest time of the evening with a lap of 12.684 seconds. Wolfe was the only other driver to crack the 13 second barrier turning in a lap of 12.800 seconds. Kertscher was third quick with a time of 13.021 seconds.
The series now heads north of Wilmot Raceway as team pack up and drive two hours for an event at the 141 Speedway located in Francis Creek, Wi. The banked third-mile bullring plays host to the Bumper to Bumper IRA Sprints twice this season Sunday’s May 26th event the first of those appearances.
For more information on the IRA Outlaw Sprints check out the tour website at www.irasprints.com or logging onto the series Facebook page at www.facebook.com/irasprints
The IRA Outlaw Sprint Series is proudly supported by Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts & Service Centers, Hoosier Tire, Osborn & Son Trucking, TW Metals, Onan, Carriage Auto Body, Polaris DEFENSE, and Mother's Polishes and Waxes. The office of the IRA Sprints can be reached at 815-759-9269 or by e-mail at steve@irasprints.com
BOX SCORE:
Event: #3 Wilmot Raceway – May 25, 2013
30 Lap A-main: 1. #80k Mike Kertscher [3]; 2.) #82 Lucas Wolfe [4]; 3. #5j Jeremy Schultz [2]; 4. #7f Lance Fassbender [5]; 5. #22 Bret Triplett; 6. #53w Bill Wirth [11]; 7. #7 Scott Uttech; 8. #83 Tommy Sexton [8]; 9. #23 Russel Borland [13]; 10. #19 Todd Daun [10]; 11. #14aj Wayne Modjeski [15]; 12. #56 Ryan Irwin [9]; 13. #10v Matt Vandervere [16]; 14. #11 Darrell Dodd [17]; 15. #12 Michael Decker [22]; 16. #1m Phillip Mock [11]; 17. Chris Dodd [12]; 18. #97 Todd King [18] ; 19. #8a Nick Alden [20]; 20. #2w Scott Neitzel - dnf [1]; 21. #5h Patrick Hayes –dnf [19]; 22. #65 Jordan Goldsberry - dnf [21]
12 Lap B-Main: 1. Wirth; 2. Mock; 3. Hayes; 4. Alden; 5. Goldsberry; 6. Decker; 7. Dave Uttech; 8. Kris Spitz; 9. Scott Lenz; 10. Jereme Schroeder; 11. Paul Pokorski; 12. Allen Hafford; 13. Bryon Walter; 14. Dennis Spitz; 15. Brandon Thone; 16. Chad Tessman; 17. Ryan Roy; 18. Andrew Kiedrowski
First Heat: 1. Triplett; 2. Neitzel; 3. Modjeski; 4. D. Dodd; 5. Mock; 6. D. Spitz; 7. Goldsberry; 8. D. Uttech; 9. Tessman; 10. Raymond Hensley -dns
Second Heat: 1. S. Uttech; 2. Wolfe; 3. Borland; 4. Irwin; 5. Decker; 6. Alden; 7. Walters; 8. Roy; 9. Robbie Pribnow
Third Heat: 1. Kertscher; 2. Sexton; 3. Vandervere; 4. King; 5. Lenz; 6. Schroeder; 7. Thone; 8. Hayes; 9. K. Spitz
Fourth Heat: 1. Fassbender; 2. C. Dodd; 3. Schultz; 4. Daun; 5. Kiedrowski; 6. Hafford; 7. Pokorski; 8. Wirth; 9. Dave Maynard
Qualifying (Top 10) 1. Mock 12.972 Seconds; 2. Wolfe 12.800 Seconds; 3. Kertscher 13.021 Seconds; 4. Schultz 13.023; 5. Neitzel, 13.050; 6. Pribnow 13.126; 7. Hayes, 13.131; 8. Daun 13.137; 9. Goldsberry 13.166; 10. Irwin 13.177.
Next Event: St. Croix Valley Speedway – Friday Night, May 31, 2013
- Kim Tennyson on May 26, 2013
- Article Date: 5/26/2013 by Jeffrey Sachse