40 PLUS SPRINTS EXPECTED TO APPEAR FOR BUMPER TO BUMPER IRA AND MIDWEST OPEN WHEEL ASSOCIATION CO-SANCTIONED CONTEST!
April 14, 2016; Appleton, WI – A span of 197 days has taken place between the final checkered flag that fell at the Sheboygan County Fairpark to conclude an epic 2015 season, and the anticipated opening night of the historic 50th anniversary season for the Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprints this Saturday evening at the LaSalle Speedway in LaSalle, Illinois.
The silence that has transpired in between gave teams, and fans time to reflect upon an amazing 2015 season where 20 different drivers tasted the thrill of an A-main victory, and the point battle waged between Bill Rose, Ben Schmidt, and Scotty Neitzel until the final laps of the final race of the year.
Now with the first signs of spring appearing, the tone of excitement will be heard in the roar of 410 cubic inch, fuel injected machines, wheeled by the weekend warriors of the Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprints. They intense open wheeled action resumes this Saturday night at the LaSalle Speedway with the first green flag set to fly at 7:00pm.
The season opening show will be a battle for bragging rights in a co-sanctioned contest with teams representing both the Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series and the Midwest Open Wheel Association.
The groups last met in late August of last year at LaSalle when a traveling outlaw racer Roger Crockett of Medford, Oregon ambushed series regulars by taking the win. Prior to that contest, seven-time IRA champion Bill Balog had a stranglehold on victory lane at the high-banked quarter-mile clay oval.
In fact, Balog is the defending race winner of the other Bumper to Bumper IRA Sprint series contest held at LaSalle last season. Balog won the season opener one year ago when he outran 2015 series champion Bill Rose for the win.
While Balog is looking to get back to victory lane with the IRA since his last series win at Angell Park Speedway last May, Rose is hoping the season-opening contest will result in his first career series victory with the series. Rose has garnered a number of runner-up finishes to his credit, and has posted an amazing 38 top ten A-main finishes in his 48 career IRA starts but somehow a victory has eluded him.
The past two years Rose opened the season with a runner-up finish. He began last year with a second to Balog at LaSalle, and was runner-up to Phillip Mock at Beaver Dam at the start of the 2014 season when Mock stole the lead from Rose in the final turn of the event.
In addition to Balog and Rose, the vast majority of the top 2015 point finishers in IRA competition are expected to appear. Ben Schmidt, Scotty Neitzel, Jeremy Schultz, Blake Nimee, Scotty Thiel, 2015 IRA Rookie of the Year Kyle Marten, Phillip Mock and cousins Scott and Dave Uttech which represent the top ten in last seasons standings should be in attendance.
Representing MOWA will be series regulars which will include multi-time series champion Jerrod Hull, Paul Neinheiser, Brad Loyet, Joey Moughan, Chris Urish, Korey Weyant, Jake Blackhurst, Cory Bruns and a host of others representing the Illinois-based series whose drivers seek to keep the Wisconsin-based IRA group from victory lane.
In addition to nearly 40 open wheeled 410 sprint cars, UMP Modifieds, UMP Street Stocks, and UMP 4 cylinders will be on hand with a full schedule of events.
Pit Gates will open at 1:00pm and Grandstands will open at 3:30pm. Cars will hit the track for hot laps at 6:00pm with the first green flag set to fly at 7:00pm.
Adult tickets can be purchased for $25. Children under the age of 13 are FREE with a paid adult ticket.
The high-banked quarter-mile oval is located at E. 578 on U.S. Highway 6 in LaSalle, Illinois, which is just east of I-39 on Highway 6. The track is 60 miles west of Joliet, 80 miles east of the Quad Cities, 70 miles south of Rockford, and 60 miles north of Bloomington. The track can be reached by calling (815) 223-6900.
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:
4/16/2016 - LaSalle Speedway - LaSalle, IL
4/23/2016 - Beaver Dam Raceway - Beaver Dam, WI
5/6/2016 - Manitowoc Co. Expo Speedway - Manitowoc, WI
5/7/2016 - Wilmot Raceway - Wilmot, WI
5/14/2016 - Beaver Dam Raceway - Beaver Dam, WI
- Jeffrey Sachse on Apr 14, 2016
- Article Date: 4/14/2016 by Jeffrey Sachse