6/4 Beaver Dam, WI Bill Balog edged Brooke Tatnell in a 30 lap
Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series headline thriller at Beaver
Dam Raceway. The pair got to the front early, Balog starting 2nd and
Tatnell 5th, and sliced their way through traffic with mastery much to
the excitement of the very large crowd. Tatnell actually passed Balog
briefly, however the 3-time and defending IRA champ was on his game and
was able to hold off the Austrailian star despite a green, white,
checkered finish. Balog piloted the Buesser Concrete / Gaerte powered
Maxim to his second consecutive IRA win.
While Balog, and Tatnell were battling for the win, tremendous
action was happening throughout the field. The race was slowed twice
early for single car yellows from top five running John Haeni and Scott
Biertzer. Mike Reinke led a multi-car, multi-groove battle for third for
much of the race.
Many eyes were on the Mike Kertscher who earlier set fast time
over the thirty-one car field before flipping over the first turn
concrete and out the park in his heat race. After hasty
repairs, Kertscher rolled out just prior to the B-main going green and
was forced to start that fifteen lapper from the tail, and did a nice
job coming home third. Kertscher started the A from 18th and
methodically had himself in the top ten by mid-race.
So with Balog and Tatnell tied together upfront, and Reinke, Todd
King, Scotty Neitzel, Wayne Modjeski, Bill Warren, Kurt Davis, Tommy
Sexton, and Kertscher taking the gloves in a tremendous battle for top
five honors.
Rusty Egan would bring out a lap twenty-eight yellow setting the
stage for a two lap dash. With the lapped cars being put to the rear,
Balog led Tatnell, Reinke, King, and Neitzel to the green. Balog was
able to hold off Tatnell's final effort and came home victorious. 9th
starting Reinke would struggle with the big turn four cushion on the
final corner with 12 starting Neitzel racing to third, and 14th starting
King edging Reinke at the line for fourth. Kertscher charged his way to
sixth, with Modjeski, Warren, Travis Whitney, and Davis completing the
very fleet top ten.
Kertscher claimed a very entertaining Osborn & Son Trucking
time trials. Heat winners included Haeni (Weld), Balog (All-Star), and
Matt Vandervere (DMI). Neitzel won the B-main (Behling), while Kertscher
was the Hardcharger (King), and Donny Goeden getting the (Saldana) Hard
Luck as what was a good night ended early in the A-main with a brake
line issue.
IRA hits the road this weekend with races at the Deer Creek (MN)
Speedway Saturday, and the Eagle Valley (WI) Speedway Sunday. Reinke
leads Balog, and Neitzel in the current point chase.
IRA is supported by Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts & Service
Centers, Osborn & Son Trucking, Goodyear, TW Metals, Cummins Onan,
DNA Energy Drink & Snacks, MPT Industries, UltraLube, Carriage Auto
Body, LAT Racing Oils, and Polaris DEFENSE.
30 Lap IRA - Beaver Dam A-main finish; 1. Bill Balog, Brooke
Tatnell, Scotty Neitzel, Todd King, Mike Reinke, Mike Kertscher, Wayne
Modjeski, Bill Warren, Travis Whitney, Kurt Davis, Tommy Sexton, Scott
Biertzer, Matt Vandervere, Billy Hafemann, Dave Uttech, Phillip Mock, TJ
Leudke, Russel Borland, John Haeni, Kris Spitz, Rusty Egan, Donny
Goeden.
