|
WHITNEY CEDAR LAKE IRA MASTER
6/15-16 New Richmond, WI Travis Whitney had the biggest night in his racing career Saturday night at what he considers his home track, by capturing both ASA O'Reilly Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint main events during The Masters at Cedar Lake Speedway. With the original event schedule slated to have complete shows on each night of the two-day contest, rain which hit the speedway just following prelim action on Friday forced both A-main events to be run on Saturday night. Whitney who came into the event as the defending event winner, series champion, and current series point leader. At the events' completion he left $5,500 richer and enhanced his point lead in the process by capturing both ends of what has become IRA's signature event. Whitney piloted his father Walt's Premier Transmissions Don Ott powered entry to convincing wins in both feature events.
Saturday night began with the running of what was supposed to be Friday night's feature. IRA veteran Kim Mock to the initial lead and looked very strong opening a commanding lead early in the 25 lapper while Whitney, Scott Winters, Scotty Neitzel, and Billy Balog gave chase. At the hlf-way point Winters would take second from Whitney as leader Mock entered lapped traffic with a ten car length margin when disaster struck. Mock jumped the third turn cushion making contact with the outside wall, actually riding on top of the wall fighting to keep control. Simultaneously Winters ran over Dave Uttech and flipped just as Mock came off the wall with front-end damage, eliminating both the first and second place machines and Uttech as well.
Whitney would take over as the race leader, and despite numerous efforts by Neitzel, and Balog to close the gap following two more restarts, would hang on for the win. For Whitney this would be his second IRA win of the year having just won a week earlier in Oshkosh WI. Neitzel came home a strong second in this first main of the night with Balog, Donny Goeden, and Mike Reinke completing a very fast top five. John Haeni, Joe Symoens, Steve Meyer, Todd King, and Matt Wasmund would round out the top ten.
Before the rains came Friday, Neitzel ser fast time over the thirty-nine car field, while heat wins went to Goeden, Dusty Ballenger, Scott Biertzer, and Balog. Reinke and King each took one of the twin B-mains.
IRA First A-MAIN Finish; 1. Travis Whitney, Scotty Neitzel, Billy Balog, Donny Goeden, Mike Reinke, John Haeni, Joe Symoens, Steve Meyer, Todd King, Matt Wasmund, Brian Kristan,. Dusty Ballenger, Mike Sitzmann Jr, Bill Warren, John Sernett, Scott Biertzer, Scott MacDonald, Kim Mock, Scott Winters, Dave Uttech, Jerry Richert Jr, Scott Uttech
MASTERS FINALE
Travis Whitney completed the biggest night of his career by capturing the ASA O'Reilly
Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprints Masters Finale at Cedar Lake Saturday night. For Whitney this was his second consecutive overall Masters Championship, and his third IRA win in the past four races.
Scott Biertzer jumped out to a strong early lead though front-row mate Billy Balog would bring out an early caution with driveline woes. Biertzer would continue in command with John Haeni, Whitney, Scotty Neitzel, and Mike Reinke in tow. Whitney made a huge move by driving in very deep and sliding up in front of both Biertzer and Haeni to take the lead. A fierce battle waged behind Whitney for runnerup honors as Biertzer, Haeni, Neitzel, and a charging Reinke went at had it hard for several laps. A Kim Mock yellow followed by contact between Ty Bartz and Jason Johnson would close the gap on lap fourteen of the scheduled thirty lap affair. Biertzer would suffer a flat tire after a brush with the wall and restart at the tail.
Reinke would power by his challengers for second and despite one last restart Whitney would hold off a determined Reinke for the win. Haeni would come home a very strong third over a charging Scott Uttech. Donny Goeden completed the top five with Neitzel splipping to sixth after a brush with the third turn concrete. Brian Kristan, Steve Meyer, Mike Stitzman Jr, and John Sernett rounded out the top ten.
Passing points determined the line-ups for Saturday's events with thirty-nine cars signed in. Heats wins went to Neitzel, Reinke, Stitzman Jr, and Biertzer while rookie Rusel Borland picked up his first career checkerd in the first B-main, while Kim Mock took a very entertaining win in the second B.
Whitney leads the IRA point chase with a third of the season complete, over Reinke, Meyer, Neitzel, and Haeni.
IRA MASTERS FINALE A-Main Finish: 1. Travis Whitney, Mike Reinke, John Haeni, Scott Uttech, Donny Goeden, Scotty Neitzel, Brian Kristan, Steve Meyer, Mike Stitzmann Jr, John Sernett, Bill Warren, Dusty Ballenger, Tim Vandevere, Brett Geldner, Jerry Richert Jr, Rusel Borland, Scott Biertzer, Kim Mock, David O'Neal, Ty Bartz, Jason Johnson, Billy Balog
-------------------------------------------
The Interstate Racing Association Outlaw Sprint Series |
|
