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Neitzel scores IRA win at Rice Lake Speedway.
Rice Lake, WI (Aug 25,2007): After a week of steady rain resulting in two rainouts, the O'Riley Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series welcomed the sunny skies and perfect weather at the Rice Lake Speedway on Saturday night, as the series make its return to the venue after a very successful 2006 visit. As expected, a great track and good crowd awaited the series.
Twenty-Six cars made the trip and when time trials ended, it was rookie Billy Hafemann nabbing his first career Osborn aqnd Son Trucking Fast Time award with a lap of 12.413 seconds. Jerry Richert Jr, Scott Neitzel, Billy Balog, John Sernett and Scott Winters completed the top six in times.
Hafemann's excitement would be short lived however as he and Balog would get together in the first heat race as a result of a broken steering arm on Balog's #17. Hafemann received the worst end of the front stretch deal, resulting in an end of end flip. Down but not out, Hafemann would return later for the B-Main courtesy of the assistance of more than five other teams in the pits. Heat race winners included Donny Goeden, Brian Kristan and Travis Whitney. Balog would recover from his heat race altercation to win the B-Main.
Once the smoke cleared from the fireworks, the green flag dropped on the field for the 30 lap feature event. Scott Winters wasted no time assuming control from his outside front row position. Winters would hold the lead through the first 11 circuits, 2 cautions and lapped traffic, however, Winters luck ran out as he was unable to avoid a helpless Joe Symoens, after spinning between turn 1 and 2. Winters, along with Dave Uttech, attempted to stop to avoid Symoens with Winters making contact and laying his #R19 on it's side, brining out the red flag. Second place Scott Neitzel would inherit the lead.
After a short red, Scott Neitzel wasted no time making the most of a rare opportunity for him in 2007, good luck. As Neitzel set the pace, the battle raged on behind him and in the closing laps, Kristan, Goeden and Steve Meyer put on a clinic of wing to wing action in an effort to catch Neitzel. As the trio sliced and diced, Neitzel sped his way to his first checkered flag of the season with Kristan and Meyer rounding out the top three.
"This has been a tough season", commented Neitzel in victory lane. "I knew lapped traffic would be a factor and I knew that my car would get better as the race went on. Scott (Winters) is a good driver and I knew it was gonna be hard to catch him. Then when I saw him on his side during the red, I was hoping the race would be over then".
The series returns to action on Saturday, September 1st in a return trip to Charter Raceway Park in Beaver Dam (WI) and then they will follow that up on September 2nd with their first ever visit to Seymour, WI. For complete race information, please contact the individual tracks.
Osborn & Son Trucking Time Trials. Billy Hafemann (Micheal's Materials #2B) 12.413 seconds
MPD Race Products Heat" Donny Goeden (Bob Walldan Anniversary #11)
Lane Automotive Heat: Brian Kristan (Weiland Racing Enterprises #5)
Weld Racing Heat: Travis Whitney (Powder Coating Technologies #9)
Behling Race Equipment B-Main: Billy Balog (Buesser Concrete #17)
O'Riley Auto Parts A-Main (30 laps): Scott Neitzel (T&D Jewelry #2W), Brian Kristan, Steve Meyer, Donny Goeden, Travis Whitney, John Haeni, Mike Reinke, Billy Balog, Jerry Richert Jr., Bill Wirth, Wayne Modjeski, Scott Biertzer, Billy Warren, John Sernett, Scott Winters, Scott Uttech, Tim Vandevere, Joe Symoens, Tim Sernett, Andy Hunt, Russell Borland, Dave Uttech, Howie Gleason
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The Interstate Racing Association Outlaw Sprint Series
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