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The IRA lightning Sprints again were represented at the Minn-Kota Lightning Sprint Nationals this year 8/8/24 – 8/11/24 as Brian Strane Jr. made the trek to western Minnesota/Eastern North Dakota for the 4 day event. Attendance was down this year as the event drew 29 drivers vs. the 42 from last year, but there still were 7 states represented as drivers from Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan attended the event. Opening night was at Norman County...more

22 cars were in attendance for an all IR show at the Wilmot Raceway during the Kenosha County Fair. Nick Petska went quick time and established a new qualifying track record at 14.288 as well as winning Allstar Performance Heat 1. Petska’s teammate, Mike Neau – who was 2nd quick on the night, would claim Rod End Supply Heat 2 and 3rd quick Brian Strane Jr. would claim Weld Racing Heat 3. An 8 car invert for the feature saw Max Brannam and Mark Heinert lead the field to green which would...more

20 cars were in attendance for the 2nd annual John Smith Memorial race at Sycamore Speedway back on the big track. Brian Strane Jr. would set quick time while Mark Heinert would claim Allstar Performance Heat 1 and Nick Petska would grab Rod End Supply Heat 2. Rookie of the Year contender Chad Stouthamer would lead the field to green with Mike Neau in tow. Stouthammer would maintain the lead for 11 laps until Neau would use lapped traffic to get under him in turn 3 and take the point. It...more

23 cars signed in for championship night for the Wilmot Raceway lightning sprint track points. Brian Strane Jr. took a 6 point lead over Mark Heinert and an 8 point lead over Nick Petska into the night. After qualifying, it was Nick Petska setting quick time and leapfrogging Heinert for 2nd place. Heinert and Petska would both be in heat 1, starting 3rd and 4th respectively but it would be Jordan Funderburk claiming Allstar Performance Heat 1 followed by Petska and then Heinert. Rod End...more

13 cars made the trek north to 141 Speedway in support of the IRA 410 sprints. Brian Strane Jr. would once again edge out Nick Petska and Mike Neau for quick time honors and establishing a new qualifying track record there at 12.639. The top 3 were all under the previous record. In Allstar Performance Heat 1, front row starter Jacob Irwin would take the win while Mark Heinert would claim Rod End Supply Heat 2. A common theme with the IRA Lightning Sprints this year has been running green...more

The ILS visited Night 2 of the inaugural Fall Classic at Wilmot Raceway. Mike Neau set quick time of the night while John Kirk picked up Allstar Performance Heat 1 and Mark Heinert grabbed Rod End Supply Heat 2. The 6 car feature invert saw Mark Heinert lead the field to green only to spin in front of the field in turn 4 on the opening lap. Heinert would tag the tail and a complete restart would see Brian Strane Jr pull to an early lead with Nick Petska in tow. That would be short lived...more

The season concluded on Saturday, September 28th at the Plymouth Dirt Track as part of the Wisconsin Sprint Car Championships where 5 champions were crowned across the IRA Lightning Sprints, Wisconsin wingLESS Sprints, IRA Bumper to Bumper Outlaw Sprints, and the MSA 360 Sprints. The ILS had 3 drivers within 15 points of each other for the series championship after back to back Wilmot Raceway DNF’s from leading feature winner, Brian Strane Jr. Mark Heinert held a 6 point margin over Strane...more

(Wilmot, WI)--Bristol's Chris Klemko, defending Wilmot Raceway wingless sprints champion, finally snapped a feature win drought of over a year scoring a hard fought victory in the 20-lap AutoMeter Wisconsin Wingless Sprints main on Dick Colburn Classic Night Saturday, May 3. It was not a easy win for the second generation and two-time Wilmot champion as three restarts with two laps or less remaining kept restacking the field behind Klemko. Veteran John Fahl took the initial lead with Klemko...more

(Waukegan, IL, May 4, 2025)--Jimmy Uttech Jr. of Kenosha took top honors receiving the Larry Roebuck Best Appearing Overall Award at the 45th Annual Let's Go Racing Motorsports & Custom Car Show Presented by Larry Roebuck. Uttech, a former dirt track racer on the MRA and IRA circuits including his home track Wilmot Raceway(formerly Kenosha County Speedway), brought his SC/RAMBLER to Waukegan Harbor Marina and Green Town On The Rocks ironically registering as the final entry. The finally...more

(Sycamore, IL, Saturday, May 10, 2025)--Another one of the "young guns" in the 11-75 Sports Park & Eatery IRA Lightning Sprints captured his first career main victory as Chad Stouthamer of Big Bend, WI scored the 20-lap feature win Saturday, May 10 at Sycamore(IL) Speedway "This is amazing," said a jubilant Stouthamer who comes from a racing family. "I got caught by a lapped car which took me briefly out of my rhythm, but I was able to get it back. It was a fun race." "I have to thank all of...more