16 cars signed in to the 2024 season opener at Sycamore Speedway in support of the IRA Sprint Cars and the Badger Midgets. 2 rookies, Chad Stouthamer and Nate Kirchner made their series debut as they will battle for Rookie of the Year honors along a few others who weren’t in attendance for the season opener. Quick time was set by the #18 machine of Nick Petska who is returning full time in 2024 for Dream Chaser Racing. In heat race action, Petska was able to drive from 4th and capture Allstsar Performance Heat1 while Tim Brannam used the outside front row starting spot to secure the victory in Rod End Supply Heat #2. Brannam would pull the #3 pill for the feature, again giving him the outside front row starting spot and again was able to get to the point on the opening lap and then use the clean air to his advantage. The field would be bunched back up on lap 14 for a slowing Jeff Schmidt in the 6. The restart would see Brannam lead 2023 Rookie of the Year , Brian Strane Jr, Mark Heinert, Mike Neau, and Nick Petska back to the green. Strane was able to use the middle groove to get by Brannam after an intense 2 lap battle and assume the lead. On the next lap Neau slid Heinert for 3rd in 3 but struggled with traction exiting 4 and got out of shape entering 1 resulting in a “tommy tip over” and bringing out the red flag. Innocent bystander Jacob Irwin had nowhere to go and was collected in the accident. Both would retire from the event with 3 laps to go. Strane commanded the restart and took the white flag with Brannam and Heinert in tow but a spin in T4 would set up over-time and a GWC finish – extending the feature to 21 laps. In the end it was Strane holding on for the win with Brannam and Heinert rounding out the podium. Rookie contender Stouthamer would earn the Weld Racing Hard Charger going +6 in the feature. For 14 year old Strane, it was his first IRA Lightning Sprint victory and he leaves Sycamore as the IRA Lightning Sprints presented by 1175 Sports Park and Eatery point leader. The series takes a week off and then will be back in action for a Memorial Day weekend double header – again with the IRA Sprint Cars both nights on Saturday May 25th at Wilmot Raceway and then Sunday May 26th at 141 Speedway.
5/11/24 Sycamore Speedway Results:
A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 22S-Brian Strane Jr[3]; 2. 74-Tim Brannam[2]; 3. 55H-Mark Heinert[4]; 4. 18-Nick Petska[6]; 5. 74M-Max Brannam[7]; 6. 87R-Josh Rehberg[10]; 7. 18Q-Chris Quillman[12]; 8. 5S-Chad Stouthamer[14]; 9. 01-Ron Brannam[8]; 10. 14-Nate Kirchner[15]; 11. 17-Jordan Funderburk[1]; 12. (DNF) 16-Mike Neau[5]; 13. (DNF) 63-Jacob Irwin[9]; 14. (DNF) S15-Cole Olson[13]; 15. (DNF) 6-Jeff Schmidt[11]; 16. (DNF) 23-Dominick Swierad[16]
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 18-Nick Petska[4]; 2. 17-Jordan Funderburk[2]; 3. 55H-Mark Heinert[3]; 4. 74M-Max Brannam[1]; 5. 63-Jacob Irwin[5]; 6. S15-Cole Olson[7]; 7. 5S-Chad Stouthamer[8]; 8. 6-Jeff Schmidt[6]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 74-Tim Brannam[2]; 2. 22S-Brian Strane Jr[3]; 3. 16-Mike Neau[4]; 4. 87R-Josh Rehberg[5]; 5. 01-Ron Brannam[1]; 6. 18Q-Chris Quillman[6]; 7. 14-Nate Kirchner[8]; 8. 23-Dominick Swierad[7]
Qualifying 1: 1. 18-Nick Petska, 00:14.475[1]; 2. 16-Mike Neau, 00:14.595[5]; 3. 55H-Mark Heinert, 00:14.683[4]; 4. 22S-Brian Strane Jr, 00:14.725[7]; 5. 17-Jordan Funderburk, 00:14.928[2]; 6. 74-Tim Brannam, 00:14.928[6]; 7. 74M-Max Brannam, 00:15.126[13]; 8. 01-Ron Brannam, 00:15.201[11]; 9. 63-Jacob Irwin, 00:15.213[8]; 10. 87R-Josh Rehberg, 00:15.381[9]; 11. 6-Jeff Schmidt, 00:15.418[10]; 12. 18Q-Chris Quillman, 00:15.741[15]; 13. S15-Cole Olson, 00:15.756[14]; 14. 23-Dominick Swierad, 00:15.830[3]; 15. 5S-Chad Stouthamer, 00:16.121[16]; 16. 14-Nate Kirchner, 00:16.592[12]