Powercom IRA/Knoxville Challenge preview (rained out)
By Bill W:
There is a lot of anticipation building for this Saturday's IRA/Knoxville Challenge at Powercom Park in Beaver Dam, WI. Already, over fifty competitors are entered. The purse structure will mirror Knoxville's weekly purse, offering $3000 to the winner and $300 to start the A. Twenty-two cars will start in the main event. Four heats will most likely be run, taking four from each heat. In addition two B mains will be run taking three cars from each. All cars that do not qualify for the main event will receive $100 if the take a green. Additionally between $50 and $100 will be given to the Knoxville invaders, the amount depending on the number of cars making the trip.
IRA competitors entered are led by 2002 champ Kim Mock, Joe Roe, Donny Goeden, Scotty Neitzel, Todd Hepfner, John Haeni and Raymond Hensley. Illinois's Chris Urish and Matt Wasmund of Jackson, MN lead the list for this year's IRA rookie of the year contenders. Possible Knoxville invaders include Terry McCarl, Don Droud Jr., Dennis Moore Jr., Larry Pinegar II, Jeff Mitrisin, Justin Henderson, Colin Northway, Derek Beckman, Mike Reinke and Larry Ball Jr. in the Stroud 1s. Gary DeWall of Jackson, MN is also entered. Dean Jacobs and Danny Smith who will be running with All Stars this year are possibilities as is Gumout rookie of the year candidate Kurt Winker of Pleasant Prairie, WI.
Qualifying is scheduled for 6 p.m. IRA, All Star, WoO, 2002 Knoxville legal Schoenfeld mufflers are mandatory. If you haven't been to Powercom, it's well worth the trip. Great racing on a heavy surface is the norm on the bullring. The IRA carries the highest car counts of any traveling organization, and this year will be no different. Entertaining racing action also follows this group. Check out their newly designed website at www.irasprints.com.
Random notes: Knoxville regular, Ricky Logan, registered his highest WoO finish ever at the dirt track at Texas Motor Speedway last Friday with a third place run behind Brad Furr and Kraig Kinser, who also registered his high water mark with the WoO series. Unfortunately, the show on Saturday was rained out, and Friday's show was considered a single-program event. Logan suffered a DNF last Thursday in Kilgore, Texas with the Gumout series and was scored ninth...........Former Knoxville regular, Milo's Leonard Lee, who will be running with the All Stars this season scored a ninth in last Saturday's All Star show at Eldora. Lee also was a DNF with the Gumout series in Kilgore, TX and was scored 23rd.............Pennsylvania's Kevin Frey who will compete at Knoxville this year, scored a 19th place finish at Eldora..........Larry Ball Jr. made the trip to Sapulpa, OK and Creek County Speedway with his 360 for the second week in a row. This week, despite mechanical problems and missing his heat race, he advanced from 14th to finish seventh in the feature. A March 30 finish found him running fourth..............410 pilot, Shane Hunter of Afton made the haul to Farmington, MO for their opener on Saturday. He qualified for the feature, but exited after a spin.
Next column will hopefully be a report of the events at Powercom. Until next time!!!!!!!!