MAPLE PARK, Ill. — Two-for-two so far this season, Scotty Thiel won the 30-lap Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association feature race for winged sprint cars at Sycamore Speedway Saturday night.
The program marked the return of 410 sprint cars to the third-mile dirt oval for the first time in 35 years.
Starting on the outside of the front row of the 25-car field, the 30-year-old speedster from Sheboygan, Wis., led from flag-to-flag in his Gibbsville Cheese Co./Walker’s Protect It or Lose It-sponsored winged sprinter.
Previously, Thiel had captured the IRA season opener at Wisconsin’s Beaver Dam Raceway on April 23.
The event’s fastest qualifier, Thiel was pretty much in control the whole race that was slowed by four caution periods. Every time green flag racing returned, Thiel would jump back on the throttle and build another comfortable lead margin.
Chasing Thiel to the checkered flag were Jordan Goldesberry and rookie Jake Neuman, who earlier had won the Badger Midget Series feature race. Zach Daum, Danny Schlafer and Ryan Bunton rounded out the top six.
“The yellow flag helped a little bit,” said Thiel. “I was slowing down too much in traffic before that last caution. I got behind one guy. He was a fast lapped car so I couldn’t try and slide him and kill my speed. He was going just good enough. I kept thinking I had someone behind me but I think it was just traffic echoing off the wall. The car was a rocket ship.”
The IRA Lightning Sprints also were in action with Mike Neau of Pleasant Prairie, Wis., winning the class’ 20-lap main event. Andrew Kiedrowski finished second followed by Tim Brannam.
The finish:
Scotty Thiel, Jordan Goldesberry, Jake Neuman, Zach Daum, Danny Schlafer, Ryan Bunton, Kris Spitz, Jeremy Schultz, Steve Meyer, Zeth Sabo, Jack Rouston, Russel Borland, Scott Neitzel, Hunter Custer, Kyle Schuett, Tyler Tischendorf, Scott Conger, Austin Hartmann, Matt Wiese, Scott Biertzer, Jake Blackhurst, Brett Mann, Dave Uttech, Ion Stear, Jereme Schroeder.