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THRAM COPS OUTAGAMIE IRA SPRINTS – WENZEL & SCHMIDT ALSO SNAG CHECKERS
Posted on: Sunday September 27, 2026
ATTENTION SPORTS/MOTORSPORTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THRAM SWEEPS OUTAGAMIE IRA SPRINTS – WENZEL, SCHMIDT ALSO SNAG CHECKERS by Joe Orsini
(SEYMOUR, WI) SEPT. 25 – 81 cars and stars filled the pits for the return of the IRA Sprint Cars for the final event of the 2026 season. 28 of the fire breathing 410 Bumper to Bumper IRA Spring Cars signed in to battle for the checkers, they were joined by 26 of the Monroe Truck IMCA Stock Cars and 27 Trailer Express IMCA Northern Sport Mods. The excitement of the sprint cars was matched by a Sport Mod IMCA national point battle as the top two in national points checked in. Current point leader, Jarett “Candy Man” Franzen, from Maquoketa, Iowa was on hand to battle second place point runner and Casco, Wisconsin native Coy Vlies. Franzen entered the night with a one point lead over the Casco Comet as the final national point weekend kicked off.
The IRA Sprint Cars started off the night with Christopher Thram setting a fast time and track record of 11.525 seconds in qualifying. Thram won his heat race and dash to earn the pole position to go with the fast time on the night. Thram used that starting spot to grab the lead at the drop of the green in the feature. Trouble struck when point leader, Paul Nienhiser, brought out a red when his car rolled and came to a rest in turn 2 on lap 22. Thram held on for the closing 8 circuits and grabbed the clean sweep en route to his second career IRA Sprint Car win. Scotty Thiel was second, Scott Neitzel third, Logan Julien fourth, and Jake Blackhurst closed out the top five. Travis Arenz left with a slim 27 point lead after his sixth place finish as the series heads to their season finale Saturday Night at Plymouth Dirt Track.
The Monroe Truck Equipment IMCA Stock Car feature kicked off with Brad Lubach leading the opening lap. Lubach continued to hold court at the halfway mark with 2026 division champion, Brett Wenzel, in second, Presley Harrington third, “Chummy” Eric Arneson fourth, and Michael Czarapata fifth. Lubach held off Wenzel for five more laps until the 0 machine slid past into the lead. Wenzel managed to cap off his championship season with a win in the final event of the 2026 season. Harrington settled for the runner up spot, Kyle Frederick was third, Vern Stedjee fourth, and Arneson rounded out the top five.
The Trailer Express IMCA Northern Sport Mod feature was set up with plenty of drama with IMCA national point leader Jarett Franzen firing off 9th from the starting grid with second place point runner, Coy Vlies, starting one spot in front of him in eighth. It was Ryan Schmidt though that took advantage of his outside front row starting spot to grab the opening lap lead. Schmidt never looked back and led every lap to capture the win. Jordan Janke was second, Coy Vlies was unable to gain any points with his third place finish, Tim Jorgenson came home fourth, and Franzen completed the top five.
Bumper to Bumper IRA Sprint Car 30 Lap Feature:
1. 24T-Christopher Thram[1]; 2. 31-Scotty Thiel[5]; 3. 2W-Scott Neitzel[2]; 4. 85J-Logan Julien[9]; 5. 96-Jake Blackhurst[3]; 6. 25T-Travis Arenz[7]; 7. 1K-Kelby Watt[22]; 8. 8-Will Gerrits[6]; 9. 47-Todd King[15]; 10. 22-Kaleb Johnson[20]
Heat 1:
1. 24T-Christopher Thram[4]; 2. 4-Alex Pokorski[2]; 3. 87A-Austin Hartmann[6]; 4. 8-Will Gerrits[3]; 5. 26R-Preston Ruh[7]; 6. 26-Cody Schlafer[5]
Heat 2:
1. 85J-Logan Julien[2]; 2. 31W-Koby Werkmeister[1]; 3. 25T-Travis Arenz[4]; 4. 9K-Kyle Schuett[5]; 5. 47-Todd King[7]; 6. 4K-Kris Spitz[6]
Heat 3:
1. 9X-Paul Nienhiser[1]; 2. 31-Scotty Thiel[2]; 3. 2W-Scott Neitzel[3]; 4. 96-Jake Blackhurst[4]; 5. 25-Danny Schlafer[5]; 6. 09-Clayton Rossmann[8]
Dash 1:
1. 24T-Christopher Thram[1]; 2. 96-Jake Blackhurst[3]; 3. 31-Scotty Thiel[2]; 4. 25T-Travis Arenz[4]; 5. 85J-Logan Julien[5]
Dash 2:
1. 2W-Scott Neitzel[1]; 2. 9X-Paul Nienhiser[2]; 3. 8-Will Gerrits[4]; 4. 31W-Koby Werkmeister[5]; 5. 4-Alex Pokorski[3]
LCQ:
1. 65-Jordan Goldesberry[3]; 2. 22-Kaleb Johnson[2]; 3. 7A-Will Armitage[10]; 4. 1K-Kelby Watt[1]; 5. 24-Scott Conger[4]; 6. 17B-Dean Barnes[8]
Monroe Truck Equipment IMCA Stock Car 20 Lap Feature:
1. 0-Brett Wenzel[8]; 2. 24H-Presley Harrington[7]; 3. 50F-Kyle Frederick[12]; 4. 35-Vern Stedjee[6]; 5. 74-Eric Arneson[1]; 6. 39-Brad Lubach[2]; 7. 9-Jerry Wilinski[16]; 8. 17-Mike Klenz[11]; 9. 14JB-Ryan Lujeck[17]; 10. 28W-Will Hoefs[19]
Heat 1:
1. 50F-Kyle Frederick[2]; 2. 74-Eric Arneson[4]; 3. 1X-Matt Klenz[3]; 4. 17-Mike Klenz[8]; 5. 76Y-Kayden Young[7]
Heat 2:
1. 21K-Jeff Kropp[3]; 2. 11X-Jon Schultz[5]; 3. 35-Vern Stedjee[1]; 4. 33C-Michael Czarapata[4]; 5. 50O-Ronnie Otto[2]
Heat 3:
1. 24H-Presley Harrington[2]; 2. 1M-Dan Michonski[3]; 3. 39-Brad Lubach[8]; 4. 0-Brett Wenzel[7]; 5. 7A-Todd Ascherien[4]
LCQ:
1. 9-Jerry Wilinski[6]; 2. 14JB-Ryan Lujeck[4]; 3. 93-Mavrick Ruh[5]; 4. 28W-Will Hoefs[1]; 5. 9K-Josh Koslowski[3]; 6. 41K-Katelyn Sohrweide[7]; 7. 79-Paul Barribeau[9]; 8. 216-Brian Nowinski[8]; 9. (DNF) 39X-Branden Demerath[10]
Trailer Express IMCA Northern Sport Mod 20 Lap Feature:
1. 464-Ryan Schmidt[2]; 2. 484-Jordan Jahnke[6]; 3. 17V-Coy Vlies[8]; 4. 118-Tim Jorgenson[3]; 5. 33F-Jarett Franzen[9]; 6. 4E4-Dylan Schmidt[10]; 7. 5X-Joey Taycher[16]; 8. 25U-Spencer Uttecht[14]; 9. 71-Eric Craine[1]; 10. 81-AJ Springborn[15]
Heat 1:
1. 36C-Cole Slezewski[2]; 2. 19G-Parker Glander[1]; 3. X15-Braxton Ambrosius[4]; 4. 464-Ryan Schmidt[9]; 5. 72-JJ Vanderloop[5]
Heat 2:
1. 33F-Jarett Franzen[5]; 2. 118-Tim Jorgenson[1]; 3. 484-Jordan Jahnke[2]; 4. 61-Michael Springborn[8]; 5. 25U-Spencer Uttecht[4]
Heat 3:
1. 36-Tommy Rindt[2]; 2. 4E4-Dylan Schmidt[8]; 3. 17V-Coy Vlies[7]; 4. 71-Eric Craine[1]; 5. 81-AJ Springborn[3]
LCQ:
1. 5X-Joey Taycher[11]; 2. T80-Tom Perryman[1]; 3. 12-Randy Theys[2]; 4. 12S-Taylor Sorenson[4]; 5. 88-Parker Derks[6]; 6. 48-Charles Hoffman[3]; 7. 16Z-Ryan Zimmerman[10]; 8. 10L-Chris Loewenhagen[5]; 9. 12D-Christopher Gilson[9]