One week ago, Bill Balog stood in victory lane at Deer Creek Speedway after winning the IRA event. Tonight, as Elko Speedway in Elko, Minnesota, wrapped up their inaugural Dirt Nationals, the 2008 champion did it again. Balog, from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, started outside the first row and trailed polesitter Steve Meyer for the first three circuits before taking the top spot.

On lap four, Brett Geldner brought out the yellow with a soft flip in turn four. On the restart, Travis Whitney edged past Meyer to take the second spot. Balog continued to lead as Whitney dueled with eigth-starting Scott Winters through the early part of the race. A lap 14 yellow flag period for a tangle between Matt Vandevere and Andy Hunt set up a shootout as the top three cars lined up nose-to-tail on the restart. Balog, however, proved to be too strong as he pulled away from Whitney to take his third win of the season in IRA competition. Winters held third while Meyer fended off Jerry Richert Jr. for fourth.

Earlier in the night, Travis Whitney demolished the day-old track record set by Terry McCarl on Friday night – a 13.510 – with a lap of 12.410 to set quick time during Osborne and Sons Trucking Qualifications. The three heat races for the 26 car field went to rookies Phillip Mock and Nick Alden while Richert Jr. scored the third heat.

The IRA Sprints wrap up a three race weekend with a Sunday night stop at the Eagle Valley Raceway in Jim Falls, Wisconsin on July 26.

Bumper to Bumper IRA Sprints
Elko Speedway, Elko, Minnesota
25-Lap Feature Finish (Starting Position in Parenthesis)

1. Bill Balog (2), 2. Travis Whitney (4), 3.
Scott Winters, (8), 4. Steve Meyer (1), 5. Jerry
Richert Jr. (7), 6. Jake Peters (10), 7. John
Haeni (3), 8. Donny Goeden (13), 9. Nick Alden
(5), 10. John Sernett (23), 11. Phillip Mock (6),
12. Kris Spitz (17), 13. Scott Neitzel (9), 14.
Brad Barickman (11), 15. Bill Wirth (18), 16.
Scott Uttech (15), 17. Joe Symoens (14), 18. Andy
Hunt (19) 19. Scott Biertzer (16) (DNF), 20. Matt
Vandervere (21) (DNF), 21. Russel Borland (20)
(DNF) 22. Brett Geldner (12) (DNF), 23. Scott
Lenz (22) (DNF) / DNS: Ryan Wilson, John Lambertz, Jesse Smith

Osborne and Sons Trucking Qualifications (26 Cars)
Quick Time: Travis Whitney (12.410 NTR)

Lane Automotive Heat 1
1. Mock, 2. Neitzel, 3. Whitney, 4. Meyer, 5.
Barickman, 6. Spitz, 7. Borland, 8. Wirth, 9. Lenz (DNF)

VMAC Racing Heat 2
1. Alden, 2. Haeni, 3. Geldner, 4. Peters, 5.
Symoens, 6. Vandervere, 7. Wilson (DNF), 8. Lambertz (DNF), 9. Sernett (DNS)

Wesmar Racing Engines/DMI Heat 3
1. Richert Jr., 2. Goeden, 3. Winters, 4. Balog,
5. Uttech, 6. Hunt, 7. Smith (DNF), 8. Biertzer (DNS)