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KLEMKO SCORES WILMOT DOUBLE AS STRANE TAKES FIRST FEATURE ON IRA FOUNDERS NIGHT

(Wilmot, Wis., Saturday, May 24, 2025)--Bristol's Chris Klemko weathered some late race cautions to score back to back 20-lap AutoMeter Wisconsin WingLESS Sprints feature wins part of IRA Founders Presented By Body Craft of Antioch, IL Bonus Night Memorial Day weekend Saturday, May 24, at Wilmot Raceway.
Brian Strane Jr. of Paris scored his first 11-75 Sports Complex & Eatery 20-lap feature win of the season.
Joel Myers Jr. of Santa Rosa, CA scored the win in the 30-lap Bumper to Bumper IRA 410-Winged Sprints feature adding his name to the Founders Trophy commemorating the originators of the IRA the late Ray Toft and Junior Dodd, along with Whitey Harris. The perennial trophy is displayed at the Southeastern Wisconsin Short Track Hall of Fame, which sponsored the unique award, in Hartford.
Kenosha's Bryce Andrews took the initial lead ahead of the 24-car WingLESS field. Cautions on laps 8 and 13 kept closing up the field behind Andrews.
After the two battled wheel to wheel for several circuits, Klemko took the middle groove on the 3/8-mile oval, taking the lead with five laps remaining. A final caution a lap later set up one more charge by Andrews, but Klemko, a second generation campaigner and 2-time Wilmot champion, was up to the challenge scoring his second feature win at the original home of the WingLESS which are in their 11th season.
"I am tired after that one," admitted Klemko, who has swept the two WingLESS features thus far this season having won on May 3 opening night at Wilmot as well. "My crew had the car set up perfect. Bryce (Andrews) and I had a good, clean race and he battled me hard, making me earn it. I knew he wouldn't be easy to get past, so I kept searching for a different line and finally found it. Winning on Founders Night is special. Looking forward to Friday(May 30) Border Battle between our WingLESS and the American Sprint Car Tour at our home track."
Andrews held on for second. Second generation campaigner Tyler Kuxhouse of Antioch, IL was third. Salem's George Gaertner III took fourth. Genesee's Eric Wilke came across fifth.
Miles Doherty of Delmar, IA picked up the Behling Racing Equipment hard charger improving eight spots from 18th starting position to finish tenth.

Andrews took the Fox Lake Harbor Presents All Star Performance 1st Heat, Ocomomowoc's Ryan Zielski scored the Game Day Men's Health Presented By Behling Race Equipment 2nd heat victory following a disqualification of the original winner for not making post-race weight. Allen Hafford of Beach Park, IL took the BR Motorsports Presents King Race Products third heat. Adam Taylor of Wheatfield, IN took the AutoMeter "B" Main. Tim Cox of Park City, IL scored the Body Craft of Antioch Fast Time honor with a :15.146 clocking.
The Lightning Sprint 20-lap feature began with polesitter 15-year-old Jacob Irwin of Genoa City shooting in front opening a slight advantage, maintaining until Strane worked his way into the lead using the inside line on lap six. During the last half of the race, Strane kept seeing any lead he had built disappear with five cautions coming out during. Two were due to broken chains and one to a snapped cooling line creating a cloud of steam in 14-year-old Tucker Richards machine.

At the checkered it was Strane by a half-straightaway with Waukesha's Mark Heinert second. Jordan Funderburk of Wadsworth, IL took third. Big Bend's Chad Stouthamer fourth. Tim Brannam of Lake In The Hills, IL fifth, earning the Behling Race Equipment Hard Charger improving six spots.

"This is where it began for me, winning my first feature last year," said Strane. "This is a big win on Founders Night and with the added Body Craft Bonus I have to thank them for what they do for racing here at Wilmot and with the IRA. I didn't know if we'd ever see the checkered, but it all worked out."

Richards won the Fox Lake Harbor Presents All Star Performance Heat 1. Racine's Derek Fortier took the win in the Game Day Men's Health Presents Behling Race Equipment Heat 2.

Nick Petska of Spring Grove, IL eclipsed his own one-lap qualifying record clocking :14.219 seconds for the Body Craft Of Antioch Fast Time honors. Petska's former mark was :14.228 seconds set three weeks earlier on Wilmot's opening night May 3.

IRA Founders Night saw Mark and Tony Maglio of Body Craft boost up the purse for every driver who competed in all four classes. At the drivers meeting and prior to the National Anthem, the Maglio brothers were recognized by Mike Babicz with the Henry A. Babicz "Men Behind The Scenes" Award for their support of the IRA and Wilmot Raceway.

John "Tornado" Tierney of Burlington, WI, still with a sign/race shop in Lake Villa having raced super-modifieds and sprint cars from 1975-2005, had his rebuilt #15 on display. Jim "King of the Cushion" Moulis of Fox Lake, IL had his familiar #30 sprint car. Moulis was IRA sprint champion in 1981 and 1985, along with winning the first feature on the "new track" in 1973 at its current location.

Next up for the AutoMeter Wisconsin WingLESS Sprints is a dual sanctioned Border Battle with the traveling American Sprint Car Tour on Friday, May 30 at Wilmot Raceway. Wilmot's 604 Winged Sprints, Modifieds and Street Stocks are on the card as well. Racing is scheduled to begin at 6:45 p.m. For Friday information and tickets go to Wilmot Raceway's website.
The AutoMeter Wisconsin WingLESS Sprints have a doubleheader weekend heading into the Land of Lincoln on Saturday, May 31, to Sycamore Speedway in Illinois. The 11-75 Sports Complex and Eatery IRA Lightning Sprints join the program in their second appearance of the season there. Sycamore's limited late models, street stocks and pure stocks round out the card. Racing is slated for 7:30 pm with advance tickets and further information available for Saturday's racing on the Sycamore Speedway website.

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