Forum: Minnesota Dirt Track Racing Forum (go)
Moderators: StanM

When I checked the NWS website there was ZERO chance of rain in the forecast.

Stan Meissner

The RV is all fueled up. Just gotta get the kids sports out of the way. Should be an awesome night of racing. I haven't seen the UMSS guys. Looking forward to that as well!

I would expect mid 30s for the IRA 410 Outlaw sprint car portion of the program. As for the UMSS part of the show, I'm thinking 15-20 range. There should be 50+ sprints in the pits between the two classes. The NVRA vintage cars will also be on hand with two divisions, stock car and super mod. I expect around 20+ vintage cars to be on hand, since CLS is one of their best supported events of the season (they were rained out in early August, thus the addition to the JRM event). The weather certainly looks good for today and this evening. There is always the chance of a widely scattered shower during the morning or afternoon, but it really does look like a nice evening is in store for open wheel fans at CLS tonight. I'm pumped up for the race just like each year. It is one of my favorite nights of racing during the entire season. Not sure if I will see the sunrise on Sunday morning like in some years past, but it will definitely be a fun and very late night at CLS for GRP.

I will have three bonuses in effect for the IRA Jerry Richert Memorial. The GRP Hard Charger Award for a non-IRA member driver (Knoxville and other area cars) will be $200 while there will also be an IRA Hard Charger Award for a member IRA driver for $200. The Michael P IRA Hard Luck Award will be in effect. It will pay $100 to an IRA member driver who suffers some tough luck during the evening. Michael Pietrowski of Edgerton, WI donated his $100 first place prize money from the Open Wheel Division of the GRP Racing Trivia Contest this past January to the Jerry Richert Memorial, so I wanted to be sure and make mention of this awesome gesture on his part.

Past Champions of the Jerry Richert Memorial:

6-02-01 - Kim Mock (34 cars)

9-07-02 - Don Droud, Jr. (46 cars)

9-06-03 - Terry McCarl (47 cars)

9-11-04 - Terry McCarl (42 cars)...T-Mac set the CLS track record at this event, 10.757.

9-10-05 - Justin Henderson (44 cars)

9-09-06 - Mike Reinke (36 cars)

9-08-07 - Mike Reinke (33 cars)

9-06-08 - Brooke Tatnell (34 cars)

To the best of my knowledge, Billy Balog won the IRA member GRP Hard Charger Award at the JRM by advancing 10 positions in the feature race. Scott Winters won the non-member IRA GRP Hard Charger Award by advancing 8 position in the feature race. I believe Phillip Mock was awarded the Michael P IRA Hard Luck Award after Phillip suffered a very hard crash and series of flips in the B Main.

It was a GREAT night of sprint car racing at CLS on Saturday September 12 for the running of the 9th Annual Jerry Richert Memorial. All kinds of interesting and entertaining things played out during the course of the evening. Race Reports from both the IRA and UMSS portions of the event are posted under separate headings. Thanks to all the fans, sponsors, drivers, CLS, and of course the Richert family for making this such an awesome show to attend each season. Great job by Justin Zoch announcing a full evening of 410 & 360 open wheel action plus the NVRA vintage car races.

Car Counts:

IRA 410 sprints = 34

UMSS 360 sprints = 19

NVRA vintage cars = 27 (two divisions)

Note: Five drivers did double-duty in the sprint car divisions. They were Brooke Tatnell, Jerry Richert Jr, Brad Barickman, Robby Wolfgang, and Leigh Thomas.