9/4/2020
Eric Blumer
The 6E Runner Up at "The Wipp." Doubleheader Starts Tomorrow
(Aug. 29, 2020)
It was the biggest race of the year for the EBR team as the 6E and the rest of the Beaver Dam Raceway Legends were on the card with the IRA and MSA Sprint Cars for the Wipperfurth Memorial.
Eric had marked this race on his calendar as soon as we knew we’d be racing it. We’ve covered before Eric and his sister Stephanie’s relationship with Jim Wipperfurth (the namesake of the race) and his son Joe. In short, Jim was one of the first sponsors for them and Joe still supports Eric today. For us, this would be as big a win as checkers at Angell Park.
The heat race had Eric starting 7th. An early caution gave him an unlikely advantage of moving up to the second starting spot. He jumped to the lead from there, until the white flag, where Jared Apel caught him. The two went wheel to wheel down the backstretch, with Apel gaining ground on the low side going into three. Eric tried to over-under him out of the fourth turn, but could only get to Apel’s back wheel at the line.
Eric felt like the recent clutch gremlin may have been fixed thanks to some late nights in the shop during the week. This allowed the team to monitor the track for the feature.
Eric drew the eighth starting spot for the main event. At the drop of the green he was three-wide on the outside coming out of the second turn. By the time he completed the first lap he was in fifth. Behind him, a spin occurred and brought out the yellow, causing a complete restart.
By the second lap, after another three, and perhaps briefly four-wide maneuver coming out of turn-two, the 6E was again in fifth. Meanwhile, Apel, who started on the pole, was checking out.
About a quarter of the way through the race Eric was up to fourth, running the high side, one of the few cars that was gaining any ground up there. Apel now had a half a straight on “The General,” Warren Ropp, running second in the Kalona Brewing Co. beer wagon.
Eric, as if the battle with Ropp and Parker Jones wasn’t tough enough, now had Ryan “Cheesburger” Sullivan sticking the nose of his number 18 under the Club LaMark car. The battle with this pack allowed Apel to gain a full straightaway advantage.
A much needed caution came out at about the half-way point. With the leader taking the point alone, Jones had the inside and Eric had the outside behind Apel on the restart.
The yellow turned into a red flag for cleanup. With Eric stopped in front of the pit-side stands, the grandkids of Jim Wipperfurth, Logan and Braden, were yelling encouragement from their infield post where they would be awarding the winner’s trophy. “Go Eric, you got this!” could be heard from the pit stands.
At the green, Apel got a good jump on the field while Eric broke away from Jones. In short order, point leader Mike Mueller was running third and many other cars were breathing down Eric’s neck. With about five to go, Apel had another half-straight lead. Eric was running the low groove while Tristian Furseth was making some ground up high, in fourth.
The high line that Eric favors, went away quickly as Furseth faded in the last couple of laps and Mueller lost one position trying the upper groove with a couple to go. Eric didn’t gain much as the checkers flew. Any other night, seeing how hard he had to fight off the rest of the field he would have been satisfied.
Sullivan, Mueller and Dave Eberle rounded out the top five.
SPECIAL THANKS
Our old power plant should be in for the Labor Day doubleheader, Saturday at Beaver Dam and Sunday at 141 Speedway. We can’t thank Wayne Hutchinson enough for his support through this stretch of races and his good guidance during the season.
Thanks to BDG and his friend Tom Wirth for their help of late.
Greg made a special decal for the race remembering “Wipp” and we’ll run it the rest of the year.
Thanks to Justin and Greg for busting their butts all week in the shop! Eric was very pleased with how the car handled on a tricky track.
We really appreciate when folks let us know they are in the stands. Thanks to the gang from Club LaMark for checking in last week!
TO OUR SPONSORS & CREW
These are the businesses and folks who are helping to keep Eric on the track through their generous support in 2020! Dog Guard of Wisconsin; BRS Radiator, Machine & Fabrication; Northern Air Systems, Inc.; Phil Espenes; Storage & Handling Systems; Club LaMark; Bullseye Games; Ground Up Lifts; Sieg Law Office; OWL Graphics and Lettering; Grandpa Blumer, Bulltown Legends and Casey Bollig Photography.
Here are the people who go hands on the 6E to get it in top shape every week: Justin Hoium, Greg Leatherbeary, Big Dumb Guy, Joe Wipperfurth, Bill Tefft, Brian Benisch, Cody Weisensel and Stephanie Blumer.
We salute Owen Leatherberry (U.S. Navy) and Andrew Upperman (U.S. Marine Corps)!
Thanks to you all for your part in Eric Blumer Racing!
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2021
We plan on campaigning the 6E in 2021 and are working on sponsorship proposals. Cold calls to businesses are tough no matter what, but with conditions as they are today, they are even more difficult. If you or someone you know would be interested in supporting us for the 2021 season, please let us know!
Submitted By: William Blumer
