Sights Set Forward
Greenbush, Minnesota – (January 11, 2017) The second stop on the Wahl Bros. Racing schedule brought the team to Ironwood, Mich. for the Ironwood Snowmobile Olympus. There, drivers Dustin and Jordan Wahl planned on competing for USSA Pro Star Racing and TLR Cup Tour points. Lake effect snow fell as the driver’s meeting took place on Saturday morning and after postponing the action for the first half of the day, officials made the decision to call the day’s racing; a good one, as visibility was poor.
Sunday started with the Pro Champ 440 qualifying heats, where the #74 and #747 never once faced each other in competition. Dustin earned a third place finish in the first two heats and raced to the #2 spot in the final qualifying round, making a pass in the last corner.
Jordan finished fourth in the first round, only to come back hard-charging in the second heat after spinning off the line to take a second. His final qualifying heat found him in the fourth spot once again, as the team worked to find the set-up that would deliver more speed. He went on to win the LCQ race, earning the eleventh qualifying spot in the final.
In front of the always crowded grandstand at the Ironwood Snowmobile Olympus, the #74 and #747 Polaris’ lined up for the 15-lap final. With just one lap down on the 1/2 mile track, the red flag was thrown after a crash involving two fellow drivers occurred. Both were airlifted for the best care available, and the outlook is positive for both Blaine Stephenson and Matt Goede.
As the daylight began to fade, officials met with the drivers and made the decision to cancel the race. Again, another good call that put driver safety first and foremost. The makeup date for the Round 2 final has not yet been announced.
The team now has a weekend off to test and tune before departing for Eagle River, Wisc. to compete at the World Championship Derby January 19 – 22. The third round of the TLR Cup Tour will take place during Friday Night Thunder, and both drivers will begin their efforts to qualify for the World Championship with time trials beginning Thursday night. Live coverage of the Derby will be provided by Speed Shift TV, with subscription information available here.
To stay up to date with Dustin, Jordan and the team, be sure to follow Wahl Bros. Racing on Facebook and Instagram. Replays of the first two weekends of competition are available on Ditch Banger TV.
