Brandon Wimmer – Win-Win Weekend!

(Bill W) May 16, 2017 – Brandon Wimmer had two big reasons to celebrate last weekend. Not only did he emerge victorious in OSCS vs. FAST sprint car action at Atomic Speedway Saturday night, he and wife Chantel welcome their second child, Kaden, into the world! The Fairmount, Indiana native gave car owner John Shewbrooks his first win in sprint cars, and the team plans to head to Kokomo Speedway in Indiana Friday night to compete with the All Stars.

Brandon and the Shewbrooks #A67 team started the weekend Friday and Eldora with the World of Outlaws. “We were able to qualify well, which gave us a good start,” he says. “We kind of got lucky in the heat race, but we got through, finishing fifth.”

The main event was fast and furious as always on the high banks. “The feature was tough,” says Brandon. “We ended up 20th, but with 35 tough cars in the pits, that’s o.k. We haven’t raced that much this year…I think two or three times. I don’t think there were any other teams towing a flatbed trailer with an Astro van like we are. We have a new Maxim and a new Kistler engine, and John provides me with a great racecar. We are working as hard as anyone and I think it shows.”

That would prove to be the case at Atomic on Saturday with another 35-car “North vs. South” field pitting the Ohio Sprint Car Series with the Fremont/Attica Sprints. “They didn’t qualify,” says Brandon. “We ran second in the heat and that put us in the Dash. We drew the four and ran third.”

Starting inside row two, Brandon would keep pace with leader Danny Smith early on. “The first half of the race, we were able to keep up with them,” he says. “The second half of the race, the setup really kicked in, and we took off.”

A slide-fest ensued with the leader. “We had a really good race with Danny Smith for the lead,” says Brandon. “I think we slid each other a few times. We were finally able to get John a sprint car win. He used to race speedboats for years. He got into sprint cars about five years ago living close to Chillicothe, so it was nice to get him his first sprint car win. Scott Cool turns the wrenches for us. He’s from down there, and used to work with me in the mid-2000’s too. It was good to get a win for all of them. They’re a team that just likes to have fun.”

Brandon’s weekend was far from over. “I got home about three in the morning, and Chantel woke me up about nine on Sunday,” he says. “She said we better get ready. It was time to go to the hospital. By 2:49 p.m., Kaden was born. So it was quite the weekend!”

Brandon is short on sleep and will be for a while, but he’s excited to run Kokomo Sunday. “We haven’t been racing close to home very much, so I’m excited about that,” he says. “We’ll have plenty of family and friends there as long as the rain stays away.”

Watch Brandon’s Winning Run at Atomic…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3Cx_-ybxes&feature=share

OSCS-FAST Sprint Car Series Feature from Atomic Speedway, May 13th, 2017.

www.youtube.com

OSCS-FAST Sprint Car Series Feature from Atomic Speedway, May 13th, 2017.

Brandon on the Web

Check out Brandon’s website at www.BrandonWimmer.com!

Brandon Wimmer – Victory at Wilmot!

(Bill W) July 5, 2016 – It was a great weekend of racing for Brandon Wimmer and Chris Hartnell’s #48 team in Wisconsin. After a second place finish with the IRA on Friday at Manitowoc Speedway where the team won earlier this season, they picked up a victory Saturday at Wilmot Speedway. The Fairmount, Indiana driver plans on being in John Shewbrooks’ #A67 this weekend in OSCS action at Atomic Speedway near Chillicothe, Ohio.

The speedway in Manitowoc will be shut down after this season, and Brandon was hoping to sweep the IRA events there in its last year. He would time in sixth quick after coming out 18th in the 27-car field. After going from fifth to third in his heat, he lined up third for the feature. “We actually got the lead in the first five to ten laps,” he says. “We led most of the race from there. The cautions really hurt us. There were at least two yellows and two reds towards the end of the race.”

That made it tough to keep heat in the tires. “Our tires weren’t hurt, but the heat cycle on them didn’t help with the cautions and the reds,” says Brandon. “As the track got wider, the bottom started to come in. It was one of those deals where it was better to be in second. (Scott Uttech) could try things, while I thought the top was pretty good, so I stayed up there.”

That’s when the battle began for Brandon. “We raced back and forth a few laps,” he says. “Then, going into three and four, I drove it into the cushion a little hard. That pulled the front end in and he got me by a car length. We won the first one there this year, and we were second in this one, so I can’t complain.”

The team decided to go to Wilmot on Saturday. “We were actually really bad in our heat,” says Brandon. “We started third and ran fourth. We made wholesale changes, which is really why we went there Saturday. We were trying some things, because the IRA is there in a couple of weeks and the World of Outlaws after that. We were playing around with some different things.”

Brandon started seventh in the feature. “I got to third pretty fast,” he says. “Luckily, there was a yellow, because the leaders were getting away a little. That got us back up on the leaders. I didn’t actually see the white flag. I was diving under them coming out of four to get to the bottom of turns one and two. That’s where I passed them. I saw the flag and thought it was the white, but it was the checkered.”

The win was Brandon’s second of the year with the team. “I was able to accomplish one of my goals that night,” he says. “We got (daughter) Kennedy in her first Victory Lane photo. She hadn’t been at the races when we won earlier in the year. It was special to have her there for the first time.”

Hartnell Motorsports would like to thank SFR Painting and Staining, Pure Air Heating and Air Conditioning, Trinity Homes and May Roofing.

Brandon would like to thank his own long-term partners Simpson Racing Products, Butlerbuilt Professional Seat Systems and All Star Performance.

Brandon on the Web

Check out Brandon’s website at www.BrandonWimmer.com!

Also, follow Brandon on Twitter @BrandonWimmer and on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/brandon.wimmer!

Brandon Wimmer – Fourth Place Run with the All Stars!

(Bill W) May 25, 2016 – Brandon Wimmer and the Hartnell Motorsports #48H team continued to impress in Wisconsin last weekend. The Fairmount, Indiana driver climbed from ninth to second with the All Stars and the IRA at Wilmot Speedway Saturday before settling for a fourth place finish. Misfortune followed Sunday at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, however.

The IRA format was used at Wilmot. “We went out early in qualifying and didn’t time in very well,” says Brandon. “The track got better as qualifying went on. We ended up 18th quick.”

To make the top ten starting spots in the feature, Brandon had to win his heat from outside row one. “It was really good that we won our heat,” he says. “That was the difference between starting ninth and starting eighteenth.”

He moved up quickly in the main event. “We were really good in the feature,” says Brandon. “It got to the halfway point and we were in the top five racing with Sheldon Haudenschild and Dale Blaney. We got by them, but we never really got close to (leader Danny) Holtgraver.”

One slip sent Brandon back to fourth at the checkers. “What hurt us most was never getting to lapped traffic,” he says. “We were a lot better in traffic, but it seemed every time we got to the back of the field, we had another caution. Overall, it was good. We got up to second, and got into the cushion a little hard one time. We fell back to fourth and kind of finished there.”

Sunday night with the IRA at Angell Park, he would time in second quick and make it through the heat. Things ended in the feature though. “We were about three-quarters of the way into the feature and I got into the wall,” says Brandon. “I got into the cushion too hard. That tore the front end out.”

Unfortunately, a leak surfaced in maintenance. “We had planned on racing this weekend, but it looks like we won’t know,” says Brandon. “It sounds like we have an issue with the head gasket. We ran with this team a couple times at the end of last year. They really worked hard over the winter, and it shows with the way we’ve been running so far. I’m looking forward to getting back there when the car is ready to go again, hopefully, in June.”

Brandon does have two races on his calendar this Memorial Day weekend though. He will be aboard John Shewbrook’s #A67 at Atomic Raceway near Chillicothe, Ohio on Saturday and with the World of Outlaws at Lawrenceburg Speedway in Indiana Monday.

Hartnell Motorsports would like to thank SFR Painting and Staining, Pure Air Heating and Air Conditioning, Trinity Homes and May Roofing.

Brandon would like to thank his own long-term partners Simpson Racing Products, Butlerbuilt Professional Seat Systems and All Star Performance.

Brandon on the Web

Check out Brandon’s website at www.BrandonWimmer.com!

Also, follow Brandon on Twitter @BrandonWimmer and on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/brandon.wimmer!

Brandon Wimmer – Win in First Outing at Manitowoc with IRA!

(Bill W) May 9, 2016 – Brandon Wimmer scored a victory in his first outing with the Hartnell Motorsports #48H team Friday night with the IRA at Manitowoc Speedway in Wisconsin. Even more impressive was the fact that it was also the first time the Fairmount, Indiana driver had seen the 1/3-mile oval. The team showed their chemistry was no fluke Saturday night, running a close second to Dusty Zomer at Wilmot Speedway. They will return to Wilmot on May 21 to compete with the All Stars.

Brandon timed in fourth quick after coming out 24th in the order at Manitowoc. He would go from fifth to fourth in his heat, locking himself into the feature. “We were o.k. in the heat,” he says. “We made some major changes for the feature. We kind of threw something at it, and it went really well.”

He would start fifth in the main event. “It seemed like I passed a couple guys about three times,” says Brandon. “Every time we would pass someone, the yellow would come out, and we’d have to go behind them. The cautions really hurt us early on.”

One the green stayed out, Brandon got better. “We got rolling really decent about halfway through the race,” he says. “There wasn’t much of a bottom for most of the night. There was a cushion and you could slide guys to get by them.”

He would take his shot at the lead late in the going. “There was a caution with four or five laps to go,” says Brandon. “I was able to slide in front of (leader) Scott Neitzel. He was able to drive back under me and take it back. The next time we were in one and two, the cushion had got to the wall. I was able to kind of use the middle to work by him.”

From there, Brandon would pull away with the win. “It was a great night,” he says. “It was our first outing with the team, and to come out of the box like that…it doesn’t get much better!”

The team was on more familiar ground at Wilmot Saturday. “The team knew where to start with the car at Wilmot and we didn’t make many changes all night,” says Brandon. “We qualified well (second quick), started sixth and ran second in the heat and the invert for the feature was six.”

Starting fifth, it took a while for Brandon to work his way towards the front. “It was kind of the same deal as Friday,” he says. “It took us a while to get rolling good. (Dusty) Zomer was already in the lead by then. We actually reeled him in in traffic. I was able to take a shot at sliding him once, but didn’t quite get him cleared. I really think we had the best car. We just ran out of time at the end.”

Brandon was really excited about the way his first weekend went with Hartnell Motorsports. “We had some good competition there, and we were really competitive up front,” he says. “It was just a good weekend. I’d like to thank Chris Hartnell, Donald and Tim Anderson for having me in the car. I’m looking forward to Wilmot in a couple of weeks.”

Hartnell Motorsports would like to thank SFR Painting and Staining, Pure Air Heating and Air Conditioning, Trinity Homes and May Roofing.

Brandon would like to thank his own long-term partners Simpson Racing Products, Butlerbuilt Professional Seat Systems and All Star Performance.

Brandon on the Web

Check out Brandon’s website at www.BrandonWimmer.com!

Also, follow Brandon on Twitter @BrandonWimmer and on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/brandon.wimmer!

Brandon Wimmer – Second at Atomic Sets Up All Star Showdown!

(Bill W) April 20, 2016 – A late slider attempt in the last corner fell just short for Brandon Wimmer last Saturday night at Atomic Speedway near Chillicothe, Ohio. The Fairmount, Indiana driver would settle for second in the John Shewbrooks #A67. The team will be back at Atomic on April 30 when the All Star Circuit of Champions invades the high-banked 3/8-mile oval.

Brandon would set down quick time last Saturday night at 11.993 seconds. “John has a really good motor,” he says. “I’ve run a lot of laps around Atomic and I feel really comfortable there as well.”

After starting fourth in his heat and motoring to a second place finish, he would start outside row two for the main event. “I feel like we had the best car,” says Brandon. “We were able to get up to second the first four or five laps. I was able to catch the leader (Dallas Hewitt) when traffic came. It was one of those deals where I couldn’t do much with him in open air, but we were better in traffic.”

Unfortunately, the yellow flag would fly. “We had a caution about halfway through,” says Brandon. “It took a while to get back into traffic. On the last lap, I took a slider in turn three and didn’t quite make it.”

The second place finish was a good outing for Brandon and the team and good preparation for the All Stars a week from Saturday. “It was a good night,” he says. “We tested the new W18 right rear for the first time. The car was working really well. We’re looking forward to when the All Stars come there on April 30.”

Brandon would like to thank his own long-term partners Simpson Racing Products, Butlerbuilt Professional Seat Systems and All Star Performance.

Brandon on the Web

Check out Brandon’s website at www.BrandonWimmer.com!

Also, follow Brandon on Twitter @BrandonWimmer and on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/brandon.wimmer!

Brandon Wimmer – Race Plans in 2016 Still Taking Shape!

(Bill W) February 15, 2016 – Fairmount, Indiana’s Brandon Wimmer has race plans in 2016, but is looking to add to his schedule. He has commitments with two teams, one in the Wisconsin area and one in southern Ohio, but he is also looking for a ride for some of the bigger events.

Brandon will team with Chris Hartnell and the Hartnell Motorsports Custom Diecast #48 car for around fifteen events in the Wisconsin area. That schedule will include shows with the World of Outlaws, All Stars and the IRA.

“I’m excited to be teaming up with Chris Hartnell,” says Brandon. “Chris has fielded a competitive team for quite a few years now, and you know every time you hit the track that you are going to have some good equipment underneath you.”

Brandon will also team with John Shewbrook and his #67 in southern Ohio. That schedule will include 10-15 events. “We teamed up several times last year,” says Brandon. “John is a great guy and he has a solid team. We’ll race mostly around Atomic Speedway.”

Though he is paired with some solid teams, Brandon would still like to hook up with someone to run the bigger shows. “I’d really like to find a ride for the King’s Royal, Ohio Speedweek and the Knoxville Nationals,” he says.

Brandon’s first event looks to be the All Star Circuit of Champions event at Atomic Speedway Saturday, April 2.

Hartnell Motorsports would like to thank SFR Painting and Staining, Pure Air Heating and Air Conditioning, Trinity Homes and May Roofing.

Brandon would like to thank his own long-term partners Simpson Racing Products, Butlerbuilt Professional Seat Systems and All Star Performance.

Brandon on the Web

Check out Brandon’s website at www.BrandonWimmer.com!

Also, follow Brandon on Twitter @BrandonWimmer and on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/brandon.wimmer!

Brandon Wimmer – Teaming up with Mertz/Jenkins for Knoxville in August!

(Bill W) July 21, 2015 – Brandon Wimmer is proud to announce his partnership with the famous Mertz/Jenkins #55XM for Southern Iowa Sprintweek in August. The team will tackle the 25th Annual Arnold Motor Supply 360 Nationals August 6-8 and the August 9 Capitani Classic at Knoxville. They will be competing at the $20,000 to win Front Row Challenge at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, before returning for the 55th Annual FVP Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Stores August 12-15.

The Fairmount, Indiana driver is looking forward to getting back to Knoxville. “I’m really excited to go out there with the 55XM team,” says Brandon. “We’ll have Maxim chassis, which obviously, I’m familiar with. It will be good to get back to Iowa in August!”

The team will have Charlie Garrett engines for the 410 Nationals. “Our 360 is actually a Morrison/Garrett,” says Mertz. “This is the first time we’ve run the 360 Nationals with our car. I think running all week will give us a little extra track time. We started coming out to the Nationals in 1994 when Steve Smith leased my motors. I don’t think we’ve missed but two or three of those since.”

The #55 has a deep history. “We’re excited about teaming with Brandon,” says Mertz. “I think it’s the right combination for us to come out and have a little fun. I busted Brandon a little bit. We’ve had three guys that won the first night in: (Tim) Shaffer, (Billy) Pauch and (Daryn) Pittman. Blaney should have at Skyline, but it was so dusty he couldn’t see. I just wanted to make sure there wasn’t any pressure on him! (laughs)”

The list of drivers with the team is a ‘Who’s Who’ of sprint car racing. “This is going to be driver 46 or 47 for us over the years,” says Mertz. “We started with Ted Young back in 1974, and it’s gone from there.”

The next couple of weeks, Brandon will be racing for John Shewbrook in his #A97 at Atomic Speedway in Chillicothe, Ohio. This week will feature weekly competition, before the All Stars visit July 31 and August 1.

The #55XM team would like to thank the following for their support: Charlie Garrett, Brian Morrison, Ben Cook Racing, Century 21 Mertz (www.Century21Mertz.com), Intense Fabrication and Maxim Racing.

Brandon Wimmer – Battling Blaney!

(Bill W) September 17, 2014 – Brandon Wimmer found himself in another duel with Dale Blaney at Fremont Speedway last Friday. Over the course of his career, the “Low Rider” has been a nemesis on many a night. In the end, the Hammer Motorsports #24H team could hold their head high with second and eighth place finishes at the Jim Ford Classic with the All Stars at Fremont Speedway in Ohio. This weekend, the team plans a trip to run with the World of Outlaws at Eldora Speedway near Rossburg, Ohio.

Things started well in last Friday’s prelim when Brandon timed in sixth quick in the stout field. “We had a good pill draw, which hasn’t been happening all year,” he says. “We were able to get a good lap in, and then transfer through the heat alright (fifth to fourth).”

After running second in the Dash, he would line up outside row one in the main event. “The track was a little heavier, which is rare for Fremont,” says Brandon. “It had some holes and rough spots. I was running second there to (Bryan) Sebetto. We got into lapped traffic and I was able to pass him.”

A three-way battle ensued for the lead at that point. “We had a restart, and I led a couple of laps before he got back by me on the outside,” says Brandon of Sebetto. “At one point, Sebetto, Blaney and I were all racing for the lead. It was a good race between all of us.”

Blaney would win the war, with Brandon second at the checkers. “Blaney got by both of us, and I was able to come home second,” he says. “I don’t know how many times I’ve run second to Blaney, but it’s been quite a few. They have it figured out. They’re good no matter where they go.”

Brandon would time in eleventh quick in Saturday’s finale. “Saturday, we were back to our normal pill draw,” he says. “We actually turned a really good lap for where we came out. We were better than anyone who came out around us. We were going well in the heat too (finishing third). We were able to pass Dean Jacobs there.”

He would start seventh in the feature field and got off to a slow start. “The race was fifty laps, and Fremont was back to its slick normal self,” says Brandon. “We were trying to figure out what to do with the car. At the beginning, we struggled a little bit, but we had a red flag and we were able to make some changes. The car was a lot better after that.”

Brandon would fight back into the top ten against some tough competition. “The car really got better towards the end,” he says. “(Tim) Shaffer and (Chad) Kemenah and I were having a pretty good race there. We were passing some cars towards the end and got back up to eighth.”

The Hammer Motorsports is looking for additional partners to expand their schedule in 2014. Those interested can e-mail Brandon Wimmer at Brandon7TW@yahoo.com or Hammer Motorsports at hammertime24@ymail.com.

Hammer Motorsports would like to thank the following for their support: Hammer Pallets, Crown Batteries, OC Shocks, Kear’s Speed Shop, All Star Performance, Gressman Powersports, Butlerbuilt, Simpson and Meggit Sandblasting and Powdercoating.

Brandon Wimmer – Strong Run with All Stars Sets up Fremont!

(Bill W) September 3, 2014 – Brandon Wimmer and the Hammer Motorsports #24H team are turning their attention to Fremont Speedway in Ohio this Saturday night. They will use the weekly show to prepare for the July 12 and 13 “Jim Ford Classic” featuring the All Stars. Last weekend at Attica Raceway Park in Ohio, the Fairmount, Indiana driver recorded a sixth place finish in the finale.

Friday’s prelim at Attica saw Brandon checker 11th after qualifying 15th and running third in his heat. “We qualified all right,” he says. “We really didn’t do a whole lot in either the heat or the feature. We didn’t go forward, but we didn’t go backward either.”

In Saturday’s finale, he would register the seventh quick time of the night. He would finish fourth in his heat. “Saturday was much better,” says Brandon. “We qualified well, and moved forward in the heat.”

That qualified Brandon for the Dash, where he would run fifth. “We tried something for the Dash, and we were a little better,” he says. “We’ve been struggling with the slick tracks this year.”

Starting inside the third row in the main event, Brandon got off to a slow start. “We were running fourth or fifth and missed the bottom one time,” he says. “We ended up getting freight trained, and I was back in tenth or eleventh at the caution we had between lap five and lap ten.”

He would rebound to charge back to a sixth place finish at the checkers. “It was normal Attica, dead-slick all the way across,” says Brandon. “We worked our way back up to sixth. We had a really good car. I just made one mistake, and it ended up hurting us.”

Brandon and the Hammer team have been getting better with each outing. “We’re definitely getting better every time out,” he says. “That’s for sure. Earlier this year, we were really struggling in the slick.”

Brandon is looking forward to Saturday. “We’re going to run the weekly show at Fremont this week,” he says. “We want to get tuned up for the Jim Ford Classic coming up in a couple of weeks.

Brandon Wimmer – Atomic Charge!

(Bill W) August 26, 2014 – Brandon Wimmer and Hammer Motorsports #24H team put on a show last Saturday night at Atomic Speedway near Chillicothe, Ohio. In the first Renegade Sprint Series event, the Fairmount, Indiana driver put on a charge, driving from 18th to second in the feature. This weekend finds the team at Attica Raceway Park in Ohio for action with the All Stars.

The charge was necessitated by a mishap in time trials that saw Brandon clock in 20th quick. “The left sideboard collapsed on our first lap of qualifying,” he says. “It’s amazing what that can do to a racecar. It took all the downforce away, and it was ugly.”

That would set Brandon up outside row one for the heat race. “We were able to win it,” he says. “The car was working really well there. That place is one of my favorite tracks. The way the banking is, you can usually use the whole track. It’s a pretty neat place.”

He would line up outside of row nine for the main event. “There was a lot of rain this week in Ohio,” says Brandon. “The track was o.k. to start out with, but as the night went along, it got rougher and rougher. We were able to stay from the middle to the top, and we were able to drive around a lot of people that way.”

Charging through the field, Brandon found himself second after a late red. “Cole Duncan crashed with two to go,” he says. “That gave us a shot at (leader Randy) Hannagan on the last restart. The motor stumbled a bit, and he had a good restart and pulled away. Eighteenth to second was pretty good though.”

So far, so good after one event for the new Renegade series. “They had some good ideas,” says Brandon. “Some of them they weren’t able to do, because the track prep took so long and it was getting late. It will be interesting to see what happens over the winter.”

The team is excited to get back on the track this weekend. “We’re planning on heading to Attica for the All Stars,” says Brandon. “We’re not sure whether we’ll be there both nights, but we’ll be there Saturday for sure.”

Brandon Wimmer – Fourth in Michigan!

(Bill W) August 20, 2014 – Brandon Wimmer and the Hammer Motorsports #24H team returned to action last Saturday night at the Butler Battlegrounds in Michigan with the All Stars. A fourth place finish capped off a successful night. The team plans on heading to Atomic Speedway near Chillicothe, Ohio this Saturday night for an event sanctioned by the new Renegade Series.

The Fairmount, Indiana driver would time in fourth quick on Saturday and run fourth in the heat race. “We were lucky in the heat to miss a wreck on the first lap,” says Brandon. “Butler is a sandy track that can be hard on tires.”

Qualifying fourth quick qualified Brandon for the Dash. “We started outside the front row with Dale (Blaney),” he says. “The motor stuttered a little on us. I didn’t get a very good start and fell back to third on the first lap. That’s where we ended up.”

The third place finish set him up inside row two for the main event. “Butler is flat on the bottom and then banks about halfway up,” says Brandon. “We fell back to fourth on the start. About ten laps in, I was trying to pass for third and hit a hole. That sent me bouncing. When I finally collected it and came back down, I was fifth.”

Brandon would charge back into contention. “We had a caution, and I was able to pass Lee Jacobs back for fourth,” he says. “I was all over (Jac) Haudenschild and Chad Blonde for second and third. As the race went on, we were better. The track took rubber with about ten to go, and we kind of got in line there in fourth at the end.”

The night was a success, considering his near misses in the heat and feature. “Overall, it was a good night,” says Brandon. “We were able to come away with a top five finish. As always, I’d like to thank Randy and Lisa Hammer and the whole crew.”

The #24H team will be back on the road Saturday. “If the weather looks good in southern Ohio, we’re planning on running the show at Atomic,” says Brandon. “We’re looking forward to it.”

Brandon Wimmer – Butler up Next!

(Bill W) August 14, 2014 – Brandon Wimmer and the Hammer Motorsports #24H will be competing this weekend in Butler, Michigan with the All Stars. Last week, the team just kept getting better as the week went on at the 54th Annual Knoxville Nationals in Iowa. Saturday started with a top ten finish in the afternoon program, and ended one spot out of a transfer to the C in the finale.

The team’s plans to get some laps earlier in the season had washed out, so their first look at Knoxville in 2014 was at the “Capitani Classic” a week ago Sunday. Arguably, the toughest one-day show in the country, saw the Fairmount, Indiana driver join 47 other cars in missing the feature. “There were seventy cars or something, and we just hadn’t had any laps at the track,” says Brandon. “We didn’t qualify well, and that put us a little behind all week.”

With Wednesday night rained out, Brandon would qualify for the Nationals on Thursday. He drew the 47 pill and qualified 37th quick. That gave him a good heat starting spot, and he transferred to the main where he checkered 20th. “We rolled pretty well in the heat,” he says. “We weren’t great in the feature, but we weren’t horrible either. The track was so fast, that it was hard to move forward.”

With Wednesday’s rainout, Knoxville officials had elected to run a doubleheader Thursday night, but track workers could not get the track in condition to make it feasible. So the decision was made to lock the top fifty in points into Saturday night, and run the old non-qualifier system. “We improved every time we hit the track,” says Brandon. “Unfortunately, with the rain and everything, they reverted to their old format of locking in the top fifty cars for Saturday. We could have used a fresh start with the new Friday format they’ve been running.”

The team’s point total left them six spots out of being locked in. In the Saturday morning program, Brandon would run off and hide, winning his heat, and finish eighth in the feature. “Once we got to Saturday, we got better and better as the day went on,” he says. “We were able to get ourselves in the top ten in the feature Saturday afternoon, and that put us in the C for Saturday night, rather than the D or E.”

Fears about the track conditions Saturday night were put to bed with a great surface. “It’s amazing what the Dunkin family does with the racetrack,” says Brandon. “I was shocked at how good the track was in just a few hours. It had laid rubber Saturday afternoon, and in three or four hours, we had a great racetrack.”

Slated for a starting spot outside of row nine for the C, Brandon missed a melee at the drop of the green that involved eleven cars. He would charge to a sixth place finish. “I don’t know how we missed that wreck,” he says. “Somehow we found a hole to get through. We were lucky to make it through that. We ended up starting tenth or twelfth. We were going forward and at one point, we were all over Cole Wood for the final transfer to the B.”

Knoxville rains have plagued not only the regulars, but teams like the Hammer Racing #24H. “The two laps in qualifying can really make or break your whole week, and that’s where we were,” says Brandon. “We had planned on coming out earlier in the year for Twin Features to get some laps, and that got rained out too. It’s never easy when you show up without some laps on the track.”

Brandon felt good about how the team improved as the week progressed. “We got better and better as the week went on, and we almost came back and got into that B,” he says. “It was just one of those weeks, and it didn’t feel like the Nationals usually does. If they had done the normal Friday program, we would have had another shot. I would have felt good about our chances, because we were getting better and better.”

Brandon Wimmer – Month of Money Starts Tonight!

(Bill W) July 9, 2014 – Brandon Wimmer and the Hammer Motorsports #24H team will start the month of money tonight at Limaland Motorsports Park in Lima, Ohio with the Brad Doty Classic tonight. This week also brings the King’s Royal at Eldora Speedway near Rossburg, Ohio on Saturday. The Fairmount, Indiana driver just finished up Ohio Speedweek. That was highlighted by a pair of charges at Atomic Speedway near Chillicothe and at Limaland. The team also picked up a sixth place finish at the Bob Reynolds Memorial last Thursday at Waynesfield Raceway Park.

Rain plagued Ohio Speedweek a bit, but six shows were run. Brandon and the team suffered from some bad qualifying draws. “We were going forward all week,” he says. “We passed a lot of cars. We just put ourselves in a hole qualifying about every night. We couldn’t get a good draw in.”

The car was speedy throughout the week. “We were really good at Lima and Atomic,” says Brandon. “We were really going good at Waynesfield, but Christopher Bell spun out in front of us and we got into him. We started 20th at both Atomic and Lima and ended up tenth and eleventh. We had a good car, but the qualifying put us behind every night it seemed.”

The Bob Reynolds Memorial also drew a large field for $7,500 to win. “We were able to borrow a 360 and we went to Waynesfield on Thursday,” says Brandon. “Of course, we drew in the back of the heat, which kept our streak in order! We’re saving all of our good draws for this week.”

The bad draw didn’t affect Brandon when the green flag dropped. “Fortunately, we had a great car,” he says. “We started tenth in the heat and they were taking four to the feature. We ended up getting up to third.”

After advancing from fourth to third in one of the Dashes, Brandon started the main event fifth. “We were running fifth for most of the race,” he says. “With about ten laps left, Little Haud (Sheldon Haudenschild) and (Randy) Hannagan got together. I had slowed up to go around them, and Jamie Veal got around me.”

Brandon settled into sixth at that point. “We were good, but it took rubber halfway through and we ended up sixth,” he says. “Now, we’ve got a big week with the Brad Doty Classic and the King’s Royal. The ‘Month of Money’ is starting.”

Brandon Wimmer – Fremont Finish Lends Momentum for Ohio Speedweek!

(Bill W) June 18, 2014 – Frustration had set in for Brandon Wimmer and the Hammer Motorsports #24H team after a pile-up ended their Friday night at Attica Raceway Park in Ohio before things even got started. Fortunately, Saturday was a new day at Fremont, and the Fairmount, Indiana driver posted quick time and a fourth place finish in the feature. That bodes well for a team that will be running Ohio Speedweek, which this year features nine races in nine nights starting Friday!

Things had gotten off to a decent start at Attica, as Brandon would start outside row five for the main event. Unfortunately, things came to an end with one lap in the books. “Someone drove over Craig Mintz in front of us, and I slowed down to avoid it,” says Brandon. “The guy behind me didn’t see it and drove over me. It tore up the car pretty good.”

The team towed up to Fremont Speedway on Saturday. Brandon set quick time before driving from sixth to fourth in his heat. “Fremont was typical slick,” he says. “By feature time, there was absolutely nothing to grip onto. I feel good that we’re getting better there.”

After drawing an inversion of six for the feature, Brandon would start outside row three. “We were able to get up to fourth at the start,” he says. “We were racing with the top three. Then I went to the high side there, and lost a couple of spots.”

Brandon was able to regroup on the slick surface. “We were able to work our way back up to fourth there by the end of the race,” he says. “It’s definitely the momentum we need heading into this week.”

With the team’s early season issues on dry-slick surfaces, it was a shot in the arm. “We’ve been struggling with the slick tracks a little, so it was good to finish well,” says Brandon. “We had a different car Saturday. It feels so much better, and is reacting the way we want it to when we make changes.”

Ohio Speedweek starts Friday in Attica, before moving onto Eldora Speedway near Rossburg Saturday, Waynesfield Raceway Park on Sunday, Wayne County Speedway near Orrville Monday, Sharon Speedway near Hartford Tuesday, Atomic Speedway in Chillicothe Wednesday, Fremont Thursday, Limaland Motorsports Park in Lima next Friday and Fremont again next Saturday. “We’re really looking forward to this week,” says Brandon. “Hopefully, the weather cooperates and we get all nine races in.”

Brandon Wimmer – Going Forward at Fremont!

(Bill W) May 29, 2014 – Brandon Wimmer and the Hammer Motorsports #24H team continue getting better every time they hit the track in 2014. Last weekend, they competed with the All Stars at Fremont Speedway Saturday and Sunday. After moving up five spots in Saturday’s feature, the Fairmount, Indiana driver came home a strong sixth in Sunday’s finale amongst a stout 35-car field. The team is hoping their momentum continues with the World of Outlaws at Attica Raceway Park in Ohio Friday night.

Brandon’s weekend in Fremont, Ohio started with 23rd quick on Saturday. “Going out with a late pill killed us on Saturday,” he says. “We qualified towards the end. We had the fastest car of the last ten qualifiers other than Tim Shaffer. We were pretty good for when we went out.”

After winning his heat from the pole, he lined up outside of row nine for the feature. “It was very slick and slow…typical Fremont,” says Brandon. “We went forward. We passed some cars and we moved forward (finishing 13th). We’re making progress. We knew we were starting at the back, so we threw a couple different things that we hadn’t tried yet. It helped a lot for Sunday too.”

Despite another late pill draw for Sunday’s finale, Brandon timed in 12th quick. “We went out late, but the track held up a lot better,” he says. “We were able to qualify decent. We missed the Dash by one spot, but we still started seventh in the feature.”

The #24H owned by Randy and Lisa Hammer and wrenched by Aaron Hammer and Tim Pearson was a contender in the feature. “We passed (Jac) Haud(enschild) and gained a couple of spots,” says Brandon. “We ran fifth most of the way. There was a caution, and then a red. It was fifty laps, so it was a long race. When the cautions and reds came out, the tires struggled a little bit afterwards.”

Brandon would checker a respectable sixth. “Dean Jacobs ended up getting us at the end and we finished sixth,” he says. “It was a solid finish. We’re a lot better than we have been. We found something with the car when it slicks off like Fremont does. Hopefully, we can continue what we’re doing, and run well with the Outlaws this weekend.”

The team will be at Attica on Friday for sure. Saturday’s plans are in the works. “We have our small motor in right now,” says Brandon. “Of course, we blew the primary one up at Eldora. If we have that back, we may go to I-96 as well. Right now, we’re not sure what we’ll do Saturday.”

Brandon Wimmer – Hard Luck at Eldora!

(Bill W) May 8, 2014 – The weekend started great at Eldora Speedway for the Hammer Motorsports #24H team and driver Brandon Wimmer. A new look, and a qualifying time that put them in a position to contend started things out well in Friday’s preliminary action with the World of Outlaws. Unfortunately, a broken motor greeted them before Saturday’s finale could get underway.

With a stout field on hand, Brandon put the car in good position to contend on Friday. “We had a pretty good night going Friday,” he says. “The car was really good in qualifying. We were able to qualify eleventh quick. That put us starting second in the heat, and we ended up finishing second.”

The Fairmount, Indiana driver would start thirteenth in Friday’s main event. “We were just a little off in the feature, and when you’re a little off with the World of Outlaws, it shows,” says Brandon. “We weren’t too bad for a few laps, but as the race went on, we fell back.”

Saturday’s finale ended before it began. “Saturday was tough,” says Brandon. “We just went out to hot lap and the motor let go. It was too bad, because we had drawn a good number and it was slicker on Saturday. I think we would have been in good shape.”

Brandon is thankful for his car owners, Randy and Lisa Hammer and the whole Hammer Motorsports team. “It’s just tough for Randy and Lisa,” he says of the motor situation. “I want to thank them for always making this race team the best it can be. Aaron (Hammer) works so hard in the shop all week too, and Tim Pearson as well.”

The team will be back out as soon as possible. “They all work so hard, so that we can go out and play on the weekends,” says Brandon of the team. “I hate to see something like (the motor) happen for our team, but we’ll get it back together in a week or two and be back out there.”

Brandon and his wife, Chantel, have other things on their mind as well. They’re expecting their first child this weekend!

Brandon Wimmer – Outlaws at Eldora This Weekend!

(Bill W) April 30, 2014 – With Attica Raceway Park rained out in Ohio last Friday night, Brandon Wimmer and the Hammer Motorsports #24H team made their first start on Saturday at Fremont Speedway. The Fairmount, Indiana driver spent most of the race in podium finish before checkering sixth in the feature. This weekend, the team takes on the World of Outlaws at a two-night event at Eldora Speedway near Rossburg.

Brandon registered the fifth quick time of the night before finishing fourth in his heat and starting on the pole of the Dash. “The spot to be was on the outside heading into one and two, like Fremont usually is,” he says. “Caleb Griffith was on the pole and got the jump on us there in the Dash. We ran second from there.”

The second place finish set him up outside row one for the 30-lap main event. “We made some changes for the feature,” says Brandon. “We knew it would slick off like Fremont does. We were running second early. We raced with (Craig) Mintz for a few laps and then we were third for about eighteen laps.”

Brandon ran down the leaders as they got into heavy lapped traffic, but a caution flew with twelve to go. “We got into lapped traffic, and I was reeling in the front two cars,” he says. “The caution came out, and after that, we weren’t good at all. I don’t know if the tire cooled off or sealed over, but the last twelve laps was a struggle.”

The result was a sixth place finish. “We’re putting ourselves in the right position,” says Brandon, who also finished sixth in the team’s last outing at Attica. “We just haven’t figured out where I like the car in the feature when the track slicks off. We’re struggling a little late in the night, but we’ll get it figured out. We were with the leaders until that caution, so that was encouraging.”

Brandon is hoping to make a splash with the Outlaws at Eldora this weekend. “I really like that place,” he says. “I’m really looking forward to it. It will be a good test for us with the Outlaws coming. A lot of nights at Eldora can depend on your pill draw for qualifying. We’ll see what happens!”

Brandon Wimmer – Good Night at Attica Sets Up Two-Race Weekend!

(Bill W) April 22, 2014 – Last Friday night at Attica Raceway Park in Ohio, Brandon Wimmer and the Hammer Motorsports #24H took to the track for their second outing of the season. The tough Attica local field was bolstered by several All Star regulars for a car count in the mid-30’s. It was a successful night for the Fairmount, Indiana driver and his team, coming home sixth at the end of the night. They plan on returning to Attica this Friday night, before hitting Fremont Speedway on Saturday.

Time trials went well in a new process that Attica has implemented. “They have a new format this year for qualifying at Attica,” says Brandon. “You qualify with your heat group by pill draw, three cars at a time. I think it will work well once they get it figured out. We were able to get quick time in our heat. The top four times are inverted in the heat, with the top two finishers making the redraw for the first four rows.”

Starting fourth, Brandon shot into second place and held it down to the checkers to earn an opportunity to redraw for the feature. “The car was really good in the heat,” he says. “It wasn’t a normal Attica racetrack. It was a little tacky and rough to the center. There was pretty good racing all night really. There was a bottom groove and a top groove.”

Brandon drew outside row one in the main event. “We thought the track was going to slick off a lot more than it did,” he says of the team’s setup. “We just had the car too tight to start with. I think we fell back to seventh or eighth at one time. Towards the end, we worked our way back to sixth.”

Considering the team’s first outing resulted in a tire issue that ended the night early, it was good for momentum to have a solid finish. “Overall, it was a good night,” says Brandon. “We didn’t really have any issues. We had a full night of racing in. We’re only going to get better as we work together more.”

For those unfamiliar with local racing in Ohio, it features some of the best racers in the sport. “Attica and Fremont on a normal night is really tough,” says Brandon. “There are a lot of good cars. You have (Craig) Mintz, Byron Reed and those guys. Friday, you had the All Star guys there too, so it was tough. It will be good for us to run two races this weekend to get ready for the Outlaws (May 2 and 3 at Eldora).”

Hammer Motorsports would like to thank the following for their support: Crown Batteries, OC Shocks and Meggit Sandblasting and Powdercoating.

Schedule Picking Up!

(Bill W) April 16, 2014 – Brandon Wimmer and the Hammer Motorsports #24H led by Randy and Lisa Hammer are starting their 2014 campaign in Ohio. The team began Friday, April 4 at Attica Raceway Park and suffered a tire issue that resulted in a DNF. The next two weeks, they’ll be competing locally in anticipation of the May 2 and 3 arrival of the World of Outlaws at Eldora Speedway near Rossburg.

Brandon explained their issues in the feature at the April 4 All Star show at Attica. “The valve stem core blew out of the tire,” he says. “The tire went flat and we weren’t able to get back out to get it changed. It was kind of a rough start to our season for sure. The first night out didn’t go as planned!”

The Fairmount, Indiana driver is starting his first full year with the Ohio based Hammer Motorsports team. “Attica was only our third or fourth time out together,” says Brandon. “We’re still in the early stages of getting the car figured out between us. We still have some work to do, but we’ll get there.”

Three local shows will make up the schedule the next two weeks. “This week, we’ll be running Attica,” says Brandon. “Next week, we’ll be running Attica and Fremont (Speedway). Then the next weekend, the Outlaws will be coming to Eldora.”

The rest of the schedule is yet to be determined. “At this point, we’re running a hit and miss schedule,” says Brandon. “These next two weeks, we’d like to get in a position where we’re ready when the Outlaws get to the area.”

Hammer Motorsports fans can expect the car to be running most of the big shows in the Midwest. “We’re planning on the big shows,” says Brandon. “We’ll be at the Knoxville Nationals. We’ll probably go out there beforehand once, maybe for Twin Features night. We’ll hit the All Star and Outlaw shows in the area, and any local shows that pay a little more.”

Hammer Motorsports would like to thank the following for their support: Crown Batteries, OC Shocks and Meggit Sandblasting and Powdercoating.

Brandon Wimmer – Putting the Hammer Down in 2014!

(Bill W) December 11, 2013 – The Hammer Motorsports #24H team and driver Brandon Wimmer will be teaming up for the 2014 season. The team’s schedule will be similar to the past few seasons, with opportunities to expand depending on additional partnerships.

For the Fairmount, Indiana sprint car driver, this is a golden opportunity to compete in the Midwest. “I’m really excited to be teaming up with Hammer Motorsports in 2014,” says Brandon. “Randy and Lisa run a top notch organization and I’m proud to be a part of their team for next season.”

Brandon is enthused about the family atmosphere surrounding the #24H team. “We ran a couple of times at the end of 2013, and I’m excited to be racing for them in Ohio and around the Midwest next season,” he says. “One thing I really like is that Hammer Motorsports is a family operation. Randy and Lisa own the team, and their son Aaron wrenches on it. It’s a really good fit for me. It’s really the first family operation I’ve been a part of since I ran my own car.”

Co-owner Randy Hammer is hoping to add a few more partners that will allow the team to expand their schedule. “We have a set schedule, but we’d like to build on that depending on the help we hope to pick up,” he says. “We’re not opposed to opening up our schedule and running more races and traveling a bit. We’re excited about the possibilities.”

Hammer Motorsports would like to thank the following for their support: Crown Batteries, OC Shocks and Meggit Sandblasting and Powdercoating