Bret Mellenberndt out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, traveled to Indiana this past week for the legendary Indiana Sprint Week. An average of 51 cars attended the first four nights of the Speed week, and with that amount of competitors at the same track it is certainly a feat to make the Main Event. Bret went there with only one other guy to help him on the machine in hopes of making the Speed week a week to remember for the Mellenberndt Team. The first night of the series was held at the new Lawrenceburg Speedway. Bret made the top 32 transfer, setting 28th quick time against the best in the business which put him directly into the heat race. Unfortunately, Bret got ran over in the heat race sending him to the back of the pack with only 4 laps to go. Bret passed a few cars but was not able to make the top 4 transfer to put him into the Main Event. Bret then had to run the Semi and while attempting to make his way through the field, an incident occurred puncturing the tail tank and folding the front end of the Sioux City Truck & Trailer WolfWeld Chassis. After taking the car to the wash at the end of the night, the Mellenberndt Team noticed that not only was the tail tank damaged and un-repairable, the left rear corner of the frame was bent as well.
The morning of the second night of Sprint Week the Mellenberndt Team took the car to Indianapolis to the Danny Drinan Shop to have the frame repaired. Showing up late to the show, Mellenberndt using his qualifying skills goes out and sets quick time early in the qualifying order and ends up 14th quick to start out the night out of a field of 48. Finishing just outside the transfer spot in the heat race, Bret had to start in the back of a 20 car field for the B-Main. Passing a few cars was all he was able to do which put an end to the 2nd night of Sprint Week for the Mellenberndt Team.
Night three was Gas City. After hot laps, Mellenberndt had to change engines and struggling to make the qualifying order, the Mellenberndt Team was able to swap engines with the help of Robert Ballou for the use of his engine hoist and get Bret on the race track for a one lap qualifying effort. Qualifying outside of the top 32, Bret had to run the non-qualifier’s race and started towards the rear, but Bret was able to make his way through the field to the 3rd position transferring the Team to the tail end of the heat race. Not making the transfer in the heat Bret had to start at the tail end of the Semi and was able to climb through the field, but finished outside the transfer spot ending the night for the Mellenberndt Team.
After a rain out for Saturday’s Gas City show, Bret and the gang traveled to Kokomo. Mellenberndt made the top 32 transfer for qualifying put Bret in the heat race in which he finished 6th, just outside the transfer spot. Bret started on the eighth row of the 22 car Semi and was able to make his way up to the twelfth position, which just wasn’t enough to make the Main Event. Mellenberndt and the team packed up the rig and headed back to South Dakota for an HRA event that will be held in Sioux Center, Iowa on Tuesday night. After the HRA show, it is back out to Indiana for the remainder of Sprint Week. So be sure to keep in tune with Bret through his website, www.bretmellenberndtracing.com , to keep up with all the latest press releases and result updates. Special Thanks goes out to Matt Jacobs, Petersen Motors, Hoosier Racing Tire, Keizer Wheels, Bell Racing, Sioux City Truck and Trailer, DMI, ATL Fuel Cells, Ultra-Shield, WolfWeld Chassis, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Howe Racing and DriverWebsites.com.

Bret Mellenberndt from Sioux Falls, South Dakota went back out to Indiana again this past weekend after a short break from the Indiana racing scene. Mellenberndt has been racing around home these past couple weeks to test some new ideas for the new WolfWeld chassis that is being built for the upcoming Indiana Sprint Week. Last Thursday, the Mellenberndt team thought it was time to head out to the Indiana dirt for one more weekend of testing before the sprint week which starts July 9th at Lawrenceburg Speedway in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Bret and the gang first traveled to Paducah, KY for the MSCS show in which Bret started on the fourth row of the Heat Race and made his way up to the fourth spot, transferring to the main. Bret, starting in the fifth row of the main at the MSCS show, raced his way up to the sixth spot when he got together with another guy, shredding a right rear wheel and tire putting an early end to the night. Saturday night, it was all about the sky; dark clouds and rain did not allow the Mellenberndt Team to race. They traveled to three different race tracks, attempting to find a place to race, but the weather would not allow it to happen. Sunday night, Mellenberndt and the gang traveled to Kokomo for a local sprint event. Bret made a top 10 qualifying effort to sit ninth out of the 33 cars to put him on the outside of the second row for the heat race. Unfortunately a bad start in the heat put Bret to the back of the pack in which he did not transfer out of the heat and had to run the Semi. Bret started on the front row of the Semi, but then got together with a guy early in the race sending him to the back of the field. Bret was able to race back up to sixth, but was not able to transfer to the Main Event, ending the night for the Mellenberndt Team. Bret Mellenberndt Racing will be heading to Lincoln, NE for a HRA event next Thursday, then back out to Indiana the next day to race a weekend of local shows and then they will be staying out there and gearing up for Indiana Sprint Week. So be sure to keep an eye on Bret through his website, www.bretmellenberndtracing.com , to keep up with all the latest press releases and result updates. Special Thanks goes out to Matt Jacobs, Petersen Motors, Hoosier Racing Tire, Keizer Wheels, Bell Racing, Sioux City Truck and Trailer, DMI, ATL Fuel Cells, Ultra-Shield, WolfWeld Chassis, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Howe Racing and DriverWebsites.com.

The Mellenberndt Team out of Sioux Falls, SD, raced around home this past weekend. After the crash at the USAC show in Hagerstown, MD, Bret and the gang decided to stay home to get a new car built and do some testing. Friday night’s show was in Slayton, MN, and was put on by the HRA (Heartland Racing Association). This is a non-wing sprint series local to Bret, so Bret decided this race would be good chance to test some new ideas and equipment to gear up and get ready for the upcoming Sprint Week in Indiana this July. Rock Rapids, IA, was the next event with the HRA and the Mellenberndt Team concurred the night. Bret won the heat race, the dash and also the main event. Bret felt the weekend was definitely a success because of the simple fact that some testing was done and they were also able to be victorious once again. The plans are uncertain at the present time of what to do and where to go this upcoming weekend, but be sure to keep an eye on Bret and the gang through his website, www.bretmellenberndtracing.com , to see what is next up for the Mellenberndt Team. Special Thanks goes out to Matt Jacobs, Petersen Motors, Hoosier Racing Tire, Keizer Wheels, Bell Racing, Sioux City Truck and Trailer, DMI, ATL Fuel Cells, Ultra-Shield, WolfWeld Chassis, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Howe Racing and DriverWebsites.com.

Bret Mellenberndt from Sioux Falls, SD, headed out east to Indiana again this past weekend to begin his run of 8 races in 10 days. To start out the series, Mellenberndt and the team locked themselves into the Main Event at the KISS show in Bloomington, Indiana, by conquering the heat race. Bret started outside pole in the Main, and while running the high line Bret unfortunately slid off the track and fell to the back of the pack but was able to climb back up to the 13th spot. Waynesfield, Ohio, was the next race on the list and considering the fact that Bret won a feature here last year, the Mellenberndt Team went there with complete confidence that a top five finish was near to come. Bret won his heat and finished 3rd in the Main throughout the short 20 lap event. With two races down, Kokomo was next to be in the light. Bret qualified very well in the 8th spot, finished 3rd in the Heat and made a top ten finish for himself in the Main. A very respectable start to the 8 race showdown give’s the Mellenberndt Team the confidence and momentum to finish high on the charts throughout the rest of the series. Bret and the gang are off to Bechtelsville, PA, for tomorrow’s show and then the legendary Williams Grove is after that. So keep in tune with www.bretmellenberndtracing.com for all the latest results from this upcoming week of racing. Very special thanks goes out to Matt Jacobs, Petersen Motors, Hoosier Racing Tire, Keizer Wheels, Bell Racing, Sioux City Truck and Trailer, DMI, ATL Fuel Cells, Ultra-Shield, WolfWeld Chassis, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Howe Racing and DriverWebsites.com.

Bret Mellenberndt took the regular scheduled Indiana race weekend off to race back home in South Dakota. On Saturday the 17th, Bret raced at I-90 Speedway in Hartford, SD in the Loren Barstad owned winged sprint car. Bret’s first time out in a winged car was a success by winning the heat race and finishing in the number two spot in the Main. Loren, being very pleased in Bret’s run, asked him to run the Huset’s Speedway show the following night. Coming from the back of the heat up to third and then having a right rear wheel break was the start of the night and in the Main, Bret was able to make it from the tail end of the field to the 9th position. Not a bad weekend for Mellenberndt with his debut of a winged experience. No plans are being made at the present time for Bret to drive the Barstad machine again, but be sure to see Bret at the top of the charts in whatever seat he may be in. So keep in tune with www.bretmellenberndtracing.com for freshly updated results and press releases. Special Thanks to Matt Jacobs, Petersen Motors, Hoosier Racing Tire, Keizer Wheels, Sioux City Truck and Trailer, DMI, ATL Fuel Cells, Ultra-Shield, WolfWeld Chassis, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, and Howe Racing.