Justin Miller (15M) of Plymouth captured his first career Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car championship and Danny Schlafer (25) of Sussex became the winningest driver in the history of the PDTR 360 Sprint Car division by collecting his 22nd career A-main victory, during the second night of the Wisconsin Sprint Car Championships at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth on Saturday, Sept. 29. – RC Custom Design photo

Balog tops Stewart again, Blackhurst earns first IRA crown

 By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS, Plymouth, Wis.) September 29, 2018 – Night two of the Wisconsin Sprint Car Championships brought the 2018 Plymouth Dirt Track Racing season to a close in thrilling fashion before an enthusiastic crowd on a cold fall evening at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, Sept. 29.

Four of Wisconsin’s premier Sprint Car racing series gathered to conclude the 2018 season with champions determined following tight points battles over the better part of the past six months.

Justin Miller of Plymouth nipped 2010 PDTR 360 Sprint Car champion Kurt Davis of South Milwaukee by two points to secure his first career PDTR Richard’s of Dunbar 360 Sprint Car title. Jake Blackhurst of Hanna City, Ill. collected his initial Interstate Racing Association (IRA) 410 Sprint Car Series championship by a seven-point margin over Sheboygan’s Scotty Thiel. Tim Cox of Park City, Ill. picked up his first Wisconsin Wingless Sprint Car Series champion and Ion Stear of Hebron, Ill. earned the 2018 Wisconsin-Illinois Mini Sprint Series title.

Danny Schlafer of Sussex moved to the top of the PDTR 360 Sprint Car all-time victory list by notching his 22^nd career A-main triumph in the 25-lap 360 Sprint Car A main. For the second time in a month, Bill Balog of Hartland pulled off a last-lap pass of three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart of Columbus, Ind. to claim the season-ending 30-lap IRA A main contested in memory of Frank Filskov, Roy Fenske, Rick Schmidt, Dick Symoens and Dick Witt. Ryan Zielske of Oconomowoc pulled off a final-lap pass to claim the 20-lap Wisconsin Wingless Sprint Car A main and Mark Heinert of Oak Creek was determined the winner of the rain-shortened 10-lap Wisconsin-Illinois Mini Sprint A main.

Outside front row starter Doug Wondra of Lomira jumped out to the lead on the drop of the green flag of the 25-lap PDTR 360 Sprint Car A main. With Wondra leading polesitter Shane Wenninger of Kewaskum and fourth starter Tim Haddy of Waupun in the early going, the first of two caution flags appeared on lap 4 when Josh Walter of Plymouth spun in turn two.

On the restart, the low-riding Wenninger and the cushion-pounding Haddy moved in to pressure on lap 7. One lap later, Haddy powered around Wenninger and Wondra entering turn one to claim the top spot.

On lap 9, Haddy jumped the cushion and clipped the turn four wall to allow Wondra to regain the top spot just before the second caution came out for Kurt Davis, who entered the program with a 15-point lead over Justin Miller in the PDTR 360 Sprint Car point standings, following heavy contact with the wall between turns three and four after a mechanical failure on his machine.

The accident ended Davis’ night and relegated him to a 22^nd-place finish.

After Haddy pitted following contact with the turn four wall while leading, Wondra held the top spot on the restart with Wenninger and 10^th starter Adam Miller of Plymouth in tow.

On lap 9, Adam Miller powered past Wenninger into second place before moving past Wondra to grab the lead in turn two on lap 10. Meanwhile, seventh starter Danny Schlafer was making his move as he pulled off a perfect slide job to take second on lap 11.

Three laps later, Schlafer slid past Adam Miller take the lead on lap 14. Schlafer then worked the high groove to perfection to maintain a solid lead, while Will Gerrits of Waupun, who was making his first appearance since suffering a broken arm in an accident at the Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam in early July, assumed second on lap 22.

Schlafer weaved his way through lapped traffic in the closing laps to secure his record 22^nd PDTR 360 Sprint Car A-main victory and 51^st Midwest Sprint Car Association (MSA) A-main triumph.

Gerrits registered his best career 360 Sprint Car finish with a second-place showing, 2017 PDTR 360 Sprint Car champ Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh, who started third, placed third, Adam Miller ended up fourth and Wenninger rounded out the top five.

After starting 12^th, Justin Miller posted an eighth-place finish to secure his first career PDTR 360 Sprint Car championship by two points over Kurt Davis, who topped Miller to secure his third career MSA title.

In the 30-lap IRA A main, Mike Reinke of Howards Grove grabbed the early lead from his outside front row starting spot before the first of three caution flags appeared on lap 1 for a spin involving Russel Borland of Kewaskum and Scott Biertzer of West Bend.

On the restart Reinke led again, but fourth starter Tony Stewart was on the move as he split Reinke and polesitter Scotty Thiel with a slide job to take the lead on lap 2 in turn four.

With Stewart running strong on the cushion, eight-time IRA champ Bill Balog, who started third, worked the low groove to challenge Reinke for second on lap 4. However, Reinke held strong and closed the gap on Stewart when the leaders caught the back of the field on lap 5.

On lap 9, Reinke was within striking distance when a caution flew for the slowing machine of Todd King of Sheboygan Falls.

On the restart, Balog executed a slide job to seize second from Reinke in turn four on lap 10. With Stewart holding a half-straightaway lead on 13, Balog turned it on to close the gap quickly over the next 12 laps in heavy lapped traffic to move into position to challenge Stewart.

Balog ducked low to pressure Stewart on a pair of occasions on lap 25 and 28, but he was unable to wrestle the lead away from Stewart. On the final lap, Stewart moved to the middle of the track in turn three, which opened the door for Balog to slip underneath and steal the lead away in turn four.

Balog outpowered Stewart to the finish line to earn his fourth IRA A-main victory of the 2018 season worth a hefty $6,000 by a half-car-length margin.

Stewart had to settle for second for the third consecutive time in IRA A-main action at The Plymouth Dirt Track this year. Reinke placed third, Thiel wound up fourth and Jake Blackhurst secured his first career IRA title by a seven-point margin over Thiel with a fifth-place finish after starting sixth.

One night after making his first appearance at The Plymouth Dirt Track of his stellar 46-year career, three-time World of Outlaws champion and Sprint Car veteran Sammy Swindell of Germantown, Tenn. advanced from the 12^th starting spot to finish sixth behind the wheel of the Sheboygan-based Thone Motorsports No. 1 machine.

“Tony was real good early and then I noticed he started to try some different lines and we just kept after it,” Balog said in victory lane. “I just tried to keep him in my sights and it turned out well at the end. It is always a lot of fun racing with Tony. He is just an awesome racer and I think we all appreciate when he comes out and races with us.”

Stewart credited Balog for capitalizing on his mistake on the final lap.

“I just gave it away on the last lap,” Stewart said. “I knew Bill was coming and I was trying to block a slide job on the last lap and I ended up sliding up to the middle, which was enough for him to get by. Bill is an awesome driver. He is the type of driver who you can race wheel to wheel with for the entire race and never touch. That is what makes racing fun.”

Reinke was pleased with his podium performance.

“We stayed with them pretty well for most of the race and to finish third to those guys, I can’t complain,” Reinke said. “They were both better than us tonight, but all in all it was a pretty decent night for us.”

Scotty Thiel was named the winner of the 2018 Hopf Farms Bullring Showdown and Tony Stewart captured the Rocky Rococo Pizza Challenge.

Nick Petska of Spring Grove, Ill. grabbed the lead of the 20-lap Wisconsin Wingless Sprint Car A main from his outside front row starting spot with polesitter Ryan Zielski following in second.

On lap 5, seventh starter Jordan Mattson of Milwaukee ventured up to the high groove to seize fourth. Three laps later Mattson moved in to pressure third starter Chris Dodd of Trevor for third.

As Petska, Zielski, Dodd and Mattson dueled in close quarters at the front of the field, heavy rain began to fall on the racing surface, which forced the race to be stopped on lap 15 with five laps remaining.

After a delay, the race resumed with Petska had to contend with Zielski, who applied heavy pressure beginning on lap 16. On the final lap, Zielski moved high in turn three to power around Petska with Mattson and Dodd in tow.

With the top four competitors spread out four wide in a mad scramble to the finish line Zielski secured his first Wisconsin Wingless Sprint Car A-main victory of the 2018 season. Mattson placed second, Dodd was third, Petska finished fourth and fourth starter Allen Hafford of Beach Park, Il. wound up fifth.

Tim Cox placed sixth to wrap up his first Wisconsin Wingless Sprint Car championship.

Mark Heinert of Oak Creek grabbed the lead on the opening lap of the scheduled 20-lap Wisconsin-Illinois Mini Sprint A main as fourth starter Mike Neau of Kenosha moved into second on lap 2.

On lap 4, C.J. Malueg of Johnsburg, Ill., who started fifth, assumed second as Heinert had built up a full-straightaway lead.

Heavy rain returned and forced the race to be halted on lap 10 with Heinert declared the winner.

Malueg placed second, Neau was third, Tim Brannam wound up fourth and Ron Brannam rounded out the top five.

Ion Stear secured the 2018 Wisconsin-Illinois Mini Sprint Series championship.

Round two of the Wisconsin Sprint Car Championships event drew 98 Sprint Cars in four divisions, including 27 IRA 410 Sprint Cars, 27 PDTR 360 Sprint Cars, 29 Wisconsin Wingless Sprint Cars and 15 Wisconsin-Illinois Mini Sprints.

The 2019 Plymouth Dirt Track Racing season will again feature weekly racing on most Saturday nights, including several special events. The 2019 PDTR season will begin on Saturday, April 27. Visit www.plymouthdtr.com for off-season information.

Scotty Thiel of Sheboygan was victorious in the 30-lap Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series A main at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Friday, Sept. 28. – RC Custom Design photo

Cox nets Wingless Sprint Car triumph with last-lap pass

 By Jeff Pederson – Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS, Plymouth, Wis.) September 28, 2018 – On a night when two all-time Sprint Car racing legends mounted spirited bids for victory, Scotty Thiel of Sheboygan held off both veteran drivers to stand tall at the end of the 30-lap Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series event on night one of the Wisconsin Sprint Car Championships Friday, Sept. 28, at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis.

Thiel, who came into the night trailing IRA point leader Jake Blackhurst of Hanna City, Ill. by just 36 points in the chase for the 2018 IRA title on the final weekend of points competition, lined up on the front row of the A-main event beside polesitter Steve Meyer of Sheboygan Falls.

On the drop of the green flag, Thiel shot high to power his way into the lead while Meyer tucked into second along the low groove. In the early going, Meyer patiently worked the low line to close the gap on the high-riding Thiel. On lap 5, Meyer ducked under Thiel to seize the top spot in turn one on lap 6.

However, Thiel battled back to slide underneath Meyer to regain the top spot in turn three before Meyer lost control and spun entering turn four to bring out the first caution of the race on lap 6.

When the race resumed, Thiel held strong to the high line while three-time World of Outlaws Series champion and 46-year Sprint Car veteran Sammy Swindell of Germantown, Tenn., who started fourth, worked the low groove into second. As the leaders encountered lapped traffic on lap 9, Swindell, who was making his first-ever appearance at The Plymouth Dirt Track behind the wheel of the Sheboygan-based Thone Motorsports No. 1 machine, quickly began to close the gap on Thiel.

Swindell pounced on lap 13 with a low move in turn two to gain the top spot. Three laps later, Swindell found himself mired in heavy lapped traffic, which allowed Thiel to recapture the lead in turn four on lap 16.

On the next lap, Swindell moved up to the outside lane to challenge for the top spot before tagging the frontstretch wall attempting to maneuver around Thiel. The contact with the wall produced a flat right rear tire on Swindell’s car, which forced him to slow on the track to bring out the second caution flag of the event.

After going to the work area, Swindell’s crew discovered additional damage to the right rear of the car, which kept him from returning to action and relegated the Sprint Car Hall of Famer to a 23^rd-place finish.

On the restart, three-time NASCAR Cup champion and veteran Sprint Car stalwart Tony Stewart of Columbus, Ind., who started 10^th, made his presence known as he worked the high groove to seize third from sixth starter Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh on lap 19 before diving low to pass third starter Jeremy Schultz of Beaver Dam for second on lap 22.

Stewart, who finished second to eighth-time IRA champion Bill Balog of Hartland by .004 of second in his most recent appearance at The Plymouth Track on Sept. 1, was closing the gap quickly on Thiel along the cushion when Dave Uttech of Kenosha hit the wall existing turn two and flipped along the backstretch just in front of the leaders to bring out a red flag on lap 27.

On the restart, Thiel stuck to the low groove to block Stewart’s ability to pull off a slide job entering turn one. From there, Thiel stayed planted to the low line, while Stewart pounded the cushion, en route to his fourth A-main victory of the 2018 IRA season.

Stewart had to settle for second for the second straight race at Plymouth, Schultz placed third, McMullen wound up fourth and Mike Reinke of Howards Grove started and finished fifth.

Thiel’s victory coupled with Blackhurst’s seventh-place showing, allowed the Sheboygan driver to pull within 15-points of the IRA points lead heading into the final night of the IRA season on Saturday, Sept. 29, at The Plymouth Dirt Track.

“It feels great to win this race on the final weekend of the IRA season,” Thiel said in victory lane. “Knowing where we stand going into these last two nights here this weekend, the bottom line is we just need to win races. We were trying to knock down the wall at the start of the race and it worked okay for a while. Then we got to racing with Sammy and the track just seemed to be too wide for us to run up there consistently and keep up a good pace.

“On the last restart, I got a good run on the bottom and managed to hold Tony off,” he said. “I saw the No. 14 gradually moving up the scoreboard and I knew he was probably working the bottom quite a bit like he did last Sunday at LaSalle. We weren’t necessarily set up to run the bottom, but we made it work at the end. I’m so happy for my crew. They always give 110 percent to make the car the best it can be for every race. Now we have one night left tomorrow night back here at Plymouth and we have to go out and try to win that one too.”

After finishing second for the second time in IRA competition at Plymouth in less than a month, Stewart was upbeat and complimentary of his fellow competitors.

“I can’t complain about coming up from 10^th to finish second with these guys,” Stewart said. “All these guys that have a lot of laps here, like Scotty [Thiel] and Bill [Balog], are tough to beat at this track and they just seem to get tougher every year. Tonight, I’m sure Sammy [Swindell] would have also been in the mix for the win too if he hadn’t of had that flat tire. Sometimes people don’t give local guys enough credit, but its tough for someone like me to come here on occasion and run with them for wins. I’m almost at a disadvantage because they have run so many laps here and they know the track so well.”

Schultz, who has fallen short of gaining an IRA A-main victory in 2018, was dejected that he was not able to get his car to victory lane.

“I’m proud of my guys and everything they do to put me in a position to win races, but it just hasn’t happened this year,” Schultz said. “I feel really bad about that. It is weird to say finishing third is one of the highlights of our season, but it has been that kind of year.”

In the 25-lap Wisconsin Wingless A-main Allen Hafford of Beach Park, Ill. grabbed the lead on the opening lap from the pole. On lap 2, fifth starter Matt Vandevere of Zion, Ill. moved past outside front row starter Nick Petska of Spring Grove, Ill. to seize second.

By lap 8, Vandevere had closed to Hafford’s rear bumper and began to pressure for the lead. Meanwhile, current Wisconsin Wingless Sprint Car Series point leader Tim Cox of Park City, Ill. worked his way into third, on lap 11, after starting sixth.

On lap 15, Vandevere ventured up to the high groove in an attempt to challenge Hafford for the top spot, which left the door open for Cox to assume second on lap 16.

Cox closed to within inches of Hafford’s rear bumper on lap 23 and on the final circuit, Cox used a huge run on the backstretch to power under Hafford entering turn three. Cox then held on through turn four and back to the checkered flag to post his first Wisconsin Wingless Sprint Car A-main triumph of the 2018 campaign in the caution-free race.

Hafford finished second, Petska was third, ninth starter Craig Campton of Pardeeville placed fourth and Chris Dodd of Trevor wound up fifth after starting fourth.

Todd King of Sheboygan Falls won the IRA B main and Jack Blackhurst was earn the IRA fast qualifier award with a last of 11.803.

Rod Colburn of New Berlin captured the Wisconsin Wingless Sprint Car B main and Chris Dodd of Trevor was the Wisconsin Wingless Sprint Car fast qualifier with a lap of 14.358.

The event drew 29 IRA 410 Sprint Cars and 33 Wisconsin Wingless Sprint Cars.

IRA Interstate Racing Association, Plymouth Dirt Track, Sept. 28, 2018
A Feature 1 30 laps
1. 64-Scotty Thiel, [2]; 2. 14-Tony Stewart, [10]; 3. 5J-Jeremy Schultz, [3]; 4. 10W-Brandon McMullen, [6]; 5. 02-Mike Reinke, [5]; 6. 17B-Bill Balog, [9]; 7. 25-Jake Blackhurst, [7]; 8. 2W-Scott Neitzel, [8]; 9. 1M-Phillip Mock, [20]; 10. 65-Jordan Goldesberry, [12]; 11. 4B-Scott Biertzer, [13]; 12. 7-Scott Uttech, [14]; 13. 23-Russel Borland, [18]; 14. 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski, [17]; 15. 85M-Steve Meyer, [1]; 16. 22-Todd King, [19]; 17. 4K-Kris Spitz, [15]; 18. 73-Ben Schmidt, [11]; 19. 12-Michael Decker, [23]; 20. 10V-Matt VandeVere, [21]; 21. 32-Jeremy Hunt, [24]; 22. 68-Dave Uttech, [16]; 23. 1-Sammy Swindell, [4]; 24. 43-Jereme Schroeder, [22]
B Feature 1 12 laps
1. 22-Todd King, [1]; 2. 1M-Phillip Mock, [4]; 3. 10V-Matt VandeVere, [3]; 4. 43-Jereme Schroeder, [2]; 5. 12-Michael Decker, [5]; 6. 32-Jeremy Hunt, [6]; 7. 11X-Tony Wondra, [9]; 8. 29-Hunter Custer, [7]; 9. 63-Nick Matuszewski, [11]; 10. 45-Matt Wiese, [10]; (DNS) 18-Keith Fellner,
Heat 1 10 laps
1. 2W-Scott Neitzel, [2]; 2. 02-Mike Reinke, [1]; 3. 25-Jake Blackhurst, [4]; 4. 4B-Scott Biertzer, [5]; 5. 10W-Brandon McMullen, [3]; 6. 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski, [6]; 7. 22-Todd King, [7]; 8. 32-Jeremy Hunt, [10]; 9. 11X-Tony Wondra, [9]; 10. 45-Matt Wiese, [8]
Heat 2 10 laps
1. 1-Sammy Swindell, [3]; 2. 5J-Jeremy Schultz, [2]; 3. 17B-Bill Balog, [4]; 4. 65-Jordan Goldesberry, [1]; 5. 7-Scott Uttech, [5]; 6. 23-Russel Borland, [6]; 7. 1M-Phillip Mock, [10]; 8. 43-Jereme Schroeder, [7]; 9. 18-Keith Fellner, [8]; 10. 63-Nick Matuszewski, [9]
Heat 3 10 laps
1. 14-Tony Stewart, [2]; 2. 73-Ben Schmidt, [1]; 3. 64-Scotty Thiel, [4]; 4. 85M-Steve Meyer, [3]; 5. 4K-Kris Spitz, [6]; 6. 68-Dave Uttech, [5]; 7. 10V-Matt VandeVere, [8]; 8. 12-Michael Decker, [9]; 9. 29-Hunter Custer, [7]
Qualifying 1 00:00:00
1. 25-Jake Blackhurst, 00:11.803[2]; 2. 17B-Bill Balog, 00:11.853[11]; 3. 64-Scotty Thiel, 00:11.926[26]; 4. 10W-Brandon McMullen, 00:11.954[5]; 5. 1-Sammy Swindell, 00:11.970[28]; 6. 85M-Steve Meyer, 00:12.023[4]; 7. 2W-Scott Neitzel, 00:12.066[20]; 8. 5J-Jeremy Schultz, 00:12.085[27]; 9. 14-Tony Stewart, 00:12.109[17]; 10. 1M-Phillip Mock, 00:12.116[6]; 11. 02-Mike Reinke, 00:12.125[15]; 12. 65-Jordan Goldesberry, 00:12.145[18]; 13. 73-Ben Schmidt, 00:12.202[16]; 14. 4B-Scott Biertzer, 00:12.252[9]; 15. 7-Scott Uttech, 00:12.279[1]; 16. 68-Dave Uttech, 00:12.306[14]; 17. 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski, 00:12.316[10]; 18. 23-Russel Borland, 00:12.326[8]; 19. 4K-Kris Spitz, 00:12.469[24]; 20. 22-Todd King, 00:12.547[19]; 21. 43-Jereme Schroeder, 00:12.602[21]; 22. 29-Hunter Custer, 00:12.799[13]; 23. 45-Matt Wiese, 00:12.917[7]; 24. 18-Keith Fellner, 00:12.943[25]; 25. 10V-Matt VandeVere, 00:13.050[3]; 26. 11X-Tony Wondra, 00:13.138[29]; 27. 63-Nick Matuszewski, 00:13.218[22]; 28. 12-Michael Decker, 00:13.313[12]; 29. 32-Jeremy Hunt, 00:14.034[23]
WingLESS Sprints, Plymouth Dirt Track, Sept. 28, 2018
A Feature, 25 laps
1. 40-Tim Cox, [6]; 2. 38-Allen Hafford, [1]; 3. 18-Nick Petska, [2]; 4. 7S-Craig Campton, [9]; 5. 01-Chris Dodd, [4]; 6. 21-Ryan Zielski, [3]; 7. 97-Nathan Crane, [14]; 8. 2-Jordan Mattson, [10]; 9. 2K-Jimmy Kouba, [7]; 10. 19K-Derek Crane, [21]; 11. 70-Chris Klemko, [11]; 12. 1-Rod Colburn, [17]; 13. 0-John Fahl, [20]; 14. 48-Jason Cox, [18]; 15. 20-Natalie Klemko, [16]; 16. 4-Jordan Paulsen, [22]; 17. 91-Jimmy Sivia, [12]; 18. 71S-Doug Schenck, [8]; 19. 9-Greg Olsen, [19]; 20. 15V-Matt VandeVere, [5]; 21. 23Z-Zach Raidart, [15]; 22. 41-Dennis Spitz, [13]
B Feature 1 12 laps | 00:00:00
1. 1-Rod Colburn, [2]; 2. 48-Jason Cox, [3]; 3. 9-Greg Olsen, [1]; 4. 0-John Fahl, [4]; 5. 19K-Derek Crane, [9]; 6. 4-Jordan Paulsen, [6]; 7. 6B-Vince Bartolotta, [8]; 8. 29OG-Tom Eller, [11]; 9. 94-Jim Wehrman, [14]; 10. 00-Paul Shaffer, [10]; 11. 22-Bruce Waterworth, [12]; 12. 12-Shawn Swim, [7]; 13. 39-William Huck, [15]; 14. (DNF) 15H-Kevin Hinich, [5]; (DNS) 29-Randy Stanford, ; (DNS) 70K-Jake Kouba, ; (DNS) 77-James Walldan,
Heat 1 8 laps | 00:00:00
1. 40-Tim Cox, [1]; 2. 01-Chris Dodd, [4]; 3. 2K-Jimmy Kouba, [2]; 4. 38-Allen Hafford, [3]; 5. 0-John Fahl, [6]; 6. 4-Jordan Paulsen, [5]; 7. 22-Bruce Waterworth, [8]; 8. (DNF) 29-Randy Stanford, [7]; (DNS) 77-James Walldan,
Heat 2 8 laps | 00:00:00
1. 21-Ryan Zielski, [4]; 2. 70-Chris Klemko, [2]; 3. 41-Dennis Spitz, [1]; 4. 2-Jordan Mattson, [3]; 5. 15H-Kevin Hinich, [6]; 6. 12-Shawn Swim, [5]; 7. 00-Paul Shaffer, [7]; 8. 94-Jim Wehrman, [8]
Heat 3 8 laps | 00:00:00
1. 15V-Matt VandeVere, [5]; 2. 7S-Craig Campton, [3]; 3. 18-Nick Petska, [4]; 4. 23Z-Zach Raidart, [2]; 5. 1-Rod Colburn, [1]; 6. 6B-Vince Bartolotta, [6]; 7. 29OG-Tom Eller, [7]; 8. 39-William Huck, [8]
Heat 4 8 laps | 00:00:00
1. 71S-Doug Schenck, [3]; 2. 91-Jimmy Sivia, [2]; 3. 97-Nathan Crane, [5]; 4. 20-Natalie Klemko, [7]; 5. 48-Jason Cox, [1]; 6. 19K-Derek Crane, [6]; 7. 9-Greg Olsen, [4]; (DNS) 70K-Jake Kouba,
Qualifying 1 00:00:00
1. 01-Chris Dodd, 00:14.358[33]; 2. 21-Ryan Zielski, 00:14.437[14]; 3. 18-Nick Petska, 00:14.595[12]; 4. 9-Greg Olsen, 00:14.611[4]; 5. 38-Allen Hafford, 00:14.653[27]; 6. 2-Jordan Mattson, 00:14.660[30]; 7. 7S-Craig Campton, 00:14.675[25]; 8. 71S-Doug Schenck, 00:14.686[19]; 9. 2K-Jimmy Kouba, 00:14.697[3]; 10. 70-Chris Klemko, 00:14.721[26]; 11. 23Z-Zach Raidart, 00:14.740[10]; 12. 91-Jimmy Sivia, 00:14.778[28]; 13. 40-Tim Cox, 00:14.797[7]; 14. 41-Dennis Spitz, 00:14.809[17]; 15. 1-Rod Colburn, 00:14.840[15]; 16. 48-Jason Cox, 00:14.858[1]; 17. 4-Jordan Paulsen, 00:14.860[16]; 18. 12-Shawn Swim, 00:14.886[5]; 19. 15V-Matt VandeVere, 00:14.914[24]; 20. 97-Nathan Crane, 00:15.040[29]; 21. 0-John Fahl, 00:15.113[13]; 22. 15H-Kevin Hinich, 00:15.113[9]; 23. 6B-Vince Bartolotta, 00:15.140[8]; 24. 19K-Derek Crane, 00:15.142[31]; 25. 29-Randy Stanford, 00:15.155[21]; 26. 00-Paul Shaffer, 00:15.400[2]; 27. 29OG-Tom Eller, 00:15.507[22]; 28. 20-Natalie Klemko, 00:15.525[20]; 29. 22-Bruce Waterworth, 00:15.628[6]; 30. 94-Jim Wehrman, 00:15.851[23]; 31. 39-William Huck, 00:16.272[11]; (DNS) 70K-Jake Kouba, ; (DNS) 77-James Walldan,

Mitch McGrath of Waukesha claimed the victory in the 30-lap Dirt Kings Late Model Tour A-main event at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, Sept. 8. – RC Custom Design photo

Miller, Kulow, Van Hierden, Boden snag A-main victories as Loehr, Sheppard, Ruh claim titles

 By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS, Plymouth, Wis.) September 8, 2018 – The final regular Plymouth Dirt Track Racing program of the 2018 season brimmed over with a wide variety of racing action, which included runaway statement-style victories, heated side-by-side competition, inspired charges from the back of the pack and a new A-main track record, while three drivers wrapped up division titles before a large contingent of spectators on Saturday, Sept. 8 at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis.

Former PDTR Late Model champion Mitch McGrath of Waukesha scored an impressive victory in the 30-lap Dirt Kings Late Model Tour A-main, Plymouth’s Justin Miller established a new track record of 5 minutes and 45 seconds en route to victory in the non-stop 30-lap Richard’s of Dunbar Sprint Car A main. Tyler Kulow of Plymouth emerged with the victory in a hotly contested 30-lap Klips and Tips Grand National A main. Colten Van Hierden of Waupun made his first appearance of the season at PDTR count with a victory from the rear of the field in the time-shortened 26-lap Cellcom B Mod A main. Zach Boden of Madison topped the 15-lap Kristine Hartmann Pleasantville Realty Micro Sprint A main.

McGrath, who collected the PDTR Late Model championship in 2014, started the Dirt Kings Late Model Tour headliner from the pole and immediately flexed his muscle to grab the lead on the opening circuit with outside front row starter Paul Parker of Kaukauna settling into second.

As McGrath pulled out to a comfortable lead, third starter Brett Swedberg of Shawano moved in to pressure Parker along the low groove. Just as McGrath was about to encounter lapped traffic, Turk Letizia of Milwaukee spun in turn two to bring out the first of three caution flags.

Following the restart, McGrath bolted away to build up a full-straightaway cushion over Parker. McGrath was closing in on the rear of the field when a red flag was displayed for Eric Michaels of Cleveland, who flipped in turn one after contact with an infield tire on lap 17.

After another caution was thrown on the restart for Joel Bennett, who spun in turn three. When the race resumed, McGrath again shot away from the field while Shawano’s Troy Springborn, who started fourth, used the high groove to pull around seventh starter Chris Engels of Green Bay to secure fourth on lap 18.

Meanwhile, it was all McGrath at the front of the field as he skillfully negotiated lapped traffic in the closing laps to pull away to notch his 11^th career PDTR A-main victory and second career Dirt Kings Late Model Tour main event by a half lap margin over Parker. Swedberg placed third, Springborn wound up fourth and Engels rounded out the top five.

Justin Miller led the field to the green flag in the 30-lap PDTR Sprint Car A main from the pole and bolted into the lead in turn one of the opening lap. On lap 2, 2010 PDTR Sprint Car champ and current point leader Kurt Davis of South Milwaukee, who started third, shot past second starter Shane Wenninger of Kewaskum to seize second place in turn two.

Miller stuck to the bottom groove of the third-mile clay oval surface to maintain a solid edge over Davis until the leaders caught the back of the field on lap 14, which allowed Davis to cut the gap a bit.

Miller expertly sliced his way through slower traffic to keep Davis at bay through the mid stages of the race. With five laps to go, Miller was briefly bottled up in slower traffic, which again allowed Davis to close to within striking distance along the low groove.

However, Miller managed to negotiate the slower car and maintain his lead on the way to his third career PDTR Sprint Car A-main victory and fifth overall Midwest Sprint Car Association A-main triumph in a PDTR Sprint Car 30-lap A-main track record time of five minutes and 45 seconds in the non-stop race.

Davis, who heads into the final night of the 2018 PDTR Sprint Car season on Saturday, Sept. 29 with a 15-point lead over Miller at the top of the point standings, had to settle for second, fifth starter Lance Fassbender of Burnett finished third, Wenninger placed fourth and Bill Taylor of Kewaskum wound up fifth, after starting seventh.

Polesitter Dick Hed of Plymouth and outside front row starter Tyler Kulow dueled side by side during the opening lap of the highly entertaining 30-lap Grand National main event before Hed surged ahead to take the lead in turn two on lap 2.

On lap 3, West Bend’s Brad Weiss, who started fifth, shot up to seize third place and two laps later, Weiss pulled alongside Hed and the two dueled door-to-door for the lead on lap 5. On lap 7, Weiss surged ahead of Hed along the outside groove, while fourth starter Kurt Davis rode the high line to challenge Hed for second.

The first of three caution flags appeared on lap 8 when Darryl Trabel of Watertown and Dakota Cabunac spun in turn two. On the restart, Davis continued his charge along the high line while Grand National point leader Matt Loehr of Dotyville, who started third, ducked low to challenge for second on lap 9.

As Weiss, Davis and Loehr dueled in close quarters for the top spot, the second caution flag flew when Donny Singer stopped in turn two on lap 15. The action continued to rage on the restart has Davis and Loehr waged an epic battle for second behind Weiss, who stuck to the low groove to maintain a slight lead.

On lap 17, Davis grabbed second up high, while Kulow rallied to gain third on lap 18. Kulow ran the low groove to perfection to work past Davis for second on lap 19. However, Davis returned the favor on the next lap to regain second.

As Weiss, Davis, Kulow, Loehr and seventh starter Josh Pierce of Fredonia ran in close quarters at the front of the pack, the third and final caution flag was displayed on lap 23 when Cubanac stopped in turn two.

On the restart, Kulow moved up high to grab second from Davis on lap 24 and on the next lap he charged past Weiss to secure the top spot. Meanwhile, Davis cleared Weiss to gain second on lap 29.

Once ahead, Kulow pulled away to notch his fourth career PDTR Grand National A-main victory. Davis placed second, Weiss wound up third, Loehr secured his first career PDTR Grand National championship with a fourth-place finish and Pierce placed fifth.

Loehr topped Davis by 25 points in the final PDTR Grand National standings, while Kulow finished third 32 points behind Loehr.

Jesse Cullen of Chilton led the opening lap of the 30-lap B Mod A main before the first of four caution flags appeared for an incident involving Colten Van Hierden and Mark Hoeppner of Rubicon in turn two on lap 2.

After changing a flat left rear tire, Van Hierden restarted at the rear of the 20-car field. When the race resumed, sixth starter Bill Edler of Howards Grove moved in to take third and seventh starter Barry Maas of Cascade secure fourth in the running order.

As Cullen encountered slower traffic on lap 14, Edler closed in to mount a challenge before the second caution flag was displayed on lap 16 when Steve Lorier of Sheboygan and Mark Hoeppner spun in turn two. The incident forced Edler, who was running second, to take evasive action and spin into the infield. He took his car to the pit area and did not return to the track.

On the restart, Cullen led over fifth starter Gary Glander of Sheboygan Falls as Van Hierden mounted an epic charge from the rear of the field to seize third on lap 17. After another caution for debris on lap 18, Van Hierden continued his march to the front taking second from Glander on lap 18 and setting his sights on Cullen.

On lap 21, Van Hierden used a low move to take over the top spot in turn four. As Van Hierden pulled away at the front of the field, a caution on lap 26 brought the race to a close due to the 30-minute time limit.

Van Hierden, who was making his first appearance of the 2018 season at Plymouth, claimed his third career PDTR B Mod A-main victory, Cullen placed second, 10^th starter Travis Schmidt of Plymouth took third, Tim Sheppard of Beaver Dam wrapped up his first career PDTR B Mod track title with a fourth-place finish after starting 11^th and Glander completed the top five.

In his first full season racing at Plymouth, Sheppard earned the B Mod championship by 36 points over Gary Glander. Travis Schmidt finished third 75 points behind Sheppard.

Second starter Tory Strauss of Sun Prairie led the first two laps of the 15-lap Micro Sprint A main before third starter Zach Boden seized the lead in turn four. Boden, who was the 2016 PDTR Micro Sprint champ, maintained the lead through a pair of caution flags to secure his ninth career PDTR Micro Sprint A-main win.

Jake Dohner of Milton placed second, Strauss was third, 2017 PDTR Micro Sprint champion Preston Ruh of Elkhart Lake earned his second consecutive track title with a fourth-place finish and Jack Vanderboom of Dousman rounded out the top five.

Ruh topped Emily Portschy of Plymouth by 117 points to claim his second straight PDTR Micro Sprint title.

Mark Rose of Dorchester claimed the Dirt Kings Late Model Tour B main. Josh Walter of Plymouth won the MSA B main. Justin Bauer of Sheboygan Falls captured the B Mod B main.

The final regular PDTR racing program of the 2018 season, which was sponsored by Hidden Dreams Show Cattle, drew a large field 111 cars, including 28 Dirt Kings Late Model Tour cars, 27 Sprint Cars, 25 B Mods, 21 Grand Nationals and 10 Micro Sprints.

Prior to the racing program, the 2018 PDTR Dedication to Dirt Award was presented to longtime announcer Bill Rood, who stated that he would be retiring after 30 years of involvement with racing at Plymouth.

After two weeks off, the 2018 racing season will conclude with a doubleheader weekend of Sprint Car action on Friday, Sept. 28 and Saturday, Sept. 29. The Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series will be in action, along with the Wisconsin Wingless Sprint Cars on Friday, Sept. 28.

On Saturday, Sept. 29, the IRA Sprint Cars and Wisconsin Wingless Sprint Cars will be joined by the PDTR 360 Sprint Cars and Wisconsin-Illinois Sprint Car Series for the final points night of the season for all four divisions.

Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart of Columbus, Ind. has indicated his intentions to return to race with the IRA 410 Sprint Car Series on Sept. 28-29, as has three-time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champ Sammy Swindell of Germantown, Tenn., who will be making his debut appearance at Plymouth.

Bill Balog of Hartland edged NASCAR Legend Tony Stewart by .004 to notch his third Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series A-main victory of the 2018 season at The Plymouth Dirt Track, during the Sheboygan County Fair in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, Sept. 1. – RC Custom Design photo

McMullen prevails in PDTR 360 Sprint Car action                      

By Jeff Pederson – Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS, Plymouth, Wis.) September 1, 2018 – Eight-time Interstate Racing Association champion Bill Balog of Hartland and three-time NASCAR Cup Series champ Tony Stewart of Columbus, Ind. have had their share of spirited duels on dirt tracks throughout the Midwest over the years with the Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series event held during 2018 Sheboygan County Fair Night all-Winged Sprint Car program at The Plymouth Dirt Track providing the back drop for another intriguing chapter in this ongoing racing saga on Saturday, Sept. 1.

Reminiscent of their exciting duel at The Plymouth Dirt Track on June 15, 2013, which saw Stewart edge Balog by half a car length, Balog turned the tables this time executing a final corner slide job and holding off Stewart by just .004 of a second at the finish to notch his third IRA Series A-main victory of the 2018 campaign before a capacity crowd at the third-mile Sheboygan County Fairgrounds facility in Plymouth, Wis.

In the companion, Plymouth Dirt Track Racing Richard’s of Dunbar 360 Sprint Car A-main, 2017 PDTR 360 Sprint Car champion Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh collected his third Sprint Car A-main triumph of the season at Plymouth.

Stewart drew the pole position for the 30-lap IRA A-main with Cory Eliason of Kingsburg, Calif. in the Thone Motorsports No. 59 entry starting on the outside of the front row.

Stewart got the jump on the drop of the green flag and bolted out to a half-straightaway lead over Eliason in the early going on the wide, smooth and fast racing surface.

Just as Stewart began to catch up to the back of the 24-car field, a red flag was displayed when Todd King of Sheboygan Falls hit the turn four wall and flipped his machine. King was uninjured, but his car was done in the night.

When the race resumed, fifth starter Ben Schmidt of Howards Grove dove low to work his way past Eliason into second while Balog, who started seventh, rode the high groove past IRA point leader Scotty Thiel of Sheboygan, who started fourth, into third place on lap 12.

By lap 9, the leaders began to encounter slower traffic, which Stewart negotiated expertly to build up a half-lap cushion over Schmidt on lap 10. Four laps later, Eliason spun on the frontstretch after contact with Schmidt, which slowed the pace and forced Eliason to restart the race 17^th on lap 14.

Prior to the restart, Schmidt made contact with Stewart in turn four just as the green flag was to be displayed causing him to spin his car. After repairing a flat right rear tire, Schmidt restarted 17^th, while the contact resulted in damage to the top wing of Stewart’s machine.

Another caution appeared on lap 16 when Mike Reinke of Howards Grove dropped off the pace significantly along the backstretch. On the restart, Thiel dove low to attempt a three-wide pass for the lead in turn two. However, Stewart battled back to maintain the lead along the high groove and Balog retained second place.

Balog hounded Stewart on the preferred outside groove through the final half of the race as the leaders had to negotiate heavy lapped traffic beginning on lap 22. On lap 25, Balog pulled even with Stewart in turn two, but Stewart successfully fended off the challenge and pulled away briefly.

With two laps to go, Balog raced back up to within striking distance and on the final circuit the North Pole, Alaska native unleashed an epic slide job entering turn three to sweep past Stewart in turn four. Stewart turned under Balog and the two drag raced to the finish line with Balog notching his third IRA victory of the season by just .004 of a second, which is the closest margin of victory since the IRA incorporated electronic scoring.

After leading 29 laps, Stewart had to settle for second, Thiel was third, eighth starter and fast qualifier Jake Blackhurst of Hanna City, Ill. was fourth and Brandon McMullen placed fifth after starting sixth.

Balog was happy that he had a chance on the final lap, after missing on an opportunity to take the lead a few laps earlier.

“The car was working good all night and I was hoping to be close enough to make a move at the end,” Balog said in victory lane. “I wasn’t sure if it was going to happen because I thought I threw it away when I had a chance a few laps from the end. It was an awesome race. Tony’s one of the best ever and everyone’s gunning for him when he shows up. We were just a little better at the end tonight.”

Despite coming in second, Stewart was upbeat following the race.

“I love coming up here to race,” Stewart said. “This is a really cool part of the country with great fans. Lapped traffic was tough and being the leader, you don’t know what is going on behind you. I was just trying not to make a mistake over the final few laps. Bill is an awesome driver. I love racing with him. It was a fun night and I hope all the fans had a good time.”

Thiel maintained his IRA points lead with a solid third-place run.

“We gave it all we could and we had a run there on one of the restarts,” Thiel said. “I don’t think we were good enough to win tonight. 17 [Balog] drove a really good race. We will take third and try to get a little better for the next race.”

Tony Wondra of Campbellsport lead the opening laps of the 25-lap PDTR 360 Sprint Car A-main from the pole with third starter Scott Conger of Eagle trailing in second. On lap 7, two-time PDTR 360 Sprint Car champ Danny Schlafer of Sussex, who started fifth, used the high groove to power past Conger into second.

One lap later, Schlafer bolted past the low-riding Wondra into the lead in turn three, while seventh starter Brandon McMullen followed in Schlafer’s tire tracks to assume second on lap 9.

The first of four caution flags appeared on lap 10 for an infield tire that had been moved onto the track in turn four. On the restart, the caution flag flew again when Plymouth’s Justin Miller spun in turn one.

On the restart, McMullen used the low groove to pressure Schlafer for the top spot and the two championship-winning drivers dueled side by side before the third caution was displayed on lap 12 for Chris Larson, who spun in turn two.

The battle between McMullen and Schlafer raged on over the ensuing seven laps with the two drivers exchanging the lead before McMullen surged ahead for good along the low groove in turn one on lap 19.

On lap 22, the fourth caution appeared when Schlafer spun his machine in turn four. McMullen controlled the final three laps en route to his 15^th career PDTR 360 Sprint Car A-main victory and 21^st overall Midwest Sprint Car Association main event triumph.

Josh Walter of Plymouth finished second after starting eighth, Tim Haddy of Waupun used a late charge along the high groove to place third after starting ninth, Conger wound up fourth and second starter Shane Wenninger of Kewaskum rounded out the top five.

Scotty Neitzel of Beaver Dam won the IRA B main. Jake Blackhurst topped the IRA field in qualifying with a fast lap of 12.043.

The all-Winged Sprint Car program included 27 IRA 410 Sprint Car entries and 24 PDTR 360 Sprint Car machines.

The next Plymouth Dirt Track Racing program on Saturday, Sept. 8 will feature the final points event of the 2018 season for the B Mod, Grand National and Micro Sprint divisions, as well as a special appearance by the Dirt Kings Late Model Series in addition to the PDTR 360 Sprint Cars. Hot laps begin at 5:30 p.m. with racing at 6 p.m.

Steven Weber of Plymouth collected his first career Plymouth Dirt Track Racing Grand National A-main victory at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth on Saturday, Aug. 25. – RC Custom Design

Justin Schmidt secures first PDTR Late Model title

By Jeff Pederson – Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS, Plymouth, Wis.) August 25, 2018 – A pair of veteran racers visited victory lane for the first time in Plymouth Dirt Track Racing A-main competition and another earned his first career PDTR points title, during an action-packed night of competition at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, Aug. 25.

Kurt Davis of South Milwaukee racked up his third Richard’s of Dunbar Sprint Car A-main victory of the 2018 season. Mitch McGrath of Waukesha earned his first Gasroots Project Late Model A-main victory of the year. Plymouth’s Steven Weber notched his first career Klips & Tips Grand National A-main win. Cellcom B Mod points leader Tim Sheppard of Beaver Dam padded his advantage by posting his first career PDTR B Mod A-main victory. Dave Collins of Lake Mills collected his second Kristine Hartmann Pleasant View Realty Micro Sprint A-main victory of the 2018 campaign.

After coming into the night third in the PDTR Late Model point standings, eight points out of the lead, Cleveland’s Justin Schmidt secured his first PDTR Late Model points championship on the strength of a heat race victory and a fourth-place showing in the A main. Schmidt, who posted four PDTR Late Model A-main victories this season, edged out his father, Jim, by just two points, in the final 2018 standings.

Two of the most experienced drivers in the pit area lined up on the front row of the 25-lap Sprint Car A main as Jim Melis of Glenbeulah held the pole position with 2010 PDTR Sprint Car champion Kurt Davis lined up on the outside.

Melis got the jump on the drop of the green flag and held down the top spot along the low groove in the early going while Davis worked the high groove of the wide and smooth racing surface.

After hounding Melis along the cushion for several laps, Davis shot into the lead with a bold high move in turn one on lap 5. As 2017 PDTR Sprint Car champion Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh who started eighth, and Plymouth’s Josh Walter, who started fifth, dueled hard for fifth, the leaders began to encounter slower traffic on lap 10.

With lapped cars in the mix, Melis was able to close the gap on Davis using the high groove, while two-time PDTR Sprint Car champ Danny Schlafer of Sussex, who started third, moved in to make it a three-car battle up front.

Just as it appeared the action was going to get heated in lapped traffic, a red flag appeared on lap 11 when Doug Wondra and Robbie Pribnow collided on the frontstretch, sending Wondra flipping. Both drivers emerged uninjured.

On the restart, Schlafer made an aggressive move to power past Melis in second in turn two, while McMullen slipped past Walter to assume fourth on lap 12.

The final 14 laps clicked off quickly as the majority of the field held tight to the preferred high groove. Schlafer was able to close the gap slightly on Davis in the closing laps, but he was never able to mount a serious threat for the lead.

Davis went on to post his 20^th career PDTR Sprint Car A-main victory and the 57^th overall Midwest Sprint Car Association main event triumph of his long career. Schlafer finished second, Melis was third, McMullen placed fourth and Walter rounded out the top five.

Dan Schlieper of Milwaukee led the field to the green flag in the 25-lap Late Model A main from the pole position. The former Eldora Speedway World 100 winner and Lucas Oil Late Model Series regular held the top spot in the early stages of the race as 2014 PDTR Late Model champion Mitch McGrath made his way to the front from the sixth starting spot utilizing the outside line to secure second on lap 2.

By lap 10, McGrath had closed in to challenge Schlieper for the top spot along the cushion, as title contenders Justin Schmidt, who started eighth, and 2016 PDTR Late Model champ Tim Buhler of Greenbush, who started fifth, dueled for fifth.

On lap 13, Schmidt made what proved to be a championship-sealing move as he split Buhler and fourth-starting Chad Vetting of Valders to pass both drivers in turn three and vault into fourth.

After running the high groove throughout the first half of the race, McGrath dropped down low to challenge Schlieper on lap 18. Over the next six laps, McGrath tried several different lines in an attempt to seize the lead before diving under Schlieper in turn two on the final lap and surging ahead over the final circuit to notch his 10^th career PDTR Late Model A-main victory in the caution-free race.

Justin Schmidt of Cleveland earned his first career Plymouth Dirt Track Racing Late Model title by two points over his father Jim, who finished second with 977 points, on Saturday, Aug. 25, at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth.  – RC Custom Design photo

Schlieper had to settle for second, third-starter Tom Naeyaert of Shawano, finished third in his first appearance of the year at Plymouth, Justin Schmidt finished fourth to secure his first PDTR Late Model championship and Buhler placed fifth.

Justin Schmidt collected 979 points to capture the Late Model title by two points over his father Jim, who finished second with 977 points. Four-time PDTR Late Model champ Brad Mueller of Random Lake finished third with 971 points and Buhler was fourth with 969 points.

Outside front row starter Chad Espen of West Bend led the opening circuit of the 25-lap Grand National A main before polesitter Steven Weber seized the top spot on lap two.

After the first of two caution flags appeared on lap 6 for an infield tire pushed onto the track in turn one, sixth starter Kurt Davis charged in to pull off a three-wide pass for third on lap 8. On lap 11, Davis used the high groove to maneuver around Espen for second before the second caution flag flew on lap 12 for a two-car incident involving Jacob Muehlbauer and Derek Kaat in turn four.

Following the restart, Davis utilized the high groove to briefly surge into the lead in turn two on lap 16. However, Weber held strong along with the low line as the two veteran drivers dueled side by side over the next two laps with Weber regaining the top spot in turn one on lap 18.

Davis regrouped to mount one final challenge on the final lap pulling nearly even with Weber along the outside groove in turn two. However, again Weber fended off Davis’ advances and maintained the top spot en route to his first career PDTR Grand National A-main triumph.

Davis was second, Espen finished third, fourth starter J.J. Pagel of Campbellsport placed fourth and Dick Hed of Plymouth, who started third, wound up fifth.

Polesitter Justin Bauer of Sheboygan Falls assume the lead of the 25-lap B Mod A main at the drop of the green flag with second starter Travis Schmidt of Plymouth and third starter Jeff Steenbergen of Watertown falling into second and third respectively.

On lap 5, points leader Tim Sheppard, who started sixth, began to make his presence felt as he powered around Steenbergen along the high groove in turn two. One lap later, Sheppard moved past Schmidt into second and on lap 7, Sheppard shot around Bauer into the lead in turn one before a spin involving Phil Campanella brought out the first of four caution flags on lap 7.

On the restart, a six-car melee involving Derek Fehling, Nat Jakubowski, Mark Fieber (guest driving for Cody Eickberg), J.J. Walvoord, Steve Lorier and Phil Campanella triggered a lengthy caution period. Only Lorier and Campanella were able to continue.

When the race resumed, Schmidt dove under Sheppard to grab the lead in turn three on lap 8. On lap 9, the third caution appeared when Campanella spun in turn four.

Shortly after the ensuing restart, contact resulted in Schmidt spinning sideways in turn with Sheppard moving into the top spot on lap 11. Schmidt was able to recover to maintain third before the fourth caution flew on lap 21 for an incident involving Justin Bauer and Shane Long in turn four.

During the caution, Steenbergen was penalized two spots for aggressive driving, which placed him behind Schmidt and 13^th starter Marcus Hoeppner of Rubicon on the final restart.

Sheppard pulled away over the final four laps to score his first career PDTR B Mod A-main victory. Schmidt was second, Steenbergen finished third, Lorier placed fourth and Tim Lange of Dousman, who started 10^th, finished fifth.

In the 15-lap Micro Sprint A main, outside front row starter Dave Collins led flag to flag in the non-stop race to post his third career PDTR Micro Sprint A main victory.

Defending PDTR Micro Sprint champion and current points leader Preston Ruh of Elkhart Lake was second, Emily Portschy of Plymouth took third, Jack Vanderboom of Dousman finished fourth and Miles Quandt of Watertown placed fifth.

Tony Wondra of Cambpellsport won the Sprint Car B Main, while J.J. Walvoord of Howards Grove posted the victory in the B Mod B Main.

The PDTR program, which was sponsored by Roger and Dan’s Auto Service, showcased a total of 83 cars, including 26 Sprint Cars, 23 B Mods, 15 Grand Nationals, 13 Late Models and six Micro Sprints.

The next PDTR program featuring the Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series and PDTR 360 Sprint Cars will take place on Saturday, Sept. 1, during the Sheboygan County Fair.

NASCAR Legend Tony Stewart will also compete in the IRA portion of the program. On track action is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.

The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth is located at 229 Fairview Drive in Plymouth. For more information, visit www.plymouthdtr.com or check out Plymouth Dirt Track Racing on Facebook.

Pedal Down Promotions is a full-service public relations and media services company devoted to helping clients effectively communicate with targeted audiences through a diverse array of promotional strategies and methods, including press releases, newsletters, profile and feature articles, website and social media content development, printed media, editing and layout, graphic design and book publishing services.

For more information on Pedal Down Promotions, email pedaldownpromotions@gmail.com, visit www.pedaldownpromotions.com or call 920-323-7970.

Last year’s Plymouth Dirt Track Racing B Mod champion Justin Green of Sheboygan Falls posted his first A-main victory of the season in the 25-lap B Mod main event Saturday, Aug. 18, at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. – RC Custom Design photo

By Jeff Pederson – Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS, Plymouth, Wis.) August 18, 2018 – Three veteran drivers visited victory lane for the first time in 2018, during Plymouth Dirt Track Racing A-main competition as PDTR held its inaugural Ken Markwardt Memorial Night of racing Saturday, Aug. 18 at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis.

Tony Wondra of Campbellsport racked up his first Richard’s of Dunbar Sprint Car A-main victory of the 2018 season. Jim Schmidt of Cleveland stayed in the thick of the heated Gasroots Project Late Model points chase with just one points night remaining in the season by notching his third A-main victory of the year. 2010 PDTR Sprint Car champion Kurt Davis of South Milwaukee scored his first Klips & Tips Grand National A-main win of 2018, while 2017 Cellcom B Mod champ Justin Green of Sheboygan Falls also found victory lane for the first time this season. Defending Kristine Hartmann Pleasant View Realty Micro Sprint champion Preston Ruh posted his fourth A-main triumph of 2018 at Plymouth.

Tony Wondra began the 25-lap Sprint Car A main from the pole position with PDTR Sprint Car point leader Justin Miller of Plymouth on the outside of the front row. Wondra jumped out to the lead on the drop of the green flag before Kevin Karnitz of West Bend flipped hard in turn two to bring out a red flag on lap 2. Karnitz emerged from his machine uninjured, but he was done for the night.

On the restart, fourth starter Travis Arenz of Sheboygan, who became the first rookie in the history of the Midwest Sprint Car Association to win an A main last Sunday at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, worked his way up to second while eighth starter Paul Pokorski of West Bend rode the high groove into third on lap 4.

On lap 7, the leaders began to encounter slower traffic on the fast and wide racing surface. As leaders hit dense lapped traffic, Pokorski used a high move to swing past Arenz into the runner-up spot on lap 11.

Five laps later, Wondra, Pokorski and Miller were running in tight nose-to-tail formation at the head of the pack before the second caution flag of the race was displayed on lap 16 for a collision in turn four involving Travis Arenz and Mike Yurmanovich of Cascade.

Another caution flag flew on the ensuing restart when Robbie Pribnow of Lomira, who was making his 2018 season debut, slowed with a flat fire.

Wondra continued to lead on the final restart with Pokorski and Miller in tow. On lap 20, two-time PDTR Sprint Car champion Danny Schlafer slipped past the low-riding Miller along the outside groove to seize third place.

Out in front of the field, Wondra held strong running primarily the high groove as Pokorski attempted to close the gap along the cushion over the final five laps. Wondra maintained a solid lead as the laps wound down en route to his second career PDTR Sprint Car A-main victory and sixth overall Midwest Sprint Car Association A-main triumph.

Pokorski racked up a PDTR season-best second-place showing, Schlafer wound up third, Miller was fourth and third starter Kurt Davis rounded out the top five.

Rookie Zack Kessler of Plymouth lead the first two laps of the 25-lap Late Model A main from the pole before third starter Jim Schmidt moved in to grab the top spot along the low groove on lap 3.

2016 PDTR Late Model champ Tim Buhler of Greenbush, who started fourth, charged in to pressure Schmidt for the top spot on lap four before the lone caution flag of the race appeared on lap 6 when 2018 title contender Justin Schmidt of Cleveland, who came into the event four points out of first place, spun in turn one.

Following the ensuing restart, four-time and defending PDTR Late Model champion Brad Mueller of Random Lake utilized the cushion to power his way into third on lap 7.

By lap 9, the top four cars of Jim Schmidt, Buhler, Mueller and 2008 PDTR Late Model champ Billy Rezutek of Big Bend, who started fifth, were running in close proximity at the head of the field.

On lap 10, Mueller jumped the cushion in turn two, which allowed Rezutek to sneak into third place. Eight laps later, the leaders began to encounter slower traffic as Mueller regained third place from Rezutek on lap 19.

Jim Schmidt proved to be too much to handle as he pulled away to notch his 14^th career PDTR A-main victory by a comfortable half-lap margin. Buhler placed second, Mueller was third, Rezutek secured fourth and Kessler held on to finish a solid fifth.

The 25-lap Grand National A main featured plenty of action at the front of the field, including three different leaders and multiple lead changes during the entertaining race.

Jamie Theobald of Sheboygan led the opening five laps of the event from the pole before third starter Donny Kulow of Elkhart Lake seized the top spot with a low move on lap 2.

On the next lap, fourth starter Tyler Kulow of Plymouth worked his way into second place before the first of two caution flags was displayed to the field when an infield tire was pushed onto the track in turn one.

Theobald regrouped to apply pressure to Donny Kulow for the lead along the high groove. After three laps of heated side-by-side action, Theobald surged into the lead on lap 12.

By this time, eighth starter Kurt Davis was making his presence felt in a big way at the front of the field moving into third on lap 10 and using the high line to power his way into second place on lap 14.

On lap 16, Davis pulled even with Theobald for the lead in turn one just before the second and final caution flag appeared on lap 17 for a spin involving Jess Muehlbauer.

Following the restart, Davis again worked the high groove to perfection to surge into the top spot exiting turn four on lap 18. One in the lead, Davis pulled away to a half-straightaway cushion en route to his second career PDTR Grand National A-main victory.

Donny Kulow had to settle for second, Theobald placed third, point leader Matt Loehr of Dotyville move up from the seventh starting spot to finish fourth and Tyler Kulow rounded out the top five.

Polesitter Justin Green grabbed the lead at the drop of the green flag of the 25-lap B Mod A main with outside front row starter Cody Eickberg of Plymouth trailing in second and fourth starter Gary Glander of Sheboygan Falls third.

After a pair of caution flags for spins involving Jess Jakubowski on lap 3 and Mark Hoeppner on lap 7, last week’s B Mod A-main winner Marcus Hoeppner of Rubicon used the high groove to move into second from sixth on lap 7 just before seventh starter and current point leader Tim Sheppard of Beaver Dam seized second on lap 8.

The third and final caution flag appeared on lap 12 when Derek Fehling of Beaver Dam spun in turn three. On the restart, Green again bolted into the lead while 10^th starter Travis Schmidt of Plymouth was putting on a show as he moved into third with a high move in turn three on lap 16.

As the laps wound down, Green had to deal with heavy lapped traffic, which he negotiated with relative ease. On the final circuit, Schmidt moved in to assume second place in turn four in the middle of heavy lapped traffic.

Green posted his seventh career PDTR B Mod A-main triumph followed by Schmidt in second, Sheppard placed third, Marcus Hoeppner was fourth and Glander completed the top five.

Preston Ruh, who is closing in on his second consecutive PDTR Micro Sprint title, led all 10 laps of the Micro Sprint A main en route to his fifth career A-main victory at Plymouth.

Dave Collins of Plymouth was second, followed by Emily Portschy of Plymouth, who finished third.

Al Schlafer of Sussex won the Sprint Car B Main, while Brandon Knepprath of Kewaskum posted the victory in the B Mod B Main.

During Sprint Car heat race action, Shane Wenninger of Kewaskum flipped and made hard contact with the turn four catch fence. He was uninjured, but racing was delayed to make repairs to the fence.

The PDTR program, which was sponsored by Butchie and Blondie Hafemann, featured a total of 94 cars, including 28 Sprint Cars, 23 B Mods, 15 Late Models, 13 Grand Nationals, 11 Wisconsin Badger Land Vintage Modifieds and four Micro Sprints.

Prior to the races, the family of Ken Markwardt, who passed away last October, gathered to honor his memory. Markwardt won a total of 97 main events and seven track titles during his outstanding career. Markwardt was inducted into the Southeastern Wisconsin Short Track Racing Hall of Fame in 2007.

The next PDTR program will take place on Saturday, Aug. 25, featuring the final points race night of the 2018 season for the Late Model division. Hot laps start at 5:30 p.m. with racing to follow at 6 p.m.

The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth is located at 229 Fairview Drive in Plymouth. For more information, visit www.plymouthdtr.com or check out Plymouth Dirt Track Racing on Facebook.

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