Author: Jeff Pederson

Your fast track connection

Acme Armature Works Inc. powers ahead

Bahrs takes helm of Sheboygan Electric Motor repair shop

by Jeff Pederson – Pedal Down Promotions

Coupling over 100 years of combined staff experience in the electro-mechanical motor repair industry with the customer-friendly manner and drive to succeed of new owner Chad Bahrs, Acme Armature Works Inc. is clearly a business on the rise in the city of Sheboygan.

In September 2016, Bahrs purchased Sheboygan Armature Works from Dale and Dave Kautzer.

Bahrs inherits a business with a long and successful history dating back to 1951, when Sheboygan Armature Works Inc. opened in a small downtown Sheboygan shop before moving to its current location at 2727 North 21st St. in Sheboygan in 1971.

After accumulating 16 years of prior experience in the field at various electro-mechanical repair shops in the area, Bahrs enters the world of business ownership determined to advance Acme Armature Works forward to new heights, while retaining the expert encyclopedia of knowledge provided by longtime Sheboygan Armature Works owners Dale  and Dave Kautzer.

“My goal is to grow the business and take it to the next level by providing a wider range of services in-house,” Bahrs said. “I’ve added quite a bit of new equipment. We now have a full machine shop and welding department in-house, which allows us to provide fast turnaround times and maintain competitive pricing. Now we can do more in our shop, rather than having to outsource certain types of work.

“Doing more work in our shop will help us provide better efficiency to our customers,” he said. “It is also nice to have Dale and Dave still here to give customers the best possible service. As all of the Sheboygan Armature Works customers know, those two guys really know what they’re doing.”

Bahrs, who resides in Elkhart Lake with his wife Jamie and three children, describes Acme Armature Works as a one-stop electrical apparatus service shop.                                                                             

“We specialize in all types of electric motors, spindles, servo motors, and electro-mechanical devices for industrial, commercial and agricultural customers,” Bahrs said. “We are a factory-authorized warranty service center for a wide range of manufactures. We also offer value-added services such as an in-house machine shop, computerized precision dynamic balancing, vibration analysis, predictive/preventative maintenance, welding and light fabricating.”

When it comes to diagnosing problems, providing proper repair analysis and delivering top-notch service for servo motors, Acme’s repair team boasts extensive experience working with a wide selection of complex motor systems.

“We specialize in fast, accurate repair, rewind and re-manufacture of all brands of servo motors,” Bahrs said. “During our repair process, every encoder or all feedback devices are checked for proper signals and alignment

Acme Armature Works is PDTA (Power Transmission Distributors Association) and EASA (Electrical Apparatus Service Association) certified.

In addition, it recently earned the Recommended Practice for the Repair of Rotating Electrical Apparatus (ANSI/EASA AR100-2015) accreditation.

According to Bahrs, the Acme Armature Works staff doesn’t shy away from pushing themselves beyond the limit to meet the needs of its customers.

“With our extensive database and strategic partnerships, we can locate hard-to-find motors and related equipment,” Bahrs said. “We maintain an extensive inventory of bearings, brushes and other replacement parts so that our customer’s equipment can received our immediate attention.”

In addition, Acme Armature Works features several bonus offerings for customers, including 24-hour emergency services, free pickup and delivery, same-day repairs and no evaluation charges if items are recycled onsite.

Other key features are modern computerized repair reports, job documentation and tracking.

Bahrs says Acme’s ability to provide unique in-shop services sets it apart among its competition.

“I think the fact that we do balancing, machine work and welding in our shop sets us apart,” Bahrs said. “We have the ability to do blower wheel balancing, provide a wide range of machine work and weld cast iron, which you don’t see in every other shop.”

While it is mainly a repair shop, Acme Armature Works also sells many makes and models of electric and servo motors.                                                                                                                           

“Repair work is really our bread and butter,” Bahrs said. “We really excel at motor repairs by utilizing better-than-original materials and doing everything by hand.

“We aren’t just about repairs though,” he said. “We also sell new electric and servo motors from many different manufacturers. In particular, we specialize in tracking down hard-to-find motors and electro-mechanical parts. Motors and parts can be found on our website, but if people don’t see it there, I encourage them to call and we can more than likely get it for them.”

For more information on Acme Armature Works Inc., email info@acmearmature.com, call the 24-hour service line at 920-452-3389 or visit www.acmearmature.com.

April 12, 2017 / by Jeff Pederson

Unity Music Festival gears up for lucky 13

UMF organizer looks forward to successful event

by Jeff Pederson

The last few weeks leading up to the 13th annual Unity Music Festival to benefit the Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund have been jam packed with a flurry of activity for UMF founder Mary Ann Waldbauer of Sheboygan Falls.

Being busy is a good thing to be as the organizer of a major local cancer fundraiser, just asked Waldbauer.

It means people are taking notice and have stepped up in a variety of ways to assist those in great need throughout Sheboygan County.

This year’s show will take place Saturday, April at the Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts in Sheboygan beginning at 7 p.m.

Waldbauer, who founded the Unity Music Festival in 2005 as a way to support local cancer patients struggling through financial hardships caused by large medical bills,

Over the past 12 years, the event has drawn top-notch area musical talent, as well as a loyal contingent of dedicated sponsors and supporters.

While the majority of UMF supporters have lending a helping hand for many years, the Sheboygan County Tavern League recently jumping on board as a first-time UMF supporter, much to Waldbauer’s delight.

“We are very pleased to have The Sheboygan County Tavern League get involved in helping with the UMF this year,” Waldbauer said. “I hadf ribbons designed by Amanda D’Amico from the LTC art graphic design program. There are 13 bars that are helping sell the ribbons through donations. Meyer’s Lakeview Pub in Sheboygan is in the lead thanks to all of Judy Meyer’s’ efforts.

“The Sheboygan County Tavern league donates to a lot of different charities, and this is their first year helping out the UMF,” she said. “We are just thrilled to have them with us this year.

True to form, this year’s show features four highly talented and diverse musical performers, including soloist Allison Stauber, The Rice Family, The Eldorados and The Rick Raybine Band.

“We have some spectacular entertainment in store for a truly action-packed night you do not want to miss,” Waldbauer said.

Fundraising activities will kick off the festivities begin at 5 p.m. with silent and live-auction viewing, as well as dollar and 50/50 raffles.

In addition, there will be two gala appetizer buffet events this year one of which will run prior to the show upstairs at the Weill Center starting at 5 p.m.

The other buffet will take place beginning at 5:30 p.m. next door to the Weill Center with Chef Clint and Miesfeld’s staff providing the appetizers.

“Both galas are sold out,” Waldbauer said. “Due to fire codes, we can only have so many people at each facility. We have 50 silent auction items that will line the halls at the Weill Center, 11 dollar raffles, seven live auctions and a 50/50 raffle. There’s something for everyone.

“The auction items are amazing and are 100 percent donated,” she said. “It just warms my heart to see all of this stuff come in. We already have $20,000 collected this year due to the generosity of the whole community. I can’t wait to see the end results of this years event

A full 100 percent of the money raised at the show will go to support the Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund, which assists cancer patients exclusively within Sheboygan County.

“One hundred percent of the proceeds go to help cancer patients and their family members in Sheboygan County,” Waldbauer said. “Anyone suffering a financial hardship due to cancer can benefit from this fund.

“We can help with heat, light, water, house mortgages, wigs, rent, uninsured medical bills, groceries or gas cards, quality of life classes, etc.,” she said. “We help make their quality of life better while going through this devastating time in their lives.

In 2017, the SCCCF is celebrating the 15-year anniversary of the very first gesture which was made in 2002.

Established in 2000, The Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund is the brainchild of local medical oncologist, H. Marshall Matthews, who recognized the need to help cancer patients through their cancer journey; it was established in 2000.

In 2002, 17 gestures totaling $2,700 were approved. Since then, hundreds of gestures, amounting to more than one million dollars, have been accepted by the SCCCF.

This year’s event will feature new faces leading the evening’s events, including master of ceremonies Randy Schwoerer and  Re/Max Realty Plus & Cain Auctions Realtor/Auctioneer Nick Cain, who will be the auctioneer for the live auction during the show’s intermission.

General admission tickets are currently on sale for $20 per person.

Tickets are available in advance at  Blattner’s Piggly Wiggly in Sheboygan Falls 1166 Fond Du Lac Ave. in Sheboygan Falls, 467-0477), Mary Ann or Rick Waldbauer (998 Huron Trail in Sheboygan Falls, 467-3303), Midwest Dental of Plymouth (1415 Eastern Ave. in Plymouth, 893-8458), Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts (826 North Eighth St. in Sheboygan, 208-3243), Matthews Oncology (1621 North Taylor Drive in Sheboygan, 458-7433), Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic (1222 North 23rd St. in Sheboygan, 457-6800), Plymouth Piggly Wiggly (141 Eastern Ave. in Plymouth, 893-0741), Oostburg Piggly Wiggly (944 Center Ave. in Oostburg, 564-2234), Howards Grove Piggly Wiggly (714 South Wisconsin Drive in Howards Grove, 565-4421), Northside Piggly Wiggly (2905 North 15th St. in Sheboygan, 458-9991), Sheboygan Falls Chamber-Main Street (504 Broadway St. in Sheboygan Falls, 467-6206), Festival Foods (595 South Taylor Drive in Sheboygan, 694-6260), Oostburg State Bank (905 Center Ave. in Oostburg, 564-2336) and Trilling True Hardware (901 Michigan Ave. in Sheboygan, 457-5541).

The Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund is a publicly supported 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Contributions by the public are fully tax-deductible.

“Where can you go see such great entertainment for only $20?” Waldbauer said. “ All proceeds stay local to help cancer patients suffering a financial hardship due to cancer. Who does not know someone going thru cancer?

“We still have a lot of show tickets left, so I encourage everyone to come on out for a great night of entertainment and community support,” she said.

For more information on the Unity Music Festival visit  unitymusicfestival.org or the Unity Music Festival Facebook page.

More information on the Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund can be found at www.scccf.org

For additional information or to purchase gala appetizer buffet tickets, call Mary Ann Waldbauer at 467-3303 or email umfmaryann@charter.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 4, 2017 / by Jeff Pederson

Pokorski Motorsports preps to fire up silver anniversary season

By Jeff Pederson, Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) March 9, 2017 – On the heels of a solid 2016 season, the Paul Pokorski Motorsports 360 sprint car racing team is looking to make some noise as it celebrates its 25th season of competition in 2017.

Armed with a brand new 2016 Maxim last year, the team endured plenty of trial and error in learning the subtle nuances of an unfamiliar car.

In 21 Midwest Sprint Car Association (MSA) 360 sprint car events last year, Pokorski posted five top-five finishes in A-main competition, along with 12 top-10 A-main finishes and seven heat race victories. The team also competed in four Interstate Racing Association (IRA) 410 Sprint Car Series events, highlighted by a 19th-place A-main finish at the Manitowoc Expo Speedway, the team’s home track, on July 1.

The team’s best A-main finish of the 2016 season was a second-place showing at the Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam on July 8th.

In addition, the Pokorski team fell just short in its quest to capture the Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car Sprint Car championship in the final season of racing at the now defunct Manitowoc Expo Speedway, eventually finishing four-points behind Brandon McMullen in the chase for the title.

“Our 2016 season was decent,” Pokorski said. “We didn’t get a feature win, but we had a few strong seconds and thirds, and won some heat races. Most importantly, we got better on the dry slick tracks. Since dry slick seems to be the way race tracks are trending, that is really important.”

Just as it has done for the past 24 years, the team has spent the offseason preparing meticulously for what Pokorski hopes will be a successful 25th season of action.

“This year’s approach is pretty much like each of the last 24,” Pokorski said. “We have been getting everything as fresh as we can afford to, while making sure we have the spares ready to go to make any hiccups during the season easier to cope with when the schedule is tight.

“I am hoping that this year starts out consistent,” he said. “Last year, it took until about mid-season to really start clicking. That is when we found a good baseline to work from. We’ll start there this year and hope to improve on it as we go.”

After coming up dry in the chase for an A-main victory last season, Pokorski has set a return to victory lane as his main goal for 2017.

“My goal as a driver is to win some races and not wreck stuff,” Pokorski said. “Above all, I have to confess that I’ll be disappointed if we don’t get at least one A-main win this year.”

As far as the team’s 2017 schedule is concerned, Pokorski has tentatively penciled a total of 33 races at six different tracks, including 20 races at the Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds – the home track of the Midwest Sprint Car Association.

Pokorski Motorsports is also tentatively scheduled to run a handful of Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series races, including three events at the 141 Speedway in Francis Creek and one at the Luxemburg Speedway.

“We will run 100 percent of the races with MSA, if all goes as planned,” said Pokorski, who captured the 2014 MSA Masters Series championship. “The team is also planning to run a select few IRA shows.”

Reflecting on his lengthy career in racing both EWSC Winged Super Modifieds and MSA sprint cars, Pokorski has accumulated many cherished memories.

“Where has the time gone? I don’t feel that much older,” Pokorski said. “I can remember starting out in 1993 very clearly. I certainly remember the first few career feature wins in 1996. We destroyed my first race car on opening night after preparing it all winter long. We thrashed to replace it with a new chassis we put together from scratch in two weeks. Then we proceeded to have a break out year and win the last two features of the year. The championship years of 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2014 in general terms were all memorable for their own reasons.”

Along with the team’s many highlights, which includes 44 A-main victories (35 EWSC Winged Super Modfieds and 9 MSA Sprint Car), Pokorski recalls one significant low point.

“I recall destroying my second car on the front stretch in a collision with Pete Ostrowski at Plymouth, in I think it was 2001,” Pokorski said. “That still hurts when I think about it. I’m glad Pete and I both walked away from that wreck.”

Overall, Pokorski enters his 25th season thankful for the assistance he has received through the years.

“Finally, I’m just grateful to have had all the friends and family that have supported me, and continue to do so,” Pokorski said. “I couldn’t do this without them.”

Pokorski Motorsports is set to open the 2017 season with a three-race weekend April 28-30. The team will begin by running with the IRA at Luxemburg Speedway on Friday, April 28, followed by the MSA opener at the Plymouth Dirt Track on Saturday, April 29 and another MSA event at the Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam on Sunday, April 30.

For more information on Pokorski Motorsports, check out Pokorski Motorsports on Facebook or visit www.pedaldownpromotions.com

Pedal Down Promotions is a full-service public relations and media services company devoted to helping its clients effectively communicate with targeted audiences through 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.

2017 Pokorski Motorsports Tentative Schedule

Friday April 28           Luxemburg Speedway, Luxemburg (IRA)

Saturday April 29      Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Sunday April 30         Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam

Saturday May 6         Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Saturday May 13       Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Saturday May 20       Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Saturday May 27       Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Sunday May 28          141 Speedway in Francis Creek (IRA)

Saturday June 3         Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Saturday June 10       Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Sunday June 11          Angel Park Speedway in Sun Prairie

Saturday June 17       Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Friday June 23           Spring Valley Speedway in Unity

Saturday June 24       Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Saturday July 1           Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Sunday July 2             141 Speedway in Francis Creek (IRA)

Friday July 7                Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam

Saturday July 8           Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Saturday July 15        Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Saturday July 22        Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Saturday July 29        Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Sunday July 30           Angel Park Speedway in Sun Prairie

Saturday Aug. 5         Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Saturday Aug. 12       Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Sunday Aug. 13          Angel Park Speedway in Sun Prairie

Saturday Aug 19        Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Friday, Aug. 25           Spring Valley Speedway in Unity

Saturday Aug. 26       Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Sunday Aug. 27          Angel Park Speedway in Sun Prairie

Saturday Sept. 2        Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Sunday, Sept. 3          141 Speedway, Francis Creek (IRA)

Saturday Sept. 9        Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Saturday Sept. 16      **Rain date only for PDTR Sept. 9th date

Saturday Sept. 30      Plymouth Dirt Track Racing at Sheboygan Co. Fairgrounds

Saturday Nov. 11      MSA awards banquet

 

March 9, 2017 / by Jeff Pederson

John Wirth, author of “Days Gone By – Growing Up in Small Town Wisconsin” talks about Pedal Down Promotions

John Wirth and Jeff Pederson

In February of 2007, I started writing articles for The Sheboygan Falls News. It didn’t take long before Jeff Pederson, the editor of The Sheboygan Falls News, asked me to continue writing for the paper. I enjoyed writing them and before long it was 2016, and I had 39 stories written. I knew I wanted to have the stories published, if nothing more than as a bucket list project. I just didn’t know how to go about getting this project done. After searching the internet for anyone that could help me, it became apparent that this was going to be a long and costly undertaking.

When Jeff told me that he was branching out into a new business endeavor, Pedal Down Promotions, I knew I had hope. Working with Jeff proved to be the person I needed to successfully get my book publishing under way. Without ever actually speaking to one another, we got everything done via emails. I provided all of the stories and photos that went along with each story. We decided on the title was going to be “Days Gone By,” the same as the newspapers column. With the title finalized, Jeff took care of the rest. He designed the covers both front and back. He set up all of the main pages, wrote the foreward and proofread the contents to perfection. Jeff also found a printer that would print what we needed at a very reasonable price.

When I received the first proof copy, I was amazed at the quality of the book. The front and back covers looked perfect, as well as the layout of the contents. Jeff truly knocked it out of the park and I was thrilled to have the book of my dreams in my hands. With both of our approvals, we went forward to final print. Jeff set up contacts for placing the book. He did the advertizing both in print and contacting businesses. The biggest surprise came when Jeff emailed me to check out my book on Amazon. He got everything set up for me on Amazon.com, which has proven to be very rewarding.  My wife and I flew up to Wisconsin to thank Jeff and to do a promotion article for the press. With Jeff’s connections and his expertise, my dream of having a book published has come true.

February 19, 2017 / by Jeff Pederson

Unity Music Festival to support Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund

If ever there was an opportunity to sample a wide variety of music at the same event on the same night, the 13th annual Unity Music Festival to benefit the Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund (SCCCF) will provide that and more Saturday, April 8, at the Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts in Sheboygan.

Mary Ann Waldbauer of Sheboygan Falls founded the Unity Music Festival in 2005 to support local cancer patients in need.

Over the past 12 years, the event has grown substantially while drawing some of the best area musical talent, as well as a loyal contingent of dedicated sponsors and supporters.

This year’s show, which begins at 7 p.m., will feature four highly talented and diverse musical performers, including soloist Allison Stauber, The Rice Family, The Eldorados and The Rick Raybine Band.

“We have been so blessed with another great line up,” Waldbauer said. “We have a very multi-talented soloist, Allison Stauber, The Rice Family from Oostburg will be playing bluegrass. The Eldorados will be on hand playing 50s and 60s music and The Rick Raybine Band will do country. There will certainly be something for everyone.

“If you do not like an act, sit tight because the musical style is about to change with the next act,” she said. “Also, the big bands will be coming together for never-before-done grand finale, which will be spectacular.”

Fundraising activities will kick off the festivities begin at 5 p.m. with silent and live-auction viewing, as well as dollar and 50/50 raffles.

In addition, there will be two gala appetizer buffet events this year one of which will run prior to the show upstairs at the Weill Center starting at 5 p.m.

The other buffet will take place beginning at 5:30 p.m. next door to the Weill Center with Chef Clint and Miesfeld’s staff providing the appetizers.

All proceeds from the show will go to support the Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund, which assists cancer patients within Sheboygan County.

“One hundred percent of the proceeds go to help cancer patients and their family members in Sheboygan County,” Waldbauer said. “Anyone suffering a financial hardship due to cancer can benefit from this fund.

“We can help with heat, light, water, house mortgages, wigs, rent, uninsured medical bills, groceries or gas cards, quality of life classes, etc.,” she said. “We help make their quality of life better while going through this devastating time in their lives.”

In 2017, the SCCCF is celebrating the 15-year anniversary of the very first gesture which was made in 2002.

Established in 2000, The Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund is the brainchild of local medical oncologist, H. Marshall Matthews, who recognized the need to help cancer patients through their cancer journey; it was established in 2000.

In 2002, 17 gestures totaling $2,700 were approved. Since then, hundreds of gestures, amounting to more than one million dollars, have been accepted by the SCCCF.

According to Waldbauer, the Unity Music Festival has made great strides in raising funds to assist cancer patients in Sheboygan County, but much more needs to be done.

“With the donations of time, great talent, generous contributions and the sponsorships of local businesses, this cancer benefit has raised at total of $329,700.28 over the past 12 years,” Waldbauer said. “The need for assistance is growing, so I hope the community will turn out to support this cause.

“I encourage people to call their friends, neighbors, church groups, red hat groups, co-workers, or clubs and enjoy a fun evening together,” she said.

This year’s event will feature new faces leading the evening’s events, including master of ceremonies Randy Schwoerer and Re/Max Realty Plus & Cain Auctions Realtor/Auctioneer Nick Cain, who will be the auctioneer for the live auction during the show’s intermission.

General admission tickets are currently on sale for $20 per person and gala buffet tickets are also available for $30.

Tickets are available in advance at  Blattner’s Piggly Wiggly in Sheboygan Falls 1166 Fond Du Lac Ave. in Sheboygan Falls, 467-0477), Mary Ann or Rick Waldbauer (998 Huron Trail in Sheboygan Falls, 467-3303), Midwest Dental of Plymouth (1415 Eastern Ave. in Plymouth, 893-8458), Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts (826 North Eighth St. in Sheboygan, 208-3243), Matthews Oncology (1621 North Taylor Drive in Sheboygan, 458-7433), Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic (1222 North 23rd St. in Sheboygan, 457-6800), Plymouth Piggly Wiggly (141 Eastern Ave. in Plymouth, 893-0741), Oostburg Piggly Wiggly (944 Center Ave. in Oostburg, 564-2234), Howards Grove Piggly Wiggly (714 South Wisconsin Drive in Howards Grove, 565-4421), Northside Piggly Wiggly (2905 North 15th St. in Sheboygan, 458-9991), Sheboygan Falls Chamber-Main Street (504 Broadway St. in Sheboygan Falls, 467-6206), Festival Foods (595 South Taylor Drive in Sheboygan, 694-6260), Oostburg State Bank (905 Center Ave. in Oostburg, 564-2336) and Trilling True Hardware (901 Michigan Ave. in Sheboygan, 457-5541).

Sponsorships are currently being sought for this year’s event. Show ($4,000), gold ($1,000), silver sponsor ($500), bronze ($500) and friend ($50) level sponsorships are currently available.

Gold sponsors will receive four complimentary tickets to the show and the Gala Appetizer and Wine Buffet.

Silver sponsors will receive two complimentary tickets to the show and to the  Gala Appetizer & Wine Buffet.

The sponsorship deadline for inclusion in the event program is March 17.

The Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund is a publicly supported 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Contributions by the public are fully tax-deductible.

“When you come to this fundraising event for the Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund you will get great music, live auctions held on stage during the show, silent auctions, dollar raffles and a 50/50 raffle,” Waldbauer said. “The night is guaranteed to provide action-packed fun. The best part of it is it’s all about people helping people.”

For more information on the Unity Music Festival visit unitymusicfestival.org or the Unity Music Festival Facebook page.

More information on the Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund can be found at www.scccf.org

For additional information or to purchase gala appetizer buffet tickets, call Mary Ann Waldbauer at 467-3303 or email umfmaryann@charter.net

January 25, 2017 / by Jeff Pederson

Despite unclear future, EWSC celebrates 2016 racing season

Eastern Wisconsin Stock Cars honored its 2016 champions at the 56th annual EWSC Awards Banquet Saturday, Dec. 10, at City Limits Bar and Banquet Hall in Manitowoc. Pictured left to right are Brad Lubach (Grand National), Shaun Bangart (Sport 4), Brian Bruechert (Sport Mod), Brandon McMullen (Sprint Car), Tim Buhler (Late Model) and Jamie Schmidt (Modified). – Photo by Samantha Kohls

Seven champions honored in final season at Manitowoc Speedway

By Jeff Pederson, Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) December 12, 2016 – With its future hanging in limbo, Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car racing officials, drivers, pit crew members, supporters and fans gathered at City Limits Bar and Banquet Hall in Manitowoc to toast a highly competitive 2016 racing season at the Manitowoc Speedway, during the 56th annual EWSC Awards Banquet Saturday, Dec. 10.

While the mood was predominately festive with champions, hard charger and rookie of the year award recipients officially recognized for their standout performances during the 2016 season, there was an underlying feeling of melancholy and uncertainty as expressed by EWSC President Todd Humphrey in his opening remarks.

“Going back to last year around this time we had just wrapped up our 2015 season awards banquet when things took a turn in mid-December,” Humphrey said. “Not long after that, the reality set in that the Expo grounds had been sold and the 2016 would be our last at the Manitowoc Speedway.

“We started the season with a string of rain outs, but once we got through that, our season really got running good,” he said. “I could never have imagined that on our last night at Manitowoc, we would have a field of 173 cars. The success of the 2016 season is a testament to all of you guys gathered here tonight. I want to thank you all for putting on a hell of a show throughout the year.”

Humphrey paid tribute to the EWSC staff members who gave their time to ensure the final season of racing at the Manitowoc Speedway was one to remember.

“I want to recognize our staff of volunteers who gave so much of themselves during the season,” Humphrey said. “From the flagman, to the corner workers to the lineup people, the scorers the concession stand works, the list goes on. It was a true team effort. We couldn’t have asked for a better staff.

“I can’t go without mentioning our track prep crew,” he said. “I think all of us can agree that we had great tracks all season long. I would say we had zero bad tracks all year. Maybe we had a couple of nights that were not quite as good, but not many. No matter what, there was always plenty of racing surface for our drivers to put on an awesome show for the fans.”

After several months of waiting for the official word to come down about the final sale of the track, Humphrey spoke about the efforts of staff volunteers to clear out EWSC’s equipment from the track grounds in advance of the Manitowoc County-mandated Dec. 16 vacancy deadline.

“The last three weeks have been a whirlwind for everyone,” Humphrey said. “Without the help of our members, especially people like last year’s Sport Mod champ Rick Kretschmann, Dale Bauer and this year’s Late Model champion Tim Buhler, I don’t know where we’d be. I also have to thank Dennis Hill and Vetting Transport for all they have done in the past few weeks to help us vacate the track property.”

All seven 2016 EWSC champions were then honored for their stellar seasons.

Brian Bruechert of Kewaunee collected his first ever EWSC championship in the Sport Mod division.

Bruechert, who topped runner-up Travis Arenz of Sheboygan by two points (498-496) in the final standings, finished the season with one A-main victory, seven top-five A main finishes, 11 top-ten A main showings and four heat race victories in 12 events.

“I didn’t set out to run for the championship, but everything fell into place,” Bruechert said. “I had fun all year long and in the end it turned out to be a blast. I remember getting my first win at Manty back in 1990 in a stock car on the half mile.  It was really nice to come back to Manitowoc and meet a lot of great people in the process.

“I’ve raced for 27 years at a lot of different tracks and the track prep this year at Manitowoc was second to none,” he said. “It is saying something when you can go out in your heat race and run three and four wide and not worry about sliding into the guard rail. The track was always smooth and really racy.”

John Rothmund of Manitowoc, who finished third in the Sport Mod points standings, picked up the Sport Mod Rookie of the Year Award and Travis Arenz was also honored with the 2016 Sport Mod Hard Charger Award for passing 60 cars in 11 A-main events.

Rounding out the top five in the Sport Mod point standings were Cody Schroeder of Manitowoc in fourth and Jayden Schmidt of Seymour fifth.

Jamie Schmidt of Seymour notched the 2016 Modified championship with five top-five A-main showings, eight top-10 A-main finishes and three heat race triumphs in nine races.

Schmidt topped runner-up Randy Markwardt Jr. of Sheboygan Falls by a 23-point margin (368-345) in the final point standings. Matt Jackson of Sheboygan was third, followed by Kyle Kudick of Two Rivers (fourth) and Eric Scribner of Kiel (fifth).

“I would like to thank everyone at Manitowoc Speedway,” Schmidt said. “It was a great place to race.”

Kyle Kudick was the 2016 EWSC Modified Hard Charger Award winner for passing 25 cars in seven A-main races.

Brad Lubach of Kiel, who recorded two A-main victories, nine top-five and nine top-10 A-main showings to go along with five heat race victories in 11 events, captured the Grand National title by a slim two-point margin over Justin Erickson of Plymouth.

“I want to thank my wife, mom and dad, as well as my great crew and all of my sponsors for a great year,” Lubach said. “I also want to recognize EWSC for all that they did this year. Manitowoc Speedway has been one of my favorite tracks. It sucks that it’s going to be gone.”

Ryan Minster of Sheboygan, who finished third in the final point standings, captured the Grand National Hard Charger Award for passing a division best 56 cars in 11 A-main events.

Steven Weber of Plymouth finished fourth and Tim Simon of Fond du Lac rounded out the top five in the Grand National point standings.

The 2016 EWSC Late Model championship hardware went to Tim Buhler of Glenbeulah for the second consecutive year. Buhler, who also picked up the Late Model Hard Charger Award for passing 30 cars in A-main action, posted two A-main victories, four top-five A-main finishes, seven top-10 A-main showings and two heat race wins in eight nights of competition.

“I’ve been to a lot of different tracks in my career and one of the main things I learned from racing at Manitowoc is that the track crew for EWSC is pretty darn good,” Buhler said.

Rounding out the top five in the 2016 EWSC Late Model point standings were Jim Schmidt of Cleveland (second), Justin Schmidt of Cleveland (third), Turk Letizia of Milwaukee (fourth) and Taylor Scheffler of Waukesha (fifth).

Brandon McMullen of Plymouth picked up the 2016 Sprint Car championship, topping West Bend’s Paul Pokorski by four points (247-243) in the final point standings.

McMullen claimed one A-main victory, three top-five A main finishes, six top-ten showings and three heat race victories in six races in 2016.

“My family has been racing with EWSC for a long time,” McMullen said. “Eastern has had its ups and downs over the years, but it has definitely been on the upswing in the past couple years with this group of board members and staff. Manitowoc is definitely one of the best tracks I’ve ever been on.

“I have to thank my family for all of their support,” he said. “It means a lot to have them be there every night for me. It was fun racing with Paul [Pokorski] for the championship. It was fitting with our EWSC backgrounds that Paul and I were racing for the championship right down to the final night of the season. Paul raced me clean all year. He is a great guy on and off the track.”

Rounding out the top five in the final Sprint Car point standings were Kurt Davis of West Allis (third), Danny Schlafer of Sussex (fourth) and Doug Wondra of Oakfield (fifth).

Danny Schlafer was recognized with the Sprint Car Hard Charger Award for passing 24 cars in six A-main events and Tyler Brabant of Waupun earned the Sprint Car Rookie of the Year Award.

Shaun Bangart of Chilton claimed six A-main victories, 10 top-five and top-ten A-main showings and five heat race wins in 11 races en route to the Sport 4 title. Bangart also claimed the Sport 4 Hard Charger Award by passing a total of 43 cars in 10 A-main races.

Mitchell Meier of Chilton, who placed second in the Sport 4 point standings, earned the 2016 Sport 4 Rookie of the Award. Mike Meier of Chilton (third), Matt DeWilde (fourth) and Jason Dondlinger (fifth) completed the top five.

Walker Bergene of Whitelaw claimed the Thunder Truck track title and Rooke of the Year Award on the strength of eight A-main victories, 10 top-five and top-10 A-main finishes and six heat race triumphs in 10 events.

Humphrey assured those in attendance that EWSC leaders plan to keep the club alive in hopes of finding a new home track.

“Our future is up in the air at this point,” Humphrey said. “I strongly believe that we will continue somewhere in the future. We will be holding our Bowling Bash at Odyssey Fun Center in Sheboygan Falls on February 4th, so we encourage everyone to come out on that day and celebrate Eastern. Maybe we will have some good news to share at that point.”

Founding EWSC member Kermit Schulz of Manitowoc closed the award ceremony with some final words on the longstanding racing organization.

“I was around in 1960 when Eastern first formed,” Schulz said. “I don’t think there are too many original members still around from back then. I think Jerry McMullen is one of them, but not many others are still here. I want to take this time to thank Eastern for keeping racing going in this area for 56 years. I hope it goes on, but right now one never knows.”

The 2016 EWSC Board of Directors includes Todd Humphrey (president), Mark Petrie (vice president), Rick Minster (treasurer), John Tienor (secretary), Andra Humphrey (director), Jonathan Otte (director) and Sheila Leamer (director).

EWSC sponsors for the 2016 season included A&W of Manitowoc, Affordable Auto Rental, Associate Insurance/Secura Insurance, Baleigh Industrial, Bank First National, Best Western Stanton Inn, Brixius Manufacturing, Budweiser/Larry’s Distributing, Buffalo Wild Wings, Calbre, City Limits, Custom Craft Trophies of Plymouth, Fastenal, Fricke Ready Mix Concrete, Gibbsville Cheese, Hager’s Half-Pounder Cookies, Harbor Town HD/Polaris, Hoban Cycle, Hubbartt Electric, J.Johnson and Associates, Just Orthodontics, Kaeden Services, Lakeside Pepsi, Manitowoc Automotive Supply, Manitowoc Pattern and Machine, Mark Petrie Fabrication, Masonic Lodge 65, MMPA, MX Megastore, Nelson Truck and Equipment, Odyssey Fun Center, O’Reilly Auto Parts, PDQ Car Wash, Pietroske Auto, Pizza Ranch, Pomps Tire, Professional Plating Inc., Reinbold Pfeffer & Jens, Rick’s Auto Doctors, Riverside Landscaping, Rummele Jewelers, Satori Automotive, Smiling Moose, Spielvogel Excavating, Suburban Drywall, TA Motorsports, Terry’s Whitelaw Auto, Vetting Transport, Vogel Auto Body/John’s Auto Sales, Wild Inc. and Zabel Monuments.

To stay up to date on all news related to EWSC, visit www.manitowocspeedway.com or the Manitowoc Speedway Facebook and Twitter pages.

Eastern Wisconsin Stock Cars honored its 2016 rookie of the year award winners at the 56th annual EWSC Awards Banquet Saturday, Dec. 10, at City Limits Bar and Banquet Hall in Manitowoc. Pictured left to right are Tyler Brabant (Sprint Car), Mitchell Meier (Sport 4) and John Rothmund (Sport Mod). – Photo by Samantha Kohls

December 12, 2016 / by Jeff Pederson

EWSC rules out Chilton

Eastern Wisconsin Stock Cars ends talks for return to Chilton

Manitowoc, WI – At this point in time, Eastern Wisconsin Stock Cars, Inc (EWSC) has determined it is in the best interest of the club and its members for its Board of Directors to end discussions with the Calumet County Agricultural Association (CCAA) regarding the possible return of weekly racing to the Calumet County Fairgrounds.

The EWSC Board of Directors has met with CCAA President Jeff Wunrow on several occasions over the past 10 months and we feel that the he has no intentions of negotiating fairly. We had hopes when the CCAA Board formally requested information that there was a possibility that EWSC’s weekly racing program would return to Chilton after 43 years. However, as we set out to gather the requested information, we have constantly been met with resistance from Mr. Wunrow.

In the wake of all that has transpired, the EWSC Board of Directors has reached the conclusion that it will no longer actively seek to promote weekly racing at the Calumet County Fairgrounds. If there is a desire for those in the Chilton community and the members of CCAA to work in conjunction with EWSC to improve the grounds and discuss a fair and just contract between the two entities, we would entertain those plans at a future date. EWSC thanks county leaders for the opportunity and we wish them all the best

Eastern Wisconsin Stock Cars, Inc. was established after the 1959 race season and began sanctioning races in May 1960 at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth. Starting in 1961, EWSC promoted races on Wednesday nights at the Calumet County Fairgrounds in Chilton. In 1966 the club began making weekly appearances at the 141 Speedway in Francis Creek, first racing on Thursday nights and switching to Wednesday nights after discontinuing weekly shows in Chilton in 1974. EWSC members voted to end the club’s partnership with 141 Speedway in 1981.

In addition to Plymouth, Chilton, and 141 Speedway, the club has sanctioned races at Beaver Dam, Slinger and Fond du Lac. In 2005, EWSC started promoting weekly racing at the Manitowoc County Expo grounds. In 2016, EWSC promoted races under the title of Manitowoc Speedway, running weekly shows featuring seven divisions of regular competition, including 360 Sprint cars, Late Models, Modifieds, Grand Nationals, Sport Mods, Sport Fours, and Thunder Trucks.

EWSC also hosted two IRA Bumper to Bumper sprint car shows and the Street Stocks visited the track on three occasions in 2016.

EWSC also worked with Pink Heals of Manitowoc County, Manitowoc Youth Hockey, Big Brothers – Big Sisters, Holiday House, and other local organizations to raise money for those groups.

EWSC board of directors,

Todd Humphrey, president

Mark Petrie, vice president

Rick Minster, treasurer

John Tienor, secretary

Andra Humphrey, director

Jonathan Otte, director

Sheila Leamer, director

November 22, 2016 / by Jeff Pederson

Pedal Down Promotions releases new book by John Wirth

New book recalls ‘Days Gone By’ in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin

days gone by book cover

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) – Long before smart phones, video games and the internet arrived to serve the nation’s youth with idle gratification, young people relied on a vivid imagination and a keen spirit of adventure to create experiences ripe with exhilarating adventure and a lifetime of memories.

Such is the case for author John Wirth, who draws on those special youthful memories in his new book recently released by Pedal Down Promotions.

“Days Gone By The Falls – Growing up in small town Wisconsin” is John Wirth’s poignant, colorful account of growing up in Sheboygan Falls, Wis. in the 1950s and 1960s.

The book features a collection of 39 newspaper columns, which have appeared on a regular basis in The Sheboygan Falls News weekly newspaper since 2007. The book takes readers back to a time when imagination, creativity and the pursuit of good, clean fun ruled the lives of youngsters long before the clutches of modern technology swooped in to stifle such endeavors.

Wirth, who now resides in Largo, Fla., paints a whimsical portrait of an era in time when people worked hard without question and played hard without considering the possible dangers of youthful exuberance. Readers will meet several unique characters who inhabited many memorable locales in the quant, picturesque, Midwestern city of Sheboygan Falls.

While the book touches on the people, places and things located in Sheboygan Falls, Wirth says the themes of that by-gone era can resonant with one and all, regardless of their place of origin.

“These stories are not a reflection of one small town, in one state,” Wirth said. “I have found that what I experienced could have happened in ‘Anytown USA.’ Since the release of the book, I received an email from a friend who lives in Byron Bay, Australia. He said that reading my stories brought back memories of those days even in Australia.

“Writing these stories was an opportunity to share some of the memories with others, and putting them in book form was the best way I could think of,” he said. “Having Jeff Pederson, from Pedal Down Promotions put this all together for me made my dream come true.”

The book is currently available for $10 at the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center (518 Water St. in Sheboygan Falls, online at schrc.org), Sheboygan Falls Chamber-Main Street (504 Broadway St. in Sheboygan Falls) and the Sheboygan Falls News-Plymouth Review office (113 Mill St. in Plymouth).

It is also available by mail order through Pedal Down Promotions, 517 South St. 27th in Manitowoc by emailing pedaldownpromotions@gmail.com or calling 920-323-7970.

In addition, the book can be ordered online via Amazon.com.

For more information on “Days Gone By – Growing Up in Small Town Wisconsin,” contact Jeff Pederson at Pedal Down Promotions via email at pedaldownpromotions@gmail.com by phone at 920-323-7970 or online at www.pedaldownpromotions.com.

About the Author

John Wirth grew up in Sheboygan Falls, and after graduating from Sheboygan Falls High School, he served two years aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer. In 1967 he married his high school sweetheart, Marilyn Verhage. They lived in Sheboygan Falls for three years. In 1970, John and Marilyn left the cold Wisconsin winters and moved to their new home in Largo, Florida They have two sons Robert and Donald and two grandchildren. John worked in the telecommunications business for 40 years, working for three large corporations before retiring. Marilyn followed him in retirement from a long teaching career two years later. John enjoys his passions of photography, travel and writing.

“Days Gone By – Growing Up in Small Town Wisconsin” is John’s first book. He welcomes any comments or just a friendly hello at his email address john@solarbright.com.

 

 

 

 

 

November 15, 2016 / by Jeff Pederson

The Village at 170 debuts new look, live music

The Toys ready to rock The Village at 170 on Thanksgiving Eve

Kohler, WI – Since assuming ownership in January, Jeff and Mel Romanoski, owners of The Village at 170, have transformed the former Range Line Inn into a fresh, modern, multi-purpose, full-service banquet hall and entertainment complex.

The fruits of their labor are now on full display at 170 Range Line Road in Kohler.  A recently completed exterior upgrade features several eye-pleasing features, including two brand new lighted signs, patio area, brick facade, classic brown and gold siding and illuminated window treatments.

“We wanted to freshen up the outside of the building,” Jeff Romanoski said. “It was kind of dark, so we have done quite a bit to light up the building with new signs and window lighting. We think the changes have made the building look more inviting from the outside.”

The interior of the facility has also been updated to offer a relaxed and comfortable ambiance.

“The inside has been redone with new lighting and new ceiling tiles in the grand ballroom,” Jeff said. “Our goal was to give the whole facility a warmer feeling.”

The Village at 170 includes a 1,200-square-foot grand banquet hall, which features a capacity of 800 people, along with a dance floor, stage and full bar area. The facility also features the Badger Room, which includes seating for 300, a large dance area and full bar.

The grand ballroom will be rocking on the night before Thanksgiving Wednesday, Nov. 23, when popular regional band The Toys will perform for what Jeff and Mel hope will be the first of many live music events at The Village at 170.

The Milwaukee-based band showcases a diverse catalogue of songs, which includes a blend of modern rock, pop, Top 40 and classic rock music.

“Our plan is to have four live music nights a year with top bands from the area playing,” Jeff said. “The Toys are a great band with a big following, so we are hoping for a good turnout.”

Doors for the event will open at 7 p.m. with The Toys scheduled to be on stage from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. There will be an $8 cover charge for The Toys performance. This will be a 21 and over show.

The event will also feature a free shuttle service ride to residents of Sheboygan Falls, Sheboygan and Kohler between 8 p.m. and 1:30 a.m.

“We want to provide people with a safe ride home,” Jeff said. “It is another extra thing that we want to provide for our guests. The shuttle will bring people right to their home from The Village at 170.”

For more information on the shuttle service call Tim at 920-547-0338.

Interest in the facility has been high and business has been booming in the first year of operation.

“We’ve been blessed with a lot of support during our first year in business,” Mel said. “We’ve had all kinds of events, including weddings, banquets, benefits, fundraisers, business meetings, school group meetings and other types of community events. We are booking out a year in advance and even into 2018. The word of mouth has been outstanding and the response from the people that have been to an event with us has been remarkable.”

To book an event at The Village at 170, call Mel Romanoski by phone at (920) 467-2584, e-mail thevillageat170@gmail.com or visit www.village170.com.

 

November 9, 2016 / by Jeff Pederson

Pokorski Motorsports closes book on 2016

Pokorski team eyes silver anniversary season in 2017

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) November 1, 2016 – On the heels of two consecutive rock solid and highly successful campaigns, the recently completed 2016 racing season featured plenty of peaks and valleys for Paul Pokorski and his Pokorski Motorsports 360 sprint car team.

After capturing the Midwest Sprint Car Association Masters Series championship in 2014 and backing that up with a strong runner-up showing in the MSA series standings in 2015, Pokorski elected to park the team’s trusty 2011 J&J in favor of a brand new 2016 Maxim chassis.

The chassis change kept the team on its toes throughout a roller coaster 25-race 2016 campaign.

“Heading into 2016 with the new car, we knew that there would be a learning curve,” Pokorski said. “The learning curve was a little steeper than I thought it would be, but we are pretty happy with what we learned. I am glad that we found some consistency at the end of the year.”

In 21 MSA events, Pokorski posted five top-five finishes in A-main competition, along with 12 top-10 A-main finishes and seven heat race victories. The team also competed in four Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series events, highlighted by a 19th-place A-main finish at the Manitowoc Expo Speedway, the team’s home track, on July 1.

The season marked just the third campaign since 1995 in which Pokorski failed to record an A-main victory.

The team’s best A-main finish of the 2016 season was a second-place showing at the Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam on July 8th.

“The highlight of the season for me was when we ran second at Dodge County,” Pokorski said. “That finish is something I would not have predicted for us at that track. We also had several good runs at Manitowoc. Smooth, dry, slick race tracks have never been my thing, so those nights when we can do well in those conditions are memorable for me. The final night at Plymouth was also a solid night on a slick track.”

The team also found itself in the thick of a championship points battle in the final season of Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car racing action at the Manitowoc Expo Speedway.

Pokorski entered the final race night ever at the Manitowoc Expo Speedway on Sept. 3 just three points behind 2015 MSA champion Brandon McMullen in the chase for the EWSC sprint car title.

After running in close quarters throughout the final A main event, McMullen came home seventh and Pokorski placed ninth, with McMullen prevailing to capture the track championship by a four-point margin over Pokorski.

“I was really happy to have a shot at the Manitowoc track championship, especially since it was the final season of racing there,” Pokorski said. “We had some good runs there leading up to that night, so I felt pretty confident we would go out and run well.

“The heat race was great,” he said. “We had to start 10th in the feature and I was fine with that. It became a little frustrating when I couldn’t go forward during the main. I could see Brandon was just in front of me and I noticed that he was also having trouble making up any ground. The carrot was out there and I just couldn’t grab it. That was frustrating. It still is.”

The 2016 season was also dotted by a handful of disappointments for Pokorski and his team.

“We had a header come loose causing a fire while we were leading a feature at Plymouth,” Pokorski said. “I really think it cost us a win that night. That was definitely the low point of the year.

“We got caught up in a few incidents around the end of July, beginning of August that were really not caused by us, which was a frustrating stretch,” Pokorski said. “When that type of thing happens, I just try to remind myself that when you race there are going to be those periods of bad luck, and it can always be worse. Luckily, we have people and parts in place to deal with a few bumps here and there.”

Despite missing a race at Plymouth to attend a wedding, Pokorski wound up sixth in the final MSA point standings and placed 11th in the Plymouth Dirt Track Racing point standings.

Pokorski gave special recognition to his pit crew for their dedication during a challenging season.

“I want to thank Dave Schultz, Randy Leamer, Dan Hoerig and the rest of the crew for their support,” Pokorski said. “They always do a fantastic job.”

Pokorski would like to thank sponsors Goeden’s Auto Body, Goodwin Racing Engines, Jens, Reinbold & Pfeffer Family Funeral Services & Crematory, Kettle Moraine Landscaping, Novak’s Service Center, Pedal Down Promotions, Christel Sign, Tisler Salvage Inc. and The Cawley Company for their support during the 2016 season.

The 2017 season will mark the 25th silver anniversary season of racing for Pokorski Motorsports.

“I am really looking forward to 2017,” Pokorski said. “It is going to be our 25th season of racing, which is a pretty big milestone. We are hoping to make it special for our fans and sponsors.”

Pokorski Motorsports is seeking sponsorship partners for the 2017 season. For information on how to join the team for its silver anniversary season, contact Paul Pokorski via the Pokorski Motorsports Facebook page or by email at pokorskiracing@sbcglobal.net.

Pokorski Motorsports Sponsor Showcase – Tisler Salvage

For the past 50 years, Tisler Salvage, located at 11530 County Road NN in Reedsville, has been your top source for used and aftermarket auto parts in the Manitowoc County area.

Tisler Salvage, which opened its doors in 1966, also buys scrap iron.

Contact Tisler Salvage by phone at 920-864-7631 or 920-732-3669, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. Tisler Salvage can also be reached by email at sales@tislersalvage.com

Paul and the Pokorski Motorsports team would like to thank Gary and the folks at Tisler Salvage for their support over the years.

The Pokorski Motorsports sponsors for the 2016 season include: Goeden’s Auto Body, Goodwin Racing Engines, Jens, Reinbold & Pfeffer Family Funeral Services & Crematory, Kettle Moraine Landscaping, Novak’s Service Center, Pedal Down Promotions, Christel Sign, Tisler Salvage Inc. and The Cawley Company.

For more information on Pokorski Motorsports, check out Pokorski Motorsports on Facebook or visit www.pedaldownpromotions.com

Pedal Down Promotions is a full-service public relations and media services company devoted to helping its clients effectively communicate with targeted audiences through 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.

2016 Pokorski Motorsports By The Numbers
Total Events – 25
MSA events – 21
IRA events – 4
A Main Victories – 0
Top Five A Main Finishes – 5
Top 10 A Main Finishes – 12
Heat Race Victories – 7

 

November 1, 2016 / by Jeff Pederson

Pokorski Motorsports eyes Dodge County curtain closer

 

Pokorski looks to close out 2016 season on high note

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) September 27, 2016 – After nearly a month off from competition, Paul Pokorski and his Pokorski Motorsports team will return to action for the final Midwest Sprint Car Association event of the 2016 season this Saturday, Oct. 1 at the Dodge County Fairgrounds Speedway in Beaver Dam.

The team has been idle since completing a tripleheader weekend at the Plymouth Dirt Track, Manitowoc Speedway and 141 Speedway in Francis Creek over the Labor Day Holiday Weekend.

After a rare in-season four-week break, Pokorski is eager to get back in the seat for the 2016 MSA finale on the high speed Dodge County Fairgrounds Speedway, which is commonly referred to as “the horsepower half mile.”

The lightning fast facility has been quite kind to the Pokorski Motorsports team this year. Pokorski drove to a season-best second place finish in the MSA A main on July 8 and followed that up with a solid eighth place showing in A main action on Aug. 5.        .

“Dodge County is not my favorite track, but I like it better than some others,” Pokorski said. “Now that we’ve been there a few times, I’m starting to feel more comfortable than I did a couple years ago.”

Pokorski enters the final race of the 2016 in an unfamiliar position. Since 1995, the 24-year veteran West Bend driver has recorded an A main victory in every season except two (2011, 2013), including feature race triumphs during each of the past two seasons. However, an A main triumph has eluded the team this season.

Pokorski enters the Dodge County curtain closer sixth in MSA points, three points behind Lance Fassbender, who currently stands fifth.

After the Plymouth Dirt Track Racing season finale was rained out on Sept. 10, Pokorski ended the PDTR season 11th in points, despite missing a night to attend a wedding.

He wound up second in points in Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car action at Manitowoc Speedway, just four points behind 2016 EWSC champion Brandon McMullen, who leads Kurt Davis by 14 points in the MSA standings going into Saturday’s finale.

Pokorski says the team has spent the bulk of the 2016 season getting acquainted with the ins and outs of its new Maxim.

“The new car definitely presented us with a bit of a learning curve this year,” Pokorski said. “I feel like we really started to get a hold of it the last month or so.”

Pokorski hopes to cap the 2016 season on a high note before the team begins preparations for the 2017 campaign, which will mark the team’s silver anniversary season of competition.

“I’m hoping we can finish strong and head into the offseason with a positive attitude,” Pokorski said. “I am looking forward to taking the car apart and going through it over the winter in preparation for our 25th season of racing in 2017.”

Joining the MSA series at the Dodge County Fairgrounds this Saturday will be the Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series and the Wisconsin Dirt Late Model Association Lucky 7 Series. Hot laps are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. with racing to follow at 7:15 p.m

Pokorski Motorsports Sponsor Showcase – Tisler Salvage

For the past 50 years, Tisler Salvage, located at 11530 County Road NN in Reedsville, has been your top source for used and aftermarket auto parts in the Manitowoc County area.

Tisler Salvage, which opened its doors in 1966, also buys scrap iron.

Contact Tisler Salvage by phone at 920-864-7631 or 920-732-3669, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. Tisler Salvage can also be reached by email at sales@tislersalvage.com

Paul and the Pokorski Motorsports team would like to thank Gary and the folks at Tisler Salvage for their support over the years.

The Pokorski Motorsports sponsors for the 2016 season include: Goeden’s Auto Body, Goodwin Racing Engines, Jens, Reinbold & Pfeffer Family Funeral Services & Crematory, Kettle Moraine Landscaping, Novak’s Service Center, Pedal Down Promotions, Christel Sign, Tisler Salvage Inc. and The Cawley Company.

For more information on Pokorski Motorsports, check out Pokorski Motorsports on Facebook or visit www.pedaldownpromotions.com

Pedal Down Promotions is a full-service public relations and media services company devoted to helping its clients effectively communicate with targeted audiences through 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.

2016 Pokorski Motorsports Remaining Schedule

Saturday, October 1 – Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam (MSA)

2016 Pokorski Motorsports By The Numbers

Total Events – 25

MSA events – 21

IRA events – 4

A Main Victories – 0

Top Five A Main Finishes – 5

Top 10 A Main Finishes – 12

Heat Race Victories – 7

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 28, 2016 / by Jeff Pederson

Fit For You – The Primal Blueprint and You

by Scott Rejholec

Having a difficult time trying to figure out what’s the best balanced diet that keeps you properly fueled and helps lose fat?

In this article we will discuss The Primal Blueprint, and how it can help you.

First, I want to explain a little about the background of The Primal Blueprint. Created by Mark Sisson, the PB is focused on eating primarily healthy fats.

Yeah, I said it, FATS. At first it can be a little hard to believe, so let’s break it down.

Our bodies prefer burning fat over carbohydrates. These days, the typical American diet is high in carbohydrates and sugar.

A diet based on those two components is going to slow our metabolism and keep us craving more.

The Primal Blueprint refers back to the days of the cavemen.  They ate a diet high in healthy fats and vegetation.

If we can convert to a fat-based diet instead of a carbohydrate-based diet, our bodies can reprogram into ketosis. Ketosis is a natural metabolic process in our bodies that keeps us full longer and gives us longer lasting energy.

The easiest way to begin this way of eating, is just that. Don’t think of The Primal Blueprint as a diet where you are cutting out all your favorite foods.

Instead, think of it as an opportunity to fuel our God-given bodies with the types of food that are only going to nourish and provide us with positive benefits.  Research has found that it takes about 21 days to reprogram your body into a different way of eating.

If you can make it through three weeks of cutting out grains, added sugars and dairy, you can keep going.

You may think cutting out those food groups is impossible, but it’s not. You do, however, have to prepare.

Preparation is the key to getting through the 21 days.  If you don’t plan out your meals and snacks, then it will be difficult.

Instead of listing what you can’t eat with The Primal Blueprint, I say it’s better to be positive and list what foods you get to enjoy.

It’s as simple as this: meat/fish/fowl/eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds should be the majority of your food intake, with allowance for moderate intake of certain modern foods.

Make sure you allow yourself to splurge on those few favorite treats of yours once in a while, otherwise you’ll drive yourself insane.

As I’m sure you’ve heard before, it really all is about moderation. If you give The Primal Blueprint best effort, you will see results.

As with anything in life, nothing worth having comes easy. A healthy body in today’s society is hard, no doubt. However, living a longer, healthier life should certainly be considered worth having.

I will be posting a link to the Primal Blueprint website on the Fit For You Sheboygan Falls Facebook page.

As always, make it a great day!

 

September 13, 2016 / by Jeff Pederson

Pokorski Motorsports completes tripleheader weekend

Pokorski team falls just short of Manitowoc Speedway title                    

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) September 7, 2016 – With three races in three days at three different tracks, Paul Pokorski and his Pokorski Motorsports team put in some hard work and extended hours over the Labor Day weekend, which paid off in the form of a pair of heat race victories and two top-10 A-main finishes.

The three-race holiday weekend began Friday, Sept. 2, as the Plymouth Dirt Track Racing (PDTR)-Midwest Sprint Car Association (MSA) 360 Sprint Car Series joined forces with the Interstate Racing Association (IRA) 410 Sprint Car Series to stage a special race at the Plymouth Dirt Track during the Sheboygan County Fair.

With a stellar field of 34 PDTR-MSA Sprint Cars on hand, Pokorski started 6th in the third heat race. On the drop of the green flag, Pokorski bolted into the runner-up positions with a series of bold moves in the opening laps. On lap 2, Pokorski worked past Zach Raidart to grab second.

Two laps later, Pokorski ducked under race leader Josh Teunissen with a low move in turn two to take over the top spot. Pokorski then pulled away to a full straightaway victory over Teunissen.

After starting the 25-lap PDTR-MSA Sprint Car A main from the fourth starting spot, Pokorski slipped past Shane Wenninger and Jim Melis on the opening lap to move into the runner-up position.

Three laps later, two-time PDTR Sprint Car track champion and current point leader Donny Goeden maneuvered underneath Pokorski to take over second place.

Pokorski held strong over the final 21 circuits on the way to a season-best third-place A-main showing at Plymouth behind race winner Donny Goeden and runner-up Lance Fassbender.

“Friday night at Plymouth was great for us,” Pokorski said. “We were all very happy with the result obviously. A top-three finish is always a nice accomplishment.”

On Saturday night, the team traveled north to the Manitowoc Speedway for the track’s final ever racing program. The special grand finale event drew a huge field of 179 cars in eight divisions, including 32 Sprint Cars, and was contested before a huge crowd of long-time Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car and Manitowoc Speedway supporters and well-wishers.

The final race at Pokorski Motorsports’ home track was also significant because the team entered the night just three points behind Brandon McMullen in the chase for the 2016 EWSC Sprint Car track title.

The evening got off to a promising start for Pokorski in the first Sprint Car heat race. After starting on the outside of the front row, Pokorski powered past polesitter Kurt Davis to seize the lead in turn one of the opening lap. The Manitowoc native then pulled away to notch his second heat race victory in as many nights by a half straightaway margin over Davis.

After the conclusion of heat race action, Pokorski entered the final Sprint Car A main at the Manitowoc Speedway just two point behind McMullen in the race for the 2016 track championship.

Pokorski lined up 10th and McMullen started 11th in the A main event. After McMullen slipped past Pokorski on the initial start, the title contending duo found themselves running 8th and 9th respectively in the early going.

With the championship on the line, Pokorski attempted to slide past McMullen on lap 5, but the 2015 MSA championship held off the challenge of 2014 MSA Masters Series champ to maintain the position.

After a caution slowed the field on lap 7, Pokorski lost three spots on the ensuing restart to fall back to 11th place. He battled back to pass Kenjay Fiedler and Chris Clayton on lap 11 to move into eighth place on lap 11.

As the laps wound down, Danny Schlafer worked past Pokorski to claim the eighth position. Pokorski went on to post a 9th place showing, while McMullen came home 7th to secure the 2016 EWSC Sprint Car championship by two points over Pokorski. Jim Melis earned the final Sprint Car victory at the Manitowoc Speedway

“Saturday night was just okay for us,” Pokorski said. “The car was really good in the heat and handled as we expected. We missed the set-up in the feature a little. The track was slicker than I anticipated it would be, but overall the night wasn’t terrible.

“The heat race win on the final night at Manitowoc was nice, but I wish it would have been the main. I am a little disappointed that I didn’t capitalize on the opportunity to win the final track championship at Manitowoc. But we lost it to a great race team and great, talented racer in Brandon McMullen, which makes it a little easier to bear.”

On Sunday night, the team joined the IRA 410 Sprint Car Series with its 360 car at the 141 Speedway in Francis Creek. Pokorski qualified 28th in the 29-car field before starting and finishing 10th in the first IRA heat race of the night. In the B main, Pokorski posted a 10th place finish in the 11-car field to miss out on an A-Main transfer spot.

“Sunday night did not go as well as I would have hoped, but I learned a few things that will hopefully help us when we go back there,” Pokorski said.

Pokorski Motorsports Crew Chief Dave Schultz said 141 Speedway’s unique configuration kept the team guessing throughout the night.

“The track has two very different corners,” Schultz said. “Turn one and two is pretty open and sweeping, but turn three and four is very tight and hard to get a handle on. We figured out that we need to set up the car to work well in three and four above everything else. That will be our focus the next time we race there.”

Pokorski was thankful for the support he received in completing the three-race weekend swing.

“I want to thank my family and crew for making the three straight nights of racing possible,” Pokorski said. “I had to work all three days and I couldn’t have done it without all the help. I truly appreciate everything they do. To top it off, the crew had to deal with a transmission issue on the tow vehicle. They ended up having to borrow my parents’ truck at the last minute to get us to the track on Sunday night.”

Only two races remain on the team’s 2016 schedule. The next race for the Pokorski Motorsports team is the Plymouth Dirt Track Racing (PDTR) season finale at Sheboygan County Fair Park this Saturday, Sept. 10. Racing is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

The team will then close out the 2016 season with the MSA season finale at the Dodge County Fairgrounds Speedway in Beaver Dam on Saturday, Oct. 1.

Pokorski Motorsports Sponsor Showcase – Tisler Salvage

For the past 50 years, Tisler Salvage, located at 11530 County Road NN in Reedsville, has been your top source for used and aftermarket auto parts in the Manitowoc County area.

Tisler Salvage, which opened its doors in 1966, also buys scrap iron.

Contact Tisler Salvage by phone at 920-864-7631 or 920-732-3669, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. Tisler Salvage can also be reached by email at sales@tislersalvage.com

Paul and the Pokorski Motorsports team would like to thank Gary and the folks at Tisler Salvage for their support over the years.

The Pokorski Motorsports sponsors for the 2016 season include: Goeden’s Auto Body, Goodwin Racing Engines, Jens, Reinbold & Pfeffer Family Funeral Services & Crematory, Kettle Moraine Landscaping, Novak’s Service Center, Pedal Down Promotions, Christel Sign, Tisler Salvage Inc. and The Cawley Company.

For more information on Pokorski Motorsports, check out Pokorski Motorsports on Facebook or visit www.pedaldownpromotions.com

Pedal Down Promotions is a full-service public relations and media services company devoted to helping its clients effectively communicate with targeted audiences through 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.

2016 Pokorski Motorsports Remaining Schedule

Saturday, September 10 – Plymouth Dirt Track (MSA)

Saturday, October 1 – Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam (MSA)

2016 Pokorski Motorsports By The Numbers

Total Events – 25

MSA events – 21

IRA events – 4

A Main Victories – 0

Top Five A Main Finishes – 5

Top 10 A Main Finishes – 12

Heat Race Victories – 7

 

 

 

 

September 6, 2016 / by Jeff Pederson

EWSC stages grand farewell for Manitowoc Speedway

Seven champions crowned in Manitowoc swan song

By Jeff Pederson, Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) September 3, 2016 – With a capacity crowd of well-wishers in a bustling grandstand and an overflow contingent of 179 cars in the jam-packed pit area, Eastern Wisconsin Stock Cars crowned track champions and honored race winners for the final time ever at the Manitowoc Speedway Saturday, Sept. 3.

The spectacular turnout of present and past drivers, crews, sponsors, fans and track workers provided for a fitting conclusion to EWSC’s 12-year run at the Manitowoc Speedway facility.

The evening was bittersweet for all racing supporters on hand as the speedway is scheduled to close and be removed as the Meijer store chain is currently in final negotiations with Manitowoc County to purchase a portion of the Manitowoc Expo Speedway, including the grandstand and race track area.

As a result, the future of EWSC, which has sanctioned races in the area since 1960, remains in doubt.

On the track, the competition on the track’s final night was in large part what racers and fans have come to expect at Manitowoc Speedway – highly competitive and action-packed. The evening featured 36 total races, including 23 heats, 5 B mains and 8 A mains completed in a span of 5 and a half hours.

The final group of Manitowoc Speedway track titlists etched their names into the record books. The list of 2016 EWSC champions includes Brandon McMullen of Plymouth (Sprint Cars), Tim Buhler of Greenbush (Late Models), Jamie Schmidt of Seymour (Modifieds), Brian Bruechert of Kewaunee (Sport Mods), Brad Lubach of Kiel (Grand Nationals), Shaun Bangart of Chilton (Sport 4s) and Walker Bergene of Whitelaw (Thunder Trucks).

Seven A main winners took home trophies as well. Jim Melis of Glenbeulah earned his first Sprint Car A main triumph of the season, Mitch McGrath of Waukesha earned his second Late Model A main victory of 2016 at Manitowoc, Shawn Kilgore of New Franken made his first Manitowoc Speedway appearance of the season count with an A-main victory in the Modified headliner, Sheboygan’s Travis Arenz racked up his fourth A-main triumph of the season in the Sport Mod division, Kodiak Wirtz of Menomonee Falls claimed his third Grand National main event win, Chilton’s Shaun Bangart won the Sport 4 main event for the sixth time this year, Brandon Peterson of Sturgeon Bay earned his first Thunder Truck main event victory and Edward Anschutz of Two Rivers claimed the victory in the SBR Customs Matt Schuh Memorial Street Stock feature race.

The evening’s events began with a tribute to Matt Schuh of Manitowoc, who lost his life after suffering a medical problem while competing in a Grand National heat race, during the EWSC racing program on Aug. 24.

Schuh’s fellow firefighters from the Valders and Whitelaw volunteer fire departments were on hand, as well as the firefighters and first responders who tended to Schuh at the track on Aug. 24. All 29 Grand National drivers in attendance took a lap around the track and the Street Stock car of Erik Turner of Two Rivers carried the black flag during the National Anthem in Schuh’s honor.

After the initial start of the 20-lap Sprint Car A main was waved off for a spin involving outside front row starter Nich Melis of Plymouth, polesitter Jim Melis jumped into the lead on the drop of the green flag.

Third starter Lance Fassbender of Burnett followed closely in Melis’ tire tracks along on the far outside lane of the smooth, multi-groove racing surface.

The second caution flag of the race appeared on lap 7 after Tyler Brabant of Waupun spun in turn three.

On the ensuring restart Fassbender attempted a slide job in the first and second turns, but Melis was able to power around on the outside to maintain the top spot. Melis, Fassbender and fifth starter Scotty Neitzel of Beaver Dam, who was running third in Bob Hood’s 10w car, encountered lapped traffic on lap 15, which allowed Fassbender to close in and make another bid for the lead.

Fassbender was able to pull even with Melis as the two maneuvered around a slower car in turn four on lap 18, but again Melis was able to maintain the lead.

The 35-year veteran driver held on over the final two laps to notch his 17th career Midwest Sprint Car Association (MSA) A main victory and his first of the season at Manitowoc. Fassbender was second, Neitzel took third, Kurt Davis of West Allis came from his ninth starting spot to finish fourth and fourth starter Wayne Modjeski of Oak Creek placed fifth.

Brandon McMullen, who came into the A main leading Paul Pokorski of West Bend by just two points in the race for the Sprint Car track title. McMullen placed seventh in the A main, while Pokorski was ninth, giving McMullen his first EWSC Sprint Car championship at Manitowoc Speedway.

Polesitter Randy Markwardt of Sheboygan led the first lap of the 25-lap Late Model A main, while seventh starter Mitch McGrath charged through the pack to wrestle the lead away from Markwardt in turn three on lap 2.

By lap 13, McGrath had to deal with lapped traffic, which helped fifth starter Justin Schmidt of Cleveland move within striking distance. After hounding McGrath for eight laps, Schmidt pulled to the outside and maneuvered around McGrath and a slower car to assume the lead on lap 21.

However, Schmidt’s lead was short-lived as McGrath battled back to regain the lead using the outside groove on lap 22.

McGrath pulled way over the final three laps to notch his second victory of the season at Manitowoc, while Schmidt wound up second in the caution-free race. Tony Peterson of Big Bend recorded a strong third-place showing after starting fourth, eighth starter Jim Schmidt of Cleveland took fourth and sixth starter Taylor Schleffler of Waukesha came home fifth.

Tim Buhler placed sixth to secure the 2016 EWSC Late Model championship.

A highly competitive Modified A main featured four different leaders over the action-packed 20 lap race distance.

Outside front row starter Matt Jackson of Sheboygan paced the first lap before fourth starter Jamie Schmidt took over the top spot on lap 2. One lap later, third starter Mark Joski of Denmark passed Schmidt to grab the lead.

As Joski held the top spot over the next nine laps, heated battles were taking place all over the place behind him as Shawn Kilgore sliced through the field from his 12th starting spot to assume third place on lap five.

Following a caution on lap 10 for debris, Kilgore made his move on lap 11, sliding past Schmidt to assume the top spot with 11th starter Jeremy Jacobs of Luxemburg trailing close behind.

As Kilgore held his own in front of the field, Jacobs and Joski dueled back and forth in the closing laps for the runner-up spot. Kilgore raced away to score the A main victory in his first appearance at Manitowoc this year. Joski took second, Eric Scribner of Kiel placed third after starting fifth, Jacobs was fourth and Russ Reinwald of Iron Ridge, who started sixth, took fifth.

Jamie Schmidt finished sixth to secure the 2016 EWSC Modified track championship.

Polesitter Jayden Schmidt of Seymour grabbed the lead in turn one on lap 1 of the 20-lap Sport Mod A main, while Hunter Parsons of Green Bay, John Rothmund of Manitowoc and Cody Schroeder of Manitowoc engaged in an epic duel for second place.

After a five-car pileup brought out a caution on lap 4, Travis Arenz began to make his presence felt as he moved into second on lap 6 before powering past Schmidt in turn three on lap 9.

Over the final 11 laps, Rothmund charged in to pull up to Arenz’s bumper on a few occasions and Chris Budzban of Luxemburg moved up from his 11th starting spot to seize the third position.

Arenz held on to claim his fourth victory of the season at Manitowoc, followed by Rothmund in second, Budzban took third, Schroeder placed fourth and eighth starter Travis Hansen of Brillion was fifth.

Brian Bruechert finished seventh to wrap up the 2016 EWSC Sport Mod Manitowoc Speedway track championship.

After two multi-car incidents negated the first two attempts to start the 20-lap Grand National A main, polesitter Steven Wirtz of led the first three laps of the race.

On lap four, third starter Tyler Kulow of Plymouth passed Wirtz with a low move to take over the lead. One lap later, 10th starter Kodiak Wirtz raced past both Steven Wirtz and Kulow with a nifty low move on lap five.

One lap later, Don Sorce Jr. of West Allis raced into second place from his 13th starting spot and began to close on Kodiak Wirtz at the front of the field.

Kodiak Wirtz held off runner-up Sorce Jr. and sixth starter Brad Lubach, who came home third to secure the Grand National season points championship. Eighth starter Mark Fieber of Cascade placed fourth and Jeff Lammers of Plymouth finished fifth after starting 16th.

Ryan Minster of Sheboygan went into the night as the Grand National point leader. However, a rear end failure relegated him to a 19th place finish in the A main and allowed Lubach to claim the Grand National track title.

In the 10-lap Sport 4 A main, Shaun Bangart notched his sixth main event victory of the season to nail down the 2016 track championship. Nathan Lisowe of Chilton was second, Chris Maas of Oakfield placed third, Cody Pankow of Lomira took fourth and Brody Rivest of Sheboygan rounded out the top five.

 

Brandon Peterson was the winner in the 6-lap Thunder Truck A main, followed by 2016 Thunder Truck track champion Walker Bergene in second and Mark Starr of Seymour in third.

Edward Anschutz prevailed in the SBR Customs Matt Schuh Memorial Street Stock A main over Erik Turner (second), Andy Fuhrmann of Brillion (third), Dustin Holland of Burlington (fourth) and Cody Potter of Pell Lake (fifth).

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.

SPRINT CARS

HEAT 1

1, Paul Pokorski. 2, Kurt Davis. 3, Mitchell Yurmanovich. 4, Tim Haddy. 5,

Justin Miller. 6, Andrew Westphal. 7, Ryan Mayr. 8, Randy Walter.

HEAT 2

1, Doug Wondra. 2, Brandon McMullen. 3, Jim Melis. 4, Will Gerrits. 5,

Shane Wenninger. 6, Danny Schlafer. 7, Jeff Ludwig. 8, Samantha

Portschy.

HEAT 3

1, KenJay Fiedler. 2, Tony Wondra. 3, Lance Fassbender. 4, Wayne

Modjeski. 5, Garrett Timothy. 6, Dannon Tessmer. 7, Josh Teunissen. 8,

Scott Conger.

HEAT 4

1, Scotty Neitzel. 2, Chris Clayton. 3, Nich Melis. 4, Dick Kaiser. 5, Douglas

Pietz. 6, Derek Siegel. 7, Tyler Brabant. 8, Bill Taylor.

B FEATURE

1, Danny Schlafer. 2, Mitchell Yurmanovich. 3, Dick Kaiser. 4, Dannon

Tessmer. 5, Tyler Brabant. 6, Scott Conger. 7, Andrew Westphal. 8, Garrett

Timothy. 9, Ryan Mayr. 10, Josh Teunissen. 11, Randy Walter. 12, Bill

Taylor. 13, Samantha Portschy. 14, Derek Siegel. 15, Jeff Ludwig. 16, Will

Gerrits (DNS).

A FEATURE

1, Jim Melis. 2, Lance Fassbender. 3, Scotty Neitzel. 4, Kurt Davis. 5,

Wayne Modjeski. 6, Danny Schlafer. 7, Brandon McMullen. 8, Doug

Wondra. 9, Paul Pokorski. 10, Chris Clayton. 11, Mitchell Yurmanovich. 12,

KenJay Fiedler. 13, Justin Miller. 14, Tim Haddy. 15, Douglas Pietz. 16,

Shane Wenninger. 17, Scott Conger. 18, Dannon Tessmer. 19, Andrew

Westphal. 20, Tyler Brabant. 21, Tony Wondra. 22, Nich Melis.

 

LATE MODELS

HEAT 1

1, Jim Schmidt. 2, Chris Carlson. 3, Justin Schmidt. 4, James Letizia. 5,

Charlie Schmidt. 6, Scott Haugstad.

HEAT 2

1, Taylor Scheffler. 2, Randy Markwardt. 3, Turk Letizia. 4, Kyle Odekirk. 5,

Ron Stroika. 6, Phil Rehberg.

HEAT 3

1, Tim Buhler. 2, TJ Dolhun. 3, Tony Peterson. 4, Mitch McGrath. 5, David

Jaeger. 6, Eric Michaels.

A FEATURE

1, Mitch McGrath. 2, Justin Schmidt. 3, Tony Peterson. 4, Jim Schmidt. 5,

Taylor Scheffler. 6, Tim Buhler. 7, Kyle Odekirk. 8, Randy Markwardt. 9, TJ

Dolhun. 10, Chris Carlson. 11, Turk Letizia. 12, Charlie Schmidt. 13, Ron

Stroika. 14, David Jaeger. 15, James Letizia. 16, Phil Rehberg. 17, Eric

Michaels. 18, Scott Haugstad.

 

PROFESSIONAL PLATING MODIFIEDS

HEAT 1

1, Eric Scribner. 2, Matt Jackson. 3, Jeremy Jacobs. 4, Brad Theys. 5, Joel

Seegert. 6, Bill Tandetzke. 7, Randy Theys. 8, Jeff Bodendorfer Jr..

HEAT 2

1, Mark Joski. 2, Russ Reinwald. 3, Jay Matthias. 4, Shawn Kilgore. 5, Randy

Markwardt Jr. 6, RJ Gerber. 7, Logan Rhode. 8, Marcus Hoeppner.

HEAT 3

1, Jamie Schmidt. 2, Kyle Kudick. 3, Mike Klenz. 4, Greg Gretz. 5, Josh

Lambert. 6, TJ Smith. 7, Mark Sehvenemaun. 8, Mark Brunner.

B FEATURE

1, Randy Markwardt Jr. 2, Joel Seegert. 3, Josh Lambert. 4, TJ Smith. 5, RJ

Gerber. 6, Mark Sehvenemaun. 7, Randy Theys. 8, Logan Rhode. 9, Jeff

Bodendorfer Jr.. 10, Marcus Hoeppner. 11, Mark Brunner. 12, Bill

Tandetzke.

A FEATURE

1, Shawn Kilgore. 2, Mark Joski. 3, Eric Scribner. 4, Jeremy Jacobs. 5, Russ

Reinwald. 6, Jamie Schmidt. 7, Randy Markwardt Jr. 8, Jay Matthias. 9,

Brad Theys. 10, Logan Rhode. 11, Randy Theys. 12, Matt Jackson. 13, TJ

Smith. 14, Mark Sehvenemaun. 15, Mike Klenz. 16, Josh Lambert. 17, Joel

Seegert. 18, Kyle Kudick. 19, RJ Gerber. 20, Greg Gretz.

 

CALIBRE COATINGS UNLIMITED SPORT MODS

HEAT 1

1, Travis Hansen. 2, Jayden Schmidt. 3, Brandon Berth. 4, Glen Blanke. 5,

Rick Kretschmann. 6, Mark Hoeppner. 7, Spencer Long. 8, Rory Welch.

HEAT 2

1, Sawyer Haese. 2, Chris Budzban. 3, Brian Bruechert. 4, Brandon

Knepprath. 5, Russ Franks. 6, Craig Gessner. 7, Gabe Zellner.

HEAT 3

1, Hunter Parsons. 2, Cody Schroeder. 3, Bill Edler. 4, Ryan LeMieux. 5,

Seth Hoeffner. 6, Justin Bauer. 7, Andrew Meyerhofer.

HEAT 4

1, Travis Arenz. 2, Jacob Zellner. 3, John Rothmund. 4, Justin Green. 5,

Barry Maas. 6, Cole Fenske. 7, Kassi Krause.

B FEATURE

1, Ryan LeMieux. 2, Barry Maas. 3, Justin Green. 4, Russ Franks. 5, Brandon

Knepprath. 6, Cole Fenske. 7, Rick Kretschmann. 8, Justin Bauer. 9, Seth

Hoeffner. 10, Glen Blanke. 11, Andrew Meyerhofer. 12, Craig Gessner. 13,

Spencer Long. 14, Mark Hoeppner. 15, Rory Welch. 16, Kassi Krause. (DNS)

A FEATURE

1, Travis Arenz. 2, John Rothmund. 3, Chris Budzban. 4, Cody Schroeder. 5,

Travis Hansen. 6, Jayden Schmidt. 7, Brian Bruechert. 8, Brandon Berth. 9,

Russ Franks. 10, Justin Green. 11, Brandon Knepprath. 12, Hunter Parsons.

13, Cole Fenske. 14, Justin Bauer. 15, Bill Edler. 16, Barry Maas. 17,

Sawyer Haese. 18, Jacob Zellner. 19, Rick Kretschmann. 20, Ryan LeMieux. (DQ)

 

GRAND NATIONALS

HEAT 1

1, Justin Erickson. 2, Tim Simon. 3, Kevin Lubach. 4, Richard Hed. 5, James

Pagel. 6, Don Singer. 7, Shane Long.

HEAT 2

1, Steve Wirtz. 2, Brad Weiss. 3, Mark Fieber. 4, Brian Gilles. 5, Steven

Weber. 6, Melissa Singer. 7, Chase Solomon.

HEAT 3

1, Gregg Haese. 2, Ryan Minster. 3, Matt Yancey. 4, David Gauger Jr. 5,

Josh Pierce. 6, Brian Goetsch. 7, Chris Gilson. 8, Collin Skindzelewski.

HEAT 4

1, Tyler Kulow. 2, Kodiak Wirtz. 3, Brad Lubach. 4, Don Sorce Jr. 5, Kurt

Davis. 6, Jeff Lammers. 7, Dale Cayemberg.

B FEATURE

1, Don Sorce Jr. 2, Brian Gilles. 3, Kurt Davis. 4, Jeff Lammers. 5,

Steven Weber. 6, Josh Pierce. 7, David Gauger Jr. 8, Dale Cayemberg. 9,

James Pagel. 10, Don Singer. 11, Chris Gilson. 12, Collin Skindzelewski. 13,

Melissa Singer. 14, Chase Solomon. 15, Richard Hed. 16, Shane Long (DNS).

A FEATURE

1, Kodiak Wirtz. 2, Don Sorce Jr. 3, Brad Lubach. 4, Mark Fieber. 5, Jeff

Lammers. 6, Tyler Kulow. 7, Justin Erickson. 8, Kevin Lubach. 9, Gregg

Haese. 10, Tim Simon. 11, Steven Weber. 12, Matt Yancey. 13, Dale

Cayemberg. 14, Brad Weiss. 15, David Gauger Jr. 16, Kurt Davis. 17,

Steve Wirtz. 18, Brian Gilles. 19, Ryan Minster. 20, Josh Pierce. (DNS).

 

SPORT 4

HEAT 1

1, Shaun Bangart. 2, Mitch Meier. 3, Alvin Testroete. 4, Scott Schlafke. 5,

Mark Kuhfuss. 6, Scott Kafka. 7, Justin Finlan.

HEAT 2

1, Chris Maas. 2, Roger Braun. 3, Tony Fox. 4, Matt DeWilde. 5, Dusty

Salm 6, Brody Rivest. 7, Adam Broehm. (DNS).

HEAT 3

1, Mike Meier. 2, Courtney Atkinson. 3, Tony Fletcher. 4, Jason Dondlinger.

5, Jordan Klemmer. 6, Robby Schlafke. 7, Sarah Van der Vaart.

HEAT 4

1, Nathan Lisowe. 2, Cody Pankow. 3, Mike Zitzer. 4, Corey Suttner. 5,

Philip Campanella. 6, Adam Broehm (DNS).

B FEATURE

1, Brody Rivest. 2, Scott Schlafke. 3, Jordan Klemmer. 4, Mark Kuhfuss. 5,

Matt DeWilde. 6, Corey Suttner. 7, Robby Schlafke. 8, Justin Finlan. 9, Scott

Kafka. 10, Jason Dondlinger. 11, Dusty Salm. 12, Sarah Van der

Vaart. 13, Philip Campanella (DQ). 14, Adam Broehm (DNS).

A FEATURE

1, Shaun Bangart. 2, Nathan Lisowe. 3, Chris Maas. 4, Cody Pankow. 5,

Brody Rivest. 6, Mike Meier. 7, Mike Zitzer. 8, Courtney Atkinson. 9, Jordan

Klemmer. 10, Mark Kuhfuss. 11, Matt DeWilde. 12, Scott Schlafke. 13,

Robby Schlafke. 14, Mitch Meier. 15, Tony Fletcher. 16, Corey Suttner. 17,

Tony Fox. 18, Justin Finlan. 19, Roger Braun. 20, Alvin Testroete.

 

THUNDER TRUCKS

HEAT 1

1, Walker Bergene. 2, Brandon Peterson. 3, Mark Starr.

A FEATURE

1, Brandon Peterson. 2, Walker Bergene. 3, Mark Starr.

 

STREET STOCKS

A FEATURE

1, Edward Anschutz. 2, Erik Turner. 3, Andy Fuhrmann. 4, Dustin Holland,

5, Cody Potter. 6, Jason Condrad. 7, Allen Dillon. 8, Jason Jensen. 9, Mike

Carter. 10, James Anderson. 11, Ford Maluitz. 12. Brian Krejcarek. 13. Noah

VanderMuss.

 

 

September 5, 2016 / by Jeff Pederson

Pokorski Motorsports eyes Manitowoc prize

Pokorski team gears up for final ever race at hometown track

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) August 30, 2016 – Throughout the 2016 season, Paul Pokorski and his Pokorski Motorsports team have been searching for some elusive consistency to run at the front of the pack week in and week out.

However, consistency or running at the front of the pack certainly haven’t been a problem at the team’s home track – Manitowoc Speedway, where Pokorski has not finished out of the top six in five Midwest Sprint Car Association (MSA) A main events this season, including a pair of top five showings (third on July 29 and fourth on June 3).

Thanks to those strong showings, Pokorski enters the final race ever at the Manitowoc Speedway this Saturday, Sept. 3, in second place in the Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car (EWSC) Sprint Car point standings, just three points behind leader Brandon McMullen. In five MSA events, Pokorski has accumulated 205 points, while McMullen has garnered 208 points.

The three-time EWSC Winged Super Modified champion and 2014 MSA Masters Series champ is no stranger to the pressure of a points race. Although Pokorski generally brushes aside the notion of worrying about points, he admits that being in the hunt for this particular championship is extra special.

“I normally don’t worry about points, but it would be cool to be the last Manitowoc track champion for sure,” Pokorski said while preparing for the Manitowoc finale.

Last Wednesday, Aug. 24, the Pokorski Motorsports team competed in the second to last Manitowoc Speedway race, which was held during the Manitowoc County Fair.

True to recent form, Pokorski enjoyed a strong night on the always racy Manitowoc track, which included a heat race victory and a solid sixth place showing in the A main event.

Pokorski opened the night by starting on the outside of the front row in the first Sprint Car heat race alongside multi-time MSA champion Kurt Davis.

On the drop of the green flag, Pokorski used the outside groove to power around Davis and into the lead exiting turn two. Pokorski then wasted no time in opening up a big lead over Davis en route to a half straightaway heat race victory.

After the draw for the A main invert, Pokorski found himself starting back in 11th place in the 22-car main event field.

In the opening laps of the race, Pokorski held his ground hovering around the top 10. After gaining some momentum along the cushion, Pokorski began his march to the front with a nifty pass of Josh Teunissen for 7th place on lap 10 before working around Chris Clayton for sixth one lap later.

A yellow flag flew on lap 17 when race later Danny Schlafer made contact with a turn four guardrail after his car suffered an apparent mechanical malfunction.

After the restart, Pokorski pulled off a slide job in turns one and two to work past Tim Haddy and assume fourth place on lap 19. However, two laps later, Pokorski jumped the cushion in turn two and fell back to sixth, which is where he ended up at the checkered flag.

Brandon McMullen posted the race victory to vault to the top of the EWSC Sprint Car point standings with one race remaining at the Manitowoc Speedway, which will be demolished following Saturday’s racing program to make way for a Meijer store.

“Overall, Wednesday really went great for us,” Pokorski said. “I was a little disappointed though that I got into the guardrail and gave away a few spots with two or three to go in the A, but nonetheless I had a blast and can’t wait for this Saturday.”

The team is potentially looking forward to a tripleheader Labor Day race weekend.

The next race for the Pokorski Motorsports teams is this Friday, Sept. 2 at The Plymouth Dirt Track along with the Interstate Racing Association (IRA) 410 Sprint Car Series during the Sheboygan County Fair. Racing is slated to begin at 7 p.m.

On Saturday, Sept. 3 the team will vie for the EWSC Sprint Car title in the grand finale race program at the Manitowoc Speedway, which features an earlier 6 p.m. start time.

Pending how it fares at Plymouth and Manitowoc, the team has tentative plans to join the IRA 410 series at the 141 Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 4.

“141 is still tentative,” Pokorski said. “I work on Saturday and Sunday, so it’s dependent on getting through the first two races of the weekend cleanly.”

Pokorski Motorsports Sponsor Showcase – Tisler Salvage

For the past 50 years, Tisler Salvage, located at 11530 County Road NN in Reedsville, has been your top source for used and aftermarket auto parts in the Manitowoc County area.

Tisler Salvage, which opened its doors in 1966, also buys scrap iron.

Contact Tisler Salvage by phone at 920-864-7631 or 920-732-3669, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. Tisler Salvage can also be reached by email at sales@tislersalvage.com

Paul and the Pokorski Motorsports team would like to thank Gary and the folks at Tisler Salvage for their support over the year

Pokorski Motorsports would like to direct special recognition to R&H Enterprises, Goeden’s Auto Body, Christel Sign and Goodwin Racing Engines for helping to get the team’s new 2016 Maxim on the track this season.

The Pokorski Motorsports sponsors for the 2016 season include: Goeden’s Auto Body, Goodwin Racing Engines, Jens, Reinbold & Pfeffer Family Funeral Services & Crematory, Kettle Moraine Landscaping, Novak’s Service Center, Pedal Down Promotions, Christel Sign, Tisler Salvage Inc. and The Cawley Company.

For more information on Pokorski Motorsports, check out Pokorski Motorsports on Facebook or visit www.pedaldownpromotions.com

Pedal Down Promotions is a full-service public relations and media services company devoted to helping its clients effectively communicate with targeted audiences through 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.

2016 Pokorski Motorsports Remaining Schedule

Friday, September 2 – Plymouth Dirt Track (MSA)

Saturday, September 3 – Manitowoc Speedway (MSA)

Sunday, September 4 – 141 Speedway in Francis Creek (IRA)

Saturday, September 10 – Plymouth Dirt Track (MSA)

Saturday, October 1 – Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam (MSA)

2016 Pokorski Motorsports By The Numbers

Total Events – 22

MSA events – 19

IRA events – 3

A Main Victories – 0

Top Five A Main Finishes – 4

Top 10 A Main Finishes – 10

Heat Race Victories – 5

 

 

 

August 31, 2016 / by Jeff Pederson

EWSC mourns loss of racer

Final race ever at Manitowoc Speedway set next Saturday

By Jeff Pederson, Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) August 24, 2016 – The auto racing community is as close-knit, resilient and strong as any group of people you will come across anywhere.

Local racers, pit crew members, family members, fans, sponsors and track workers have been leaning heavily on those traits since Manitowoc’s Matt Schuh passed away while competing in the third Grand National division heat race during the Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car racing program, which was held as part of the Manitowoc County Fair Wednesday, Aug. 24.

Schuh suffered a medical problem while running in the race and lost consciousness before colliding with the infield guardrail. He was 27 years old.

The race was red flagged for approximately 45-minutes while safety and emergency service personnel worked to free Schuh from the car.

The EWSC Board of Directors released the following statement the day after Schuh’s passing.

“On behalf of the Eastern Wisconsin Stock Cars Board of Directors and its staff, we would like to extend our deepest heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Matt Schuh, one of our drivers who passed away last night, Wednesday Aug. 24, while competing in our Grand National division at Manitowoc Speedway.”

In racing action, Brandon McMullen of Plymouth collected his first EWSC Sprint Car A main victory of the season at Manitowoc and fourth overall main event triumph of the 2016 campaign.

In the Late Model division, Taylor Scheffler of Waukesha notched his initial triumph at Manitowoc this year in the 25-lap A main. Kodiak Wirtz of Menomonee Falls collected his second Manitowoc Speedway victory of the season in the 20-lap A main event, while Travis Hansen of Brillion earned his first win of 2016 in the 20-lap Sport Mod main event.

Outside front row starter Doug Wondra of Oakfield grabbed the lead at the drop of the green flag of the time-shortened 21 lap Sprint Mar main event. Wondra held the top spot as a pair of caution flags slowed the action in the early, one for an infield cone the track on lap 2 and another shortly after when Lance Fassbender of Burnett lost a front tire on the frontstretch.

When the race resumed, eighth starter Jim Melis of Glenbeulah, who was making his first Manitowoc Speedway appearance of the year, moved into second on lap 5, while seventh starter Brandon McMullen and 12th starter Danny Schlafer of Sussex slipped into third and fourth place respectively.

On lap 14, McMullen worked past Melis to assume second place briefly before the high-riding Schlafer powered past Melis and McMullen using the outside groove to grab second place. One lap later, Schlafer bolted around Wondra to take over the top spot as the leaders worked their way through dense lapped traffic.

The third caution of the race appeared on lap 16 for the stalled car of Alex Bliesner of Plymouth along the backstretch. Another yellow flag flew when Chris Clayton of Waldo and Tony Wondra of Campbellsport each spun in turn two.

When the green flag appeared again, Schlafer moved high again in an attempt to pull away from the field. However, Schlafer’s machine suffered mechanical problems on lap 17 when found him stopped up against the turn four wall.

Schlafer’s exit allowed McMullen to take over the top position. McMullen dashed away from his rivals on the restart and quickly built up a solid cushion over the second-place car of Jim Melis.

The race was declared official when Josh Teunissen of Waldo stopped in the infield and the time limit expired on lap 21.

McMullen collected is 12th career Midwest Sprint Car Association (MSA) A main victory, followed by Jim Melis of Glenbeulah, Wondra in third. Tim Haddy of Waupun came from 10th to place fourth and 15th starter Justin Miller of Plymouth completed the top five.

In the 25-lap Late Model A main, outside front row starter Bill Rezutek of Big Bend grabbed the initial lead on lap 1, while Taylor Schleffer of Waukesha moved into the runner-up spot from his fifth starting spot.

Scheffler closed quickly on Rezutek before executing a low pass for the lead in turn three on lap 4.

The lone caution flag of the race appeared on lap 5 for a spin involving point leader Tim Buhler of Greenbush, who started eighth and seventh starter Jim Schmidt of Cleveland.

Buhler battled back from the incident quickly to battle his way into second place on lap 8. Buhler then mounted a charge to cut the gap against Scheffler, Buhler attempted a low move on the high riding Scheffler on lap 12, but the young Waukesha driver was up the challenge.

Scheffler pulled away from Buhler on lap 15 and never looked back en route to his first victory at Manitowoc this season. Buhler was second, Tom Naeyaert of Shawano took third after starting 12th and sixth starter Kyle Odekirk of Plymouth was fourth.

Outside front row starter Matt Jackson of Sheboygan jumped into the lead on the drop of the green flag of the 20-lap Grand National main event with third starter Brian Gilles of Plymouth following close behind in second.

On lap later, Gilles moved in to challenge Jackson for the top spot before taking over the position on lap 3. Meanwhile, Kodiak Wirtz was slicing his to the front of the field from his 10th starting position.

After dueling side by side with Gilles for several laps, Wirtz surged ahead on lap 12 along the high groove. However, Gilles refused to back down as he moved in to race side-by-side with Wirtz starting again on lap 17.

Despite Gilles’ attempts to retake the lead, Wirtz rolled on to his second Grand National A main victory of the season at Manitowoc. Gilles was second, Dan Sorce of Franklin roared up from his 18th starting spot to take third, Brad Lubach of Kiel finished fourth after starting 14th and Jackson completed the top five.

The 20-lap Sport Mod A main featured action galore at the front of the field. Polesitter Justin Green of Sheboygan Falls grabbed the early lead followed by third starter Kyle Raddant of Shawano.

Following two cautions for multi-car incidents on lap 4, Travis Hansen, who started eighth, began to make his presence felt using the extreme high line to seize third place in turn one on lap 7.

For the remainder of the race, Hansen, Raddant and sixth starter Wyatt Block of Tigerton mounted an epic three-way battle for the top spot, with Hansen working high, Raddant racing low and Block lurking in the middle of the highly racy and smooth track surface.

After Raddant surged ahead briefly on lap 15, Hansen powered his way back into the lead before the lap was completed. Following another caution flag on lap 16, Hansen, Block of Raddant went at it again for the final four laps, but it was Hansen who prevailed at the finish line to earn his first Manitowoc triumph of the 2016 campaign.

Block placed second, Raddant was third, Bill Edler of Howards Grove charged up from the 12th starting spot to finish fourth and ninth starter Tom Schneider of Chilton rounded out the top five.

The evening drew a strong field of 96 cars in four divisions for a race night presented by the Manitowoc County Fair.

After 12 years of competing at the Manitowoc Speedway, EWSC will draw the curtain on racing competition the Manitowoc track with its 2016 season finale event Saturday, Sept. 3, It will be the last racing program ever to be held at the track.

The special racing program will feature all seven regular EWSC divisions, including Sprint Cars, Late Models, Grand Nationals, Modifieds, Sport Mods, Sport Fours and Thunder Trucks, with action to begin one hour earlier than normal at 6 p.m.

EWSC invites all race fans to come out to bid farewell to the Manitowoc Speedway, which has become well known in recent years for top-notch racing conditions and highly competitive action in each of its divisions.

The track and grandstands will be removed in the offseason to make way for a Meijer store.

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.

Sprint Cars
HEAT 1
1, Paul Pokorski. 2, Kurt Davis. 3, Al Schlafer. 4, KenJay Fiedler. 5, Tony
Wondra. 6, Randy Walter. 7, Samantha Portschy.
HEAT 2
1, Lance Fassbender. 2, Josh Teunissen. 3, Tim Haddy. 4, Douglas Pietz. 5,
Will Gerrits. 6, Mitchell Yurmanovich. 7, Andy Rein.
HEAT 3
1, Jim Melis. 2, Danny Schlafer. 3, Nich Melis. 4, Chris Clayton. 5, Dick
Kaiser. 6, Don Kiel.
HEAT 4
1, Brandon McMullen. 2, Alex Bliesner. 3, Doug Wondra. 4, Justin Miller. 5,
Tyler Brabant. 6, Anthony Knierim.
B FEATURE
1, Douglas Pietz. 2, Will Gerrits. 3, Tyler Brabant. 4, Mitchell Yurmanovich.
5, Andy Rein. 6, Dick Kaiser. 7, Randy Walter. 8, Don Kiel. 9, Anthony
Knierim. 10, Samantha Portschy.
A FEATURE
1, Brandon McMullen. 2, Jim Melis. 3, Doug Wondra. 4, Tim Haddy. 5,
Justin Miller. 6, Paul Pokorski. 7, Mitchell Yurmanovich. 8, KenJay Fiedler.
9, Douglas Pietz. 10, Al Schlafer. 11, Will Gerrits. 12, Tony Wondra. 13,
Tyler Brabant. 14, Josh Teunissen. 15, Dick Kaiser. 16, Chris Clayton. 17,
Andy Rein. 18, Danny Schlafer. 19, Nich Melis. 20, Alex Bliesner. 21, Lance
Fassbender. 22, Kurt Davis.

Late Models
HEAT 1
1, Bill Rezutek. 2, Tim Buhler. 3, Turk Letizia. 4, Kyle Odekirk. 5, Justin
Schmidt. 6, Joe Bongiorno. 7, Eric Michaels.
HEAT 2
1, Taylor Scheffler. 2, Randy Markwardt. 3, Jim Schmidt. 4, Ron Stroika. 5,
Rick Scheffler. 6, Tom Naeyaert. 7, James Letizia.
A FEATURE
1, Taylor Scheffler. 2, Tim Buhler. 3, Tom Naeyaert. 4, Kyle Odekirk. 5, Bill
Rezutek (DQ). 6, Justin Schmidt. 7, Randy Markwardt. 8, Jim Schmidt. 9, Ron
Stroika. 10, Eric Michaels. 11, James Letizia. 12, Turk Letizia. 13, Rick
Scheffler. 14, Joe Bongiorno

Grand Nationals
HEAT 1
1, Jason Dyer. 2, Kodiak Wirtz. 3, Matt Jackson. 4, Ryan Minster. 5, Kevin
Lubach. 6, Dan Sorce. 7, Jeffery Krizan.
HEAT 2
1, Brian Gilles. 2, Nick Schumacher. 3, Steven Weber. 4, Noah Wachowiacz.
5, Don Schumacher. 6, Charlie Sancinati. 7, Shane Long.
HEAT 3
1, Josh Pierce. 2, Donny Kulow. 3, Justin Erickson. 4, Kevin Naidl. 5, Brett
Wachowiacz. 6, Matt Schuh.
HEAT 4
1, Tim Simon. 2, Jesse James Cullen. 3, Daniel Schumacher. 4, Tyler
Kulow. 5, Brad Lubach. 6, Jerry Winkler
B FEATURE
1, Ryan Minster. 2, Brad Lubach. 3, Tyler Kulow. 4, Charlie Sancinati. 5,
Noah Wachowiacz. 6, Dan Sorce. 7, Kevin Naidl. 8, Jerry Winkler. 9, Jeffery
Krizan. 10, Kevin Lubach. 11, Shane Long. 12, Brett Wachowiacz. 13, Don
Schumacher.
A FEATURE
1, Kodiak Wirtz. 2, Brian Gilles. 3, Dan Sorce. 4, Brad Lubach. 5, Matt
Jackson. 6, Justin Erickson. 7, Tim Simon. 8, Ryan Minster. 9, Nick
Schumacher. 10, Donny Kulow. 11, Tyler Kulow. 12, Charlie Sancinati. 13,
Steven Weber. 14, Jason Dyer. 15, Josh Pierce. 16, Jerry Winkler. 17, Noah
Wachowiacz. 18, Daniel Schumacher. 19, Jesse James Cullen. 20, Kevin
Naidl

Calibre Coatings Unlimited Sport Mods
HEAT 1
1, Wyatt Block. 2, Brian Bruechert. 3, Justin Green. 4, Conor Iverson. 5,
Chad Vetting. 6, Spencer Long. 7, Scott Besaw. 8, Shaun Bangart.
HEAT 2
1, Travis Arenz. 2, Cody Schroeder. 3, Hunter Parsons. 4, Adam Peschek. 5,
Jayden Schmidt. 6, Andrew Meyerhofer. 7, Tim Warner. 8, Craig Gessner.
HEAT 3
1, Travis Hansen. 2, Bill Edler. 3, Russ Franks. 4, Colten VanHierden. 5,
John Rothmund. 6, Seth Hoeffner. 7, Brandon Knepprath.
HEAT 4
1, Tom Schneider. 2, Kyle Raddant. 3, Brandon Berth. 4, Glen Blanke. 5,
Aaron Butterbrodt. 6, Brian Konitzer. 7, Patrick Hanson.
B FEATURE
1, Colten VanHierden. 2, John Rothmund. 3, Chad Vetting. 4, Conor
Iverson. 5, Brandon Knepprath. 6, Scott Besaw. 7, Seth Hoeffner. 8, Spencer
Long. 9, Shaun Bangart.
B FEATURE
1, Jayden Schmidt. 2, Aaron Butterbrodt. 3, Adam Peschek. 4, Andrew
Meyerhofer. 5, Kyle Raddant. 6, Brian Konitzer. 7, Glen Blanke. 8, Patrick
Hanson. 9, Craig Gessner.
A FEATURE
1, Travis Hansen. 2, Wyatt Block. 3, Kyle Raddant. 4, Bill Edler. 5, Tom
Schneider. 6, Brian Bruechert. 7, Colten VanHierden. 8, John Rothmund. 9,
Brandon Berth. 10, Russ Franks. 11, Adam Peschek. 12, Chad Vetting. 13,
Justin Green. 14, Hunter Parsons. 15, Andrew Meyerhofer. 16, Jayden
Schmidt. 17, Aaron Butterbrodt. 18, Travis Arenz. 19, Cody Schroeder. 20,
Conor Iverson.

August 27, 2016 / by Jeff Pederson