Pedal Down Promotions

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Alex Pokorski hangs tough in MSA Gravity Park debut

Rookie Alex Pokorski (4) races with veterans Tony Wondra (11) and Justin Miller (15M) during the Midwest Sprint Car Association debut Firecracker 30 event at Gravity Park Speedway in Chilton, Wis. on Saturday, July 4. – RC Custom Design photo

By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) July 7, 2020 – Competing at his third different track in his first three nights behind the wheel of a 360 Sprint Car, Alex Pokorski of West Bend displayed plenty of speed and resiliency, during the Midwest Sprint Car Association’s debut appearance at Gravity Park Speedway in Chilton, Wis. for the Firecracker 30 on Saturday, July 4.

Pokorski opened the evening by timing in 27th out of 33 cars with a lap of 14.347 seconds on the tight quarter-mile clay oval. After starting seventh in the third MSA 10-lap heat race, Pokorski moved up to fifth on the ensuing complete restart following a spin by Tyler Davis. The 21-year-old MSA rookie then slipped back to eighth as Justin Miller, Chris Clayton and Tyler Davis made their way by the No. 4 machine over the next five laps. Pokorski held on to finish eighth on the ultra dry slick racing surface.

“The car was good in the heat race and qualifying,” Pokorski said. “I felt fairly comfortable running both the top and bottom.”

Pokorski then lined up 15th in the MSA B main, which was slowed by six yellow and red flag sessions. On lap 4, Pokorski used the low groove to pass Kevin Seidler for 14th before Anthony Knierim brought out the second caution flag of the race on lap 6 when he stalled in turn four.

After restarting 13th, Pokorski worked hard along the high groove to move into 11th on lap 8. Following two more caution flags for spins involving Ken Schmick and Justin Miller, Pokorski found himself running 10th on the ensuing restart.

However, Pokorski spun on the following restart after tangling with Knierim in turn two. Pokorski recovered to restart 13th before a red flag was displayed on lap 14 when Josh Teunissen flipped after contacting the turn three wall.

Pokorski restarted ninth and held the position during a green-white-checkered finish to end the lengthy B main race in ninth.

“The B main was a lot of fun,” Pokorski said. “The only hiccup was the spin later in the race. The car felt good. The reason I spun was actually because my arm restraints got caught on the seat and stopped me from counter steering. Besides that hiccup, I was able to race with people on the inside and outside and I felt fairly competitive. I liked the restarts. They were nice because they helped bunch up the field and created closer racing. I am scheduled to be back in the car on July 18th at Plymouth. I’m just looking forward to getting more seat time.”

Paul Pokorski, who scored his 11th career 360 Sprint Car A-main victory in his last outing at The Plymouth Dirt Track on June 6, will return to the seat of the No. 4 360 Sprint Car for an MSA event at the Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam, Wis. in conjunction with the Interstate Racing Association on Friday, July 10.

Paul is also scheduled to compete at Outagamie Speedway Powered by EWSC Racing in Seymour, Wis. on Friday, July 17 for the second annual Dave “Hagar” Nelson Memorial Race.

Sponsors for the 2020 Pokorski Motorsports team are Hopf Farms, Petersen Septic Systems, Quest Engineering Inc., Goeden’s Auto Body, Goodwin Racing Engines, Lakeshore Family Funeral Homes, Kettle Moraine Landscaping, Novak’s Service Center, Pedal Down Promotions, Tisler Salvage Inc., Allied Bearing Corporation and The Cawley Company.

Pokorski Motorsports Sponsor Showcase – Quest Engineering Inc.

Pokorski Motorsports would like to welcome back Quest Engineering of Richfield, Wis. as a sponsor for the 2020 racing season.

Quest Engineering focuses solely on full overlay cabinetry and complimenting custom products, including kitchen, bath, closets, garage, entertainment and commercial casework projects.

Quest’s skilled team of customer advocates, product specialists, engineers, production managers and operations team rely on a continuous improvement philosophy to pave the road to success.

Founded as a contract wood products fabricator in West Bend by brothers Chris and Todd Lefeber in 2001, Quest operated on mostly manual machines until adding CNC equipment and parametric engineering software to its repertoire in 2006.

In late 2008, Quest Engineering made the move from a direct sales to a dealer sales model with an increased focused on its capacity as a manufacturer. Quest moved from its original facility in West Bend to a newly renovated production facility in Richfield in fall 2012.

In May 2015, working with equipment, software, and special service vendors, Quest expanded with the addition of a second manufacturing plant. Housing a flexible casework production cell, a custom fabrication cell and a small warehouse, a new facility in Jackson was opened, featuring a design center and showroom.

“Quest Engineering came on board with Pokorski Motorsports in 2018 and we are excited to have them back for their third season with us,” Pokorski said. “Quest is a local manufacturer of quality cabinets and we encourage our fans to check out their line of products.”

Pokorski Motorsports invites you to contact Quest Engineering Inc. by phone at 262-334-4949 or by visiting www.questcabinets.com.

For more information on Pokorski Motorsports, check out Pokorski Motorsports on Facebook or visit www.pedaldownpromo.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.pedaldownpromo.com or call 920-323-7970.

2020 Pokorski Motorsports Upcoming Schedule.

Friday, July 10 – Dodge County Fairgrounds, Beaver Dam, Wis.

Friday, July 17 – Outagamie Speedway Powered by EWSC Racing, Seymour, Wis.

Saturday, July 18 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.

2020 Pokorski Motorsports By The Numbers

Total Events – 5

MSA events – 4

IRA events – 0

A Main Victories – 1

B Main Victories – 0

Top Five A Main Finishes – 1

Top 10 A Main Finishes – 1

Heat Race Victories – 0

July 7, 2020 / by Jeff Pederson

McMullen masters MSA Gravity Park debut

Three-time Midwest Sprint Car Association champion Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh racked up his 25th career MSA A-main victory in the Firecracker 30 at Gravity Park Speedway in Chilton, Wis. on Saturday, July 4. – RC Custom Design photo

By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) July 4, 2020 – Following a misfortune-plagued 2019 season, thus far luck has flipped back to the good side for three-time Midwest Sprint Car Association champion Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh during the 2020 season.

After racking up his first MSA A-main victory of the 2020 season at Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam, Wis. one week ago on Saturday, June 27, McMullen made it two-for-two as he fended off a late charge from MSA point leader Travis Arenz of Sheboygan to claim the main event triumph in the inaugural Firecracker 30 at Gravity Park Speedway in Chilton, Wis. on Saturday, July 4.

A strong field of 33 MSA 360 Sprint Car checked into the pit area for the first-ever MSA event at Gravity Park and fourth overall series race of the 2020 campaign.

On the drop of the green flag for the Firecracker 30 MSA A main, Plymouth’s Adam Miller jumped into the lead from the pole position with outside front row starter Nich Melis of Plymouth following in second. Miller paced the opened two laps, before the first of six caution flags appeared on lap 3 for a two-car incident in turn one involving Chris Larson of Greenfield and Waupun’s Tyler Brabant.

Following the restart, McMullen, who started fourth, used the outside groove of the ultra-slick track surface to power around Miller into the lead entering turn three on lap 3. One lap later, the second caution flag was displayed when Sean Rayhall of Marietta, Ga. and Chris Clayton of Waldo made contact in turn one.

After restarting at the rear of the field, Clayton brought out the third caution flag on lap 6 when he stalled along the frontstretch. On the restart, McMullen bolted away from the field before fifth starter Bill Taylor of Boltonville dove low to challenge Miller for the runner-up spot on lap 7.

By lap 8, McMullen had already built up a full straightaway cushion over the field and he began to encounter lapped traffic beginning on lap 12 before the fourth caution came out when Tim Haddy of Waupun slowed in turn three.

Another caution followed one lap later when five-time MSA champion Kurt Davis of South Milwaukee spun into the infield off of turn two on lap 13. Following the restart, Taylor and Miller continued their torrid side-by-side duel for second as McMullen again pulled out to a solid lead and fast qualifier Travis Arenz, who had to qualify for the A main by winning the B main after mechanical problems in his heat race, worked his way into third after starting 17th.

The sixth and final caution flag flew on lap 18 when Miller stopped in turn four after making contact with an infield tire. Arenz slipped underneath Taylor to gain second on lap 19 and quickly began to reel in McMullen. As McMullen worked the outside groove of the rubber-down track, Arenz applied pressure along the preferred low line of the quarter-mile track.

On lap 26, McMullen bobbled entering turn three, which allowed Arenz to briefly pull even for the top spot. However, McMullen quickly recovered to maintain the lead, while wisely adjusting his line to run the bottom groove over the final four laps.

McMullen held on to record his second MSA victory of the 2020 season and the 25th MSA triumph of his career to move into a tie for third place on the series’ all-time A-main win list with former MSA champions Ben Schmidt and T.J. Luedke.

“That was the longest race of my life,” McMullen said. “I screwed up in turn three on one lap near the end and sure enough that’s when I saw Arenz right there. I thought I was good on the outside in turns one and two, but then I felt the rubber and got into it over the final few laps. After that, it was smooth sailing.”

Arenz, who topped the 33-car field in qualifying with a lap of 12.585 seconds, had to settle for second.

“I think we had too much gear in the car and roasted the tires near the end,” Arenz said. “I absolutely thought I had a chance at the win near the end, but I think I may have showed my nose a little too early. I’m tired after that one.”

Tyler Brabant recovered from his lap two incident and subsequent trip to the rear of the field on the ensuing restart to place a strong third.

“We had some trouble there at the start, but luckily we got it back together to put on a good race,” Brabant said. “The car was really hooked up. I could really run it anywhere.”

Taylor wound up fourth and 2005 MSA champ Lance Fassbender of Burnett charged from the 18th starting spot to place fifth.

Heat race victories went to Shane Wenninger of Kewaskum, Kurt Davis, Blake Wondra of Fond du Lac and Justin Erickson of Plymouth. Arenz won the B main.

Mike’s Lawn Care and Tree Service of Manitowoc contributed an extra $500 to the MSA pursue, including $50 to the fast qualifier and $450 to the A-main lap leaders.

The next MSA event is set to take place Thursday, July 10 at the Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam, Wis. as part of the annual Harry Neitzel Memorial in conjunction with the Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association Sprint Car Series.

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.pedaldownpromo.com or call 920-323-7970.

Midwest Sprint Car Association

Gravity Park Speedway

Chilton, Wis

July 4, 2020

QUALIFYING

1, Travis Arenz 12.585 2, Tim Haddy 12.722 3, Justin Miller 12.764 4, Kevin Karnitz 13.089 5, Bill Taylor 13.139 6, Brandon McMullen 13.248 7, Preston Ruh 13.357 8, Anthony Knierim 13.423 9, Nich Melis 13.461 10, Adam Miller 13.509 11, Tony Wondra 13.552 12, Scott Conger 13.577 13, Tyler Tischendorf 13.704 14, Austin Hartmann 13.759 15, Chris Larson 13.777 16, Justin Erickson 13.797 17, Shane Wenninger 13.863 18, Kurt Davis 13.864 19, Blake Wondra 13.980 20, Lance Fassbender 14.022 21, Tyler Brabant 14.029 22, Jack Vanderboom 14.062 23, Tyler Davis 14.118 24, Sean Rayhall 14.148 25, Tom Kreutz 14.191 26, Will Gerrits 14.318 27, Alex Pokorski 14.347 28, Mike MacFarlane 14.398 29, Scott Armstrong 14.564 30, Kevin Seidler 14.571 31, Chris Clayton 14.631 32, Ken Schmick 14.756 33, Josh Teunissen 15.128.

HEAT 1

1, Shane Wenninger 2, Nich Melis 3, Tyler Brabant 4, Bill Taylor 5, Tyler Tischendorf 6, Josh Teunissen 7, Tom Kreutz 8, Travis Arenz 9, Scott Armstrong.

HEAT 2

1, Kurt Davis 2, Adam Miller 3, Brandon McMullen 4, Jack Vanderboom 5, Austin Hartmann 6, Will Gerrits 7, Kevin Seidler 8, Tim Haddy.

HEAT 3

1, Blake Wondra 2, Preston Ruh 3, Chris Clayton 4, Chris Larson 5, Tony Wondra 6, Tyler Davis 7, Justin Miller 8, Alex Pokorski.

HEAT 4

1, Justin Erickson 2, Scott Conger 3, Kevin Karnitz 4, Sean Rayhall 5, Anthony Knierim 6, Lance Fassbender 7, Ken Schmick 8, Mike MacFarlane.

B MAIN

1, Travis Arenz 2, Lance Fassbender 3, Tim Haddy 4, Will Gerrits 5, Tony Wondra 6, Justin Miller 7, Tyler Tischendorf 8, Tyler Davis 9, Alex Pokorski 10, Mike MacFarlane 11, Josh Teunissen, 12, Austin Hartmann 13, Tom Kreutz, 14, Ken Schmick 15, Anthony Knierim 16 Kevin Seidler 17, Scott Armstrong (DNS).

A MAIN

1, Brandon McMullen 2, Travis Arenz 3, Tyler Brabant 4, Bill Taylor 5, Lance Fassbender 6, Kevin Karnitz 7, Jack Vanderboom 8, Scott Conger 9, Justin Erickson 10, Will Gerrits 11, Shane Wenninger 12, Nich Melis 13, Adam Miller 14, Blake Wondra 15, Preston Ruh 16, Kurt Davis 17, Sean Rayhall 18, Tim Haddy 19, Chris Larson 20, Chris Clayton.

 

July 5, 2020 / by Jeff Pederson

Pedal Down Promotions to publish Joe Verdegan’s next book ‘The Reformatory’

Author and corrections officer Joe Verdegan to release book on Green Bay prison life in December 2020

(Allouez, WI) – Author Joe Verdegan, who recently retired as a correctional officer after nearly 27 years, has announced he will write a book on his experiences working at Green Bay Correctional Institution in Allouez, Wis.

The book, which will be titled “The Reformatory – Tales From Green Bay’s Maximum Security Prison”, is expected to be released in December 2020. The book will be the third one Verdegan has authored that will be published through Pedal Down Promotions in Manitowoc, Wis.

In 1993 Verdegan left his job as a news reporter at WOSH radio in Oshkosh, Wis. to embark upon a career with the state Department of Corrections.

“For my family at the time it was simply about getting better benefits including health insurance and a better pension down the road,” Verdegan recalled. “I loved working in radio but honestly it was tough paying the bills back then. I went from covering criminal’s trials to supervising them daily. It was quite the switch.”

In his book Verdegan will take you from his start in the officer’s academy, through his short time working at Racine Correctional Institution and eventually winding up at the 125-year-old prison, which was commonly referred to as “Gladiator School” because of the high number of inmate brawls staff had to respond to on almost a daily basis.

The book will be written from his perspective and will include interviews and tales from several of his co-workers in his three decades inside the walls. 

This will be Verdegan’s sixth book he has written. His other five titles all documented local and regional stock car racing history in Wisconsin and Michigan.

Readers can follow Verdegan’s progress on the book through his page on Facebook titled “Gladiator School.”

An exact date and location of this book launch is expected to be released sometime this fall.

For more details, email Verdegan at jverdegan2@gmail.com.

For more information on Pedal Down Promotions, contact publisher Jeff Pederson at pedaldownpromotions@gmail.com.

VERDEGAN’S PRIOR BOOK TITLES

2015 – “Life In The Past Lane – a history of stock car racing in Northeast Wisconsin from 1950-1980”

Publisher – M and B Global Solutions

2016 – “Wisconsin International Raceway – Where The Big Ones Run”

Publisher – M and B Global Solutions

2017 – “Life In The Past Lane – The Next Generation”

Publisher – M and B Global Solutions

2018 – “The Bird & The Bear”

Publisher – Pedal Down Promotions

2019 – “Racing In The 906”

Publisher – Pedal Down Promotions

June 30, 2020 / by Jeff Pederson

Alex Pokorski makes strides in MSA Beaver Dam event

Alex Pokorski works through a turn during a Midwest Sprint Car Association event at Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam, Wis. on Saturday, June 27. – RC Custom Design

By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) June 30, 2020 – Fresh off of a solid effort in his 360 Sprint Car debut at The Plymouth Dirt Track on Saturday, June 13, 21-year-old rookie Alex Pokorski of West Bend, Wis. made some strong gains in his learning progression behind the wheel of the Pokorski Motorsports machine in a Midwest Sprint Car Association event at Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam. Wis. on Saturday, June 27.

With a huge field of 42 MSA Sprint Cars on hand, Pokorski qualified 29th out of 41 cars timing in during a group qualifying format. Despite his qualifying effort, Pokorski had to start in the rear of the heat race line up as a rookie, which put him in the ninth starting spot in the fourth 10-lap MSA heat race.

Pokoski held his position throughout the heat race event on the ultra dry slick track surface en route to a ninth-place finish.

“The first few laps of qualifying were a little rough because I didn’t know where I should be entering the corner,” Pokorski said. “Once I figured out the entry, the car handled very well and I was able to put a good lap in. The heat race was similar to qualifying. The track had changed from qualifying, so I had to figure out a new line again. Once I found the line and got a rhythm going, I was able to reel in Shane Wenninger, who was ahead of me, over last three laps or so.”

After lining up 10th in the first 12-lap MSA B main, Pokorski found himself running sixth following a two-car incident on lap two involving Scott Conger and Tyler Tischendorf.

On the restart, Conger, Mike Decker and Tischendorf slipped past Pokorski, who fell back to ninth on lap 3. Pokorski regrouped to reel in Tischendorf over the next four laps before executing a pass to secure eighth place in turn four on lap 7.

Pokorski continued to find his groove in the closing circuits as he dove under Will Gerrits in turn four on the final lap to finish seventh.

“The beginning of the B main went a lot better than I was expecting,” Pokorski said. “I was able to pass a few cars in the first corner and the first caution also gave me a spot or two. The first lap after the restart, I didn’t put down a good lap. That cost me two or three spots I think. Once I got into a rhythm again, I was feeling better and I was happy to make a pass in the last corner coming to the checkered flag.”

After his first two events in a 360 Sprint Car, Pokorski is pleased with his progress so far.

“In my first week at Plymouth, it seemed like everything was happening very fast and I hardly had time to take a tear off,” Pokorski said. “This week I feel like I got more comfortable in the car and things seemed to slow down a bit for me. I also was able to make some more passes than I did in my first night. I definitely felt a little faster, but I still have a lot to learn.”

The team was scheduled to be in action at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth Wis. as part of the Russ Scheffler Tribute race program on Friday, June 26. However, heavy rain hit the track in the late afternoon hours to force the event to be postponed until Thursday, Aug. 27.

Pokorski Motorsports will return to action this Saturday, July 4 for the Midwest Sprint Car Association’s debut appearance at Gravity Park Speedway in Chilton, Wis. with Alex Pokorski in the driver’s seat. The Firecracker 30 MSA points event will begin with qualifying at 5 p.m. with racing to follow at 6 p.m.

“I did run some laps at Gravity Park in a practice once,” Pokorski said. “I believe they have changed the track since I drove on it though. It is very small, but I think it will be a good place to learn at. You really have to be aware of who is around you and be able to control your car in order to do well on a small track like that.”

An originally scheduled MSA event at the Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam, Wis. in conjunction with the Interstate Racing Association on Friday, July 3 has been moved back to Friday, July 10. Paul Pokorski will return to wheel the No. 4 Pokorski Motorsports machine on that night for the MSA’s first appearance of the 2020 season at the horsepower half mile.

Sponsors for the 2020 Pokorski Motorsports team are Hopf Farms, Petersen Septic Systems, Quest Engineering Inc., Goeden’s Auto Body, Goodwin Racing Engines, Lakeshore Family Funeral Homes, Kettle Moraine Landscaping, Novak’s Service Center, Pedal Down Promotions, Tisler Salvage Inc., Allied Bearing Corporation and The Cawley Company.

Pokorski Motorsports Sponsor Showcase – Quest Engineering Inc.

Pokorski Motorsports would like to welcome back Quest Engineering of Richfield, Wis. as a sponsor for the 2020 racing season.

Quest Engineering focuses solely on full overlay cabinetry and complimenting custom products, including kitchen, bath, closets, garage, entertainment and commercial casework projects.

Quest’s skilled team of customer advocates, product specialists, engineers, production managers and operations team rely on a continuous improvement philosophy to pave the road to success.

Founded as a contract wood products fabricator in West Bend by brothers Chris and Todd Lefeber in 2001, Quest operated on mostly manual machines until adding CNC equipment and parametric engineering software to its repertoire in 2006.

In late 2008, Quest Engineering made the move from a direct sales to a dealer sales model with an increased focused on its capacity as a manufacturer. Quest moved from its original facility in West Bend to a newly renovated production facility in Richfield in fall 2012.

In May 2015, working with equipment, software, and special service vendors, Quest expanded with the addition of a second manufacturing plant. Housing a flexible casework production cell, a custom fabrication cell and a small warehouse, a new facility in Jackson was opened, featuring a design center and showroom.

“Quest Engineering came on board with Pokorski Motorsports in 2018 and we are excited to have them back for their third season with us,” Pokorski said. “Quest is a local manufacturer of quality cabinets and we encourage our fans to check out their line of products.”

Pokorski Motorsports invites you to contact Quest Engineering Inc. by phone at 262-334-4949 or by visiting www.questcabinets.com.

For more information on Pokorski Motorsports, check out Pokorski Motorsports on Facebook or visit www.pedaldownpromo.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.pedaldownpromo.com or call 920-323-7970.

2020 Pokorski Motorsports Upcoming Schedule.

Saturday, July 4 – Gravity Park Speedway, Chilton, Wis.

Friday, July 10 – Dodge County Fairgrounds, Beaver Dam, Wis.

Friday, July 17 – Outagamie Speedway Powered by EWSC Racing, Seymour, Wis.

Saturday, July 18 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.

2020 Pokorski Motorsports By The Numbers

Total Events – 4

MSA events – 3

IRA events – 0

A Main Victories – 1

B Main Victories – 0

Top Five A Main Finishes – 1

Top 10 A Main Finishes – 1

Heat Race Victories – 0

June 30, 2020 / by Jeff Pederson

McMullen rolls to MSA victory at Beaver Dam Raceway

Three-time Midwest Sprint Car Association champion Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh notched the 24th career MSA A-main victory of his career Saturday, June 27 at Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam, Wis. -RC Custom Design photo

By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) June 27, 2020 – It was a case of being in the right place at the right time for three-time Midwest Sprint Car Association champion Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh as he capitalized on Scotty Neitzel’s late-race misfortune to claim his first 25-lap MSA 360 Sprint Car victory of the 2020 season at Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam, Wis. on Saturday, June 27.

The third MSA event of the 2020 season attracted a stellar field of 42 entries to the third-mile clay oval where the Southeastern Wisconsin-based Winged 360 Sprint Car division originated on a weekly basis in 1996 before morphing into the MSA Winged 360 Sprint Car touring series in 2000.

Outside front row starter Preston Ruh of Elkhart Lake got the jump on polesitter Robbie Pribnow of Lomira to lead the opening lap of the 25-lap MSA A main, while third starter Brandon Berth of Cascade ducked low to steal second from Pribnow.

On lap 5, two-time Interstate Racing Association Series champion Scotty Neitzel of Beaver Dam, who was making a guest appearance behind the wheel of a second U2 Vanderboom Motorsports entry, worked the middle groove of the ultra dry slick track surface to take second in turn two.

Neitzel was closing on Ruh when 2011 MSA champion Ben Schmidt of Howards Grove and Plymouth’s Adam Miller made contact along the backstretch, which sent Schmidt on a series of hard flips and brought out a red flag on lap 8. Schmidt emerged from the violent accident uninjured, as did Miller. However, both drivers were done for the evening.

On the restart, Berth spun in turn two while running third to bring out a caution flag. On the ensuing restart, Neitzel worked his way past Ruh to gain the top spot in turn one on lap 9, while fifth starter Brandon McMullen cleared Pribnow to secure the third spot.

By lap 12, Neitzel had built up a full straightaway lead over Ruh. However, the leaders encountered lapped traffic on lap 15, which allowed Ruh to close the gap as Neitzel attempted tip toe his way around a large group of slower cars racing for position in the preferred rubber-down low groove.

On lap 20, McMullen ducked under Ruh to seize second, while Pribnow also worked his away past Ruh on lap 22 to take over third.

As the laps wound down, Neitzel appeared to be in control. However, slower traffic proved to play a big role in the outcome. As the leaders were about to take the white flag, Neitzel collided with Tony Wondra of Campbellsport exiting turn four on lap 24, which caused him to spin into the infield with Pribnow also spinning to a stop in turn four.

With a green-white-checkered finish on tap, McMullen inherited the lead with Ruh regaining second and 2005 MSA champ Lance Fassbender of Burnett, who started seventh, in third.

McMullen skillfully stuck to the low line on the restart and held off Ruh to secure his 24th career MSA A-main victory. Ruh claimed his career-best MSA A-main finish with a strong runner-up showing, five-time MSA champion Kurt Davis of South Milwaukee came up from the ninth starting spot to take fourth and fast qualifier Travis Arenz of Sheboygan placed fifth after starting 10th.

Justin Miller of Plymouth captured the first 12-lap MSA B main and Robby Wirth of Milwaukee won the second 12-lap MSA B main. Travis Arenz earned fast qualifier honors in the MSA grand prix group-style qualifying with a lap of   seconds.

Heat race victories went to Travis Arenz, Kurt Davis, Scotty Neitzel and Ben Schmidt.

The next MSA event is set to take place Saturday, July 4 when the series makes its debut at Gravity Park Speedway in Chilton. The originally scheduled MSA event in conjunction with the Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series at the Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam on Friday, July 3 has been rescheduled until Friday, July 10.

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.pedaldownpromo.com or call 920-323-7970.

Midwest Sprint Car Association

Beaver Dam Raceway

Beaver Dam, Wisconsin

June 27, 2020

QUALIFYING

1, Travis Arenz 2, Kurt Davis, 3, Adam Miller 4, Lance Fassbender 5, Tyler Davis 6, Brandon McMullen 7, Scotty Neitzel 8, Justin Miller 9, Robby Wirth 10, Al Schlafer 11, Brandon Berth 12, Preston Ruh 13, Robbie Pribnow 14, Bill Taylor 15, Tyler Tischendorf 16, Sean Rayhall 17, Nich Melis 18, Kevin Karnitz 19, Nick Daywalt 20, Josh Teunissen 21, Ben Schmidt 22, Tony Wondra 23, Scott Conger 24, Austin Hartmann 25, Justin Erickson 26, Anthony Knierim 27, Tim Haddy 28, Jack Vanderboom 29, Alex Pokorski 30, Scott Armstrong 31, Chris Larson 32, Will Gerrits 33, Chris Clayton 34, Blake Wondra 35, Danny Schlafer 36, Tyler Brabant 37, Mike Decker 38, Shane Wenninger 39, Doug Wondra 40, Mike MacFarlane 41, Ken Schmick 42, Kevin Seidler (DNS).

HEAT 1

1, Travis Arenz 2, Tony Wondra, 3, Bill Taylor 4, Kevin Karnitz 5, Tyler Davis 6, Blake Wondra 7, Robby Wirth 8, Scott Armstrong 9, Anthony Knierim (DNS) 10, Doug Wondra (DNS).

HEAT 2

1, Kurt Davis 2, Brandon McMullen 3, Tim Haddy 4, Brandon Berth 5, Scott Conger 6, Tyler Tischendorf 7, Tyler Brabant 8, Nick Daywalt 9, Chris Larson 10, Mike MacFarlane 11, Danny Schlafer (DNS).

HEAT 3

1, Scotty Neitzel 2, Sean Rayhall 3, Adam Miller 4, Preston Ruh 5, Josh Teunissen 6, Jack Vanderboom 7, Will Gerrits 8, Mike Decker 9, Austin Hartmann 10, Ken Schmick.

HEAT 4

1, Ben Schmidt 2, Justin Erickson 3, Lance Fassbender 4, Robbie Pribnow 5, Justin Miller 6, Nich Melis 7, Chris Clayton 8, Shane Wenninger 9, Alex Pokorski 10, Danny Schlafer (substitute for Al Schlafer).

B MAIN 1

1, Justin Miller 2, Jack Vanderboom 3, Blake Wondra 4, Nick Daywalt 5, Mike Decker 6, Scott Conger 7, Alex Pokorski 8, Will Gerrits 9, Tyler Tischendorf 10, Mike MacFarlane 11, Doug Wondra (DNS).

B MAIN 2

1, Robby Wirth 2, Anthony Knierim 3, Chris Clayton 4, Shane Wenninger 5, Nich Melis 6, Josh Teunissen 7, Tyler Brabant 8, Chris Larson 9, Austin Hartmann 10, Scott Armstrong 11, Ken Schmick.

A MAIN

1, Brandon McMullen 2, Preston Ruh 3, Kurt Davis 4, Lance Fassbender 5, Travis Arenz 6, Kevin Karnitz 7, Justin Erickson 8, Sean Rayhall 9, Tyler Davis 10, Justin Miller 11, Chris Clayton 12, Jack Vanderboom 13, Brandon Berth 14, Tim Haddy 15, Tony Wondra 16, Anthony Knierim 17, Blake Wondra 18, Scotty Neitzel 19, Robbie Pribnow 20, Robby Wirth 21, Adam Miller 22, Ben Schmidt.

June 28, 2020 / by Jeff Pederson

Bartz tallies two top-five showings at June Sprints

Jeff Bartz (33) of Plymouth, Wis. posted a pair of top-five finishes in the SCCA F1600 Formula F class, during the WeatherTech Chicago Region SCCA June Sprints at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. on Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14. – Pure Energy Racing photo

By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) June 17, 2020 – After waiting through an extended delay to the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) public health emergency, Jeff Bartz and the Pure Energy Racing team finally got on track with a doubleheader race weekend as part of the WeatherTech Chicago Region SCCA June Sprints Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.

Bartz steered his Petty blue No. 33 SCCA F1600 Formula F machine to a pair of top-five finishes with a fifth-place showing in Saturday’s timed 25-minute opener and a podium third-place performance in Sunday’s 13-lap contest on the world-renowned 14-turn, four-mile Road America circuit.

“Saturday went well overall,” Bartz said. “We were able to finally get some clean laps and get off a pretty good lap qualifying us third for the race. The race was definitely an interesting one. The top five were all pretty much nose to tail throughout the entire race.

“It really was pretty much anyone’s race at the end there and unfortunately I just wasn’t able to put myself in a position on the last lap to get any better than fifth,” he said. “Overall, it was very fun race though and I was proud to run with the stiff competition that showed up.”

Bartz followed up his fifth-place run on Saturday by coming up two spots better in Sunday’s 20-car SCCA F1600 Formula F field to earn a spot on the podium following a fierce battle for third place with David Livingston Jr. in the closing laps.

“For Sunday’s race, I ended up starting a couple positions further back in the field in fifth,” Bartz said. “I was right up with the lead pack. Unfortunately, I ended up catching some slower traffic at very unfortunate places on the track, which lead to me losing the draft and losing touch with the lead pack.

Jeff Bartz (33) of Plymouth, Wis. duels with David Livingston Jr. (85) in the SCCA F1600 Formula F class, during the WeatherTech Chicago Region SCCA June Sprints at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. on Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14. – Pure Energy Racing photo

“Dave in the No. 85 car and I had a great battle for the rest of the race,” he said. “It was definitely a back-and-forth race between us for the remainder of the race. I ended up being able to hold off a pass attempt from him in turn 12 on the last lap to hold onto third. Overall, it was a great result and I felt very proud to get on the podium with the high level of competition this weekend.”

Overall, the Plymouth, Wis. native was pleased with the season-opening performance at the team’s home track.

“For us, the June Sprints this year went very well compared to previous years,” Bartz said. “We have done a lot of work over the offseason and it definitely paid off. I feel as a team we definitely performed at a high level and will continue to build off of this good result. Hopefully, we get some even better results as the season continues.”

Bartz and Pure Energy Racing team is now set to travel just south of the Wisconsin border to the seven-turn, 1.95-mile Blackhawk Farms Raceway in South Beloit, Ill. on Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28.

“Our next race is at Blackhawk Farms Raceway on the last weekend of June,” Bartz said. “We should definitely be in for some good results as we recently tested there and dialed in the car. We are hoping to ride the good results from the June Sprints and bring home some victories.”

Sponsors for the 2020 Pure Energy Racing team include: CapN SHIELD, Harper Drain & Septic Service, Hoosier Tire and Pedal Down Promotions.

Jeff Bartz and the Plymouth, Wis.-based Pure Energy Racing team had a large group of supporters on their side, during the WeatherTech Chicago Region SCCA June Sprints at the team’s home track Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. on Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14. – Pure Energy Racing Photo

For more information on Jeff Bartz and the Pure Energy Racing team, contact Pedal Down Promotions via email at pedaldownpromotions@gmail.com, by phone at 920-323-7970 or by visiting www.pedaldownpromo.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.pedaldownpromo.com or call 920-323-7970.

2020 Pure Energy Racing Upcoming Schedule

June 27-28 – Blackhawk Farms Raceway, South Beloit, Ill.

Aug. 15-16 – Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis.

Oct. 9-11 – SCCA National Runoffs, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis.

 

2020 Pure Energy Racing By The Numbers

Races – 2

Race Victories – 0

Top Five Finishes – 2

Top 10 Finishes – 2

June 17, 2020 / by Jeff Pederson

Alex Pokorski completes maiden Sprint Car voyage

Rookie Alex Pokorski turned his first competitive laps in the Pokorski Motorsports 360 Sprint Car at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, June 13. -Shawn Mueller Photography

By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) June 16, 2020 – One week after watching his father, Paul, cap his full-time racing career with an A-main victory, 21-year-old rookie Alex Pokorski took his first turn at the wheel of the Pokorski Motorsports 360 Sprint Car in Plymouth Dirt Track Racing competition at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, June 13.

After he was originally scheduled to start ninth in the first 10-lap PDTR 360 Sprint Car heat race, Pokorski moved up a row to seventh on the drop of the green flag due to a scratch. In his first-ever Sprint Car race, Pokorski dropped to eighth at the start before running a smooth line and keeping pace with the pack. On lap four, Pokorski caught and passed Tom Kreutz in turn one to move into seventh.

Two laps later, Kreutz slowed to a stop on the backstretch to bring out a caution flag on lap 6. Pokorski restarted seventh and held the spot over the final three laps.

Pokorski then rolled off sixth in the first 12-lap PDTR 360 Sprint Car B main, which included a pair of caution flags before the completion of the first lap. The Concordia University of Wisconsin student dropped to fifth on the opening lap when Josh Teunissen moved past and fell to sixth when Nick Daywalt maneuvered around him.

After the final caution period, Pokorski maintained the sixth position and closed in on Daywalt over the final two laps before ending his debut event with a sixth-place finish.

“My first night in the car was a lot of fun and overall, I was happy with how it went,” Pokorski said. “I was a little nervous prior to the night starting, but once I was at the track and in the car, any nervousness I had quickly dissipated.

“The competitor in me isn’t entirely content with running in the back of the field, but that’s how everyone starts out so I’m not too worried about it,” he said. “From a learning standpoint, I was able to get more comfortable in the car and set a benchmark for myself to improve upon next week.”

Pokorski will embark on his second night of 360 Sprint Car racing next Saturday, June 20 at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis.

Grandstand gates open at 4:30 p.m. with hot laps at 5:30 p.m. and racing at 6 p.m. for the next Plymouth Dirt Track Racing program at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, June 20.

Sponsors for the 2020 Pokorski Motorsports team are Hopf Farms, Petersen Septic Systems, Quest Engineering Inc., Goeden’s Auto Body, Goodwin Racing Engines, Lakeshore Family Funeral Homes, Kettle Moraine Landscaping, Novak’s Service Center, Pedal Down Promotions, Tisler Salvage Inc., Allied Bearing Corporation and The Cawley Company.

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

Pokorski Motorsports Sponsor Showcase – Petersen Septic Systems

Since opening its doors in Valders, Wis. in 2012, Petersen Septic Systems LLC has provided premier septic tank service and the most reliable septic system installation and repair in Manitowoc and Two Rivers and the surrounding Lakeshore area.

“We offer our services to industrial, institutional, residential, new construction, commercial and municipal accounts,” Petersen Septic Systems Owner David Petersen said. “Customer service is our utmost priority. We do every job as it was in our own homes. Our experience is second to none in the area. Prior to opening the business, I worked for Tuschl Septic Systems from 2004 until owner Chuck Tuschl retired.”

The list of regular services Petersen Septic Systems offers includes septic pump repairs, test drilling/test boring, sewage treatment systems, septic tank removal, septic tank installation, water line repair, oil testing and perc testing.

“We provide all of these services in Manitowoc County and the surrounding areas,” Petersen said. “We are OSHA certified and are licensed MPRS/CST966051.”

Petersen Septic Systems is located at 7334 Nagel Road in Valders, Wis. For more information, call 920-323-2640, email petersenseptic@gmail.com or visit www.petersensepticsystems.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.pedaldownpromo.com or call 920-323-7970.

2020 Pokorski Motorsports Upcoming Schedule.

Saturday, June 20 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.

Friday, June 26 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.

Saturday, June 27-Beaver Dam Raceway, Beaver Dam, Wis.

2020 Pokorski Motorsports By The Numbers

Total Events – 3

MSA events – 2

IRA events – 0

A Main Victories – 1

B Main Victories – 0

Top Five A Main Finishes – 1

Top 10 A Main Finishes – 1

Heat Race Victories – 0

June 16, 2020 / by Jeff Pederson

Miller, Schmidt, Kulow, Cullen claim top honors in PDTR main events

Adam Miller of Plymouth collected his second career Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car A-main victory Saturday, June 13 at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. -RC Custom Design photo

By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) June 13, 2020 – On an unseasonably cool early summer evening, the racing action was hot and heavy as Plymouth Dirt Track Racing staged its second racing program of the 2020 season Saturday, June 13 at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds third-mile oval in Plymouth, Wis.

In A-main action, Adam Miller of Plymouth outdueled Kewaskum’s Shane Wenninger and Sheboygan’s Travis Arenz to claim his second career PDTR Kristine Hartmann Pleasant View Realty 25-lap 360 Sprint Car main event victory. Two-time defending PDTR Late Model champion Justin Schmidt of Cleveland nipped New London’s Justin Ritchie by inches at the finish line to capture a spirited Gasroots Project 25-lap Late Model A main. Donny Kulow of Elkhart Lake racked up his first career 25-lap PDTR Klips N Tips Grand National A-main victory and Jesse Cullen of Chilton was the victor in a hotly contested 25-lap Cellcom B Mod A main.

Polesitter Adam Miller led the 22-car 360 Sprint Car A-main field on the opening lap while outside front row starter Shane Wenninger slid into second place. On lap 4, Wenninger worked the high groove to power around the low riding Miller exiting turn two.

Four laps later, the leaders began to encounter heavy lapped traffic, which allowed Miller, who had moved up to the cushion, to close the gap on Wenninger. On lap 13, Miller moved within striking distance as Wenninger attempted to work through dense lapped traffic.

One lap later, Wenninger moved low to maneuver past a slower car while Miller pounded the treacherous cushion to shoot back into the lead exiting turn four on lap 14. On lap 16, the first of two caution flags appeared when Chris Clayton of Waldo spun in turn two.

Miller, who was involved in a race-ending flip on the opening lap of last week’s A main, maintained the lead over Wenninger on the restart before fifth starter Tim Haddy of Waupun dove low entering turn three on lap 17 and pushed high in turn four before colliding with Wenninger, who made contact with the frontstretch wall and stopped exiting turn four to bring out the second caution of the race.

On the restart, seventh starter Travis Arenz used a daring low move to take over second place on lap 18. At the front of the field, Miller remained in control along the high groove as he moved through slower traffic in the closing laps to earn his second career PDTR and Midwest Sprint Car Association A-main victory by a 10-car length margin over the hard-charging Arenz. Haddy finished third, third starter Bill Taylor of Kewaskum was fourth and fourth starter Kevin Karnitz of West Bend rounded out the top five.

“We started the race by running pretty good on the bottom before Shane got by us around the top,” Miller said in victory lane. “We were fortunate to get back around him in traffic and then we survived a few cautions to get the win. I couldn’t have asked for a better bounce back after last week. We’ll take it and move on to next week.”

The action-packed Late Model A main opened with Jim Schmidt of Cleveland taking the lead from the pole, while third starter Justin Ritchie assumed second on the opening circuit. On lap 3, Ritchie used the low groove to duck under Jim Schmidt in turn one.

Two-time defending Plymouth Dirt Track Racing Late Model champion Justin Schmidt of Plymouth earned his 11th career PDTR Late Model A-main victory Saturday, June 13 at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. -RC Custom Design photo

One lap later, Justin Schmidt, who started fifth, used the high line to work his way into third place. As the leaders maneuvered through slower traffic, Justin Schmidt moved into second and closed the gap on Ritchie while four-time PDTR Late Model champion Brad Mueller of Random Lake, who started fourth, used the high grove to seize third and move in to pressure the leaders.

The first of five caution flags appeared on lap 11 when rookie Sawyer Specht of Sheboygan Falls and rookie Chad Ludwigson of Sheboygan Falls collided along the backstretch. On the restart, Mueller vaulted past Justin Schmidt along the high groove before the second caution was displayed for rookie Glen Blanke of Sheboygan Falls and Charlie Schmidt of Cedar Grove in turn three on lap 13.

The third caution flag came out on the next attempted restart when Greg Cantrell of DeKalb, Ill. stalled on the backstretch. On the restart, Justin Schmidt again used the high groove to pass Mueller and challenge Ritchie for the top spot. On lap 16, Schmidt surged past Ritchie with a strong run along the cushion.

Three laps later, Justin Schmidt, Ritchie and Mueller were running in close quarters for the lead when Mueller made contact with the lapped car of Chad Ludwigson, which caused Ludwigson to spin while Mueller left the track with a flat tire, which brought out the fourth caution of the race on lap 19.

On the restart, Ritchie stayed precise on the low groove to regain the lead from Justin Schmidt in turn two on lap 19. Two laps later, the fifth and final caution flag appeared for Sawyer Specht in turn two.

Justin Schmidt was not to be denied in the closing laps as he continued to powered through a very challenging and thick cushion to pull even with Ritchie in the closing laps. On the white flag lap, Justin Schmidt used a huge run out of turn four to edge Ritchie at the finish line to claim his 11th career PDTR Late Model A-main victory. Ritchie finished second, Jim Schmidt held on for third, sixth starter Turk Letizia of Milwaukee finished fourth and 2016 PDTR Late Model champion Tim Buhler of Greenbush finished fifth after starting seventh.

“The track was crazy tonight,” Justin Schmidt said. “Turn four was very treacherous on the cushion. No one is better on the bottom than Justin Ritchie and it was a great race with him. I didn’t know if I had him or not as it was back and forth for a while. On that last lap, it was just all or nothing. I went in hard, held on and it work out.”

Donny Kulow of Elkhart Lake captured his first career Plymouth Dirt Track Racing Grand National A-main victory Saturday, June 13 at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. -RC Custom Design photo

Former PDTR Grand National champion Matt Yancey of Sheboygan led the opening lap of the main event from the pole with outside front row starter Donny Kulow assuming second.

Yancey controlled the opening seven laps by clinging to the inside lane of the slick track surface before Kulow executed a strong low move in turn one on lap 8 to seize the top spot.

Once in front, Kulow pulled away from the field as third starter Jeff Muelhbauer of Elkhart Lake moved in to pressure Yancey for the runner-up spot. Over the final 10 laps, Kulow remained smooth on the low line en route to his first career PDTR Grand National A-main victory by a half-straightaway margin over Yancey, who finished second. Muehlbauer placed third, fourth starter Luke Scholten of Oostburg claimed fourth and defending PDTR Grand National champ Tyler Kulow of Plymouth finished fifth after starting fifth.

After a caution flag on the opening lap for a two-car incident involving Steve Lorier of Sheboygan and rookie Trevor Frank of Sheboygan, Donny Singer of Random Lake paced the first three laps of the B Mod A main from the pole. On lap 4, rookie Will Garceau of Mishicot worked his way up from the third starting spot to take the lead.

The second of four caution flags was displayed on lap 5 for an incident involving Steve Lorier, Trevor Frank and Christopher Gilson of Elkhart Lake. Another caution appeared on the ensuing restart from Patrick Hanson of Sheboygan Falls and David McCutcheon.

On the restart, fourth starter Justin Bauer of Sheboygan Falls worked the outside groove to take second before fifth starter Jesse Cullen passed Bauer for second on lap 6.

On lap 7, the fourth and final caution flag came out when James Rautmann of Howards Grove stopped in turn three. Cullen continued to show his strength on the restart as he moved in to pressure Garceau for the top spot, along with 2018 PDTR B Mod champion Tim Sheppard of Beaver Dam, who started eighth.

Chilton’s Jesse Cullen picked up his third career Plymouth Dirt Track Racing B Mod A-main victory Saturday, June 13 at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. -Joe Holz Photography

On lap 8, Cullen used the outside groove to work around Garceau into the lead in turn three. Meanwhile, defending PDTR B Mod champion Tim Warner of Fond du Lac, who started sixth mounted a charge in the late stages of the race to secure second on lap 14.

As Cullen found a distinct groove to his liking utilizing the middle portion of the track, Warner closed on the later in the waning laps. However, Cullen held on to earn his third career PDTR B Mod A-main triumph. Warner was second, Sheppard placed third, Bauer wound up fourth and Garceau rounded out the top five.

“I could feel someone [Tim Warner] back there a few times near the end,” Cullen said. “I feel I had a pretty good groove there on the bottom and the middle, which really seemed to work well in getting me to the front and into victory lane tonight.”

Doug Wondra of Oakfield won the first 360 Sprint Car B main and Justin Erickson of Plymouth captured the second 360 Sprint Car B main.

The event, which was sponsored by Mayer Automotive, drew a total of 88 cars, including 36 360 Sprint Cars, 16 Late Models, 13 Grand Nationals and 23 B Mods.

The next PDTR program at The Plymouth Dirt Track will take place on Saturday, June 20 with gates opening at 4:30 p.m., hot laps at 5:30 p.m. and racing at 6 p.m.

KRISTINE HARTMANN PLEASANT VIEW REALTY 360 SPRINT CAR

Date of Race: June 13, 2020

HEAT 1

1, Lance Fassbender 2, Kurt Davis 3, Adam Miller 4, Tim Haddy 5, Nick Daywalt 6, Scott Conger 7, Alex Pokorski 8, Tom Kreutz 9, Tyler Brabant (DNS).

HEAT 2

1, Will Gerrits 2, Kevin Karnitz 3, Bill Taylor 4, Anthony Knierim 5, Nick Melis 6, Jack Vanderboom 7, Doug Wondra 8, Josh Teunissen 9, Scott Armstrong.

HEAT 3

1, Travis Arenz 2, Justin Milller 3, Tony Wondra 4, Brandon McMullen 5, Mike Decker 6, Justin Erickson 7, Austin Hartmann, 8, Ben Schmidt (DNS), 9, Tyler Davis (DNS).

HEAT 4

1, Chris Clayton 2, Tyler Tischendorf 3, Shane Wenninger 4, Robby Wirth 5, Brandon Berth 6, Blake Wondra 7, Preston Ruh 8, Mike Mac Farlane 9, Ken Schmick.

B MAIN 1

1, Doug Wondra 2, Preston Ruh 3, Blake Wondra 4, Josh Teunissen 5, Nick Daywalt 6, Alex Pokorski 7, Ken Schmick 8, Austin Hartmann 9, Tyler Davis (DNS) 10, Ben Schmidt (DNS).

B MAIN 2

1, Justin Erickson 2, Robby Wirth 3, Jack Vanderboom 4, Mike Decker 5, Scott Conger 6, Scott Armstrong 7, Tyler Brabant 8, Mike Mac Farlane 9, Anthony Knierim (DNS) 10, Tom Kreutz (DNS).

A MAIN

1, Adam Miller 2, Travis Arenz 3, Tim Haddy 4, Bill Taylor 5, Kevin Karnitz 6, Brandon McMullen 7, Kurt Davis 8, Justin Miller 9, Lance Fassbender 10, Justin Erickson 11, Nich Melis 12, Tyler Tischendorf 13, Will Gerrits 14, Brandon Berth 15, Tony Wondra 16, Preston Ruh 17, Chris Clayton 18, Doug Wondra 19, Robby Wirth 20, Jack Vanderboom 21, Blake Wondra 22, Shane Wenninger.

GASROOTS PROJECT LATE MODEL

HEAT 1

1, Charlie Schmidt 2, Tim Buhler 3, Justin Schmidt 4, Greg Cantrell 5, Kevin Baldry 6, Glen Blanke 7, Adrian Roscelli 8, Sawyer Specht.

HEAT 2

1, Turk Letizia 2, Justin Ritchie 3, Brad Mueller 4, Jim Schmidt 5, Ted Dolhun Sr. 6, Chad Ludwigson 7, Donny Singer 8, Victor Benedetto.

A MAIN

1, Justin Schmidt 2, Justin Ritchie 3, Jim Schmidt 4, Turk Letizia 5, Tim Buhler 6, Ted Dolhun Sr. 7, Kevin Baldry 8, Victor Benedetto 9, Donny Singer 10, Adrian Roscelli 11, Glen Blanke 12, Sawyer Specht 13, Brad Mueller 14, Chad Ludwigson 15, Charlie Schmidt 16, Greg Cantrell.

KLIPS N TIPS GRAND NATIONAL

HEAT 1

1, Donny Kulow 2, Jeff Muehlbauer 3, Tyler Kulow 4, Dick Hed 5, Steven Weber 6, Brad Weiss 7, Paul Perronne.

HEAT 2

1, Matt Yancey 2, Derek Kaat 3, Luke Scholten 4, Aaron Stolp 5, Jonathan Otte 6, Don Sorce Jr.

A MAIN

1, Donny Kulow 2, Matt Yancey 3, Jeff Muehlbauer 4, Luke Scholten 5, Tyler Kulow 6, Aaron Stolp 7, Jonathan Otte 8, Don Sorce Jr. 9, Dick Hed 10, Steven Weber 11, Derek Kaat 12, Bred Weiss 13, Paul Perronne.

CELLCOM B MOD

HEAT 1

1, Justin Bauer 2, Tim Sheppard 3, Brandon Knepprath 4, Phil Campanella 5, Rory Welch 6, Michael Gilson 7, Brandon Goeser 8, Trevor Frank.

HEAT 2

1, Tim Warner 2, James Rautmann 3, Will Garceau 4, Brendan Ostrowski 5, Patrick Hanson 6, David McCutcheon 7, Christopher Gilson 8, Dakota Cabunac.

HEAT 3

1, Kyle Odekirk 2, Donny Singer 3, Jesse Cullen 4, Barry Maas 5, Gary Glander 6, Jim Fischer 7, Steve Lorier.

A MAIN

1, Jesse Cullen 2, Tim Warner 3, Tim Sheppard 4, Justin Bauer 5, Will Garceau 6, Barry Maas 7, Brandon Knepprath 8, Kyle Odekirk 9, Donny Singer 10, Gary Glander 11, Brendan Ostrowski 12, Rory Welch 13, Brandan Goeser 14, Michael Gilson 15, David McCutcheon 16, Jim Fischer 17, Phil Campanella 18, Patrick Hanson 19, Steve Lorier 20, Dakota Cabunac 21, James Rautmann 22, Trevor Frank 23, Christopher Gilson.

June 14, 2020 / by Jeff Pederson

CapN SHIELD partners with Bartz, Pure Energy Racing

Bob Travis (left) of CapN SHIELD has joined forces with Pure Energy Racing driver Jeff Bartz (right) for the WeatherTech Chicago Region SCCA June Sprints at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. this Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14. The CapN SHIELD strapless face shield logo will be featured on the side of the Pure Energy Racing blue SCCA F1600 Formula F machine throughout the team’s 2020 season. – Pedal Down Promotions photo

New strapless face shield sprints to the marketplace

By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) June 10, 2020 – When driver Jeff Bartz and the Plymouth, Wis.-based Pure Energy Racing team makes its 2020 season debut for the WeatherTech Chicago Region SCCA June Sprints at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. this Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14, it will be featuring a new sponsor on the side of its blue SCCA F1600 Formula F machine.

Developed by Bob Travis, owner of InkWorks Printing in Plymouth, Wis., CapN SHIELD provides face shield protection for those in need of protection during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) public health emergency.

The patent-pending plastic shield, which requires no strap, slides onto the brim of most baseball caps and can be used in any situation where face protection is necessary.

“When the coronavirus pandemic started to hit on March 17, I started working on CapN SHIELD by making a thermal forming mold in my basement,” Travis said. “I got the idea after reading an article about a company that was making standard face shields due to the high demand with the coronavirus outbreak. Their method of manufacture took 20 minutes to create a single shield.

“With the mold, I am able to make a form for the CapN SHIELD face shield in nine seconds,” he said. “The great thing about this face shield is that it can be reused and recycled by disinfecting it after use. I am engaged with two companies that we hope will help us make up to 10,000 CapN SHIELD face shields a day.”

Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, Travis has been granted emergency FDA approval for CapN SHIELD.

“Because of the pandemic and the high need for face shields, we were able to get an automatic emergency FDA approval,” Travis said. “We will need to resubmit for FDA approval after the pandemic passes. However, having that approval has been a big key to getting the face shields accepted by users.”

CapN SHIELD face shields are now available for order at www.capnshields.com.

“We just launched the website two weeks ago and we’ve already produced and sold about 500 shields,” Travis said. “This is kind of a soft launch before we join forces with a company in Madison that will help us boost our production capabilities by mid-July.”

Travis says the response to the product during the soft launch period has been overwhelming.

“The intent is to develop CapN SHIELD as an alternative to regular face masks,” Travis said. “It works well in the food service industry and the manufacturing sector. Generally, I have found that people don’t like wearing masks, especially ones with straps. However, CapN SHIELD is so easy to use and comfortable to wear by sliding onto the brim of ball caps with no uncomfortable strap. They also work well for personal use, including painting, cutting grass and any type of activity where you want to prevent debris from going in your face.”

After the first two events of the team’s 2020 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) public health emergency, the June Sprints at Road America will mark the first race of the 2020 season for driver Jeff Bartz and the Pure Energy Racing team.

“We are excited to get back on the track to get the 2020 season started at our home track at Road America,” Bartz said. “In addition, we are thrilled that Bob Travis and his new CapN SHIELD face shields will be on board with us starting with June Sprints and throughout the 2020 season.”

The team is scheduled for Group 6 SCCA F1600 Formula F qualifying on Saturday, June 13 at 10:30 a.m. prior to the 25-minute timed Group 6 race at 3:25 p.m. On Sunday, June 14, the team will take part in the 13-lap Group 6 race at 2:20 p.m.

For more information on Jeff Bartz and the Pure Energy Racing team, contact Pedal Down Promotions via email at pedaldownpromotions@gmail.com, by phone at 920-323-7970 or by visiting www.pedaldownpromo.com.

2020 Pure Energy Racing Upcoming Schedule
June 13-14 – June Sprints, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis.
July 11-12 – Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis.
July 17-19-Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio
Aug. 22-23-Grattan Raceway, Belding, Mich.
Oct. 5-11-SCCA National Runoffs, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis.

2020 Pure Energy Racing By The Numbers
Races – 0
Race Victories – 0
Top Five Finishes – 0
Top 10 Finishes – 0

June 10, 2020 / by Jeff Pederson

Walter doubles up with the World of Outlaws

Josh Walter and the Torque Racing team opened their 2020 racing season with a NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Series doubleheader at Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam, Wis. on Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6. -Ricky Bassman photo

By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) June 10, 2020 – Josh Walter and the Torque Racing team put the pedal down on the 2020 season by racing with the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Series at Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam, Wis. on Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6.

Walter opened his 15th season of Sprint Car competition by timing in 29th in the 36-car field on Friday night with a lap of 12.124 seconds around the third-mail high-banked clay oval.

In the first 10-lap heat race, Walter started and finished eighth before lining up ninth in the 12-lap Last Chance Showdown. The Plymouth driver was running 14th when a race flag was displayed for Bryce Schmitt, who flipped in turn four. Walter retired from the race under the red flag and was credited with a 14th-place finish.

On Saturday night, Walter again clocked in 29th in the 35-car qualifying field with a lap of 12.185 seconds before starting and finishing eighth in the first 10-lap heat race.

Walter closed the weekend twinbill in the 12-lap Last Chance Showdown where he finished 13th after starting ninth.

All in all, Walter was pleased with the gains the team made in the first two races of the 2020 season with the top Sprint Car touring series in the world.

“There were definitely some positives coming out of this weekend racing with the World of Outlaws,” Walter said. “It was a great test for the car and a good way to shake the cobwebs off. The car ran great and we were able to learn some things.

Josh Walter takes his Torque Racing 410 Sprint Car around Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam, Wis., during a NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event on Saturday, June 6. – Ricky Bassman photo

“They were not the results we hoped for, but the car is in one piece and were looking forward to making more improvements and bigger gains towards the setup for our next race on June 20th at Beaver Dam Raceway with the IRA. I would like to thank my crew for staying positive and making great adjustments each night.”

The next race for Josh Walter and the Torque Racing team will be with the Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association on Saturday, June 20. The Wisconsin Dirt Legends and Street Stocks will also be on the card.

Spectator gates open at 4:30 p.m. with qualifying at 6 p.m. and racing at 6:30 p.m.

Torque Racing sponsors for the 2020 season included JDV Lawncare, Brittany’s School of Dance, Sheboygan by Owner, Plymouth Tap, Doug’s Quality Beef, Cow Pies, Full Throttle Ink, Lakehouse Bar & Grill, Home Transitions, Oostburg Concrete, Services, RC Custom Design and Pedal Down Promotions.

Torque Racing Sponsor Showcase – Plymouth Tap

Josh Walter and the Torque Racing team is pleased to welcome back Plymouth Tap as a returning sponsor for the 2020 season.

Plymouth Tap is the fourth tavern founded by the late Kevin Fetterer. After four years of renovations, Plymouth Tap opened at 101 East Mill St. in Plymouth on the day before Thanksgiving in 2016.

As a 5,000-square-foot bar and grill located in the heart of downtown Plymouth, Plymouth Tap features several televisions, pool tables, dartboards and many other games, along with an expansive food and drink menu.

“I like to think there is a little something for everyone here,” Plymouth Tap owner Nate Fetterer said. “We have a large menu and plenty of drink choices. We also have ample space to accommodate groups, both small and large.”

Fetterer has a close connection to the local racing scene and has jumped at the opportunity to be involved as a sponsor with the Torque Racing team.

“I used to go to PDTR as a small child with my grandfather and really enjoyed spending that time with him,” Fetterer said. “As a teenager, I became a pit mechanic for Sean Conrad, who raced motorcycles and just so happened to be my neighbor in Sheboygan Falls. We traveled across the Eastern United States chasing Kawasaki contingency money in several different motorcycle series including AMA, WERA, CRA.

“Josh is persistent and a hard worker,” he said. “He also helps out at the bar a ton. He is a great person to have on board when it’s not racing season. Along with the Torque Racing brat fry that is held every year, one of the highlights of this year’s event was the Plymouth Tap/Torque Racing Bar Olympics that we organized and ran together.”

For more information on Plymouth Tap, visit www.plymouthtap.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.pedaldownpromo.com or call 920-323-7970.

2020 Josh Walter-Torque Racing Upcoming Schedule

Saturday, June 20 – Beaver Dam Raceway, Beaver Dam, Wis. (IRA)

Sunday, July 5 – 141 Speedway, Francis Creek, Wis. (IRA)

2020 Josh Walter-Torque Racing By The Numbers

Total Events – 2

IRA events – 0

A-Main Victories – 0

B-Main Victories – 0

Top Five A-Main Finishes – 0

Top 10 A-Main Finishes – 0

Heat Race Victories – 0

June 10, 2020 / by Jeff Pederson

Paul Pokorski opens PDTR season with thrilling victory

The Pokorski Motorsports team celebrates in victory lane after Paul Pokorski claimed his 46th overall career A-main victory in the 360 Sprint Car main event during the 2020 Plymouth Dirt Track Racing season opener at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, June 6. -RC Custom Design photo

Rookie Alex Pokorski set to make Sprint Car debut

By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) June 9, 2020 – In his final race as the full-time driver of the No. 4 Pokorski Motorsports 360 Sprint Car, West Bend driver Paul Pokorski turned in a performance to remember in claiming a stirring 25-lap A-main victory in the Plymouth Dirt Track Racing season opener at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, June 6.

The evening began on a strong note for Pokorski, who lined up fifth in the first 10-lap PDTR 360 Sprint Car heat race. The 28th-year driver worked around Nick Daywalt of Slinger with a high move in turn four on lap 3 to take over the fourth spot. On lap 6, Pokorski dipped low to slip past Sean Rayhall of Marietta, Ga. to take over third in the running order, which is where he finished the race.

“Things definitely fell into place for us really all night,” Pokorski said. “The car started out good. It felt good in the heat race. It was maybe a bit too tight, but I was happy.”

The passing points inversion draw put Pokorski on the pole for the 25-lap 360 Sprint Car A main with Waupun’s Tyler Brabant starting alongside on the front row. The 2014 Midwest Sprint Car Association Masters Series champion and three-time Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car Winged Super Modified champ jumped out to the lead in turn one before Brabant got together with Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh in turn two, which triggered a five-car red flag incident.

Following a complete restart, Pokorski bolted out the lead with Brabant settling into second followed by sixth starter Arenz in third. By lap 6, Pokorski built a half-straightaway cushion over Brabant by sticking to the extreme inside line of the dry slick racing surface.

Paul Pokorski (4) fends off Travis Arenz (25T) and Tyler Brabant (99) in the closing laps of the 2020 season opening Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car A main at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, June 6. -RC Custom Design photo

On lap 8, Brabant began to close and six laps later Brabant dove low in turn one, only to have Pokorski shut the door. However, Brabant battled back to wrestle the lead away from Pokorski with a low move in turn three on lap 17.

Two laps later, Brabant made contact with the slowing car of Josh Teunissen of Waldo, which caused his car to twitch exiting turn four and gave Pokorski an opening to regain the lead in turn one on lap 20.

On lap 22, Travis Arenz worked the outside groove to pull past Brabant and draw even with Pokorski. However, Pokorski held strong to maintain the lead as both Brabant and Arenz continued to dig for the victory.

Paul Pokorski claimed his 11th overall career 360 Sprint Car A-main victory in the 2020 Plymouth Dirt Track Racing season opener at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, June 6. -RC Custom Design photo

Pokorski, who is planning to share the driver’s seat of the No. 4 Pokorski Motorsports car with his 21-year-old son Alex this season, stayed precise along the low groove in the closing laps to fend off both challengers en route to his fourth career PDTR 360 Sprint Car A-main triumph, 11th overall 360 Sprint Car main event win and 46th career A-main victory in Sprint Car and Winged Super Modified competition.

“A good invert draw helped us a lot,” Pokorski said. “The plan was to commit to the bottom until somebody showed me the top was working. I couldn’t believe when we got to halfway and I hadn’t seen anyone outside yet. We all know the bottom isn’t my thing, so I knew that someone had to be right on my bumper looking for an opportunity. I messed up a couple of times and Tyler was able to pounce. After I gave up the lead, I was having a debate in my own head about whether or not to stay on the bottom and ride in second or to try the outside.

“Luckily, I stayed on the bottom until Tyler made a mistake and was able to capitalize on that,” he said. “Once we got back in front, I just kept talking to myself and made sure that I didn’t make the mistake of opening up the bottom again. I thought for a lap or so that Travis Arenz was going to make the middle work. I was pleasantly surprised to see him fall back a little bit and out of view after a lap. That just reassured me that I was doing the right thing by taking it easy on the bottom and staying tight to the inside. It definitely feels great to get a win after a bit of a dry spell.”

Pokorski, who broke a three-year A-main victory drought with the win, will relinquish the driver’s seat to his 21-year-old son, Alex, beginning this Saturday, June 13 at The Plymouth Dirt Track.

“This week I turn over the reins to Alex,” Pokorski said. “Of course, I have mixed feelings. I’d love to go out and keep doing it myself but, as most parents would understand, I am looking forward to the opportunity to watch him and hope he has some success.”

While Alex is scheduled to compete in the majority of races this summer, Paul will still make occasional appearances behind the wheel, most notably in the upcoming MSA traveling events on Friday, July 3 and Friday, Sept. 25 at the Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam.

Grandstand gates open at 4:30 p.m. with hot laps at 5:30 p.m. and racing at 6 p.m. for the next Plymouth Dirt Track Racing program at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, June 13.

Sponsors for the 2020 Pokorski Motorsports team are Hopf Farms, Petersen Septic Systems, Quest Engineering Inc., Goeden’s Auto Body, Goodwin Racing Engines, Lakeshore Family Funeral Homes, Kettle Moraine Landscaping, Novak’s Service Center, Pedal Down Promotions, Tisler Salvage Inc., Allied Bearing Corporation and The Cawley Company.

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

Pokorski Motorsports Sponsor Showcase – Petersen Septic Systems

Since opening its doors in Valders, Wis. in 2012, Petersen Septic Systems LLC has provided premier septic tank service and the most reliable septic system installation and repair in Manitowoc and Two Rivers and the surrounding Lakeshore area.

“We offer our services to industrial, institutional, residential, new construction, commercial and municipal accounts,” Petersen Septic Systems Owner David Petersen said. “Customer service is our utmost priority. We do every job as it was in our own homes. Our experience is second to none in the area. Prior to opening the business, I worked for Tuschl Septic Systems from 2004 until owner Chuck Tuschl retired.”

The list of regular services Petersen Septic Systems offers includes septic pump repairs, test drilling/test boring, sewage treatment systems, septic tank removal, septic tank installation, water line repair, oil testing and perc testing.

“We provide all of these services in Manitowoc County and the surrounding areas,” Petersen said. “We are OSHA certified and are licensed MPRS/CST966051.”

Petersen Septic Systems is located at 7334 Nagel Road in Valders, Wis. For more information, call 920-323-2640, email petersenseptic@gmail.com or visit www.petersensepticsystems.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.pedaldownpromo.com or call 920-323-7970.

2020 Pokorski Motorsports Upcoming Schedule.

Saturday, June 13 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.

Saturday, June 20 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.

Friday, June 26 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.

 

2020 Pokorski Motorsports By The Numbers

Total Events – 2

MSA events – 1

IRA events – 0

A Main Victories – 1

B Main Victories – 0

Top Five A Main Finishes – 1

Top 10 A Main Finishes – 1

Heat Race Victories – 0

June 9, 2020 / by Jeff Pederson

Pokorski, Scheffler, Muehlbauer, Steenbergen star as Plymouth Dirt Track Racing season finally gets under way

Paul Pokorski (4) fends off challenges from Travis Arenz (25T) and Tyler Brabant (99) in the closing laps of the season-opening 25-lap Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car A main at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, June 6. -RC Custom Design photo

By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) June 6, 2020 – The COVID-19 (coronavirus) public health emergency may have turned the world upside down over the past three months and delayed the start of the 16th Plymouth Dirt Track Racing season by six weeks, but when the engines finally fired up for the first time to launch the 60th overall season of racing at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds one-third mile facility in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, June 6, all was right with the world for every dirt track racing enthusiast in attendance.

With grandstand attendance limited to comply with Sheboygan County Health Department regulations and additional COVID-19 restrictions in place to encourage safety and social distancing throughout the event, the return of live sporting events to Sheboygan County appeared to be greeted with appreciation and respectful compliance.

In season-opening A-main action, 28th-year driver Paul Pokorski of West Bend broke a three-year main event winless drought while holding off the furious advances of Tyler Brabant of Waupun and Sheboygan’s Travis Arenz to claim the Kristine Hartmann Pleasant View Realty 25-lap 360 Sprint Car main event triumph. Waukesha’s Taylor Scheffler worked the high groove to perfection to notch the Gasroots Project 25-lap Late Model A main victory. Jeff Muelhbauer of Elkhart Lake was victorious in the 25-lap Klips N Tips Grand National A-main and Jeff Steenbergen of Johnson Creek won the caution-free 25-lap Cellcom B Mod A-main.

Pokorski led the field to the green flag of the 360 Sprint Car A main from the pole flanked by Brabant. On the opening circuit, disaster struck, as Brabant and 2017 PDTR 360 Sprint Car champion Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh made contact in turn two, which triggered a five-car red flag incident involving Plymouth’s Adam Miller, who flipped his machine, two-time PDTR 360 Sprint Car champion Kurt Davis of South Milwaukee, Will Gerrits of Waupun and West Bend’s Kevin Karnitz.

Paul Pokorski (4) of West Bend claimed his first main event victory since 2017 in the season-opening 25-lap Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car A main at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, June 6. -RC Custom Design photo

Miller was forced to retire from the race, while Davis, McMullen, Karnitz and Gerrits restarted the race from the rear of the field.

Following a complete restart, Pokorski bolted out the lead with Brabant settling into second followed by sixth starter Arenz in third. By lap 6, Pokorski built a half-straightaway cushion over Brabant by sticking to the extreme inside line of the dry slick racing surface.

On lap 8, Brabant began to close and six laps later Brabant dove low in turn one, only to have Pokorski shut the door. However, Brabant battled back to wrestle the lead away from Pokorski with a nifty low move in turn three on lap 17.

Two laps later, Brabant made contact with the slowing car of Josh Teunissen of Waldo, which caused his car to twitch exiting turn four and gave Pokorski an opening to regain the lead in turn one on lap 20.

On lap 22, Arenz worked the outside groove to pull past Brabant and draw even with Pokorski. However, the 2014 Midwest Sprint Car Association Masters Series champion and three-time Winged Super Modified champion held strong to maintain the lead as both Brabant and Arenz continued to dig for the victory.

Pokorski, who is planning to share the driver’s seat of the No. 4 Pokorski Motorsports car with his 21-year-old son Alex this season, stayed precise along the low groove in the closing laps to fend off both challengers en route to his fourth career PDTR 360 Sprint Car A-main triumph, 11th overall 360 Sprint Car main event win and 46th career A-main victory in Sprint Car and Winged Super Modified competition.

Brabant worked back underneath Arenz to take second on the final lap, Arenz wound up third, 2018 PDTR 360 Sprint Car champ Justin Miller of Plymouth, who started fourth, finished fourth and Davis, who originally started 20th, rallied from the rear of the field following the first lap accident to round out the top five.

“I really figured they had me there,” Pokorski said. “I’m not a guy that likes to run the bottom, but if your leading on a track like this you kind of have to stay there and make everyone else work the outside to beat you. When Tyler got by me, I was thinking what I needed to do and I had a thought about going up high to try to get back by him at the end. I’m happy I got back by him. Then I saw Travis Arenz on the outside with a couple laps to go, but luckily we were able to hold on. The plan is to have Alex get in the car next week and I will be on the sidelines biting my fingernails watching him. This was definitely a good start to the season and a nice way to end my long run in the seat of this car before I hand the keys over to the rookie.”

Two-time defending PDTR Late Model champion Justin Schmidt of Cleveland got the jump on the drop of the green flag from the pole before a four-car incident in turn one, involving Eric Michaels of Cleveland, Charlie Schmidt of Cedar Grove, New London’s Justin Ritchie and Turk Letizia of Milwaukee, brought out the first of three yellow flags on lap 2.

Taylor Scheffler of Waukesha was victorious in the 25-lap Plymouth Dirt Track Racing Late Model A main at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, June 6. -RC Custom Design photo

On the restart, Scheffler, who started eighth, bolted up to the high groove to sweep around 2016 PDTR Late Model champion Tim Buhler of Greenbush, who started second, to assume the runner-up spot on lap two.

One lap later, Eric Michaels, Ritchie and Jim Schmidt of Cleveland collided in turn four to bring out the second yellow flag. On the restart, 2014 PDTR Late Model champion Mitch McGrath of Waukesha dove low to challenge Scheffler for second after starting seventh.

On lap 8, Scheffler moved in to within striking distance of Schmidt as the leaders encountered heavy lapped traffic. As Schmidt began to negotiate four slower cars that were racing side by side, Scheffler slipped through along the high line to steal the top spot in turn on lap 11.

Four laps later, Schmidt charged back to pull even with Scheffler along the inside lane before the third and final caution appeared on lap 16 for the spinning car of Chad Ludwigson of Sheboygan Falls in turn four.

Schmidt hung with Scheffler on the restart and made another attempt to seize the lead along the low groove on lap 17 before Scheffler pulled away again. Schmidt refused to give up and made another run in the final two laps. However, Scheffler held on to record his fourth career PDTR Late Model A-main victory.

Schmidt had to settle for second, McGrath was third, Buhler placed fourth and Omro’s Kevin Baldry finished fifth after starting 13th.

Muehlbauer started the Grand National A main from the pole and led the first two laps over second starter Donny Kulow of Plymouth before the first of four yellow flags was displayed on lap 3 for an incident involving Derek Kaat of Plymouth and Steven Weber of Plymouth.

Jeff Muehlbauer of Elkhart Lake visited victory lane in the season-opening 25-lap Plymouth Dirt Track Racing Grand Natinoal A main at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, June 6. -RC Custom Design photo

On the restart, Aaron Stolp of Green Bay charged in from his fifth starting spot to pressure Kulow for second. While Muehlbauer extended his lead at the front of field, the second caution appeared on lap 9 for a spin involving Bruce Troesch of West Bend.

Stolp and two-time PDTR Grand National champion Don Sorce Jr. of West Allis, who started fourth, moved in to challenge Kulow for second with a three-wide duel on lap 9 before Kulow settled into second and Sorce Jr. into third.

By lap 15, Muehlbauer had forged a half-straightaway cushion over Kulow before the third caution flag flew on lap 17 for debris. Muehlbauer stayed strong at the head of the pace, but the battles raged behind him as defending PDTR Grand National champion Tyler Kulow of Plymouth, who started 10th, took over third on lap 20 just before the fourth and final caution of the race on lap 20 for Jacob Muehlbauer of Elkhart Lake and Kaat in turn two.

Tyler Kulow moved in to pressure Donny Kulow for second on lap 21, but Donny Kulow fended him for the runner-up spot off in the closing laps. Meanwhile, Muehlbauer pulled away to score his third career PDTR Grand National A-main victory.

Donny Kulow placed second, Tyler Kulow finished third, Sorce Jr. wound up fourth and Stolp took fifth.

“It was a fun race,” Muehlbauer said. “The track was black and slippery, which made it a challenge. I kept it on the inside throughout the race to try to hold everyone off and it worked.”

Polesitter Mark Hoeppner of Hartford dueled with outside front row starter Justin Bauer of Sheboygan Falls during the opening two laps of the Grand National main event before Bauer surged ahead on lap 3.

On lap 5, Steenbergen, who started fifth, moved in to pressure Hoeppner for second. One lap later, Steenbergen seized the runner-up spot and set his sights on Bauer. On lap 9, Steenbergen powered underneath Bauer with a low move in turn three to take over the top spot.

Jeff Steenbergen of Watertown came out on top in the season-opening 25-lap Plymouth Dirt Track Racing B Mod A main at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, June 6. -RC Custom Design photo

From there, Steenbergen pulled away from the rest of field, while weaving his way skillfully through slower traffic. On lap 20, defending PDTR B Mod track champion Tim Warner of Fond du Lac, who started 10th, used a high move to power around Bauer into second.

Over the final five circuits, Steenbergen cruised to his fourth career PDTR B Mod A-main victory in limited starts at the track in recent years. Warner was second, former PDTR Late Model competitor Kyle Odekirk of Plymouth charged up from his eighth starting spot to place third, Bauer was fourth and Hoeppner completed the top five.

“It feels really good to get this win,” Steenbergen said. “The car was a handful in the heat race and we made wholesale changes for the A main, which paid off.”

Preston Ruh of Elkhart Lake won the first 360 Sprint Car B main and Chris Clayton of Waldo captured the second 360 Sprint Car B main.

Nick Schultz of Beaver Dam was victorious in the B Mod B main.

The season-opening event, which was sponsored by Pit Stop Pizza, drew a total of 100 cars, including 37 360 Sprint Cars, 19 Late Models, 18 Grand Nationals and 26 B Mods.

The next race at The Plymouth Dirt Track will take place on Saturday, June 13 with gates opening at 4:30 p.m., hot laps at 5:30 p.m. and racing at 6 p.m.

KRISTINE HARTMANN PLEASANT VIEW REALTY 360 SPRINT CAR

Date of Race: June 6, 2020

HEAT 1

1, Justin Miller 2, Brandon Berth 3, Paul Pokorski 4, Sean Rayhall 5, Nick Daywalt 6, Tony Wondra 7, Tim Haddy 8, Tom Kreutz.

HEAT 2

1, Nich Melis 2, Tyler Brabant 3, Preston Ruh 4, Justin Erickson 5, Anthony Knierim 6, Jack Vanderboom 7, Johnny Fahl 8, Blake Wondra.

HEAT 3

1, Scott Conger 2, Will Gerrits 3, Shane Wenninger 4, Mike Decker 5, Scott Armstrong 6, Josh Teunissen 7, Kurt Davis.

HEAT 4

1, Brandon McMullen 2, Travis Arenz 3, Chris Clayton 4, Doug Wondra 5, Tyler Tischendorf 6, Spyder Akright 7, Austin Hartmann

HEAT 5

1, Adam Miller 2, Bill Taylor 3, Lance Fassbender 4, Kevin Karnitz 5, Tyler Davis 6, Mike MacFarlane 7, Ben Schmidt

B MAIN 1

1, Preston Ruh 2, Sean Rayhall 3, Josh Teunissen 4, Jack Vanderboom 5, Tyler Tischendorf 6, Spyder Akright 7, Tom Kreutz 8, Tyler Davis 9, Scott Armstrong 10, Mike MacFarlane 11, Ben Schmidt (DNS).

B MAIN 2

1, Chris Clayton 2, Kurt Davis 3, Tim Haddy 4, Doug Wondra 5, Tony Wondra 6, Blake Wondra 7, Johnny Fahl 8, Nick Daywalt 9, Austin Hartmann 10, Anthony Knierim (DNS).

A MAIN

1, Paul Pokorski 2, Tyler Brabant 3, Travis Arenz 4, Justin Miller 5, Kurt Davis 6, Brandon McMullen 7, Nich Melis 8, Scott Conger 9, Justin Erickson 10, Brandon Berth 11, Lance Fassbender 12, Shane Wenninger 13, Chris Clayton 14, Will Gerrits 15, Tim Haddy 16, Kevin Karnitz 17, Mike Decker 18, Preston Ruh 19, Sean Rayhall 20, Josh Teunissen 21, Bill Taylor 22, Adam Miller.

GASROOTS PROJECT LATE MODEL

HEAT 1

1, Mitch McGrath 2, Taylor Scheffler 3, Jim Schmidt 4, Eric Michaels 5, Greg Cantrell 6, Turk Letizia 7, Sawyer Specht.

HEAT 2

1, Dale Markham 2, Charlie Schmidt 3, Victor Benedetto 4, Glen Blanke 5, Glen Toppel 6, Chad Ludwigson

HEAT 3

1, Justin Ritchie 2, Justin Schmidt 3, Tim Buhler 4, Kevin Baldry 5, Donny Singer 6, Adreau Roscelli.

A MAIN

1, Taylor Scheffler 2, Justin Schmidt 3, Mitch McGrath 4, Tim Buhler 5, Kevin Baldry, Victor Benedetto 7, Greg Cantrell 8, Turk Letizia 9, Charlie Schmidt 10, Jim Schmidt 11, Dale Markham 12, Adreau Roscelli 13, Sawyer Specht 14, Glen Toppel 15, Donny Singer 16, Chad Ludwigson 17, Glen Blanke 18, Eric Michaels 19, Justin Ritchie.

KLIPS N TIPS GRAND NATIONAL

HEAT 1

1, Jonathan Otte 2, Aaron Stolp 3, Jeff Muehlbauer 4, Donny Kulow 5, Tyler Kulow 6, Derek Kaat 7, Dick Hed 8, Brad Weiss 9, Chad Espen.

HEAT 2

1, Steven Weber 2, Matt Yancey 3, Nick Schumacher 4, Don Sorce 5, Luke Scholten 6, Paul Perrone 7, Jacob Muehlbauer 8, Bruce Troesch 9, Who Racing.

A MAIN

1, Jeff Muehlbauer 2, Donny Kulow 3, Tyler Kulow 4, Don Sorce 5, Aaron Stolp 6, Matt Yancey 7, Jonathan Otte 8, Luke Scholten 9, Derek Kaat 10, Brad Weiss 11, Bruce Troesch 12, Nick Schumacher 13, Dick Hed 14, Jacob Muehlbauer 15, Chad Espen 16, Steven Weber 17, Paul Perronne, 18, Who Racing (DNS).

CELLCOM B MOD

HEAT 1

1, Tim Warner 2, Gary Glander 3, Steve Lorier 4, Rory Welch 5, Tim Thrun 6, Michael Gilson 7, Don Marquart 8, Donny Singer 9, Barry Maas (DNS).

HEAT 2

1, Travis Schmidt 2, Jesse Jakubowski 3, Justin Bauer 4, Mark Hoeppner 5, Christopher Gilson 6, Jim Fischer 7, David McCutcheon 8, Patrick Hanson 9, Dakota Cabunac.

HEAT 3

1, Kyle Odekirk 2, Jeff Steenbergen 3, Will Garceau 4, James Rautmann 5, Nick Schultz 6, Phil Campanella 7, Andy Welter 8, Brandon Knepprath.

B MAIN

1, Nick Schultz 2, Andy Welter 3, Brandon Knepprath 4, Barry Maas 5, Patrick Hanson 6, David McCutcheon 7, Dakota Cabunac 8, Phil Campanella 9, James Rautmann 10, Don Marquart.

A MAIN

1, Jeff Steenbergen 2, Tim Warner 3, Kyle Odekirk 4, Justin Bauer 5, Mark Hoeppner 6, Jesse Jakubowski 7, Nick Schultz 8, Steve Lorier 9, Barry Maas 10, Rory Welch 11, Gary Glander 12, Andy Welter 13, Brandon Knepprath 14, Donny Singer 15, Will Garceau 16, Jim Fischer 17, Michael Gilson 18, Christopher Gilson 19, Travis Schmidt 20, Tim Thrun (DNS).

June 7, 2020 / by Jeff Pederson

Walter aims to open 2020 season versus World of Outlaws

Josh Walter is set to begin the 2020 racing season this Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6 against the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series at Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam, Wis.

By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) June 3, 2020 – The extended off season will finally come to an end this weekend for Josh Walter as he will get a chance to fire up his Torque Racing 410 Sprint Car for the first time in 2020 against the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Series this Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6 at Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam, Wis.

Walter is coming off one of the most successful seasons of his 14-year racing career while splitting time between the 360 and 410 Sprint Car ranks in 2019. The 15th-year Plymouth, Wis. driver racked up a pair of A-main victories, four top-five and seven top-10 A-main finishes to go along with three heat race victories and one B-main triumph in 14 MSA 360 Sprint Car events a year ago.

In late July, Walter and the Torque Racing team switched to the IRA 410 Sprint Car ranks, making six 410 starts during the second half of the 2019 campaign while notching one top-10 A-main showing and one heat race victory.

Walter and the Torque Racing had planned a highly ambitious 2020 schedule with several trips out of the confines of the state of Wisconsin to the Sprint Car hotbeds of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Iowa planned. However, the COVID-19 (coronavirus) public health emergency has turned Walter’s best-laid plans upside down.

After sitting idle during a seven-week delay to the start of the 2020 campaign, Walter is eager to strap in to take on many of the world’s most talented Sprint Car drivers this weekend.

The doubleheader event will mark Walter’s fourth and fifth overall appearances with the World of Outlaws after having competed with the nation’s top Winged Sprint Car series at Beaver Dam Raceway in 2015 and 2017 and taking part in the Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway in Iowa in 2017.

“Beaver Dam Raceway is a track where we have some confidence,” Walter said. “We’ve had some good runs there in the past, including a 16th place finish in the A main with the World of Outlaws in 2015.”

The event is open to spectators with limited seating available. General admission grandstand tickets for Saturday’s race are sold out with some tickets still available for Friday night’s event.

Those unable to attend in person, can watch or listen to both nights of action at www.dirtvision.com.

Looking ahead to the remainder of the 2020 season, Walter indicated that the team will determine its schedule on a week-to-week basis.

“Beyond this weekend with the Outlaws, the rest of the season is still kind of up in the air,” Walter said. “I’m thinking we will likely run the IRA race at Beaver Dam Raceway on Saturday, June 20 and the IRA event at 141 Speedway on Sunday, July 5th, but we will confirm our schedule as we move along.”

Torque Racing sponsors for the 2020 season include JDV Lawncare, Brittany’s School of Dance, Sheboygan by Owner, Plymouth Tap, Doug’s Quality Beef, Cow Pies, Full Throttle Ink, Lakehouse Bar & Grill, Home Transitions, Oostburg Concrete, RC Custom Design and Pedal Down Promotions.

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.pedaldownpromo.com or call 920-323-7970.

2020 Josh Walter-Torque Racing Upcoming Schedule

Friday, June 5 – Beaver Dam Raceway, Beaver Dam, Wis. (World of Outlaws)

Saturday, June 6 – Beaver Dam Raceway, Beaver Dam, Wis. (World of Outlaws)

Saturday, June 20 – Beaver Dam Raceway, Beaver Dam, Wis. (IRA) (tentative)

Sunday, July 5 – 141 Speedway, Francis Creek, Wis. (IRA) (tentative)

 

2019 Josh Walter-Torque Racing By The Numbers

Total Events – 21

MSA events – 14

IRA events – 7

A-Main Victories – 2

B-Main Victories – 1

Top Five A-Main Finishes – 4

Top 10 A-Main Finishes – 8

Heat Race Victories – 4

 

June 3, 2020 / by Jeff Pederson

Mechanical woes sour Pokorski Motorsports’ Gravity Park Speedway debut

Paul Pokorski made his first appearance at Gravity Park Speedway in Chilton, Wis. on Saturday, May 23 for the Quarantine 30 presented by Professional Plating. – JW’s Racing Photos

By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) May 26, 2020 – After waiting six long weeks to open the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) public health emergency, the Pokorski Motorsports team made its maiden trek to Gravity Park Speedway in Chilton Wis. for the Quarantine 30 presented by Professional Plating Inc. on Saturday, May 23.

Paul Pokorski began his 28th season of open-wheel competition by timing in 12th out of 19 competitors in 360 Sprint Car qualifying on the tight quarter-mile Gravity Park Speedway bullring.

However, that proved to be the only competitive laps Pokorski would turn for the remainder of the evening as a cylinder issue was diagnosed immediately after qualifying, which forced the team to withdraw from further competition.

The Quarantine 30 A main was later cancelled after a steady rain shower moved over the track after the completion of the heat races in all three divisions.

“I noticed the engine problem in hot lapping, but we didn’t know what it was at that time,” Pokorski said. “After qualifying, we found the problem, which proved to be a broken push rod.”

Pokorski, who plans to share the No. 4 Pokorski Motorsports machine with his 21-year-old son, Alex, this season, will again be in the seat when Plymouth Dirt Track Racing opens its 2020 season at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, June 6.

“Having the push rod break was just one of those things that happens in racing,” Pokorski said. “We will get the problem fixed and move forward. We will definitely be ready for the Plymouth opener on June 6th.”

Looking ahead, the Midwest Sprint Car Association event at Angell park Speedway, originally scheduled for Sunday, June 7, has been cancelled. In addition, an MS at the Outagamie Speedway Powered by EWSC Racing on Friday, June 19 has also been cancelled.

Sponsors for the 2020 Pokorski Motorsports team are Hopf Farms, Petersen Septic Systems, Quest Engineering Inc., Goeden’s Auto Body, Goodwin Racing Engines, Lakeshore Family Funeral Homes, Kettle Moraine Landscaping, Novak’s Service Center, Pedal Down Promotions, Tisler Salvage Inc., Allied Bearing Corporation and The Cawley Company.

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

Pokorski Motorsports Sponsor Showcase – Petersen Septic Systems

Since opening its doors in Valders, Wis. in 2012, Petersen Septic Systems LLC has provided premier septic tank service and the most reliable septic system installation and repair in Manitowoc and Two Rivers and the surrounding Lakeshore area.

“We offer our services to industrial, institutional, residential, new construction, commercial and municipal accounts,” Petersen Septic Systems Owner David Petersen said. “Customer service is our utmost priority. We do every job as it was in our own homes. Our experience is second to none in the area. Prior to opening the business, I worked for Tuschl Septic Systems from 2004 until owner Chuck Tuschl retired.”

The list of regular services Petersen Septic Systems offers includes septic pump repairs, test drilling/test boring, sewage treatment systems, septic tank removal, septic tank installation, water line repair, oil testing and perc testing.

“We provide all of these services in Manitowoc County and the surrounding areas,” Petersen said. “We are OSHA certified and are licensed MPRS/CST966051.”

Petersen Septic Systems is located at 7334 Nagel Road in Valders, Wis. For more information, call 920-323-2640, email petersenseptic@gmail.com or visit www.petersensepticsystems.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.pedaldownpromo.com or call 920-323-7970.

2020 Pokorski Motorsports Upcoming Schedule.

Saturday, June 6 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis. 

2020 Pokorski Motorsports By The Numbers

Total Events – 1

MSA events – 0

IRA events – 0

A Main Victories – 0

B Main Victories – 0

Top Five A Main Finishes – 0

Top 10 A Main Finishes – 0

Heat Race Victories – 0

May 26, 2020 / by Jeff Pederson

Rain shortens Quarantine 30 at Gravity Park Speedway

Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh (98), Josh Teunissen of Belgium (96) and Plymouth’s Adam Miller (24M) duel three wide during the second 360 Sprint Car heat race at the Quarantine 30 presented by Professional Plating Inc. at Gravity Park Speedway in Chilton on Saturday, May 23. – RC Custom Design photo

By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) May 24, 2020 – After enduring a six-week delay to the start of the 2020 racing season due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) public health emergency, competitors and fans alike were eager for dirt-track racing action and Adam Miller and Miller Family Motorsports obliged by serving up the Quarantine 30 presented by Professional Plating Inc. at Gravity Park Speedway in Chilton, Wis. on Saturday, May 23.

Although steady rain washed out all three A-main events shortly after the completion of all heat race action, a large contingent of race-starved fans were treated to some side-by-side preliminary race competition and witnessed a new track record established in 360 Sprint Car qualifying before the event was halted due to saturated track conditions.

With heat race action completed, the event was deemed officially with prize money distributed evenly through the A-main fields in the 360 Sprint Car, A Modified and B Modified divisions.

Justin Miller of Plymouth earned his first heat race victory behind the wheel of the Mayer Automotive 15M 360 Sprint during the Quarantine 30 presented by Professional Plating Inc. at Gravity Park Speedway in Chilton on Saturday, May 23. – RC Custom Design photo

In 360 Sprint Car heat race action, Justin Miller of Plymouth nipped fast qualifier Shane Wenninger of Kewaskum by a half car length to claim his first victory behind the wheel of Mayer Automotive 15M car in the first heat race. Three-time Midwest Sprint Car Association champion Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh won heat race two and Kevin Karnitz of West Bend claimed the win in the third 360 Sprint Car heat race.

Shane Wenninger earned fast qualifier honors in 360 Sprint Car qualifying with a new track record lap of 11.922 seconds.

A Modified heat race victories went to Cody Schroeder of Manitowoc (heat one) and Brad Lubach of Kiel (heat two).

B Modified heat race wins were recorded by Randy Lemieux of Sturgeon Bay (heat one), rookie Trevor Frank of Sheboygan (heat two) and Shaun Bangart of Chilton (heat three).

The event featured a total of 60 entries, including 19 360 Sprint Cars, 17 A Modifieds and 24 B Modifieds.

Trevor Frank of Sheboygan collected his first career B Modified heat race victory during the Quarantine 30 at Gravity Park Speedway in Chilton on Saturday, May 23. -JW’s Racing Photos

“I would like to thank everyone that came out – drivers, fans and crews,” first-time race promoter Adam Miller said. “It was a blast. It was not the ending we wanted, but mother nature never is forgiving. I know the Sprint Car guys collectively would like to get back to Gravity Park at some point in the future. Several people said they would be happy if we were able to get another show there.

“Thanks to Professional Plating Inc. for stepping up and supporting the show,” he said. “Also, thanks to the A Mod and B Mod drivers that came out to support the event. We had some areas to improve, but overall we thought it went well. Also thank you to BMG Designs, The Possi Family in honor of Judy Davis, Justin Miller, Bette Miller, Karen and Dave Miller, RC Custom Design, Cupcake Wonders, Oostburg Concrete, Colin Miller, Frank Motorsports for their generous support. Thanks also goes to Gravity Park Speedway and track owner Bob Schneider for working with us and helping make this happen. The track was fast, wide and the Sprint Car A Main was going to be something.”

360 SPRINT CARS

Date of Race: May 23, 2020

QUALIFYING

1, Shane Wenninger 11.922 (new track record) 2, Brandon McMullen, 3, Kurt Davis 4, Ben Schmidt 5, Adam Miller 6, Kevin Karnitz 7, Justin Miller 8, Josh Teunissen 9, Mike Decker 10, Tyler Tischendorf 11, Justin Erickson 12, Paul Pokorski 13, Tyler Davis 14, Blake Wondra 15, Austin Hartmann 16, Bill Taylor 17, Robbie Pribnow 18, Chris Larson 19, Mike MacFarlane.

HEAT 1

1, Justin Miller 2, Shane Wenninger 3, Ben Schmidt 4, Bill Taylor 5, Tyler Davis 6, Tyler Tischendorf.

HEAT 2

1, Brandon McMullen 2, Josh Teunissen 3, Adam Miller 4, Justin Erickson 5, Robbie Pribnow 6, Blake Wondra.

HEAT 3

1, Kevin Karnitz 2, Mike Decker 3, Chris Larson 4, Austin Hartmann 5, Mike MacFarlane 6, Kurt Davis.

A MAIN

Rained out

A MODIFIEDS

HEAT 1

1, Cody Schroeder 2, Hunter Parsons.

HEAT 2

1, Brad Lubach 2, Steve Schneider.

A MAIN

Rained out

 

B MODIFIEDS

HEAT 1

1, Randy Lemieux 2, Geoff Jeche.

HEAT 2

1, Trevor Frank 2, Tim Warner.

HEAT 3

1, Shaun Bangart 2, Tim Schmuhl.

A MAIN

Rained out

 

 

 

 

 

May 24, 2020 / by Jeff Pederson

Pokorski Motorsports to fire up 2020 season at Gravity Park Speedway

Paul Pokorski will be in the driver’s seat for his 28th season of competition when Pokorski Motorsports opens the 2020 season at Gravity Park Speedway in Chilton for the Quarantine 30 on Saturday, May 23. – RC Custom Design photo

By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) May 21, 2020 – After enduring a six-week delay due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) public health emergency, Paul Pokorski and the Pokorski Motorsports team will kick off the 2020 season with the Quarantine 30 at Gravity Park Speedway in Chilton, Wis. on Saturday, May 23.

Pokorski, who recorded four top-five finishes and 12 top-10 A-main showings to go along with two heat race wins and one B-main triumph in 26 events during the 2019 season, will be behind the wheel of the familiar No. 4 blue 360 Sprint Car to start his 28th season as a driver at a track where he will be making his debut.

Promoted by fellow 360 Sprint Car racer Adam Miller and Miller Family Motorsports, the Quarantine 30 is shaping up to feature a strong field of competitors vying for a $1,000 top prize as the 360 Sprint Cars take to the tight Gravity Park bullring for the first time.

“I am grateful that Gravity Park is willing to host us during this uncertain time and that Adam Miller took the time to work with the track,” Pokorski said. “The event itself will be interesting. Nobody really knows how the track will race with open-wheel cars.”

On Saturday, May 9, Pokorski, who wound up fifth in the final Midwest Sprint Car Association point standings and ninth in the Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car point standings, took advantage of an opportunity to get some laps in at Beaver Dam Raceway along with his 21-year-old son Alex, who will share the driving duties in the Pokorski Motorsports machine this year.

“Practice went well,” Pokorski said. “We had one or two very minor issues. I ran about 10 laps and Alex probably ran around 60 laps. He did well and it was a good step to help develop his skills slowly.”

After the Quarantine 30 on May 23, the team will likely take the following weekend off before opening the Plymouth Dirt Track Racing season at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth on Saturday, June 6.

“I’m hoping our schedule will pick up starting on June 6th at Plymouth and we can keep many of the remaining dates on the MSA schedule,” Pokorski said.

While Pokorski had originally stated that the 2020 would be his final season as an owner-driver, the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign has prompted Pokorski to commit to fielding a car beyond this year.

“Given the COVID-19 emergency, Pokorski Motorsports will continue in 2021 with a limited schedule,” Pokorski said.

Pokorski, who has a total of 45 career Winged Super Modified and 360 Sprint Car A-main victories to his credit, is eager to get back to the racetrack after an extended off season.

“I think everyone on our team is excited to get started as I assume everyone that follows racing is as well,” Pokorski said.

Sponsors for the 2020 Pokorski Motorsports team are Hopf Farms, Petersen Septic Systems, Quest Engineering Inc., Goeden’s Auto Body, Goodwin Racing Engines, Lakeshore Family Funeral Homes, Kettle Moraine Landscaping, Novak’s Service Center, Pedal Down Promotions, Tisler Salvage Inc., Allied Bearing Corporation and The Cawley Company.

For more information on Pokorski Motorsports, check out Pokorski Motorsports on Facebook or visit www.pedaldownpromo.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.pedaldownpromo.com or call 920-323-7970.

2020 Pokorski Motorsports Upcoming Schedule.

Saturday, May 23 – Gravity Park Speedway, Chilton, Wis.

Saturday, June 6 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.

2020 Pokorski Motorsports By The Numbers

Total Events – 0

MSA events – 0

IRA events – 0

A Main Victories – 0

B Main Victories – 0

Top Five A Main Finishes – 0

Top 10 A Main Finishes – 0

Heat Race Victories – 0

May 21, 2020 / by Jeff Pederson

Sprint Car racer Miller turns promoter for Quarantine 30 at Gravity Park Speedway

360 Sprint Car racer Adam Miller (24M) of Plymouth will serve as a race promoter this Saturday, May 23 as Miller Family Motorsports is set to present the Quarantine 30 at Gravity Park Speedway in Chilton, featuring 360 Sprints, A Modifieds and B Modifieds. Miller is pictured racing against Waupun’s Tim Haddy (21H) in 360 Sprint Car competition at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth in 2019. – RC Custom Design photo

By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) May 18, 2020 – After a month-long delay to the 2020 racing season due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) public health emergency and statewide safer at home order, the roar of racing engines will return with the Quarantine 30 presented by Miller Family Motorsports Saturday, May 23 at Gravity Park Speedway in Chilton.

The idea to launch the inaugural event, which will feature a full program of 360 Sprint Cars, A Modifieds and B Modifieds, was fueled by the passion of veteran Sprint Car racer Adam Miller of Plymouth, who is embracing his first opportunity as a race promoter.

“I’ve been thinking about promoting a race for several years, but this is the first one that has materialized,” Miller said. “The timing just made sense to try and get something put together. I could have never imagined it would come together so quickly, but people are wanting to race now that things are open so it just worked out.

“I had considered a couple different tracks, but any track that resides within a county fairgrounds seemed like it wasn’t going to be feasible with many counties still pushing the recommended guidelines as far as the CDC is concerned,” he said. “I had talked with Gravity Park Speedway owner Bob Schneider before when practicing there about getting Sprint Cars up there for a show. We’ve just never been able to make it work due to scheduling with MSA or Plymouth Dirt Track. Now that nothing else is running, it made sense to try and give it a shot.”

The Quarantine 30 will mark the first time the 360 Sprint Car division has competed at the Gravity Park Speedway bullring, which opened in 2018. The event will feature a 30-lap 360 Sprint Car A main paying $1,000 to win and $200 to start. The A Modifieds will contest a 25-lap A Main paying $750 to win and $120 to start. The B Modifieds will complete a 25-lap B Main featuring a $500 first-place payday and $100 to start.

“This will be the first actual Sprint Car race at Gravity Park,” Miller said. “I have practiced there before in a Sprint Car and several other Sprint Car drivers have as well. It reminds me a little bit of the old fairgrounds racetrack in Chilton, but it’s bigger. They’ve also made some improvements to the shape of the track and the racing surface over the past year.

“The 360 Sprint Cars will follow MSA engine and car rules,” Miller said. “The A Mods and B Mods are following the Gravity Park rules.”

Spectators will be permitting to attend with no attendance restrictions anticipated. Admission is $20 for adults, ages 11-17 will be admitted for $10 and ages 10 and under will be free with a paying adult. Pit passes are $30.

“There are no formal COVID-19 restrictions in place that we are aware of at this time,” Miller said. “However, we will adhere to any restrictions on crowd size if they are communicated to us, and we are encouraging the standard safety protocols, including social distancing, face masks, keeping to your own pit area or with your family if you’re in the grandstand.”

Miller is hopeful that the event will run smoothly, which could lead to a return appearance or two for the 360 Sprint Cars at Gravity Park Speedway.

“I’m hoping for a good night of racing,” Miller said. “I want all the drivers fans and crews to be able to enjoy what we love to do. I would like to have an efficient, safe night at the track. If it works, I’d like to get the Sprint Cars back there a few more times.

“We will be running a progressive show and drawing numbers to determine heat race lineups,” he said. “We will transfer a certain number of cars from each heat with the top two from each heat race going to a redraw. We will start 20 cars in the A Mains in all divisions.”

Miller is eager to get the 2020 racing season going and has been pleased with the support he has received so far.

“The response so far has been positive,” Miller said. “There are some skeptics, but I think that’s to be expected. We ask that everyone be respectful of each other’s space and try and enjoy a night at the racetrack. We are actively looking for sponsors. We would like to help advertise those businesses trying to get back on their feet as we know times are tough.

“I would like to thank Bob Schneider and the Gravity Park Speedway staff, Dan Teunissen, Paul Pokorski and Andrew Shuffelbotham for helping to put this event together,” he said.

Gates open at 1 p.m. with the pill draw for heat race starting positions from 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., drivers meeting at 4:45 p.m., warm-ups at 5 p.m. and racing at 6 p.m.

For more information on sponsoring the Quarantine 30, contact Adam Miller at 920-889-2484 or milleradam24@gmail.com.

May 18, 2020 / by Jeff Pederson

Mulch Express of Wisconsin preps for 2020 landscaping season

(NEWTON, WI) May 1, 2020 – Since opening its doors in 2000, Mulch Express of Wisconsin has strived to set the standard as a top-quality provider of mulch, bark, chip and soil blowing services over the past 20 years.

Mulch Express of Wisconsin specializes in wood chip mulch spreading on playgrounds as depicted at Magee Elementary School in Two Rivers, Wis. – Mulch Express of Wisconsin photo

Formed out of the desire to control the cost and efficiency of installing mulch, bark, soil and playground chips, the Newton-based landscaping company has found its niche as the to-go mulching provider for municipalities, school districts, commercial businesses and residences throughout Northeastern Wisconsin.

“When we set out to start Mulch Express of Wisconsin, our goal was to reduce the cost of the mulching process and make it more efficient to install,” said Jenson Wetenkamp of Mulch Express of Wisconsin. “We offer pneumatic installation of mulch, bark and soil products to our commercial, residential and institutional customers in our service area.”

As the 2020 landscaping season fires up in the coming weeks, Wetenkamp is looking forward to bringing its state-of-the-art mulch and bark installation services to its vast array of customers.

“Our season starts when the snow melts and the weather provides us with the opportunity to get out and provide our services,” Wetenkamp said. “Generally, this occurs in late April or early May. Our season typically runs until the snow flies again.”

Mulch Express of Wisconsin is gearing up for the 2020 landscaping season. – Mulch Express of Wisconsin photo

Wetenkamp says the expansive spreading capabilities of its top-of-the-line blower truck gives Mulch Express of Wisconsin a leg up in tackling even the most challenging mulch, bark, chip and soil landscaping projects.

“We provide a more efficient and cheaper service to the customer,” Wetenkamp said. “We do this my using less men and wheelbarrows and relying more on the high-tech landscaping machines we have available to us.

“Whether it is mulch, bark, playground chips, soil mixes, seeding or light stones and aggregates, our blower truck can install 30-plus cubic yards an hour compared to a person with a wheelbarrow, who is only capable of doing one cubic yard an hour,” he said.

As the outdoor landscaping season kicks into high gear in the coming weeks, Mulch Express of Wisconsin is well prepared to take on projects of all shapes and sizes throughout Northeastern Wisconsin.

“The best way to contact Mulch Express of Wisconsin is to give us a call at 920-726-4840,” Wetenkamp said. “After that, we can determine the needs for any particular job, big or small and provide a quote.”

To contact or obtain additional information on Mulch Express of Wisconsin, send an email to mulchexpressofwi@gmail.com or visit Mulch Express of Wisconsin on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

May 1, 2020 / by Jeff Pederson

Pokorski gears up for swan song season as owner/driver

Paul Pokorski will split time in the seat of his familiar blue No. 4 360 Sprint Car with his son Alex during the 2020 Midwest Sprint Car Association season. – RC Custom Design photo

By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) March 10, 2020 – For the first time in his career, veteran open-wheel competitor Paul Pokorski is set to share driving duties behind the wheel of the familiar blue No. 4 Midwest Sprint Car Association 360 Sprint Car during the upcoming 2020 season.

During his 28th season of competition, Pokorski will split seat time with his 21-year-old son Alex as he prepares to bring the curtain down on his long and successful tenure as an owner-driver at the conclusion of the 2020 season.

“Alex and I will split the season between us,” Pokorski said. “Together, we will race about 90 to 95 percent of the MSA schedule. We will miss a few weeks for family commitments. Since Alex is in college, and because I still want to race, I will start the season off.  It will give me a chance to make sure things are in order before he gets in the car. Alex will drive most of June, July and August. I’ll drive any races that conflict with his summer work schedule. I plan to run the last four or five races of the season.”

During the 2019 campaign, the West Bend competitor put together a pair of solid top-10 finishes in the Midwest Sprint Car Association and Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car point standings.

In all, Pokorski recorded four top-five finishes and 12 top-10 A-main showings to go along with two heat race wins and one B-main triumph in 26 events during the 2019 season. Pokorski wound up fifth in the final MSA point standings and ninth in the PDTR 360 Sprint Car point standings.

Entering what looks to be a year of transition, Pokorski has mixed emotions about his new role with the Pokorski Motorsports team.

“I hope everyone has fun and takes time to soak it all in this season,” Pokorski said. “Unfortunately, I am not a very good fan/crew member. I have trouble watching my kids compete in anything for a couple reasons. As a father, I really want Alex to do well and be happy with the results. As a car owner, I don’t want to fix wrecks. Not wanting to rush to fix things is probably why I have been a little more conservative myself in the driver’s seat over the last few years.”

Pokorski, who has a total of 45 career Winged Super Modified and 360 Sprint Car A-main victories to his credit, says off-season preparations have put the team in a position to be successful when it hits the track in 2020.

“We did the usual off-season updates,” Pokorski said. “The chassis and shocks went to R&H Racing to get the imperfections made as good as new. The rear ends went to Kurt Gunderson at Competition Driveline. The steering gear went out to be gone through and so on. We don’t have anything really new. I have been pretty happy with what we have and the people we work with.”

While he admits the drive to wheel a race car still burns bright, Pokorski says it is time to step back a bit from the full-time owner-driver role he has lived for the past 27 years.

“I’m not ready to quit driving,” Pokorski said. “It’s just a matter of life circumstances and wanting to give my son an opportunity while we can. If opportunities to drive for someone arise, I’ll certainly consider them. If I can’t drive, I’ll try to stay involved in some way. I believe in fate I guess, so I am keeping myself open to whatever opportunities arise and feel right.”

Pokorski will be behind the wheel when the MSA opens is 2020 campaign at the Beaver Dam Raceway on Saturday, April 18.

“I’m looking forward to starting off the season at the MSA opener at Beaver Dam Raceway on April 18th,” Pokorski said. “I’ll be in the car that night. We have had some very good results there and some disappointing ones. In 2014. we won the season opener there over Scotty Nietzel and that started our run to the MSA Master Series championship that year.  If we win the opener this year, I may have to come up with a plan B and change the plans for the rest of the season!”

Although the exact driver rotation has yet to be determined, there are a few tracks and events where fans are certain to see the elder Pokorski in the driver’s seat during the 2020 season.

“I will be in the seat at the Dodge County Fairgrounds MSA events,” Pokorski said. “I have learned to like the track and won’t put my son out there as a rookie. I’ll will also drive at Outagamie Speedway in Seymour on June 19 for the Hagar Nelson Memorial. I want to be part of honoring our late friend Dave ‘Hagar’ Nelson, while also saying ‘thank you’ to the staff at Outagamie Speedway Powered by EWSC who are doing a great job with that facility and keeping EWSC viable and contributing to area racing. In addition, I’ll be in the car for the first Angel Park event and the last few nights of the season at Plymouth.”

Pokorski, who is a three-time Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car Winged Super Modified champion, says most of the team’s sponsors will be back on board for the 2020 campaign.

“We have great sponsors,” Pokorski said. “Most have been with us for multiple years. Goeden’s Auto Body is taking care of the light blue paint. Quest Engineering, Lakeshore Family Funeral Services, Cawley Company, Novak’s Auto Service and Acme Armature are all back. Tisler Auto Salvage of Kellnersville, Al Knepprath and Kettle Moraine Landscaping will be with us and Hopf Farms is on board for another year. Dave Petersen and Petersen Septic Services is also back. Of course, Jeff Pederson and Pedal Down Promotions will be with us documenting the whole ride.”

Sponsors for the 2020 Pokorski Motorsports team are Hopf Farms, Petersen Septic Systems, Quest Engineering Inc., Acme Armature Works Inc., Goeden’s Auto Body, Goodwin Racing Engines, Lakeshore Family Funeral Homes, Kettle Moraine Landscaping, Novak’s Service Center, Pedal Down Promotions, Tisler Salvage Inc., Allied Bearing Corporation and The Cawley Company.

For more information on Pokorski Motorsports, check out Pokorski Motorsports on Facebook or visit www.pedaldownpromo.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.pedaldownpromo.com or call 920-323-7970.

2019 Pokorski Motorsports By The Numbers

Total Events – 26

MSA events – 25

IRA events – 1

A Main Victories – 0

B Main Victories – 1

Top Five A Main Finishes – 4

Top 10 A Main Finishes – 12

Heat Race Victories – 2

March 10, 2020 / by Jeff Pederson