(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) June 30, 2022 – With the cars and stars of NASCAR Cup Series set to compete just a few miles down the road during the Fourth of July holiday weekend, the largest crowd of the season packed the grandstands and a solid field of Sprint Cars filled the pit area for the second Road America Challenge event presented by Kunes RV featuring the Plymouth Dirt Track Racing – Akright Auto Midwest Sprint Car Association 360 Sprint Car Series Thursday, June 30 at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis.
In the 25-lap Kristine Hartmann Pleasant View Realty PDTR-MSA 360 Sprint Car A-main, 2008 PDTR 360 Sprint Car champion Lance Fassbender of Burnett rolled to his first MSA main event victory since the 2019 season, following a spirited race-long duel with two-time PDTR 360 Sprint Car champ and five-time MSA champion Kurt Davis of South Milwaukee.
Lance Fassbender, who captured the 2005 MSA title, bolted into the lead on the opening lap of the PDTR-MSA 360 Sprint Car 25-lap A main from the pole with outside front row starter Kurt Davis sliding into second and sixth starter Tim Haddy of Waupun moving into third in the early going.
On lap five, Davis closed the gap on the low-riding Fassbender along the outside groove of the increasingly black-slick racing surface. One lap later, Davis pulled off a slide job to take over the top spot in turn four.
Fassbender battled back as the two veteran drivers dueled side by side over the next lap before Davis surged ahead and began to open up a measurable lead as the leaders caught the back of the field on lap 9.
On lap 14, Fassbender stuck to the low line to briefly gain the lead before Davis battled back to secure the top spot and pull away once again.
The first of two caution flags appeared on lap 19 when Will Gerrits of Waupun spun in turn four. Due to the track conditions, a single-file restart was utilized, which allowed Fassbender to dive underneath Davis to regain the top spot with a low move in turn four following the ensuing restart.
The second and final caution flag was thrown on lap 23 when Anthony Knierim of Franksville rolled to a stop in turn two. After another single-file restart, Fassbender held firm to the lead along the bottom groove and pulled away to notch his seventh career PDTR 360 Sprint Car A-main victory, 21st career MSA main event triumph and first A-main victory in three years.
Fassbender was elated with the win as his family-based pit crew joined him in a jubilant victory lane celebration.
“This win is a result of a lot of hard work from everyone on the crew,” Fassbender said. “Everyone on this team makes sacrifices to do this and we are a family team that has stuck together through everything over the years. This win feels really good.”
Davis placed second, defending PDTR 360 Sprint Car champion and current point leader Travis Arenz of Sheboygan Falls, who had come into the night as the winner of four of the first five PDTR 360 Sprint Car A-main events of the 2022 season, placed third after starting 10th, two-time PDTR 360 Sprint Car champ Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh finished fourth after starting seventh and 2011 PDTR 360 Sprint Car champion Ben Schmidt of Plymouth wound up fifth after being forced to start 21st when a flat left rear tire on the parade lap prompted a tire change before the start of the race.
Bill Taylor of Boltonville won the 12-lap PDTR 360 Sprint Car B main.
Ben Schmidt earned overall fast qualifier honors in the PDTR 360 Sprint Car division with a lap of 12.550 seconds.
The sixth PDTR program of the 2022 campaign, which was sponsored by Road America, drew a field of 29 PDTR-MSA 360 Sprint Cars.
The next PDTR racing program on Saturday, July 9 is Fan Appreciation Night with all spectators receiving $5 off the regular adult and student admission price.
The trophy sponsor for the racing program on Saturday, July 9 will be Butch and Blondie Hafemann with Vintage Modifieds joining the PDTR 360 Sprint Car, Late Model, Grand National and B Mod divisions.
Spectator gates open at 4:30 p.m. with 360 Sprint Car hot laps/group qualifying at 5:30 p.m. and racing to begin at 6 p.m.
The new book “Racing Recollections – Plymouth Racetrack Fans & Drivers 1950-2021” by Dennis Darovich of Sheboygan, George Baumann of Waupun and Verla Peichl of Sheboygan Falls will be available for purchase at every race during the 2022 PDTR season, as well as at the Sheboygan County Fair office during regular business hours and online at www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com.
The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds is located at 229 Fairview Drive in Plymouth, Wis. For more information, visit www.plymouthdtr.com or check out Plymouth Dirt Track Racing on Facebook.
KRISTINE HARTMANN PLEASANT VIEW REALTY 360 SPRINT CARS
QUALIFYING
1, Ben Schmidt 12.550 2, Brandon Berth 12.706 3, Tim Haddy 12.800 4, Brandon McMullen 12.824 5, Travis Arenz 12.843 6, Lance Fassbender 12.892 7, Preston Ruh 12.923 8, Will Gerrits 12.927 9, Doug Wondra 12.944 10, Alex Pokorski 12.999 11, Mike Yurmanovich 12.999 12, Blake Wondra 13.013 13, Tony Wondra 13.029 14, Chris Clayton 13.050 15, Cole Possi 13.091 16, Anthony Knierim 13.100 17, Bill Taylor 13.121 18, Kurt Davis 13.148 19, Shane Wenninger 13.178 20, Tommy Colburn 13.182 21, Justin Erickson 13.203 22, Justin Miller 13.216 23, Chris Larson 13.236 24, Katelyn Krebsbach 13.252 25, Tyler Brabant 13.366 26, Tyler Davis 13.445 27, J.J. Pagel 13.940 28, Randy Post 13.974 29, Andy Rein no time.
HEAT 1
1, Will Gerrits 2, Lance Fassbender 3, Ben Schmidt 4, Doug Wondra 5, Tommy Colburn 6, Brandon Berth 7, Katelyn Krebsbach 8, Randy Post.
HEAT 2
1, Kurt Davis 2, Brandon McMullen 3, Travis Arenz 4, Preston Ruh 5, Shane Wenninger 6, Justin Miller 7, Chris Larson.
HEAT 3
1, Anthony Knierim 2, Justin Erickson 3, Chris Clayton 4, Tony Wondra 5, Tyler Brabant 6, Tyler Davis 7, Alex Pokorski.
HEAT 4
1, Cole Possi 2, Tim Haddy 3, Blake Wondra 4, Mike Yurmanovich 5, Bill Taylor 6, J.J. Pagel 7, Andy Rein (DNS).
B MAIN
1, Bill Taylor 2, Tony Wondra 3, Brandon Berth 4, Tyler Davis 5, Justin Miller 6, Chris Larson 7, Preston Ruh 8, Shane Wenninger 9, Alex Pokorski 10, Katelyn Krebsbach 11, J.J. Pagel 12, Randy Post 13, Andy Rein (DNS).
A MAIN
1, Lance Fassbender 2, Kurt Davis 3, Travis Arenz 4, Brandon McMullen 5, Ben Schmidt 6, Doug Wondra 7, Chris Clayton 8, Justin Erickson 9, Brandon Berth 10, Chris Larson 11, Tony Wondra 12, Bill Taylor 13, Tyler Davis 14, Blake Wondra 15, Mike Yurmanovich 16, Will Gerrits 17, Justin Miller 18, Cole Possi 19, Tim Haddy 20, Anthony Knierim 21, Tommy Colburn 22, Tyler Brabant (DNS).