(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) July 10, 2021 – As the Plymouth Dirt Track Racing season eclipsed the half-way point, Waupun's Will Gerrits earned his first 25-lap Kristine Hartmann Pleasantview Realty 360 Sprint Car A-main victory of the 2021 campaign at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, July 10.
On the drop of the green flag of the 25-lap 360 Sprint Car A main, 2008 PDTR 360 Sprint Car champ Lance Fassbender of Burnett jumped into the lead from the pole position.
On lap 2, lone caution flag of the race appeared when PDTR 360 Sprint Car rookie Matt Rechek of Beaver Dam spun on the backstretch after making contact with Alex Pokorski of West Bend. Rechek was done for the night, while Pokorski went to the work area for repairs before returning to restart at the rear of the field.
Fassbender controlled the restart as Will Gerrits worked the high line to move up to second from his sixth starting spot on lap 3. Meanwhile, ninth starter Travis Arenz of Sheboygan Falls also rode the high groove of the smooth and slick track surface to seize third on lap 4.
On lap 6, Gerrits powered around Fassbender to take over the top spot exiting turn four, while Arenz slipped into second one lap later. As Arenz tested the high, middle and low lines in an attempt to close the gap on Gerrits, the leaders caught the rear of the field on lap 15.
Three laps later, Arenz moved in to challenge Gerrits for the lead with a daring low move in turn two. However, Gerrits successfully fended off Arenz’s spirited charge to maintain the top spot.
On lap 20, Arenz nearly lost control as his car spun sideways along the outside groove in turn four, which allowed the low-riding Fassbender to regain second. Meanwhile, out in front of the field, Gerrits skillfully maneuvered through lapped traffic to nail down his third career PDTR and Midwest Sprint Car Association 360 Sprint Car A-main victory.
Fassbender held on to finish second, Arenz was third, fourth starter Jack Vanderboom of Dousman took fourth and second starter Tyler Tischendorf of Waupaca rounded out the top five.
Adam Miller of Plymouth won the 15-lap 360 Sprint Car B main.
PDTR action is scheduled to resume on Saturday, July 17 with action in the 360 Sprint Car, Late Model, Grand National and B Mod divisions.
Spectator gates open at 4:30 p.m. with hot laps at 5:30 p.m. and racing at 6 p.m.
The new book “70 Years of Plymouth Dirt Track Racing” by Dennis Darovich of Sheboygan and George Baumann of Waupun, covering every season of racing at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. from 1950 to 2020 will be available for purchase at every race during the 2021 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.
KRISTINE HARTMANN PLEASANTVIEW REALTY 360 SPRINT CARS
HEAT 1
1, Travis Arenz 2, Tyler Tischendorf 3, Kevin Karnitz 4, Kurt Davis 5, Chris Clayton 6, Austin Hartmann 7, Chris Larson 8, Nick Daywalt (DNS).
HEAT 2
1, Matt Rechek 2, Justin Miller 3, Will Gerrits 4, Josh Teunissen 5, Tim Haddy 6, Ben Schmidt 7, Tyler Brabant 8, Cole Possi.
HEAT 3
1, Brandon McMullen 2, Lance Fassbender 3, Tony Wondra 4, Justin Erickson 5, Blake Wondra 6, Tom Kreutz 7, Katelyn Krebsbach 8, Dylan Winkel.
HEAT 4
1, Alex Pokorski 2, Jack Vanderboom 3, Doug Wondra 4, Bill Taylor 5, Adam Miller 6, Tyler Davis 7, Preston Ruh.
B MAIN
1, Adam Miller 2, Ben Schmidt 3, Tyler Davis 4, Justin Erickson 5, Josh Teunissen 6, Chris Clayton 7, Austin Hartmann 8, Tyler Brabant 9, Preston Ruh 10, Katelyn Krebsbach 11, Tom Kreutz 12, Chris Larson 13, Dylan Winkel 14, Cole Possi 15, Nick Daywalt (DNS).
A MAIN
1, Will Gerrits 2, Lance Fassbender 3, Travis Arenz 4, Jack Vanderboom 5, Tyler Tischendorf 6, Kevin Karnitz 7, Brandon McMullen 8, Kurt Davis 9, Justin Miller 10, Adam Miller 11, Tony Wondra 12, Doug Wondra 13, Bill Taylor 14, Chris Clayton 15, Blake Wondra 16, Justin Erickson 17, Ben Schmidt 18, Tyler Davis 19, Josh Teunissen 20, Alex Pokorski 21, Tim Haddy 22, Matt Rechek.