McMullen returns to top of Plymouth heap

Brandon McMullen (right) collected his 46th career MMW Industrial Supply Midwest Sprint Car Association A-main triumph while tying the all-time Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint A-main victory record at The Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, Aug. 15. Pictured at left is the regular driver of the 3BK car Billy Kreutz. - MSA Sprints photo

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) August 15, 2026 – One week after getting back in the seat of a 360 Sprint Car, five-time MMW Midwest Sprint Car Association champion Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh earned his first MSA A-main victory in almost three years and regained a share of the Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car career win lead on Saturday, Aug. 15 at The Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, Wis.

Filling in for the injured Billy Kreutz behind the wheel of the 3BK car, McMullen’s 34^th career A-main win in PDTR 360 Sprint Car competition vaulted him back into a first-place deadlock with three-time MSA champion Ben Schmidt of Plymouth, who had claimed sole possession of the top spot on the PDTR 360 Sprint Car win list with a victory one week ago.

The main event got off to a rough start when T.J. Smith of Greenville drew a red flag after flipping in turn one.

When the race got underway, rookie Ethan Stear of Hebron, Ill. jumped into the lead from the pole with Steven Ruh of New Holstein, who started on the outside of the front row, settling into second, and fourth starter Josh Walter of Plymouth slotting into third.

On lap 6, Stear caught the rear of the field and began to work his way through slower traffic when a caution flag was displayed for the stalled car of Chris Larson of Franksville in turn two.

Following the restart, Walter slipped past Ruh to take second before Justin Erickson stopped in turn two, producing another caution flag on lap 9. Stear used a strong restart to bolt away from Walter, while Brandon McMullen, who started fifth, took over third on lap 12.

The final caution flag came out on lap 16 for Jake Zimmermann’s disabled car in turn two. After the green flag reappeared, McMullen slipped underneath Walter to assume second and quickly reeled in Stear.

The leaders caught up to slower traffic on lap 20, which allowed McMullen to cut the lead gap. While Stear rode the high groove of the lightning-fast track surface, McMullen rolled the bottom to draw within striking distance on lap 23.

One lap later, McMullen ducked underneath Stear to grab the lead in lapped traffic on lap 24. McMullen, who stepped away from full-time racing competition after the 2023 season, went on to earn his first MSA victory since Sept. 2, 2023 at The Plymouth Dirt Track.

Along with moving him back into a tie with Ben Schmidt at the top of the all-time PDTR 360 Sprint Car A-main victory list with his 34^th career triumph, it was also McMullen’s 46^th career Midwest Sprint Car Association main event win.

Stear finished second, Walter was third, and 2025 PDTR 360 Sprint Car champ Kevin Karnitz of West Bend placed fourth after starting sixth. Just after crossing the finish line, Ben Schmidt collided with the spinning car of Joseph Hintz and flipped into the infield, but not before he wrapped up a fifth-place showing from the 18^th starting spot.

“It’s an honor to be tied for the lead with Ben [Schmidt],” McMullen said. “He’s a great driver with a great team. He races full time, so he will eventually have the record for himself. To get a win in the second night out in a different car is a great feeling.”

Ethon Stear secured fastest overall qualifier honors with a lap of 12.432 seconds.

The 16^th event of the 2026 MSA campaign drew a field of 26 cars.

The MSA will next be in action for the rescheduled Independence 30, which will take place this Thursday, Aug. 20 at The Plymouth Dirt Track. MSA competitors will be racing for a boosted purse with $1,776 going to the winner.

Spectator gates open at 5 p.m. with hot laps at 5:45 p.m. and racing at 6:45 p.m.

The MSA will then return to the Plymouth Dirt Track for PDTR action on Saturday, Aug. 22

Spectator gates open at 4:30 p.m. with qualifying at 5:30 p.m. and racing at 6 p.m.

MMW Industrial Supply

Midwest Sprint Car Association

Plymouth Dirt Track

Plymouth, Wis.

August 15, 2026

A Main (25 Laps): 1. 3BK-Brandon McMullen [5]; 2. 59-Ethon Stear [1]; 3. 67-Josh Walter [4]; 4. 63K-Kevin Karnitz [6]; 5. 35-Ben Schmidt [18]; 6. 14J-Joseph Hintz [12]; 7. 46-Steven Ruh [2]; 8. 68T-Tyler Davis [11]; 9. 69-Bill Taylor [17]; 10. 08-Katelyn Krebsbach [22]; 11. 5S-Chad Stouthamer [21]; 12. 12P-JJ Pagel [7]; 13. 20W-Weston Finke [20]; 14. 11-Tony Wondra [14]; 15. 51-Chris Larson [9]; 16. 29J-Ralph Johnson [15]; 17. 98M-Ron Malec [10]; 18. (DNF) 37Z-Jake Zimmerman [13]; 19. (DNF) 3-Justin Erickson [19]; 20. (DNF) 22B-Brandon Berth [3]; 21. (DNF) 24-Scott Conger [8]; 22. (DNF) 69S-TJ Smith [16]

B Main (12 Laps): 1. 69-Bill Taylor[2]; 2. 35-Ben Schmidt[4]; 3. 3-Justin Erickson[1]; 4. 20W-Weston Finke[3]; 5. 5S-Chad Stouthamer[6]; 6. 08-Katelyn Krebsbach[5]; 7. 30-Blake Wondra[9]; 8. 5-Kevin Seidler[7]; 9. 34T-Tom Becker[8]; 10. 55S-Ryan Sawusch[10]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 46-Steven Ruh[2]; 2. 3BK-Brandon McMullen[4]; 3. 98M-Ron Malec[3]; 4. 14J-Joseph Hintz[5]; 5. 3-Justin Erickson[6]; 6. 55S-Ryan Sawusch[1]; 7. 34T-Tom Becker[7]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 67-Josh Walter[4]; 2. 24-Scott Conger[1]; 3. 51-Chris Larson[3]; 4. 68T-Tyler Davis[5]; 5. 5-Kevin Seidler[2]; 6. 35-Ben Schmidt[7]; 7. 30-Blake Wondra[6]

Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 12P-JJ Pagel[1]; 2. 59-Ethon Stear[4]; 3. 37Z-Jake Zimmerman[2]; 4. 69-Bill Taylor[3]; 5. 29J-Ralph Johnson[6]; 6. 08-Katelyn Krebsbach[5]

Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 22B-Brandon Berth[2]; 2. 63K-Kevin Karnitz[4]; 3. 11-Tony Wondra[1]; 4. 20W-Weston Finke[3]; 5. 69S-TJ Smith[6]; 6. 5S-Chad Stouthamer[5]

Qualifying 1: 1. 3BK-Brandon McMullen, 12.595[7]; 2. 98M-Ron Malec, 13.090[5]; 3. 46-Steven Ruh, 13.290[2]; 4. 55S-Ryan Sawusch, 13.817[4]; 5. 14J-Joseph Hintz, 14.027[1]; 6. 3-Justin Erickson, 14.439[6]; 7. 34T-Tom Becker, 14.598[3]

Qualifying 2: 1. 67-Josh Walter, 12.979[1]; 2. 51-Chris Larson, 13.003[6]; 3. 5-Kevin Seidler, 13.145[2]; 4. 24-Scott Conger, 13.191[4]; 5. 68T-Tyler Davis, 13.239[5]; 6. 30-Blake Wondra, 13.267[3]; 7. 35-Ben Schmidt, 13.854[7]

Qualifying 3: 1. 59-Ethon Stear, 12.432[2]; 2. 69-Bill Taylor, 12.652[3]; 3. 37Z-Jake Zimmerman, 12.791[4]; 4. 12P-JJ Pagel, 12.875[6]; 5. 08-Katelyn Krebsbach, 12.977[5]; 6. 29J-Ralph Johnson, 12.994[1]

Qualifying 4: 1. 63K-Kevin Karnitz, 12.615[1]; 2. 20W-Weston Finke, 12.681[6]; 3. 22B-Brandon Berth, 12.758[4]; 4. 11-Tony Wondra, 12.780[5]; 5. 55S-Ryan Sawusch, 13.194; 6. 5S-Chad Stouthamer, 13.194[3]; 7. 69S-TJ Smith, 13.415[2]