Schmidt scores third straight MSA win in Neitzel-Wipperfurth race

Two-time and defending MMW Industrial Supply Midwest Sprint Car Association champion picked up his 51st career series victory at Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam, Wis. on Saturday, Aug. 30. – JW’s Car and Raccing photo

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) August 30, 2025 – As the 2025 season moves into the final month, two-time and defending series champion Ben Schmidt of Plymouth remained red hot by racking up his third consecutive MMW Industrial Supply Midwest Sprint Car Association main event triumph in the Harry Neitzel Tribute-Jim Wipperfurth Memorial race at Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam, Wis. on Saturday, Aug. 30.

After starting the 25-lap MSA A main on the outside of the front row, Schmidt bolted into the lead on the drop of the green flag, followed by polesitter Jason Johnson of Campbellsport. On lap 4, the first of five green flag stoppages occurred when J.J. Pagel lost a right front tire.

When the race resumed, 2005 MSA champion Lance Fassbender of Burnett, who started fourth, slipped past Johnson into second on lap 6. On lap 10, the leaders were starting to slice through the back of the field when the second caution flag flew for the stalled car of Billy Kreutz.

The action kicked up several notches on the restart as Fassbender and Schmidt exchanged sliders during the next two laps before Fassbender surged into the lead on lap 12.

The third caution flag was displayed on lap 15 after Steven Ruh spun in turn four. On the restart, Brandon Berth of Cascade charged up from the 10th starting spot to battle Schmidt for second.

Meanwhile, Fassbender held down a solid half straightaway cushion before his strong run was cut short with a spin in turn three on lap 19. With Schmidt back out front, Scotty Neitzel, who started eighth, threw his hat into the ring as a contender by advancing to third following the restart.

A red flag then came out for a flip involving Joseph Hintz of Burnett on lap 21. With less than five laps to go in the race, the final restart was held in single-file formation with Schmidt surging ahead in the closing laps on the way to his first Harry Neitzel Tribute race victory, fifth 2025 MSA A-main win, third consecutive series triumph and 51st career MSA A-main victory.

Neitzel came home second, Berth placed third, rookie Eric Wilke of Genesse moved up from the seventh starting position to earn an MSA career best fourth place showing and Greenville’s T.J. Smith moved up from the 19th starting position to round out the top five.

In victory lane, Schmidt shared his thoughts on winning the Neitzel-Wipperfurth race for what could be the final 360 Sprint Car race at the facility, which is presently up for sale.

“It means a lot to win this one,” Schmidt said. “I wanted it bad. I knew Scotty [Neitzel] and Brandon Berth were coming, but we got it done. Winning here is awesome. We’ve had our highs and lows at this track. I’ve wrecked bad and I’ve won here. Standing here tonight brings out some emotions for sure.”

With his first victory in the Harry Neitzel Tribute race, Schmidt joins the list of race winners in the event’s eight-year history, including Brandon Berth (2021, 2023) five-time MSA champion Kurt Davis (2017), Kevin Karnitz of West Bend (2018), Jim Melis of Glenbeulah (2019), six-time MSA champion Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh (2020) and two-time MSA champion Travis Arenz of Sheboygan Falls (2022).

Billy Kreutz’s top qualifying time of 12.755 seconds set a new 360 Sprint Car track record on the third-mile high-banked clay oval.

Kreutz won the 12-lap B main, and heat race wins went to J.J. Pagel, Scotty Neitzel, Tony Wondra and Eric Wilke.

The namesakes of the evening, Wipperfurth and Neitzel, were major supporters of Sprint Car racing in the Beaver Dam area. After Beaver Dam Raceway reopened in 1993, the 360 Sprint Car division began operating at the facility in 1996. Three years later, the MSA was founded in 1999 with Beaver Dam Raceway serving as the focal point of the series.

The 18th event of the 2025 campaign drew a season-high 28 MSA 360 Sprint Cars.

The next event for the MMW Industrial Supply MSA Sprint Car Series is set to take place at Outagamie Speedway in Seymour on Saturday, Sept. 6. Spectator gates open at 3:30 p.m. with racing scheduled to commence at 5:30 p.m.

For more information on the 2025 Midwest Sprint Car Association season, visit www.msasprints.com or check out the Midwest Sprint Car Association Facebook page.

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MMW Industrial Supply Midwest Sprint Car Association

Beaver Dam Raceway

Beaver Dam, Wis.

August 30, 2025

A Main (25 Laps): 1. 1-Ben Schmidt [2]; 2. 2W-Scotty Neitzel [8]; 3. 22B-Brandon Berth [10]; 4. 24X-Eric Wilke [7]; 5. 69S-TJ Smith [19]; 6. 2C-Chris Clayton [16]; 7. 51-Chris Larson [12]; 8. 63K-Kevin Karnitz [9]; 9. 33M-Josh Bilicki [18]; 10. 46-Steven Ruh [14]; 11. 57-Tristan Furseth [15]; 12. 08-Katelyn Krebsbach [21]; 13. 69-Bill Taylor [3]; 14. 44J-Jordan Miklas [20]; 15. 26-Preston Ruh [22]; 16. 3BK-Billy Kreutz [17]; 17. 11-Tony Wondra [6]; 18. 9C-Cole Stella [13]; 19. (DNF) 44-Jason Johnson [1]; 20. (DNF) 14J-Joseph Hintz [11]; 21. (DNF) 7-Lance Fassbender [4]; 22. (DNF) 12P-JJ Pagel [5]

B Main (12 Laps): 1. 3BK-Billy Kreutz [1]; 2. 33M-Josh Bilicki [3]; 3. 69S-TJ Smith [5]; 4. 44J-Jordan Miklas [4]; 5. 08-Katelyn Krebsbach [7]; 6. 26-Preston Ruh [2]; 7. 7B-Nick Guernsey [10]; 8. 16-Anthony Knierim [8]; 9. 68P-Frank Perko [12]; 10. 44H-Hayden Johnson [9]; 11. (DNF) P1-Mark Chevalier [11]; 12. (DNF) 6K-Kurt Davis [6]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 12P-JJ Pagel [1]; 2. 69-Bill Taylor [3]; 3. 46-Steven Ruh [2]; 4. 9C-Cole Stella [5]; 5. 3BK-Billy Kreutz [4]; 6. 33M-Josh Bilicki [6]; 7. (DNF) P1-Mark Chevalier [7]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 2W-Scotty Neitzel [4]; 2. 1-Ben Schmidt [2]; 3. 57-Tristan Furseth [1]; 4. 22B-Brandon Berth [6]; 5. 69S-TJ Smith [3]; 6. 08-Katelyn Krebsbach [5]; 7. 7B-Nick Guernsey [7]

Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 11-Tony Wondra [1]; 2. 44-Jason Johnson [2]; 3. 63K-Kevin Karnitz [4]; 4. 14J-Joseph Hintz [6]; 5. 6K-Kurt Davis [3]; 6. 16-Anthony Knierim [5]; 7. 44H-Hayden Johnson [7]

Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 24X-Eric Wilke [2]; 2. 7-Lance Fassbender [3]; 3. 2C-Chris Clayton[1]; 4. 51-Chris Larson [5]; 5. 26-Preston Ruh [4]; 6. 44J-Jordan Miklas [6]; 7. 68P-Frank Perko [7]

Qualifying 1: 1. 3BK-Billy Kreutz, 12.755 [2]; 2. 69-Bill Taylor, 13.083 [1]; 3. 46-Steven Ruh, 13.396 [5]; 4. 12P-JJ Pagel, 13.424 [7]; 5. 9C-Cole Stella, 13.483 [3]; 6. 33M-Josh Bilicki, 13.630 [4]; 7. P1-Mark Chevalier, 14.146 [6]

Qualifying 2: 1. 2W-Scotty Neitzel, 12.792[6]; 2. 69S-TJ Smith, 12.894 [5]; 3. 1-Ben Schmidt, 13.030 [1]; 4. 57-Tristan Furseth, 13.043 [2]; 5. 08-Katelyn Krebsbach, 13.065 [4]; 6. 22B-Brandon Berth, 13.184 [7]; 7. 7B-Nick Guernsey, 13.415 [3]

Qualifying 3: 1. 63K-Kevin Karnitz, 13.036 [3]; 2. 6K-Kurt Davis, 13.041 [4]; 3. 44-Jason Johnson, 13.125 [5]; 4. 11-Tony Wondra, 13.153 [7]; 5. 16-Anthony Knierim, 13.220 [1]; 6. 14J-Joseph Hintz, 13.296 [6]; 7. 44H-Hayden Johnson, 13.317 [2]

Qualifying 4: 1. 7-Lance Fassbender, 12.823 [7]; 2. 24X-Eric Wilke, 12.968 [5]; 3. 2C-Chris Clayton, 13.177 [4]; 4. 68P-Frank Perko, 13.269 [2]; 5. 26-Preston Ruh, 13.272 [1]; 6. 51-Chris Larson, 13.375 [6]; 7. 44J-Jordan Miklas, 13.796 [3]