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Schmidt secures third MSA victory of 2024 campaign, pads points lead



(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) August 10, 2024 – Former Midwest Sprint Car Association and Plymouth Dirt Track Racing champion and current point leader Ben Schmidt of Plymouth rolled to his third main event triumph of the 2024 Midwest Sprint Car Association campaign with a sterling performance in the 25-lap Akright Auto Midwest Sprint Car Association-Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car A-main at The Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, Aug. 10.


Two-time Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car Winged Super Modified champion Billy Kreutz of Kiel jumped out to the lead from the pole position of the 25-lap MSA-PDTR headliner.


On lap 4, 14-year-old 360 Sprint Car rookie Joseph Hintz of Burnett moved in from this third starting spot to challenge the cushion-pounding Kreutz along the low groove. Meanwhile, 2011 MSA and PDTR champion Ben Schmidt rode the high line from his sixth starting spot into third on lap 6.


Two laps later, Kreutz, Hintz and Schmidt became embroiled in a heated three-car tussle for the point with Hintz surging into the lead on lap 11 as Schmidt pulled off a slide job to roll past Kreutz into second exiting turn four.


On lap 13, Schmidt shot into the lead along the cushion in turn two. One lap later, the lone caution flag appeared following a Josh Bilicki of Menominee Falls spin in turn two.

Schmidt darted away from the field on the ensuing restart while Kreutz battled back to regain second from Hintz on lap 17.


The 25-year racing veteran cruised over the final 10 laps of the race to secure his second PDTR A-main victory and third overall MSA win of the 2024 campaign.


In addition, Schmidt moved into third place on the all-time PDTR 360 Sprint Car A-main victory list by claiming his 24th main event victory at The Plymouth Dirt Track, while also claiming his 45th career MSA A-main triumph to tie five-time MSA champion Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh for third on the all-time MSA victory list.


Kreutz notched a PDTR-MSA 360 Sprint Car career-best second place showing, Hintz was third, fourth starter T.J. Smith of Greenville placed fourth and seventh starter Alex Pokorski of West Bend completed the top five.


Brandon Berth of Cascade earned the overall PDTR-MSA 360 Sprint Car fast qualifier award with a quick lap of 12.608 seconds.


For his A-main victory, Schmidt received additional pay from Judy Deicher in memory of her late husband, Dave Deicher, who was a longtime Winged Super Modified and Sportsman driver, as well as a flagman at The Plymouth Dirt Track.


The 10th event of the 2024 PDTR campaign drew 21 MSA-PDTR 360 Sprint Cars.


The MSA-PDTR 360 Sprint Cars will return to The Plymouth Dirt Track on Saturday, Aug. 17 for a five-division racing program including special guest appearances from the Midwest Legends Dirt Series and Street Stock divisions.


The PDTR Grand Nationals and B Mods will also be in action.


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


The 2024 Plymouth Dirt Track Racing Awards Ceremony is set to take place Saturday, Oct. 12 at Racers Hall in Plymouth at 7 p.m.


Weather information for all Plymouth Dirt Track Racing events will be posted on the Plymouth Dirt Track Racing Facebook, X (Twitter) and Instagram pages, as well as the Plymouth Dirt Track Racing website – www.plymouthdtr.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, Twitter and Instagram.


AKRIGHT AUTO MIDWEST SPRINT CAR ASSOCIATION - PLYMOUTH DIRT TRACK RACING 360 SPRINT CARS


A Main (25 Laps): 1. 35-Ben Schmidt [6]; 2. 3BK-Billy Kreutz [1]; 3. 14J-Joseph Hintz [3]; 4. 69S-TJ Smith [8]; 5. 4-Alex Pokorski [7]; 6. 69-Bill Taylor [4]; 7. 63K-Kevin Karnitz [10]; 8. 3-Justin Erickson [12]; 9. 11-Tony Wondra [2]; 10. 53A-Paul Pokorski [5]; 11. 22B-Brandon Berth [20]; 12. 09-Clayton Rossmann [15]; 13. 30-Doug Wondra [18]; 14. 24-Scott Conger [9]; 15. 46-Kevin Ruh [17]; 16. 08-Katelyn Krebsbach [13]; 17. 51-Josh Bilicki [14]; 18. 24X-Eric Wilke [16]; 19. 98M-Ron Malec [19]; 20. 12P-JJ Pagel [11]; 21. (DNS) 51T-Shane Wenninger


Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 53A-Paul Pokorski [2]; 2. 69S-TJ Smith [4]; 3. 35-Ben Schmidt [3]; 4. 11-Tony Wondra [1]; 5. 51-Josh Bilicki [7]; 6. 46-Kevin Ruh [6]; 7. 24X-Eric Wilke [5]


Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 69-Bill Taylor [1]; 2. 24-Scott Conger [2]; 3. 63K-Kevin Karnitz [3]; 4. 14J-Joseph Hintz [5]; 5. 12P-JJ Pagel [6]; 6. 09-Clayton Rossmann [7]; 7. (DQ) 22B-Brandon Berth [4]


Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 3-Justin Erickson [1]; 2. 51T-Shane Wenninger [2]; 3. 4-Alex Pokorski [4]; 4. 3BK-Billy Kreutz [3]; 5. 08-Katelyn Krebsbach [5]; 6. 30-Doug Wondra [6]; 7. 98M-Ron Malec [7]


Qualifying 1: 1. 69S-TJ Smith, 12.666 [5]; 2. 35-Ben Schmidt, 12.704 [1]; 3. 53A-Paul Pokorski, 12.743 [6]; 4. 11-Tony Wondra, 12.905 [2]; 5. 24X-Eric Wilke, 13.211 [7]; 6. 46-Steven Ruh, 13.427 [3]; 7. (DNF) 51-Josh Bilicki [4]


Qualifying 2: 1. 63K-Kevin Karnitz, 12.619 [2]; 2. 24-Scott Conger, 12.639 [6]; 3. 69-Bill Taylor, 12.772 [1]; 4. 14J-Joseph Hintz, 12.799 [4]; 5. 12P-JJ Pagel, 12.940 [5]; 6. 09-Clayton Rossmann, 12.996 [7]; 7. (DQ) 22B-Brandon Berth, 12.608 [3]


Qualifying 3: 1. 4-Alex Pokorski, 12.680 [4]; 2. 3BK-Billy Kreutz, 12.916 [1]; 3. 51T-Shane Wenninger, 12.963 [5]; 4. 3-Justin Erickson, 13.161 [2]; 5. 08-Katelyn Krebsbach, 13.162 [3]; 6. 30-Doug Wondra, 13.441 [6]; 7. 98M-Ron Malec, 13.924 [7]

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