Schmidt sews up ninth 2026 MSA win

Ben Schmidt of Plymouth collected his ninth MMW Industrial Supply Midwest Sprint Car Association A-main victory of the 2026 season at The Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, Wis. on Friday, Aug. 28. - MSA Sprints photo

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) August 28, 2026 – Three-time MMW Industrial Supply Midwest Sprint Car Association champion Ben Schmidt of Plymouth racked up his ninth MSA A-main triumph of the 2026 campaign in the 25-lap headliner at The Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, Wis. on Friday, Aug. 28.

Two-time Akright Auto PDTR 360 Sprint Car champion Ben Schmidt of Plymouth racked up his eighth A-main win of the 2026 campaign at The Plymouth Dirt Track in the 25-lap division headliner.

Outside front row starter Eric Wilke of Genesee jumped into the lead on the opening lap of the 25-lap 360 Sprint Car main event as Ben Schmidt bolted up from the fourth starting slot to land second on lap 2.

Four laps later, Schmidt ripped off a slide job to sweep past Wilke in turn four. Schmidt quickly caught the back of the pack before the first caution flag of the race came out on lap 8 for the stopped car of Hayden Johnson in turn four.

Schmidt blasted away from the field on the ensuing restart to build up a full-straightaway cushion over Wilke by lap 13. Two laps later, Schmidt became entrenched in thick lapped traffic, which gave Wilke a chance to close in.

As Wilke worked hard to track down Schmidt along the preferred outside groove, polesitter Justin Erickson of Plymouth made it a three-car duel, sliding into second place in turn four on lap 21.

Erickson cut Schmidt’s lead over the next two laps as the leaders stayed mired in heavy traffic. However, the race at the front opened when the second caution flag appeared for a spin involving Frank Perko in turn two on lap 23.

Following a single-file restart, Schmidt gapped the field on the way to his ninth Midwest Sprint Car Association victory of the 2026 campaign and 61st career MSA triumph, which was worth $1,000 as part of a boosted PDTR A-main purse.

Erickson placed second, sixth starter Josh Walter of Plymouth placed third, Wilke wound up fourth, and MSA rookie Chad Stouthamer of Big Bend advanced from the eighth starting position to record a 360 Sprint Car career-best fifth-place finish.

Schmidt heads into the Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car season finale on Saturday, Sept. 26 with an insurmountable 141-point lead over T.J. Smith of Greenville at the top of the PDTR standings.

Andover, Minn. native Carter Chevalier raced to victory in the 12-lap B main.

Tyler Davis of Franklin secured overall fast qualifier honors with a quick lap of 12.390 seconds.

The 19th event of the 2026 MSA season drew a field of 25 cars.

The MSA will return to action for the ninth annual Harry Neitzel Tribute Race at the Dodge County Fairgrounds Speedway in Beaver Dam, Wis. on Friday, Sept. 4.

MMW Industrial Supply

Midwest Sprint Car Association

The Plymouth Dirt Track

Plymouth, Wis.

Friday, August 28, 2026

A Main (25 Laps): 1. 35-Ben Schmidt [4]; 2. 3-Justin Erickson [1]; 3. 67-Josh Walter [6]; 4. 24X-Eric Wilke [2]; 5. 5-Chad Stouthamer [8]; 6. 22B-Brandon Berth [10]; 7. 68T-Tyler Davis [14]; 8. 66-Donny Goeden [3]; 9. 59-Ethon Stear [7]; 10. 11-Tony Wondra [9]; 11. 69S-TJ Smith [20]; 12. 69-Bill Taylor [15]; 13. 59S-Hayden Schmuhl [13]; 14. 46-Steven Ruh [5]; 15. 63K-Kevin Karnitz [11]; 16. 15-Carter Chevalier [17]; 17. 12P-JJ Pagel [12]; 18. 14J-Joseph Hintz [22]; 19. 08-Katelyn Krebsbach [21]; 20. 20W-Weston Finke [19]; 21. 44H-Hayden Johnson [18]; 22. 68P-Frank Perko [16]

B Main (12 Laps): 1. 15-Carter Chevalier[4]; 2. 44H-Hayden Johnson[2]; 3. 20W-Weston Finke[1]; 4. 69S-TJ Smith[3]; 5. 08-Katelyn Krebsbach[5]; 6. 14J-Joseph Hintz[6]; 7. 55P-Brady Portschy[9]; 8. 30-Blake Wondra[7]; 9. 55S-Ryan Sawusch[8]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 66-Donny Goeden[2]; 2. 11-Tony Wondra[1]; 3. 63K-Kevin Karnitz[3]; 4. 69-Bill Taylor[4]; 5. 20W-Weston Finke[6]; 6. 15-Carter Chevalier[7]; 7. (DNF) 55P-Brady Portschy[5]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 35-Ben Schmidt[2]; 2. 5-Chad Stouthamer[1]; 3. 59-Ethon Stear[4]; 4. 44H-Hayden Johnson[3]; 5. 69S-TJ Smith[5]; 6. 30-Blake Wondra[6]

Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 3-Justin Erickson[1]; 2. 46-Steven Ruh[3]; 3. 59S-Hayden Schmuhl[2]; 4. 12P-JJ Pagel[5]; 5. 08-Katelyn Krebsbach[4]; 6. 14J-Joseph Hintz[6]

Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 24X-Eric Wilke[1]; 2. 67-Josh Walter[2]; 3. 22B-Brandon Berth[3]; 4. 68T-Tyler Davis[4]; 5. 68P-Frank Perko[6]; 6. 55S-Ryan Sawusch[5]

Qualifying 1: 1. 69-Bill Taylor, 12.779[2]; 2. 63K-Kevin Karnitz, 12.835[1]; 3. 66-Donny Goeden, 12.860[6]; 4. 11-Tony Wondra, 12.970[5]; 5. 55P-Brady Portschy, 13.190[3]; 6. 20W-Weston Finke, 13.271[4]; 7. 15-Carter Chevalier, 13.400[7]

Qualifying 2: 1. 59-Ethon Stear, 12.439[5]; 2. 44H-Hayden Johnson, 12.656[6]; 3. 35-Ben Schmidt, 12.687[1]; 4. 5-Chad Stouthamer, 12.723[2]; 5. 69S-TJ Smith, 12.755[4]; 6. 30-Blake Wondra, 13.183[3]

Qualifying 3: 1. 08-Katelyn Krebsbach, 12.663[1]; 2. 46-Steven Ruh, 12.804[4]; 3. 59S-Hayden Schmuhl, 12.808[3]; 4. 3-Justin Erickson, 12.835[2]; 5. 12P-JJ Pagel, 12.895[6]; 6. 14J-Joseph Hintz, 12.919[5]

Qualifying 4: 1. 68T-Tyler Davis, 12.390[6]; 2. 22B-Brandon Berth, 12.477[4]; 3. 67-Josh Walter, 12.603[1]; 4. 24X-Eric Wilke, 12.643[3]; 5. 55S-Ryan Sawusch, 12.817[2]; 6. 68P-Frank Perko, 12.823[5]