PLYMOUTH – 
On a night that produced a close-quarters brand of wheel-to-wheel competition contested on a lightning-fast racing surface, three first-time winners collected main-event hardware in a five-division Plymouth Dirt Track Racing program featuring a special appearance from the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, July 16.
In the 25-lap Kristine Hartmann Pleasant View Realty PDTR-MSA 360 Sprint Car A-main, defending PDTR 360 Sprint Car champ and current point leader Travis Arenz of Sheboygan notched his fifth main event triumph of the 2022 season at The Plymouth Dirt Track in flag-to-flag fashion.
2016 Plymouth Dirt Track Racing Micro Sprint champion Zach Boden of Cambridge posted his second career Badger Midget A-main victory in the 25-lap Badger Midget Auto Racing Association main event.
Late Model newcomer Paul Niznik of Medford used a late-race pass to secure his first PDTR Late Model A-main victory in the 25-lap Sheboygan’s Country B93.7 Late Model A main in his debut PDTR appearance.
2018 PDTR Grand National champion Matt Loehr of Dotyville cruised to his third 25-lap Oostburg Automotive PDTR Grand National A-main triumph of the 2022 campaign.
Shane Long of Sheboygan Falls led from start to finish to earn his first career PDTR B Mod A-main victory in the 25-lap Next Stop Insurance B Mod main event.
Travis Arenz led the 360 Sprint Car field to the green flag from the pole position and outpowered outside front row starter Alex Pokorski of West Bend at the start of the 25-lap A main to lead the opening lap.
Arenz then proceeded to open up a comfortable half-straightaway cushion over Pokorski with fourth starter Tony Wondra of Campbellsport in third. On lap 5, Pokorski got sideways and flipped into the turn four fence, while 2018 PDTR 360 Sprint Car champion Justin Miller of Plymouth simultaneously flipped in turn three to bring out the red flag.
On the restart, two-time PDTR champion Kurt Davis of South Milwaukee, who started seventh, moved into fourth. One lap later, the caution flag was displayed to the field for the stalled car of Bill Taylor of Boltonville in turn four.
When the race resumed, Arenz again bolted into the lead while 2011 PDTR 360 Sprint Car champion Ben Schmidt of Plymouth, who started eighth, moved into third in the running order. Two laps later, the hard-charging Schmidt worked past Wondra to advance to second in turn four.
As the leaders started to work their way through slower traffic on lap 10, two-time PDTR 360 Sprint Car champion Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh began to make his presence felt as he moved into third on lap 15 before powering past Schmidt into second on lap 20.
Meanwhile, Arenz successfully negotiated his way through the rear of the field as the laps wound down to secure his 15th career PDTR 360 Sprint Car A-main victory and 27th career Midwest Sprint Car Association main event triumph.
McMullen had to settle for second, Schmidt was third, fifth starter Shane Wenninger of Kewaskum finished fourth and Davis rounded out the top five.
Outside front row starter Aaron Muhle of Beaver Dam grabbed the lead with third starter Kevin Douglas of Madison slipping into second on the opening lap of the 25-lap Badger Midget A main.
After Douglas drifted high in turn four lap 4, which allowed 10th starter Zach Boden and R.J. Corson of Markham, Ill. to move past and engage in a duel for second place. On lap 6, Boden used the low groove to gain second and quickly cut the gap on Muhle.
Boden reeled in Muhle on lap 8 and two laps later he powered into the lead in turn two as Badger Midgets points leader Todd Kluever of Sun Prairie moved into third from his eighth starting spot.
By lap 16, Boden, who owns nine PDTR Micro Sprint A-main victories, had built up a full-straightaway cushion over Muhle before the lone caution of the race appeared on lap 20 for the stalled car of Denny Smith of Mukwonago in turn four.
On the restart, Boden again pulled away from Muhle on the way to his second career Badger Midget A-main victory. Muhle finished second, Kluever placed third, Corson was fourth and seventh starter Datlyn England of Springfield, Ill. placed fifth.
After the initial start of the 25-lap Late Model A main was aborted for a spin involving Don Singer in turn two, outside front row starter Joe Bongiorno of Milwaukee bolted into the lead on the drop of the green flag with polesitter Paul Niznik following in second.
On lap 2, the second and final caution flag was displayed when four-time and defending PDTR Late Model champion Justin Schmidt of Cleveland spun in turn two and was collected by Don Singer and Chad Ludwigson of Sheboygan Falls.
The race was red flagged as Schmidt received medical assistance after exiting his car under his own power, while the cars of Singer and Ludwigson had to be separated after being wedged together in the incident.
Bongiorno held the top spot on the restart with Niznik following close behind. On lap 6, four-time PDTR Late Model champ Brad Mueller of Random Lake moved into third after starting seventh. Three laps later, Mueller moved in to pressure Niznik for second. However, Niznik pulled ahead on the ensuing circuits and moved in to hound Bongiorno for the lead on lap 14.
On lap 17, Niznik ducked low to pull even with the high-riding Bongiorno as the two drivers engaged in an entertaining side-by-side duel for the lead over the next six laps before Niznik finally powered his way into the lead on lap 23.
Niznik held tight over the final two circuits to secure his first career PDTR Late Model A-main victory in his Plymouth Dirt Track Racing debut. Bongiorno finished second, eighth starter Charlie Schmidt of Oostburg placed third, Jim Schmidt of Cleveland moved up from the 11th starting spot to place fourth and ninth starter Turk Letizia of Milwaukee finished fifth.
2010 PDTR Grand National champ Brian Gilles of Plymouth drove the Bender Racing 23K car into the lead from the pole position on the opening lap of the 25-lap Grand National A main.
On lap 6, third starter Matt Loehr steered the Bender Racing 89 machine around Gilles into the lead along the high groove in turn three.
Loehr then proceeded to build up a comfortable lead before the first of two caution flags appeared on lap 10 for a two-car incident in turn two involving Steven Weber of Plymouth and Mavrick Ruh of Elkhart Lake.
On the restart, eighth starter Josh Pierce of Fredonia worked the high groove to move into second on lap 14.
Loehr remained strong at the head of the field in the closing stages of the race en route to his 12th career PDTR Grand National A-main victory. Pierce finished second, sixth starter Luke Scholten of Oostburg finished third, 2019 PDTR Grand National champion Tyler Kulow of Plymouth finished fourth after starting fourth and Steven Weber recovered to finish fifth.
Polesitter Shane Long seized the top spot on lap 1 of the 25-lap B Mod A main before the lone caution flag of the race was displayed on lap 3 when rookie Parker Glander of Sheboygan Falls stopped in turn two.
On the restart, sixth starter Jonathon Baumann of Sheboygan worked the outside groove to vault his way into fourth in turn three. Meanwhile, fifth starter and current PDTR B Mod points leader Andy Welter of Hartford and Brendan Ostrowski of Milwaukee, who started fourth, engaged in a heated duel for second before Welter assumed the runner-up spot on lap 5.
Three laps later, Welter moved in to pressure Long for the lead. However, Long would have none of Welter’s challenges as he proceeded to pull away to extend his lead to five car lengths on lap 15 and 10 car lengths on lap 20.
Long was not to be denied as he cruised over the final five laps on the way to his first career PDTR B Mod A-main victory. Welter finished second, Ostrowski wound up third, seventh starter James Rautmann of Howards Grove placed fourth and eighth starter Brian Konitzer of Sheboygan rounded out the top five.
Ben Schmidt was the fastest 360 Sprint Car overall qualifier with a lap of 12.030 seconds.
Zach Boden earned the Badger Midgets fast qualifier award with a lap of 13.186.
Anthony Knierim of Caledonia won the 15-lap 360 Sprint Car B main.
The eighth full PDTR program of the 2022 campaign, which was sponsored by Pit Stop Pizza, drew a total field of 89 cars, including 32 PDTR 360 Sprint Cars, 19 Badger Midgets, 13 Late Models, 11 Grand Nationals, 14 B Mods.
The next PDTR racing program on Saturday, July 23 will feature the inaugural Plymouth Racing Wall of Fame Class of 2022 induction with 10 drivers, four track workers and three racing families honored for their contributions to the racing program at Plymouth since its inception in 1950.
Spectator gates open at 4:30 p.m. with 360 Sprint Car hot laps/group qualifying at 5:30 p.m. and racing to begin at 6 p.m. for the PDTR program sponsored by Josfo Electric.
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