5/24/2023
Travis Arenz
Arenz rebounds with top-10 IRA showing at Angell Park, after Plymouth disappointment
(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) May 24, 2023 – Just 24 hours after enduring a difficult homecoming at The Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, May 20, Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series rookie contender Travis Arenz of Sheboygan Falls, Wis. turned the tide by tallying a solid top-10 finish in A-main competition at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wis. on Sunday, May 21.
The IRA doubleheader weekend kicked off with Arenz’s highly anticipated return to The Plymouth Dirt Track where he has enjoyed the majority of his success in his career, including racking up a total of three track championships in the Outlaw Compact 4-cylinder and 360 Sprint Car divisions. However, the evening proved to be forgettable as Arenz’s encountered a flurry of mechanical and on-track issues in both 410 and 360 Sprint Car competition.
The night got off to a sour note when motor issues arose on Arenz’s machine in IRA 410 Sprint Car Series hot laps. After missing IRA qualifying and taking out the team’s backup car for the remainder of the program, Arenz lined up at the rear of the third 10-car IRA heat race. However, on the opening lap Arenz had to take evasive action to avoid Tyler Brabant, who got sideways exiting turn two, which sent Arenz’s car flipping down the backstretch.
Arenz returned to start 12th in the 10-lap IRA B main, needing to finish in the top six to earn an A-main transfer spot. The 16th year driver was able to move up four spots to finish eighth, which brought his participation in the IRA 410 Sprint car portion of the program to an early conclusion.
Arenz’s luck wasn’t much better in the Plymouth Dirt Track Racing – Midwest Sprint Car Association 360 Sprint Car division. After qualifying second overall in MSA-PDTR 360 Sprint Car group qualifying with a lap of 13.343 seconds, Arenz missed the call to lineup for the second 10-lap heat race.
As a result, Arenz started the 10-car 10-lap PDTR-MSA 360 Sprint Car B main from the rear of the field. However, Arenz wasted little time weaving his way through the field using primarily the high groove of the third-mile clay oval en route to the B main victory and a starting spot in the 25-lap A-main field.
After starting 16th in the PDTR-MSA main event, Arenz had moved up to 12th by lap 4. However, one lap later the two-time PDTR-MSA 360 Sprint Car champion clipped an infield tire and spun in turn two, which brought his evening to a premature close with a 22nd place finish.
“In hot laps, I ended up hurting the motor, so I had to bring down the spare car,” Arenz said. “In the heat race, unfortunately, we ended up making contact with a car that was spinning out and I didn’t have anywhere to go. It wasn’t too violent of a roll, so we got the car back down to the pit stall, made sure nothing was wrong with the frame and got to work. It needed a lot of bolt-on parts.”
“The crew got the car back to racing condition, while I tried to go run my heat race with the 360,” he said. “Unfortunately, I did miss my heat race, which put us in the B-mains with both the 410 and 360. We missed the feature with the 410 by three positions but we did pick up the B main win with the 360 from the 10th starting position.”
On Sunday, May 21, the Travis Arenz Motorsports team traveled southwest to Angell Park Speedway, which is another track where Arenz has racked up success over the years in 360 Sprint Car competition.
Arenz opened the night by qualifying 11th in the 27-car field with a lap of 12.322 seconds. After starting on the pole of the second eight-lap IRA heat race, Arenz placed second to secure a spot in the 30-lap main event.
After rolling off 12th in the IRA main event, Arenz hovered around the top 10 through the first 25 laps of the race before the second caution flag of the event appeared on lap 25 for the slowing machine of Jake Blackhurst.
Following the restart, Arenz strung together several good laps to sweep past Russel Borland and fellow IRA rookie Brenham Crouch to vault his way into seventh in the closing laps. Arenz held on to earn a seventh place showing in a race won by Bill Balog.
“We packed up right away after Plymouth and headed to the shop as a team to discuss what we wanted to do for Sunday,” Arenz said. “We ended up swapping motors from my spare car to the main car for Angell Park. The trailer needed to be put back together as things were everywhere from Saturday trying to get back out on the track. It was time consuming, but we made it work.”
“The car was decent in qualifying and in the heat race with how choppy the track was,” he said. “I would say the feature went alright. We moved forward and, most importantly, the car rolled into the trailer afterwards. I am down a 410 motor at the moment and a car. Fingers crossed that the motor can get fixed quickly.”
Travis Arenz and the Travis Arenz Motorsports team are gearing up for another doubleheader weekend with the Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series starting with the team’s third appearance of the season at Wilmot Raceway in Wilmot, Wis. on Saturday, May 27 with the Midwest Sprint Car Association 360 Sprint Cars and Badger Midgets also on the all-open wheel card.
Pit gates open at 3 p.m. with spectator gates opening at 5 p.m. and hot laps at 6 p.m.
On Sunday, May 28, the team will travel north for an IRA 410 Sprint Car Series event at 141 Speedway in Francis Creek, Wis., which will also include IRA Lightning Sprints, Sport Compacts and Legends.
Pit and spectator gates open at 3 p.m. with racing starting at 6 p.m.
All 2023 Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series events will be streamed live on FloRacing.
The 2023 Travis Arenz Motorsports sponsorship partners include Professional Plating Inc., Service One Transportation, Inc, Don and Lynn Kiel, Oostburg Concrete, Lakeshore Family Funeral Homes, Schoen’s Wildlife Removal, Premier Insurance Solutions-Craig Ladwig, Pallet Works, DW Fence, Little Bears Tree Service LLC, Lake Auto Glass and Service, Myhre Construction LLC, Roth’s Auto Restoration, Hair Fellers Barbershop, Fastenal of Plymouth, Jensen Sales and Humphrey’s Turner Hall Bar & Grill, Carbliss Hand Crafted Cocktails, Amy Bruechert Reality, Cornwell Tools-Paul Epping, Advanced Engine Concepts, Inc., Duehring's Tax Service, Everhope Show Cattle, HRP Wings and Behling Racing Equipment.
The 2023 Travis Arenz Motorsports team consists of pit crew members Greg Piedot, Jerrod Gamb, Emily Stadler, Cameron Fritz, Alex Wesenburg, Tony Fox and Trevor Hittman.
Additional information on the Travis Arenz Motorsports team can be found by visiting the team’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
Travis Arenz Motorsports Sponsor Showcase –
Schoen’s Wildlife Removal
Travis Arenz Motorsports is pleased to have Schoen’s Wildlife Removal on board as a sponsorship partner for the team’s rookie season of competition with the Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series. Schoen’s Wildlife Removal has sponsored Travis since the beginning of his racing career in the Outlaw Compact 4-Cylinder division at The Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, Wis. in 2008.
Located in Sheboygan, Wis., Schoen’s Wildlife Removal goes beyond pest control to employ proven humane animal control methods based on decades of experience, traveling to any area of Wisconsin to handle all wildlife.
Schoen’s is state certified to manage all protected species, including bats, as well as controlling bees, wasps, ants, spiders, snakes, mice and many more.
Schoen’s, which has been in business since 2001, services farms, factories, businesses, schools, houses, apartments, cottages, rentals and just about any other structure that has a wildlife problem.
New homeowners are invited to contact Schoen’s Wildlife Removal for a quick and affordable pests inspection.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact Schoen’s Wildlife Removal by phone at 920-331-0583 or 920-912-4205, by email at hotrod00119@yahoo.com or by visiting www.schoenswildliferemoval.com.
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Travis Arenz Motorsports
Upcoming 2023 Schedule
Saturday, May 27 – Wilmot Raceway, Wilmot, Wis. (IRA)
Sunday, May 28 – 141 Speedway, Francis Creek, Wis. (IRA)
Friday, June 2 – Dodge County Fairgrounds Speedway, Beaver Dam, Wis. (IRA-All Stars)
Saturday, June 3 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis. (IRA-All Stars)
Travis Arenz Motorsports
410 Sprint Car
2023 Season
By The Numbers
Total Events –7
IRA Events – 6
All Star Events – 1
A Main Victories – 0
Top Five A Main Finishes – 2
Top 10 A Main Finishes – 3
Top 15 A Main Finishes – 4
Top 20 A Main Finishes – 4
Heat Race Victories – 1
B Main Victories – 0
Dash Appearances – 0
Dash Victories – 0
Fast Qualifier Awards – 0
Travis Arenz Motorsports
360 Sprint Car
2023 Season
By The Numbers
Total MSA-PDTR Events – 1
A Main Victories – 0
Top Five A Main Finishes – 0
Top 10 A Main Finishes – 0
Heat Race Victories – 0
B Main Victories – 1
Fast Qualifier Awards – 0
Article Credit: Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions
Submitted By: Jeff Pederson
