The Midwest Sprint Car Association will close out by far the most unusual season in its 22-season history with a doubleheader weekend of action, culminating with the crowning of the 2020 champion, Friday, Sept. 25 and Saturday, Sept. 26.
The MSA championship weekend is set to kick off with the Fuzzy Fassbender-Rick Schmidt Memorial event at the Dodge County Fairgrounds “horsepower half mile” in Beaver Dam, Wis. on Friday, Sept. 25 and conclude with the 2020 season curtain closer as part of the Wisconsin Sprint Car Championships at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, Sept. 26.
Three-time MSA champion Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh heads into the final two races of the season with a commanding 85-point lead over Travis Arenz of Sheboygan and an 88-point cushion over five-time MSA champ Kurt Davis of South Milwaukee.
Former Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car champion Justin Miller of Plymouth stands fourth in the MSA points race 133 points out of the lead, while 2005 MSA champ Lance Fassbender of Burnett sits fifth 143 points behind McMullen.
Those three drivers have combined to win 12 of the MSA’s 15 A-main events during the 2020 campaign with McMullen leading the way with six main event wins, including three victories at The Plymouth Dirt Track to go along with single wins at Gravity Park Speedway in Chilton, Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam and the Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam.
Arenz has tallied four A-main wins, including three at the Plymouth Dirt Track and one at Beaver Dam Raceway, and Davis owns a pair of main event victories this season, including one at The Plymouth Dirt Track and one at Outagamie Speedway Powered by EWSC Racing in Seymour.
McMullen, who now stands third on the all-time MSA A-main win list with 29 main event triumphs, has enjoyed one of the best seasons of his stellar 360 Sprint Car career during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign.
The 11th-year driver, third-generation driver will be looking to stay hot after sweeping an MSA twinbill at the Dodge County Fairgrounds on Sept. 4 and The Plymouth Dirt Track on Saturday, Sept. 5.
“I’d say there was a bit more urgency to start the season with good results considering the late start and threat of racing being shut down at any point,” McMullen said. “I normally struggle early in the year and come on strong at the end. I’m not sure why that is. This year we came out really strong and have been able to continue it throughout the season. Maybe it was a different mindset, hitting the set-ups better, just catching better luck to start the year, or a combination of those things. We’ve never won more than five features in a regular season. To have won six features at the different tracks we’ve run at in a short season like this has far and away exceeded our expectations.”
“With the final weekend coming up, I just need to stay relaxed and have some fun,” McMullen said. “Whatever happens, happens. Hopefully, we can keep riding the hot streak we’ve been on and pick up another win or two.”
MSA championship weekend will also see Austin Hartmann of Plymouth officially wrap up the 2020 MSA Rookie of the Year Award.
“With no previous racing experience coming into the year, my goal was to make it through the year and make consistent laps,” Hartmann said. “Winning the MSA Rookie of the Year Award really means a lot. We are looking forward to closing out the season on a strong note at Dodge County and Plymouth during championship weekend.”
Other top contenders expected to compete during MSA championship weekend include 2018 Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 2011 MSA champion Ben Schmidt of Howards Grove, 2014 MSA Masters Series champion Paul Pokorski of West Bend, second-year competitor Justin Erickson of Plymouth, Will Gerrits of Waupun, Scott Conger of Eagle, Bill Taylor of Cedar Grove, Tim Haddy of Waupun and Tony Wondra of Campbellsport.
Pokorski, Schmidt and Adam Miller of Plymouth have each collected one victory in MSA A-main action during the 2020 season.
Also on the all-Sprint Car card at the Dodge County Fairgrounds on Friday, Sept. 25 will be the Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series, along with the AutoMeter Wisconsin Wingless Sprint Cars.
Pit gates open at 3 p.m., spectator gates are set to open at 5 p.m. with warm ups at 6 p.m. and hot laps, qualifying and racing to follow.
Spectator admission is $25 for adults with kids 6-12 $5 and children 5 and under admitted free. Pit admission is $30.
The Wisconsin Sprint Car Championships event on Saturday, Sept. 26 at The Plymouth Dirt Track will feature the final points races of the season for the IRA Sprint Cars, Wisconsin Wingless Sprint Cars, MSA Sprint Cars, PDTR 360 Sprint Cars and IRA Lightning Sprints with 2020 champions crowned in all five divisions.
Pit gates open at 1 p.m. with spectator gates opening at 4 p.m., followed by hot laps at 4:45 p.m. with qualifying and racing to follow.
Spectator admission is $25 for adults, $5 for kids 6-12 and children five and under are admitted free. Pit admission is $30 or $25 with appropriate membership.
For those unable to attend in person, the action on both nights will be broadcast live at floracing.com
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