Defending Midwest Sprint Car Association champion and current point leader Travis Arenz of Sheboygan earned his seventh Akright Auto Midwest Sprint Car Association 360 Sprint Car A-main victory of the 2022 season, while etching his name on the distinguished list of winners of the Harry Neitzel Tribute race Friday, Sept. 2 at the Dodge County Fairgrounds Speedway in Beaver Dam, Wis.
The fifth annual Harry Neitzel Tribute event drew a field of 19 MSA 360 Sprint Cars to the sprawling “horsepower half mile” Dodge County Fairgrounds Speedway facility to compete in honor of Neitzel, who was one of the MSA’s biggest and most beloved supporters.
In the 20-lap main event, five-time MSA champion and inaugural 2017 Harry Neitzel Tribute winner Kurt Davis of South Milwaukee jumped into the lead on the drop of the green flag from the pole position.
Meanwhile, sixth starter Tim Haddy of Waupun rode the high groove into second place in turn four on the opening circuit. On lap 2, 2011 MSA champ Ben Schmidt of Plymouth, who started fourth, worked his way past Haddy into second before moving in to challenge Davis for the top spot along the low line on lap 3.
As Davis and Schmidt continued their side-by-side duel, third starter Travis Arenz moved in to make it a three-way battle for the top spot as the leaders caught the back of the field on lap 7.
The first of two caution flags appeared on lap 8 when Haddy stopped in turn two. On the restart, Arenz made a big move along the low groove to sweep past Schmidt and pressure Davis for the lead.
After hounding Davis for two laps, Arenz bolted into the lead along the high groove of the fast and smooth half-mile clay oval in turn two on lap 10. By lap 15, Arenz had built up a full straightaway cushion over Davis as Schmidt began to challenge for the runner-up spot.
The second and final caution flag appeared on lap 17 when Katelyn Krebsbach of Cascade spun in turn two. With less than five laps remaining, the race resumed following a single-file restart as Arenz maintained the top spot while Schmidt ducked underneath Davis to seize second in turn two.
Arenz held on over the final three laps to secure his first Harry Neitzel Tribute race victory, seventh MSA main event triumph of the 2022 season and 29th career MSA A-main win.
“The car was just perfect,” Arenz said after the race. “It was actually faster at the end of the race, but during the last two laps it started stumbling. I think I was almost out of gas. It means a lot to win this race. I remember Harry [Neitzel] selling me tearoffs back in the day when I raced a four-cylinder car.”
Schmidt placed second, Davis was third, 2005 MSA champion Lance Fassbender of Burnett moved up from the 11th starting spot to finish fourth and fifth starter Tyler Brabant of Waupun placed fifth.
Travis Arenz registered the fastest lap in MSA group qualifying with a time of 19.693.
Tim Haddy and Tyler Brabant posted eight-lap MSA heat race victories.
The MSA 360 Sprint Car Series is scheduled to return to the Dodge County Fairgrounds on Friday, Sept. 23 prior to closing out the 2022 season on Saturday, Sept. 24 during the Wisconsin Sprint Car Championships at The Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, Wis.
For more information on the 2022 Midwest Sprint Car Association season, visit www.msasprints.com or check out the Midwest Sprint Car Association Facebook page.
Article by Jeff Pederson of Pedal Down Promotions
Midwest Sprint Car Association
Dodge County Fairgrounds Speedway
Beaver Dam, Wis.
September 2, 2022
QUALIFYING
1, Travis Arenz 19.693 2, Ben Schmidt 19.727 3, Lance Fassbender 19.994 4. Tyler Brabant 20.211 5. Kurt Davis 20.215 6. Tim Haddy 20.255 7, Tyler Davis 20.259 8, Will Gerrits 20.327 9, Katelyn Krebsbach 20.391 10, Chris Clayton 20.516 11, Blake Wondra 20.564 12, Tommy Colburn 20.637 13, Bill Taylor 20.678 14, Justin Erickson 20.716 15, Justin Miller 20.727 16, Chris Larson 20.924 17, Kevin Seidler 21.455 18, J.J. Pagel 21.527 19, Tony Wondra no time.
HEAT 1
1, Tim Haddy 2, Ben Schmidt 3, Kurt Davis 4, Justin Miller 5, Blake Wondra 6, Chris Larson 7, Katelyn Krebsbach 8, Kevin Seidler 9, Will Gerrits 10, J.J. Pagel.
HEAT 2
1, Tyler Brabant 2, Travis Arenz 3, Tyler Davis 4, Lance Fassbender 5, Tommy Colburn 6, Chris Clayton 7, Justin Erickson 8, Tony Wondra 9, Bill Taylor.
A MAIN
1, Travis Arenz 2, Ben Schmidt 3, Kurt Davis 4, Lance Fassbender 5, Tyler Brabant 6, Justin Miller 7, Tyler Davis 8, Chris Larson 9, Justin Erickson 10, Chris Clayton 11, Tony Wondra 12, Blake Wondra 13, Tommy Colburn 14, Katelyn Krebsbach 15, Bill Taylor 16, J.J. Pagel 17, Kevin Seidler 18, Tim Haddy 19, Will Gerrits (DNS).
