Arenz duels for IRA win finishes runner-up at Plymouth
(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) September 4, 2024 – After claiming his first and, so far, only Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series A-main victory last season at a track he knows better than any other, Travis Arenz came oh so close to racking 410 main event victory No. 2 with a large Sheboygan County Fair crowd on hand to spur on the home track driver Saturday, Aug. 31 at The Plymouth Dirt Track.
Arenz opened the night by qualifying 14th in the 27-car IRA field with a lap of 12.552 seconds. He then moved up three spots to place second from the fifth starting position in the second IRA heat race to advance to the 30-lap headliner.
The 2021 and 2022 Plymouth Dirt Track Racing and Midwest Sprint Car Association 360 Sprint Car champion started 11th in the main event and moved up quickly utilizing the high and low lines around the smooth, wide and multi-groove racing surface.
The Sheboygan Falls, Wis. driver worked his way into the top five on lap 12 and moved into second on lap 18 before tracking down race leader Joel Myers Jr. in heavy lapped traffic to steal the lead on lap 21 just before a red flag appeared on the following lap for Shelby Bosie’s flip.
The 17th-year driver held the lead on the restart and paced the field for the next four laps before Myers Jr. regained the lead with a slide job on lap 26. Arenz had to settle for second and his fourth top five showing of the 2024 IRA season.
“Our night at Plymouth didn’t start off the best but we have definitely had worse,” Arenz said. “Starting outside of the top 10, I knew if I wanted any chance of winning, I needed to set the car up to run where I needed, find the fastest lane and make smart moves. Unfortunately, lap traffic killed my momentum with a few laps to go and I gave up the lead. It was a fun battle and I’m happy to bring home a strong podium finish.”
Arenz’s fortunes weren’t nearly as good in the IRA’s debut appearance at The Hill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. on Sunday, Sept. 1
He opened the night with a solid second place qualifying with a lap of 12.427 seconds before moving up from fourth to second in the second IRA heat race to earn a spot in the dash for the eighth time during the 2024 campaign.
After improving from fourth to third in the four-lap IRA dash, Arenz fired off from the sixth starting spot in the 30-lap main event.
Arenz’s luck went sour on lap 3 when he flipped his 25T machine in turn four while battling with Jake Blackhurst. With little visible damage, Arenz retreated to the work area and managed to return to the race at the rear of the field with a taped-up top wing, which had taken the brunt of the damage during the flip.
Following the restart, Arenz advanced quickly from 19th to 12th on lap 15 before the sideboard of the wing collapsed, which severely impeded the handling of his car. He held on the rest of the way to post a 16th place showing as Joel Myers completed the weekend sweep.
“At The Hill, we qualified well and felt good in the early part of the night,” Arenz said. “We had a good starting position in the A, but I made an error and ended up rolling the car. The damage to the top wing and other parts definitely made the car a handful and caused a bit further damage to some front-end components, but we survived the race. We also found some frame damage. However, we are still hoping to compete in Superior and Cedar Lake this weekend.”
The Travis Arenz 25T Motorsports Team continues to seek crew members to assist the team. Those interested can send a direct message to Travis through the Travis Arenz Motorsports Facebook page.
“I am still looking for another set of crew hands to help for the remainder of the season and, hopefully, for seasons to come,” Arenz said. “Anyone with an interest can reach out to me for more info.”
The Travis Arenz Motorsports team is set to head north and west for a doubleheader weekend of Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series competition starting Friday, Sept. 6 at Gondik Law Speedway in Superior, Wis. for the annual Northern Nationals.
The WISSOTA Late Models, Modifieds, Super Stocks and Midwest Mods will also be on the card.
Spectator gates open at 3 p.m. and hot laps are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. with racing underway at 6 p.m.
On Saturday, Sept. 7, Arenz and team will travel to Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis. for the prestigious 24th annual Jerry Richert Memorial.
The all-Sprint Car program will also feature the Midwest Power Series 360 Sprint Cars, Traditional Sprint Cars and 600cc Winged Micro Sprints.
Hot laps are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. with racing at 6 p.m.
All Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series events can be viewed via live streaming at Floracing.com.
The 2024 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, Carbliss Hand Crafted Cocktails, Pallet Works, Lake Auto Glass and Service, Roth’s Auto Restoration, Hair Fellers Barbershop, Fastenal of Plymouth, Jensen’s Sales and Service, Amy Bruechert Reality, Duehring’s Tax Service, Everhope Show Cattle, Sonntag Plumbing Inc., Kriete Truck Center and Arenz Auto Detailing.
The 2024 Travis Arenz Motorsports team consists of pit crew members Jerrod Gamb, Cameron Fritz, Bobby Bonelli, Keith Fellner and Emily Stadler.
Additional information on the Travis Arenz Motorsports team can be found by visiting the team’s Facebook and X (Twitter) pages.
Travis Arenz Motorsports Sponsor Showcase – Hair Fellers Barbershop
Travis Arenz Motorsports is proud to have Hair Fellers Barbershop 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 in 2023.
Owned and operated by Ann Lange, Hair Fellers Barbershop is located at 622 Madison Ave. in Howards Grove, Wis.
To learn more or to make an appointment, call 920-254-5198 or visit Hair Fellers Barbershop on Facebook and Instagram.
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Travis Arenz Motorsports
2024 Upcoming Schedule
Friday, September 6 – Gondik Law Speedway, Superior, Wis. (IRA)
Saturday, September 7 – Cedar Lake Speedway, New Richmond, Wis. (IRA)
Travis Arenz Motorsports
2024 Statistics
Total Events – 15IRA Events – 15A Main Victories – 0Top Five A-Main Finishes – 4Top 10 A-Main Finishes – 9
Top 15 A-Main Finishes – 10
Top 20 A-Main Finishes – 11
Heat Race Victories – 2
B-Main Victories – 0
Dash Appearances – 9
Dash Victories – 0
Fast Qualifier Awards – 1
