Arenz sprints to victory after red flag at Chilton

On a cold and blustery night when misfortune hounded him in both qualifying and heat race action, Travis Arenz of Sheboygan turned it on when it mattered most as he charged from the second-to-last-row of the main event field to capture his first 25-lap Akright Auto Parts of Sheboygan Falls Midwest Sprint Car Association A-main victory of the 2021 season at Gravity Park Speedway in Chilton on Saturday.

In the 25-lap MSA headliner, five-time MSA champion Kurt Davis of South Milwaukee bolted into the lead on the drop of the green flag from the pole position as third-starter Justin Erickson of Plymouth slipped past MSA rookie outside front row starter Matt Rechek of Beaver Dam to assume second in the running order.

During the red flag clean-up, Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh retreated to the work area to change a flat tire, relinquishing the lead to Arenz.  

Arenz took the lead after a red flag and built up a full straightaway cushion over Erickson by lap 20. After failing to register a qualifying lap after making contact with the turn two wall and dropping out of his heat race with an apparent mechanical issue, he cruised over the final five laps en route to his 12th career MSA A-main win and first main event victory of the 2021 season. 

Erickson held on to finish an MSA A-main career-best second. Rechek finished a career-best third.

Lance Fassbender of Burnett was fourth and ninth starter Tyler Brabant of Waupun was fifth.

Erickson was the overall fastest qualifier for the event with a top lap of 12.034 seconds around the quarter-mile clay oval. 

Heat race victories went to Justin Miller of Plymouth, Brandon McMullen, Brandon Berth and Fassbender. Paul Pokorski was victorious in the 15-lap B Main.

The next Akright Auto Parts of Sheboygan Falls Midwest Sprint Car Association 360 Sprint Car Series will be at the Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds on Saturday, May 1.

 Hot laps are scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. with racing following at 5 p.m. 

The next Akright Auto Parts of Sheboygan Falls MSA traveling race is set for Friday, May 7, at Beaver Dam Raceway in conjunction with the Wisconsin Wingless Sprint Car Series and Legends.