Track records fall at Plymouth Dirt Track

With cool temperatures and persistent rain throughout the evening, the third Plymouth Dirt Track Racing program of the season produced lightning-fast track conditions and saw three veteran drivers post A-main victories in their respective divisions. In addition, two track records were broken Saturday at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds.

2018 PDTR 360 Sprint Car champion Justin Miller of Plymouth outdueled two-time PDTR 360 Sprint champ Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh through heavy lapped traffic to claim the A-main victory in the 25-lap Kristine Hartmann Pleasantview Realty 360 Sprint Car main event while establishing a new track record pace.

Miller and Brandon McMullen battled for the lead late in the race. Miller took over for good with a low move in turn three on lap 22 and fended off McMullen over the final three laps to secure his fourth career PDTR 360 Sprint Car A-main victory and sixth overall Midwest Sprint Car Association A-main triumph in the caution-free race.

Miller completed the non-stop A-main race in 5 minutes, 31 seconds, to set a new 25-lap PDTR 360 Sprint Car A-main track record. The previous record was set in 2016 by Kurt Davis.

Kevin Karnitz of West Bend was third, followed by two-time PDTR 360 Sprint Car champ Kurt Davis of South Milwaukee and Travis Arenz of Sheboygan.

Former PDTR Late Model champion Tim Buhler of Greenbush scored a wire-to-wire win in the 25-lap Sheboygan Country B93.7 Late Model main event. Jim Schmidt of Cleveland was second, followed by Charlie

Schmidt of Cedar Grove, Turk Letizia of Milwaukee and Justin Ritchie of New London.

Steven Weber of Plymouth led from start to finish in the nonstop 25-lap Oostburg Automotive Grand National A main. Tyler Kulow was second, followed by Chad Espen of West Bend, two-time PDTR Grand National champ Don Sorce Jr. of West Allis and Dustin Weiss of Iron Ridge.

The scheduled 25-lap Cellcom B Mod A main was cancelled due to rain with equal points granted to all drivers.

2011 PDTR 360 Sprint Car champion Ben Schmidt of Howards Grove won the first 12-lap 360 Sprint Car B main, and 2008 PDTR 360 Sprint Car champ Lance Fassbender of Burnett won the second 12-lap PDTR 360 Sprint Car B main.

Nick Schultz of Beaver Dam set a new 10-lap PDTR B Mod heat race track record in the first B Mod heat race of the night with a time of 2:32, which topped the previous track record by five seconds.

After the checkered flag flew in the 360 Sprint Car A main, Paul Pokorski of West Bend, in his first night behind the wheel of Spyder Akright’s 53A car, made hard contact with the turn one wall in an attempt to avoid contact with a rapidly slowly car directly ahead of him. Pokorski emerged from the badly damaged car uninjured.

PDTR action is scheduled to resume on Saturday with action in the 360 Sprint Car, Late Model, Grand National and B Mod divisions.

Grandstand gates open at 3:30 p.m. with hot laps at 4:30 p.m. and racing at 5 p.m.