(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) April 11, 2023 – Facing off against a stellar field loaded with an impressive collection of the Midwest’s top 410 Sprint Car competitors, Travis Arenz and the members of the Travis Arenz Motorsports team launched their rookie season with the Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series during the IRA-Midwest Open Wheel Association (MOWA) Morning Sun Farm Implement 410 Clash Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 8 at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa.
With 48 drivers signed in to fire off the 2023 IRA campaign, Arenz qualified 15th in split field qualifying group A with a lap of 13.823 seconds around the three-eighths mile semi-banked clay oval.
In the first eight-lap IRA-MOWA heat, Arenz lined up eighth and passed Kris Spitz on the opening lap to take seventh. Five laps later, Tyler Drueke powered past to drop the 2021 and 2022 Midwest Sprint Car Association 360 Sprint Car champion to eighth in the running order.
A caution flag was displayed on lap seven when Austin McCarl stalled in turn one. Arenz restarted seventh and held the position through a green-white-checkered flag finish.
Arenz then lined up fourth in the first 10-lap IRA-MOWA B main, needing to place second to earn a coveted berth in the 30-lap A main. A good start launched the 2021 and 2022 Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car champion past Cameron Martin into third on the opening lap.
On lap 4, Arenz used a nifty move to work around Tyler Drueke to gain second. However, Drueke battled back to slip past Arenz on the final lap to steal away the final transfer spot and relegate the Sheboygan Falls, Wis. driver to a third place finish.
Arenz returned to IRA-MOWA action to close out the team’s 2023 season opening doubleheader weekend event at 34 Raceway against another stout field of 48 cars on Saturday, April 8.
A lap of 13.300 seconds placed Arenz 15th in split field qualifying group B. Arenz then placed ninth after starting eighth in the third heat race and closed out the event with a fifth place finish after starting seventh in the second 10-lap B main.
“I enjoyed racing at 34 Raceway,” Arenz said. “It’s a very nice facility and definitely an enjoyable track with two different corners, it seemed. It kind of reminded me of Manitowoc with the longer straights and tighter corners.
“Our goals for the weekend were to make the show and get laps,” he said. “I got some bad habits from the 360 car that I need to work on. I was comfortable in the car for it being the first time I was in it. The car just needs some tuning and work.”
Arenz will return to much more familiar territory this Saturday, April 15 as the Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series makes its lone scheduled appearance of the 2023 season at Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam, Wis. Street Stocks and Legends also on the card for the annual Jim Wipperfurth Memorial event.
Pits open at 4 p.m. with spectator gates opening at 4:30 p.m. and racing scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.
“My approach going into this Saturday’s race at Beaver Dam Raceway is the same as it is every week, which is to go out and perform to the level I know I can,” Arenz said. “At the same time, I also know I need to continue to learn and get better.”
All 2023 Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series events will be streamed live on FloRacing.
The 2023 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, Pallet Works, DW Fence, Little Bears Tree Service LLC, Lake Auto Glass and Service, Myhre Construction LLC, Roth’s Auto Restoration, Hair Fellers Barbershop, Fastenal of Plymouth, Jensen Sales and Humphrey’s Turner Hall Bar & Grill, Amy Bruechert Reality, Cornwell Tools-Paul Epping, Advanced Engine Concepts, Inc., Duehring's Tax Service, Everhope Show Cattle, HRP Wings and Behling Racing Equipment.
The 2023 Travis Arenz Motorsports team consists of pit crew members Greg Piedot, Jerrod Gamb, Emily Stadler, Cameron Fritz, Alex Wesenburg, Tony Fox and Trevor Hittman.
Additional information on the Travis Arenz Motorsports team can be found by visiting the team’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
Travis Arenz Motorsports Sponsor Showcase – Professional Plating
Located at 705 Northway Drive in Brillion, Wis., Professional Plating Inc. was established in 1979 when Bob and Pat Endries, founders of Endries International, were looking for a dependable source of plating for the fasteners supplied to their customers. In May 1979, the zinc plating operation began with the barrel line being Professional Plating's sole production area. In June 1983, the company expanded its zinc plating capabilities with the purchase of a Cyclemaster rack line.
Over the past 44 years, Professional Plating has grown into one of the largest electroplaters in the Midwest, in addition to a large powder coating operation and an electrocoat facility.
Today, Professional Plating offers a wide range of services, including coating and plating, quality systems, trucking, shipping and packaging.
In addition, Professional Plating has been a five-time Products Finishing Top Shops Benchmarking Survey Award winner for both plating and powder coating, taking home the prestigious award each year that it has been offered.
For more information on the top-of-the-line services Professional Plating has to offer, call 920-756-2153, email larry.dietz@proplating.com or visit https://www.proplating.com.
Pedal Down Promotions is a full-service public relations and media services company devoted to helping its clients effectively communicate with targeted audiences through press releases, newsletters, profile and feature articles, website and social media content development, printed media, editing and layout, graphic design and book publishing services.
For more information on Pedal Down Promotions, email pedaldownpromotions@gmail.com, visit www.pedaldownpromo.com or call 920-323-7970.
Travis Arenz Motorsports
Upcoming 2023 Schedule
Saturday, April 15 – Beaver Dam Raceway, Beaver Dam, Wis. (IRA)
Saturday, April 29 – Cedar Lake Speedway, New Richmond, Wis. (IRA)
Sunday, April 30 – Mason City Motor Speedway, Mason City, Iowa (IRA)
Travis Arenz Motorsports
410 Sprint Car
2023 Season
By The Numbers
Total IRA Events – 2
A Main Victories – 0
Top Five A Main Finishes – 0
Top 10 A Main Finishes – 0
Top 15 A Main Finishes – 0
Top 20 A Main Finishes – 0
Heat Race Victories – 0
B Main Victories – 0
Dash Appearances – 0
Dash Victories – 0
Fast Qualifier Awards – 0
Travis Arenz Motorsports
360 Sprint Car
2023 Season
By The Numbers
Total MSA-PDTR Events – 0
A Main Victories – 0
Top Five A Main Finishes – 0
Top 10 A Main Finishes – 0
Heat Race Victories – 0
B Main Victories – 0
Fast Qualifier Awards – 0