(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) March 25, 2019 – Following a long, cold winter filled with meticulous planning and preparation, Josh Walter and his Torque Racing team is just about ready to turn up the heat on dirt tracks throughout the state of Wisconsin.
After finishing third in both the Midwest Sprint Car Association and Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car point standings and posting one A-main triumph in his return to the 360 Sprint Car ranks in 2018, Walter is eager to take on the full 30-race MSA and PDTR slate again in 2019.
Walter, who is set to embark on his 14th season of Sprint Car competition in 2019, is hoping to improve on the team’s 2018 campaign, which he admits left a bit to be desired.
“We came into the offseason slightly disappointed in last season,” Walter said. “We knew we needed to make some changes for 2019 if we were going to do better than last year. The car has been modified to comply to the latest World of Outlaws rules, so we will see if that has any effect on some of our setups. I have been hitting the gym and doing the best I can to be the best in the car that I can be.
“If I had to use one word to describe our 2018 season, it would be ‘underwhelming,’” he said. “The team did a great job, and I gave it my best in the car. However, pill draws didn't seem to go our way often and I don't think the car was all there. We had some fueling issues in the middle of the year and lost some speed. After we got that fixed, I believe the engine was getting tired. The engine was built in 2012 and the last freshen was in 2014, so we got plenty of life out of it.”
Walter was pleased with the tremendous support displayed during Torque Racing’s annual brat fry on March 2 at Plymouth Tap.
“This was our 13th pre-season brat fry and we had an excellent turnout,” Walter said. “This was our best year yet and I couldn't be more excited about the upcoming season with all the support we've received from our sponsors, family, friends and fans. Our team is so grateful to have the people in our lives that are willing to bend over backwards, put in the hard work and make so many sacrifices to get us on track and keep us there.”
Torque Racing’s 2019 season includes 20 races at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wisconsin and 10 additional MSA touring events at six different Wisconsin tracks as Walter plans to chase both the MSA and PDTR 360 Sprint Car titles.
“I feel 2019 will be an interesting year,” Walter said. “We plan on focusing on the MSA schedule. However, we will evaluate a few traveling shows that we aren't too excited about from a safety standpoint and track quality. I look forward to being back at Beaver Dam, Seymour and Sun Prairie. Plymouth is great being so close to home. I don't have a favorite track on the schedule anymore. I think each track has its own unique characteristics that you can be excited about as long as you can make the best of those things.”
Walter is tentatively set to pry the lid off the 2019 campaign by taking his 360 Sprint Car on a shakedown run with the Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series on April 20.
“At this point, we plan on participating in the April 20th IRA show at Beaver Dam Raceway,” Walter said. “It'll be a good place to shake down the car and get some laps there in a 360 again, since we'll be returning there on August 24th for an MSA show. Beyond that, we don't have any plans to run anywhere else.”
The team will kickoff the 2019 MSA and PDTR 360 Sprint Car season one week later on Saturday, April 27 at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis.
Heading into the 2019 campaign, Walter has some specific goals in mind.
“I can honestly say we are going to try and make every A-main feature, get more wins and make a run for the championship in 2019,” Walter said. “It might seem bold to say those things, but I usually want to just have fun. I can't think of anything that would be more fun than achieving those three things.”
Torque Racing sponsors for the 2019 season include JDV Lawncare, Brittany's School of Dance, Sheboygan by Owner, Plymouth Tap, Platinum Restoration Services, Doug's Quality Beef, Tiffany's Wildtree, Cow Pies, Full Throttle Ink, Lakehouse Bar & Grill, Ruh Custom Woodworking, RC Custom Design, Home Transitions, Kombucha Brothers and Pedal Down Promotions.
“We don’t have all that many changes in 2019 as the crew and team has stayed together and have a strong relationship,” Walter said. “The chassis has been updated and the engine has been gone through and freshened. That is about it for the car. We did add quite a few sponsors this year beyond our other sponsors that have supported us for years.”
Torque Racing Sponsor Showcase – Pedal Down Promotions
Torque Racing is pleased to welcome Pedal Down Promotions of Manitowoc, Wis. to the team for the 2019 season.
Founded by experienced newspaper journalist Jeff Pederson, Pedal Down Promotions is geared up to provide all of the promotional content that businesses, non-profit organizations, sports teams and creative individuals need to spread the word about their products, services, accomplishments, endeavors, hopes and dreams.
Pedal Down Promotions provides news releases; newsletters; website blog posts, photography; video presentations, websites and social media content development, printed promotional materials, resume and cover services for job seekers, book editing, book publishing and book cover design services and much more.
Since its inception in 2016, Pedal Down Promotions has been highly involved in local dirt track racing scene, providing race reports for Plymouth Dirt Track Racing, driver profile articles for various racing publications and public relations services for area racing teams, track and series.
Pederson is pleased that Pedal Down Promotions will provide public relations services for Josh Walter and Torque Racing throughout the 2019 racing season.
“We are always looking to help race drivers, teams and tracks spread the word about their racing endeavors,” Pederson said. “I am excited about the opportunity to assist Josh Walter and Torque Racing in stepping up their promotional efforts through weekly press releases and social media updates for each MSA and PDTR event during the 2019 season. It should be a lot of fun and we are hoping to give the team’s sponsors, supporters and fans an up-close look into what it takes to put a successful racing team on the track on a weekly basis. Josh is a top-notch competitor who understands the importance of effective communication in advancing awareness of the exciting sport of dirt track racing.”
Torque Racing invites you to contact Pedal Down Promotions by phone at 920-323-7970 or via email at pedaldownpromotions@gmail.com. More information about Pedal Down Promotions can be found at www.pedaldownpromo.com.
2018 Torque Racing By The Numbers
Total Events – 23
A Main Victories – 1
Top Five A Main Finishes – 10
Top 10 A Main Finishes – 17
Midwest Sprint Car Association Points – 3rd
Plymouth Dirt Track Racing Points – 3rd
2019 Josh Walter-Torque Racing Schedule
Saturday, April 20 – Beaver Dam Raceway, Beaver Dam, Wis.
Saturday, April 27 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.
Saturday, May 4 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.
Saturday, May 11 – Plymouth, Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.
Saturday, May 18 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis
Saturday, May 25 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.
Saturday, June 1 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.
Sunday, June 2 – Angell Park Speedway, Sun Prairie, Wis.
Saturday, June 8 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.
Saturday, June 15 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.
Friday, June 21 – Spring Lake Speedway, Unity, Wis.
Saturday, June 22 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.
Friday, June 28 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.
Wednesday, July 3 – Dodge County Fairgrounds, Beaver Dam, Wis.
Saturday, July 6 – TNT Speedway, Three Lakes, Wis.
Friday, July 12 – Outagamie Speedway, Seymour, Wis.
Saturday, July 13 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.
Saturday, July 20 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.
Sunday, July 21 – Angell Park Speedway, Sun Prairie, Wis.
Saturday, July 27 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.
Friday, August 2 – Outagamie Speedway, Wis. (rain date only)
Saturday, August 3 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.
Saturday, August 10 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.
Sunday, August 11 – Angell Park Speedway, Sun Prairie, Wis.
Saturday, August 17 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.
Friday, August 23 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.
Saturday, August 24 – Beaver Dam Raceway, Beaver Dam, Wis.
Saturday, August 31 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.
Saturday, September 7 – TNT Speedway, Three Lakes, Wis.
Saturday, September 14 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.
Friday, September 27 – Dodge County Fairgrounds, Beaver Dam, Wis.
Saturday, September 28 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis.
Saturday, November 9 – Midwest Sprint Car Association Awards Banquet, The Columbian, West Bend, Wis.
2019 Josh Walter-Torque Racing By The Numbers
Total Events – 0
A Main Victories – 0
Top Five A Main Finishes – 0
Top 10 A Main Finishes – 0
Heat Race Victories – 0