(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) May 15, 2019 – It was one of those rare nights that Josh Walter and his Torque Racing team had never experienced in 13 previous seasons of Sprint Car racing competition and quite possibly may never experience again.
One week after failing to finish the season-opening Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car Racing A main and ending up 14th in final rundown due to a rear end issue, Walter put together a perfect evening during which he scored a victory in his heat race before claiming the victory in the 25-lap PDTR 360 Sprint Car A main Saturday, May 11 at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis.
“I felt good going into this week knowing that our car was a good handling car the week prior,” Walter said. “We just missed out on a good finish on May 4th due to an internal issue with the rear end that we had in the car. I am rarely the most confident person in a car, but I always expect myself to finish where I start or better our position. I hate going backwards, although it happens. I just try to make it a rarity.”
Walter had luck on his side right of the bat drawing the pole position for the third PDTR 360 Sprint Car heat race in a stout 40-car field. The Plymouth resident held tight to the low groove of the ultra-dry slick racing surface en route to an impressive half-lap victory over runner-up Shane Wenninger to earn a berth in the A main.
“The car was good in the heat race this week and with track conditions the way they were, it sure didn't hurt to start on the pole,” Walter said. “We still had a great car and I didn't push it nearly as hard at the end of the race as I did in the beginning. On a track like that, it feels like you are going so slow and it's easy to overdrive. Smooth is fast and sometimes slow is smooth.”
After the passing points were tallied and the invert was completed, Walter again found himself on the pole position for the 25-lap headliner. Walter outpowered outside front row starter Nich Melis to lead the opening lap and maintained the top spot until Travis Arenz moved in to challenge along the outside groove on lap 4.
Four laps later, Arenz dove underneath Walter to grab the lead in turn one on lap 8. Not to be denied Walter battled back to draw even with Arenz as the two drivers dueled side by side on lap 11. One lap later, Walter moved ahead for good while Arenz brought out a caution on lap 13 when he stopped in turn four with a mechanical issue.
“The A main was nerve wracking,” Walter said. “The race felt like it was again at a crawling pace. Not wanting to over drive and miss my marks, I did the best I could to keep momentum on my side and keep as much steering out of the car as possible. I had some in the reserve tank as far as speed went since I was being somewhat conservative. It sounds foolish not to be aggressive, but when you start on the pole, which is a great place to be, it's really tough to gauge your speed and if no one shows you a nose it doesn't pay to make a mistake and lose the race for yourself.
“When Travis Arenz showed me a nose, I knew I was being a little too conservative and had to step up my game,” he said. “I couldn’t just let him have it. I knew I had a great car and wasn't going to go down without a fight.”
As the track started to take rubber along the inside groove, Walter held strong on the low line while 2017 PDTR 360 Sprint Car champion Brandon McMullen moved in to mount a challenge for the lead. As the leaders caught the back of the field on lap 20, McMullen was able to close in on Walter. A slight bobble from Walter in the final corner of the last lap of the race allowed McMullen to pull alongside heading to the checkered flag.
However, Walter was able to hold off McMullen’s advances at the finish line to record his fifth career PDTR 360 Sprint and Midwest Sprint Car Association A-main victory by a half-car length margin.
“In the closing laps, I figured someone would be coming,” Walter said. “I wasn't going to give up the bottom line even though lap traffic was impeding my speed slightly. I made sure to force the hand of whoever was behind me to have to go around me on the outside if they wanted to win this one. Of course, not being one to lack drama, I messed up the last corner of the race pretty bad and opened the door. Brandon is a great competitor and it was a close race. You can't make mistakes like that with him behind you and that will stick with me for a long time. I am just glad that it didn't bite me in the end. However, it was a good warning shot.”
Walter marveled how the evening’s sequence of events fell into place to allow him to pull off his first career clean sweep.
“I’ve never had a clean sweep before or even had a night where I technically didn't need to pass a single car, Walter said. “It's rare anyone gets things to go so well in one night. I started on the pole of the heat and the feature, which in itself is rare. Also, that brings a lot of pressure because you can either win or go backwards.”
This Saturday, May 18 marks one of the most anticipated nights of the PDTR season as the All Star Circuit of Champions 410 Sprint Car Series is set to take on the Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series in an All Star-IRA Challenge event featuring NASCAR legend Tony Stewart, three-time World of Outlaw Sprint Car Series champ Sammy Swindell and a host of other top national and regional drivers. The program will also feature the PDTR 360 Sprint Cars.
Advance general admission tickets for the All Start-IRA Challenge event are available through Friday, May 17 by calling 920-893-5751. Adult tickets are $30, student tickets for age 6-12 are $10 and children age 5 and under will be admitted free. Pit passes are $35 or $25 with a PDTR Rewards Card.
Spectator gates open at 3 p.m. for advance general admission ticket holders and 4 p.m. for those purchasing tickets on race day. On-track action is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.
“We're looking forward to this weekend,” Walter said. “The track should be ready for what might be close to 90 sprint cars. We have high expectations all season and we look forward to the challenges ahead. It'll be tough. It's a great group we have in the MSA/PDTR and there are a lot of cars who can win on any given night.
“The week after a win is always an odd one as a driver,” he said. “You are excited that you got the first win of the season out of the way, yet you dread the following week cause you know you are getting penalized for winning with the rule that you need to start behind the pill draw plus three if you make the invert. With all of that being said, I am very happy that we won on Saturday night. It will be exciting to put on a show for a large crowd. I think people are really in for a treat in all divisions.”
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, Home Transitions, Oostburg Concrete, Kombucha Brothers, Ruh Custom Woodworking, RC Custom Design and Pedal Down Promotions.
Torque Racing Sponsor Showcase – Sheboygan by Owner, Home Transitions
Sheboygan by Owner was created in 2003 to give sellers of real estate in Sheboygan, Calumet and Manitowoc Counites an avenue to sell their own home, while having a presence on the internet and access to real estate partners at a low flat fee rate, which allows them to keep more money in their own pockets.
Sheboygan by Owner also gives buyers a quick glance at “for sale by owner” properties at the convenience of their homes/phones without having to call on every home they drive by or hear about.
“Homebuyers can search the web to see what the homes have to offer, and then call on only the ones they have an interest in, saving them both time and money,” said Allison Smith of Sheboygan by Owner.
Smith is thrilled to be involved with sponsoring Josh Walter and Torque Racing for the 2019 racing season.
“This a great opportunity to both help Josh and his racing team and to have another avenue to promote our business,” Smith said.
For more information and to view Sheboygan by Owner properties, visit www.sheboyganbyowner.com
Home Transitions began in 2002 as a referral and buyer-only real estate company. By 2008, it blossomed into a full-service real estate company serving customers located mainly in Sheboygan and Manitowoc counties, while reaching out to other outlying areas upon request.
“Home Transitions works best on referrals and the goal is to make the home buying and selling transition go smoothly for all parties,” Smith said.
For more information and to view Home Transitions properties, visit www.hometransitions.us
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.
2019 Josh Walter-Torque Racing Upcoming Schedule
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.
2019 Josh Walter-Torque Racing By The Numbers
Total Events – 3
IRA events – 1
MSA events – 2
A-Main Victories – 1
B-Main Victories – 1
Top Five A-Main Finishes – 1
Top 10 A-Main Finishes – 1
Heat Race Victories – 1