(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) July 31, 2019 – The 2019 racing season has been the very definition of a roller-coaster ride for Josh Walter and the Torque Racing team, filled with two big A-main victories and pair of major accidents sprinkled with a mixture of successes and challenges along the way.
Weary from the grind of the Midwest Sprint Car Association and Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car schedule, coupled with the strain of extra work put in to assemble a backup car following two significant accidents with the team’s primary machine during the first half of the season, Walter and his crew elected to change things up last week.
On Sunday, July 28, the team made the decision to bolt in a 410 motor and make a trip to Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wis. to race in the Norm Nelson Classic with the Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series.
Walter, who competed regularly with the IRA from 2015 to 2017, timed in 16th out of 23 cars in IRA qualifying with a lap of 12.665 seconds on the historic third-mile clay oval. After lining up sixth in the first 10-lap IRA heat race, Walter worked his way past Matt Wiese to seize fifth place on lap 2 before passing Steve Meyer, who was slowing with a flat right rear tire on lap 3. After a caution was displayed on lap 4 for Meyer’s slowing car, Walter restarted fourth and held the position the rest of the way.
The Plymouth resident started 13th in the 30-lap IRA A main and was running 12th when the first caution of the race was displayed on lap 12 when Matt Wiese spun in turn four. On the restart, Walter got tangled up with Dave Uttech after Jeremy Schultz spun in turn one, which brought out another yellow.
Walter, whose best career IRA A-main finish was a fourth-place showing at the now defunct Manitowoc Speedway, was able to escape from the incident with minimal damage and restarted 11th, after Uttech was forced to go the work area to change a tire. On the restart Walter used the high groove to power around Ben Schmidt into 10th on lap 14 and one lap later, he swept around former IRA champion Jeremy Schultz to gain ninth place.
As the laps wound down, Schultz battled back along the low line to regain ninth on lap 27. Walter then maintained the 10th spot over the final three laps to secure a solid top-10 showing in the race, which was won by Scotty Thiel.
“We’ve had a roller-coaster season in the 360 and my crew and I were getting a little burnt out,” Walter said. “The opportunity for us to rent a 410 engine was presented to us and we decided as a team to have some fun with it.”
After recording what Josh Walter described as the biggest victory of his career in the Torque Racing team’s previous outing in the Remembering Randy Tracy Race, the racing pendulum swung to the low end during Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car action as part of a weeknight special event featuring the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champion versus Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association Challenge event at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Thursday, July 25.
Walter was among 34 PDTR Sprint Car drivers on hand for the event as he drew the fourth starting spot in the first 10-lap heat race. Walter held down the fourth spot in the early going before a caution flag appeared on lap 3 for a two-car incident involving Chris Clayton and rookie Jack Vanderboom.
On the restart, Justin Miller slipped underneath Walter to claim fourth and drop the 14th year driver to fifth. Walter held down the fifth spot for the remainder of the race to fall short of transferring to the A main.
Walter started second in the first 12-lap B main needing to finish in the top three to earn a berth in the A main. On lap 2, Robbie Pribnow ducked under Walter to take second. Five laps later, Walter battled back along the outside groove to return the favor and pass Pribnow for second. Walter went on to finish second to claim a spot in the 25-lap A main.
After lining up 17th in the 22-car field, Walter struggled to find speed in the A main as he ran near the back of the field and fell down a lap to the leaders near the end of the race. After enduring two caution periods, the Plymouth driver ended up 17th at the finish line in a race won by Travis Arenz.
The team had originally planned to complete in an MSA doubleheader at Outagamie Speedway in Seymour this Friday, Aug. 2 and The Plymouth Dirt Track on Saturday, Aug. 3. However, in light of the team’s return to 410 racing, those plans have been scrapped.
“As far as the schedule goes, we do not plan on racing this Friday and Saturday due to the short week to swap engines and tires,” Walter said. “We’re planning on taking the season week by week at this point. Tentatively, we will be back racing the IRA on Sunday, August 18th at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie for Cornfest.
“In the meantime, our team will be taking a few weeks off to regroup and spend some time with family,” he said.
For updates on the Josh Walter-Torque Racing team’s racing schedule for the remainder of the 2019 season, fans and supporters are encouraged to check the team’s Josh Walter-Torque Facebook and Twitter pages regularly.
Torque Racing sponsors for the 2019 season include JDV Lawncare, Brittany's School of Dance, Sheboygan by Owner, Plymouth Tap, Doug's Quality Beef, Tiffany's Wildtree, Cow Pies, Full Throttle Ink, Lakehouse Bar & Grill, Home Transitions, Oostburg Concrete, Kombucha Brothers, Platinum Restoration Services, Ruh Custom Woodworking, RC Custom Design and Pedal Down Promotions.
Torque Racing Sponsor Showcase – Platinum Restoration Services
Josh Walter and the Torque Racing team is pleased to have Platinum Restoration Services, located at 5225 West Electric Ave. in West Allis, Wis., on board as a sponsor for the 2019 season.
Platinum Restoration Service's began 10 years ago as a one-man operation founded by owner Jeremy Roth. Over time, the business grew and it built a reputation for high-quality service and careful attention to detail grew.
“Our services are in such high demand that we have three trucks/crews going now,” Roth said. “From its humble beginnings, the company has grown to expand the services to all of Southeastern Wisconsin with another office in West Allis/Milwaukee. This growth was a natural part of the company's evolution and the reflects the focus we've always placed on people and relationships.”
Platinum Restoration Services offers a wide array of services including carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, synthetic and oriental rug cleaning, air duct cleaning, tile and grout cleaning, water damage restoration, mold remediation, fire and smoke damage restoration and power washing.
Roth says the foundation of the business is centered around a dedication to top-notch customer service and high-quality restoration work.
“At Platinum Restoration Services, each member of our staff is an expert in his or her field-whether handling customer service or restoring a disaster in your home,” Roth said. “All of our people are fully-trained professionals, who have worked hard to make our company what it is today. We believe in forgoing ongoing relationships through quality workmanship and outstanding customer service.
As a race fan, Roth is thrilled to be involved with Josh Walter the Torque Racing team.
“I grew up in Plymouth and been going to the dirt track races in Plymouth for almost 20 years now,” Roth said. “I've always had a huge passion for racing. I started out going to drag races, radar runs, snowmobile races, jet ski racing and mountain bike racing. I took some time off to grow my business, but now I'm getting more involved with racing again. I wanted to sponsor Torque Racing because Josh has been a longtime friend and wanted to support his passion for racing.”
To contact Platinum Restoration Services, call 262-228-6166. For more information, visit www.platinumrestorationservice.com.
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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
Sunday, Aug. 18 – Angell Park Speedway, Sun Prairie, Wis. with IRA (tentative)
2019 Josh Walter-Torque Racing By The Numbers
Total Events – 16
MSA events – 14
IRA events – 2
A-Main Victories – 2
B-Main Victories – 1
Top Five A-Main Finishes – 4
Top 10 A-Main Finishes – 8
Heat Race Victories – 3