(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) October 1, 2019 – Paul Pokorski and the Pokorski Motorsports team put their 27th season of racing competition in the rearview mirror with an eventful and challenging night of Plymouth Dirt Track Racing and Midwest Sprint Car Association 360 Sprint Car action as part of the Wisconsin Sprint Car Championships to cap the 2019 season at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, Sept. 28.
After the first annual Fuzzy Fassbender Memorial Race at the Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam, Wis. fell victim to rain on Friday, Sept. 27, the Pokorski Motorsports team was one of 33 PDTR 360 Sprint Cars to check into The Plymouth Dirt Track for the final night of the 2019 season.
An unlucky draw found Pokorski starting ninth in the first 10-lap PDTR 360 Sprint Car heat race. On the opening lap, Pokorski worked past Don Kiel, who brought out a caution flag on lap 3 when he spun in turn three. Kiel then brought out another caution with an identical spin in turn three on the following lap.
On the restart, Pokorski moved past Tim Haddy into seventh in the running order on lap 5 before getting caught up in an accident triggered on the frontstretch when Shane Wenninger flipped near the flag stand. Pokorski managed to avoid Wenninger’s machine, but he collided with the rapidly slowing car of Blake Wondra, which caused him to flip entering turn one. The extensive damage forced Pokorski to retire from the race as he was scored eighth.
“I did manage to miss the initial wreck, but the hole I was shooting to get through kind of closed up and I jumped somebody's wheel,” Pokorski said. “It has been a while since we've been in a wreck like that. Thank goodness!
The Pokorski Motorsports crew quickly went to work on the badly damaged car and made the necessary repairs just in time to start ninth in the first 12-lap PDTR 360 Sprint Car B main.
“The crew worked really hard to get the car back together,” Pokorski said. “We bent pretty much everything that bolts onto a race car. Luckily, we were reasonably prepared to get it all done and we had a lot of help from not only my own crew, but also Scott Conger and Brandon McMullen's guys and a few people that I'm not even sure where they appeared from. When I initially got out of the car, I was pretty sure that we had some chassis damage and we wouldn't be able to fix it.
“However, the more the crew and I looked at it, the more it seemed possible to get it done and they did,” he said. “It was a great team effort.”
In the first B main, Pokorski maneuvered around rookie Preston Ruh on lap 1 to move into eighth. Pokorski held the position until Tyler Brabant dropped out of the race on lap 8, which moved the West Bend driver up to seventh in the running order.
The 2014 MSA Masters Series champion ended up seventh at the finish to miss out on a transfer spot to the A main and bring the team’s 2019 season to a close.
“Unfortunately, the car wasn't very good for the B main because we didn't have a lot of time to pay attention to actually setting it up correctly,” Pokorski said.
In all, Pokorski recorded four top-five finishes and 12 top-10 A-main showings to go along with two heat race wins and one B-main triumph in 26 events during the 2019 season. Pokorski wound up fifth in the final MSA point standings and ninth in the PDTR 360 Sprint Car point standings.
“I know racing is full of its ups and downs and since 2018 went so well in finishing every lap of every race and avoiding mishaps, I guess I should have expected some struggles in 2019,” Pokorski said. “I am lucky to have such enormous support from friends, family and sponsors to make it all possible.”
Pokorski has revealed that the completion of the 2019 season brings his time chasing the full MSA schedule to an end. In addition, he plans to hang up his driving suit at the conclusion of the 2020 campaign.
“Pokorski Motorsports will turn a new page in 2020,” Pokorski said. “I will run part time, and my son, Alex, will also race part time. I'm excited and nervous about that. At the end of the 2020 season, I'll be retiring from driving, and at this point, I'm not sure what racing plans Alex might have going forward.”
Sponsors for the 2019 Pokorski Motorsports team are Hopf Farms, Petersen Septic Systems, Gasroots Project, Quest Engineering Inc., Acme Armature Works Inc., Goeden's Auto Body, Goodwin Racing Engines, Lakeshore Family Funeral Homes, Kettle Moraine Landscaping, Novak's Service Center, Pedal Down Promotions, Tisler Salvage Inc., Hagar’s Half-Pounder Cookies, Allied Bearing Corporation and The Cawley Company.
For more information on Pokorski Motorsports, check out Pokorski Motorsports on Facebook or visit www.pedaldownpromo.com.
Pokorski Motorsports Sponsor Showcase – Petersen Septic Systems
Since opening its doors in Valders, Wis. in 2012, Petersen Septic Systems LLC has provided premier septic tank service and the most reliable septic system installation and repair in Manitowoc and Two Rivers and the surrounding Lakeshore area.
“We offer our services to industrial, institutional, residential, new construction, commercial and municipal accounts,” Petersen Septic Systems Owner David Petersen said. “Customer service is our utmost priority. We do every job as it was in our own homes. Our experience is second to none in the area. Prior to opening the business, I worked for Tuschl Septic Systems from 2004 until owner Chuck Tuschl retired.”
The list of regular services Petersen Septic Systems offers includes septic pump repairs, test drilling/test boring, sewage treatment systems, septic tank removal, septic tank installation, water line repair, oil testing and perc testing.
“We provide all of these services in Manitowoc County and the surrounding areas,” Petersen said. “We are OSHA certified and are licensed MPRS/CST966051.”
Petersen Septic Systems is located at 7334 Nagel Road in Valders, Wis. For more information, call 920-323-2640, email petersenseptic@gmail.com or visit www.petersensepticsystems.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.
2019 Pokorski Motorsports By The Numbers
Total Events – 26
MSA events – 25
IRA events - 1
A Main Victories – 0
B Main Victories – 1
Top Five A Main Finishes – 4
Top 10 A Main Finishes – 12
Heat Race Victories – 2