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Arenz finds success, endures setbacks in shortened 2024 IRA campaign

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) November 27, 2024 – On the heels of a stellar rookie season with the Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series, during which he scored his first career 410 Sprint Car A-main victory and recorded a third-place showing in the 2023 IRA point standings, the 2024 campaign featured a slew of impressive performances and some untimely mechanical maladies for Travis Arenz and his Travis Arenz Motorsports Team.

The 2021 and 2022 Midwest Sprint Car Association and Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car champion opened the 2024 campaign by ripping off his first career 410 Sprint Car fast qualifier award, topping the 30-car Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association field with a fast lap of 13.650 seconds on the high-banked Beaver Dam Raceway third-mile clay oval on Saturday, April 20.

The Sheboygan Falls driver went on to post a sixth-place A-main finish to kick off the 2024 IRA campaign.

On Saturday, May 4, Arenz turned his first competitive laps at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis., coming home eighth in an IRA A-main contested on a fast, heavy and challenging track surface.

One week later, Arenz recorded a runner-up showing for the second consecutive season in IRA A-main action at Sycamore Speedway in Maple Park, Ill. on Saturday, May 11.

Arenz found the going quite rough as he returned to his home track – The Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, Wis. – for an IRA event on Saturday, May 18. In an A main contested on an extremely fast and treacherous track surface filled with six caution/red flag periods, Arenz recorded a 13th-place showing.

The following night at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wis. ended in heartbreak for the 17th-year competitor. Arenz was leading the main event and appeared to be headed to his second career IRA A-main victory when the third caution flag of the race brought the event to an early halt due to the track’s 10 p.m. curfew.

Since it did not reach the halfway mark, the race was not official. As a result, the A-main drivers split points and pay equally.

Six days later, Arenz recorded a fifth-place showing in an IRA main event at Wilmot Raceway in Wilmot, Wis. on Saturday, May 25.

Following the Wilmot event, IRA officials engaged in the process of investigating the team’s equipment as traction control allegations were waged in the aftermath of Arenz’s top-five finish.

On Sunday, June 9, Arenz returned to Angell Park Speedway where he earned a spot in the IRA A-main event with a sixth-place heat race performance. However, motor issues brought the team’s evening to a premature end and left the team without a powerplant to continue the 2024 season.

After the Angell Park event, Arenz revealed that the IRA’s investigation of the team’s equipment confirmed its legality.

However, the team’s motor woes kept Arenz on the sidelines for the next six weeks of the season. Arenz returned to action for a three-race IRA western swing with events at Norman County Speedway in Ada, Minn. and River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D. which netted A-main results of 14th, eighth and 22nd respectively.

Arenz returned home to mount a stirring run from the B main to place fourth after starting 20th in IRA action at The Plymouth Dirt Track on Saturday, July 27.

A doubleheader weekend of action at Wilmot Raceway and Angell Park Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 17 and Sunday, Aug. 18 netted a pair of eighth-place A-main performances for the 2023 IRA Apple Cup Rookie Award winner.

The annual Sheboygan County Fair event at The Plymouth Dirt Track on Saturday, Aug. 31 brought out the best in Arenz as he stormed from the 11th starting position to take the lead from California’s Joel Myers Jr. on lap 21.

Following a back-and-forth slide-job duel with Myers Jr. in the closing laps, Arenz settled for a hard-fought runner-up showing.

The following night at The Hill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. brought misfortune as Arenz’s 25T machine flipped following an early race battle for position with Jake Blackhurst.

Although Arenz returned to the race to place 16th, frame damage was discovered later, which prompted the team to prepare a backup car for the 24th annual Jerry Richert Memorial event at Cedar Lake Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 7.

True to his hard charging, “Mr. Excitement” moniker, Arenz stormed from the 16th starting spot to place fourth in the main event.

One week later, Arenz again mounted an inspired charge from the 12th starting spot to finish fourth in an IRA event at 141 Speedway in Francis Creek, Wis. on Saturday, Sept. 14.

In a non-sanctioned 410 Sprint Car event held during the Wilmot Raceway Fall Classic on Saturday, Sept. 21, Arenz started on the pole of the main event before coming home second behind race winner Blake Nimee.

Arenz closed out his 2024 campaign with a solid fourth-place showing in the 2024 IRA season-ending Wisconsin Sprint Car Championships at The Plymouth Dirt Track on Saturday, Sept. 28.

In 19 410 Sprint Car events during the 2024 campaign, Arenz collected eight top-five A-main showings, 13 top-10 main event finishes and 14 top-15 A-main runs to go along with four heat race victories, 11 dash appearances, one dash victory and one fast qualifier award.

Despite missing nine IRA events primarily due to motor issues, Arenz posted an 11th-place finish in the final 2024 IRA point standings.

“The one word to describe the 2024 season would be ‘frustrating,’” Arenz said. “A lot of things didn’t go as planned. On a positive note, I learned a lot this season and I was able to get more comfortable. Missing a handful of weeks due to the engine failure we experienced is not something I wanted to happen. That’s racing though. It was out of our control.”

At the close of the 2024 season, Arenz was non-committal about the extent of his racing endeavors in 2025 pointing to the need for additional crew help.

Those interested can send a direct message to Travis through the Travis Arenz Motorsports Facebook page.

The 2024 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, Carbliss Hand Crafted Cocktails, Pallet Works, Lake Auto Glass and Service, Roth’s Auto Restoration, Hair Fellers Barbershop, Fastenal of Plymouth, Jensen Sales and Service, Amy Bruechert Reality, Duehring's Tax Service, Everhope Show Cattle, Sonntag Plumbing Inc., Kriete Truck Center and Arenz Auto Detailing.

The 2024 Travis Arenz Motorsports team consisted of pit crew members Jerrod Gamb, Cameron Fritz, Bobby Bonelli, Keith Fellner and Emily Stadler.

Additional information on the Travis Arenz Motorsports team can be found by visiting the team’s Facebook and X (Twitter) pages.

Travis Arenz Motorsports Sponsor Showcase – Don and Lynn Kiel

Don and Lynn Kiel’s first date was attending a race at The Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, Wis. in June 1998 and they have been together ever since, marrying on Feb. 14, 2005. Lynn spent her working career in the banking industry retiring after 39 years in 2017 as an assistant vice-president at a local Manitowoc bank.

Lynn's interest in racing started when she attended the races at the 141 Speedway as a child with her dad, Andy Endries. RIP ANDY!

Don's interest in racing started when he bought Dean Divine's Modified in the early 1970s. Don's driving experience involved Modifieds and Mini Sprints, as well as 360 Sprint Cars at Manitowoc Expo Speedway in 2011 and 2012.

Don spent four years in the United States Air Force, enlisting the night of his graduation party. He was honorably discharged after four years in 1967 as an Airman First Class. Don was a Minuteman Missile electrician serving as team chief his last year and got to take part in the test firing of four Minuteman Missiles at Vandenburg Air Force Base in Lompoc, Calif. Don was based at F. E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyo. for 41 months.

Don started flying in Cheyenne at the age of 19, secured his first flying job three days after his honorable discharge from the U.S. Air Force at age 22 and retired at age 60. He retired as Senior Captain on the 300-passenger Airbus A 330-300 flying to London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam and Frankfurt. He has logged over 30,000 hours of flying time with a lot of stories to tell.

For a glimpse of Don's career, Google Don Kiel Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame. For a view of his favorite aircraft that he owned for four years, check out the Warbird Takeoff by Googling Beech 18 Takeoff Great Radial Engine Sound. Click on the 32-second video. Don and Lynn continue to fly his 1952 Cessna 170B, both on wheels and skis in the winter.

Don loves to say, “It's pretty cool when your vocation and avocation are one and the same!”

“We started out sponsoring Travis Arenz by buying him a set of rear tires five years ago and the rest is history,” Don Kiel said. “Travis is a very talented racer from the tiniest detail to the actual racing. I love to watch Travis feel the track out and then work his magic. I sponsor Travis as I feel he is one of the best!”

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Travis Arenz Motorsports
2024 Final Statistics

Total Events – 19
IRA Events – 18
A Main Victories – 0
Top Five A-Main Finishes – 8
Top 10 A-Main Finishes – 13
Top 15 A-Main Finishes – 14
Top 20 A-Main Finishes – 15
Heat Race Victories – 4
B-Main Victories – 0
Dash Appearances – 11
Dash Victories – 1
Fast Qualifier Awards – 1
Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association Points Finish – 11th

Travis Arenz Motorsports
Career Highlights
2008-2024

Total Career A-Main Victories – 71
Outlaw Compact 4-Cylinder A-Main Victories – 20
IMCA Northern Sport Mod/B Mod A-Main Victories – 20
MSA/PDTR 360 Sprint Car A-Main Victories – 30
IRA 410 Sprint Car A-Main Victories – 1
2013 Plymouth Dirt Track Racing Outlaw Compact 4-Cylinder Champion
2016 141 Speedway Northern Sport Mod Champion
2021 Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car Champion
2021 Midwest Sprint Car Association 360 Sprint Car Champion
2022 Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car Champion
2022 Midwest Sprint Car Association 360 Sprint Car Champion
2023 Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Apple Cup Rookie Award

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