Conley Publishing - Special Sections
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Conley Media • April 2018 • RACING INSIDER • 13 By NICHOLAS DETTMANN Conley News Service Jason Shultz saw an opportunity and took advantage of it. Shultz, along with his wife, Sandy, bought the Wisconsin Dirt Late Model Association in December 2016 and renamed it the Dirt Kings Late Model Tour. The 2017 season, the series' inaugural season, was a hit. "It went really good," Jason said. "I would say bet- ter-than-expected response. We had an average 27-car counts, which exceeded our expectations; we built a strong following online for the tour." The racing helped. One race in particular Jason pointed to was a 50-lap feature with no cau- tions at the Plymouth Dirt Track, a one-third mile dirt oval on the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds. "We've got the best driv- ers coming from the Milwaukee metro area and the northern half of Wisconsin," Jason said. "We are really seeing guys invest more in their equipment." Brad Mueller, a four- time dirt late model cham- pion at Plymouth, called the series "The greatest thing to happen to dirt late- model racing in the state of Wisconsin in many, many years. "Hats off to Jason and Sandy Shultz for taking their series to the next level," Mueller said. "Last year's inaugural year was great. I think the lowest car count we had was 22 and the biggest was in the low 40s. I think it will be even more stronger with more races." When asked why he boasted about the series, Mueller said, "Because all we have is a couple local tracks; we have Plymouth and Shawano that run weekly. They are two hours apart and they are also three hours from any other dirt late-model track so it gives us another option other than the weekly grind." There were 12 scheduled races in the inaugural sea- son. Nine were competed with the others canceled because of weather. The champion was Nick Anvelink, who won four features en route to the title. In year two, the schedule calls for 14 races, including one Sept. 8 at Plymouth. The opener was scheduled for April 21 — the Londerville Steel Spring Thaw — at Shawano Speedway. The other tracks are Spring Lake Speedway (Unity), Luxemburg Speedway, 141 Speedway (Francis Creek), Eagle Valley Speedway (Jim Falls), Dodge County Fairgrounds (Beaver Dam), Outagamie Speedway (Sey- mour), Wilmot Raceway and TNT Speedway (Three Lakes). The Plymouth date is one of the three marquee events on the calendar, Jason said, because most of the series' regulars call Plymouth their home track. It's also the third-to- last race of the regular sea- son, making it a key race in the push for the champi- onship. "It's a very important race for us," Jason said. The other two marquee races are The Diamond 40 on June 29 at 141 Speedway in Francis Creek, which $4,000 to the feature win- ner, The Dairyland Duel on Aug. 17 at Wilmot Raceway, which also pays $4,000 to the feature winner. The Dairyland Duel pits the Dirt Kings series against the American Ethanol Late Model Tour, which is based in southern Michigan. "We'll build a grudge match with them," Jason said. "It's going to be a fun event." Jason said the focus of the series, which he believes is why he it has been widely received so quickly, is its marketing efforts, which includes the heavy presence on social media. "We're trying to make our drivers household names," Jason said. "Create a buzz around the guys racing in the series." What also helped, Jason said, is the points fund pro- gram, which can add another couple thousand dollars into a driver's bank account. "I think we're just look- ing to continue to grow, responsible growth, not grow too fast," Jason said. ❑ ❑ ❑ Racing program at Plymouth Racing at the Plymouth Dirt Track, 229 Fairview Drive, Plymouth, is to start April 28 with its traditional five-division weekly pro- gram. The divisions are 360 sprint cars, late models, grand nationals, "B" modi- fieds and 600 micro sprints. The Pits open 3 p.m. each week, except for 2:30 p.m. opening night. The spectator gates open at 4:30 p.m., followed by opening ceremonies at 6 p.m. Dirt Kings Late Model Tour brings stiff competition together PLYMOUTH DIRT TRACK Eamon Bauman/For Conley News Service Luxemburg's Jared Siefert (25), Clintonville's Justin Hirt (27) and Glenbeulah's Tim Buhler battle for position in a Dirt Kings Late Model Tour race last season. BELOW: Random Lake's Brad Mueller (89) and Billy Moyer Sr. of Batesville, Ark., battle for position in a race at Plymouth Dirt Track on the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds. Plymouth Dirt Track ■ Location: 229 Fairview Drive, Plymouth ■ Website: www. plymouthdtr.com ■ Tickets: $12 for adults; students (age 12-15) $5; children 11 and younger (with paying adult) free; chil- dren 11 and younger (with no paying adult) $5; prices vary for specials ■ Race night: Saturdays ■ Contact: 920-893-5751; mail@shebcofair.com ❑ ❑ ❑ 2017 Track champions Grand nationals: Mark Fieber 360 sprint car: Brandon McMullen Late model: Brad Mueller Micro sprints: Preston Ruh B modified: Justin Green "The greatest thing to happen to dirt late-model racing in the state of Wisconsin in many, many years." – Brad Mueller Plymouth track champion in late models