By Jeff Pederson
Pedal Down Promotions
(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) July 24, 2020 – While fielding one of the few completely self-funded teams in the pit area each week at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis, PDTR 360 Sprint Car driver Scott Conger of Eagle has learned how to compete with a smaller budget than most of his fellow drivers.
Now in his 23rd season behind the wheel of a 360 Sprint Car, Conger is enjoying a resurgence during the 2020 season, which has included a total of three top-10 A main finishes in Plymouth Dirt Track Racing and Midwest Sprint Car Association competition, as well as a strong fifth-place showing in last week’s 25-lap PDTR A main.
Conger currently stands eighth in the PDTR 360 Sprint Car point standings through the first three races of the 2020 season and 11th in the MSA point standings after six events.
After enduring several seasons of struggling to qualify and compete in A mains on a consistent basis, Conger credits a back-to-basics approach for his 2020 renaissance.
“What has contributed to some of the success this year is believe it or not, taking a step back and relearning how to drive.” Conger said. “Also, I think everyone has gone through something where they get a little lost with their setups. With the help of my cousin, Danny Schlafer, we’ve gotten back to a setup we can work off of.
“In addition, I’ve put on the cheapest shocks I have and left the expensive ones hanging in the trailer,” he said. ‘I am basically starting from scratch this year. So far, so good.”
Conger credits another long-time Sprint Car competitor with fueling his passion for racing, which began on two wheels in the late 1980s.
“I would have to say that having an uncle, Al Schlafer, that raced is what got me interested in racing,” Conger said. “I started racing motocross in 1987 and ended that in 1995 with some fairly good success, winning the 1992 Lake Geneva Friday night stadium motocross series. In 1997, I tried my hand at Mini Sprint racing, which lasted for only seven races. Then I started racing 360 Sprint Cars in 1998.”
As one of the more experienced drivers in the PDTR 360 Sprint Car field, Conger continues to be driven to score an elusive A-main victory before he hangs up his helmet.
“To answer the ever-embarrassing question, no, I have not won an A main…yet!” Conger said. “That may be one thing that keeps bringing me back. So, my career highlight will have to fall somewhere else. The years of 2013 and 2014 were probably the best years we’ve ever had in 360 Sprint Cars. We were fourth in MSA points in 2013, fifth in MSA points in 2014 and third in the 360 Sprint Car division at Manitowoc Speedway in 2014.”
Conger says the relationships he has formed through racing are what he cherishes most about heading to the track each week.
“The thing I most enjoy about racing are the guys I get to race with and the people I’ve gotten to meet, as well as all the fans,” Conger said.
Conger is also quick to acknowledge the efforts of his hard-working pit crew, who go the extra mile in keeping his small, independent team on track.
“The real thanks go to my nephew Mike Demont for all his help every week,” Conger said. “He’s just been with us for a few years, but he learns more and more each week. Most of all, I couldn’t do any of this without my crew chief Todd Koch. He’s been with me for over 10 years and is a huge part of why we’re getting back on track and putting together some solid results so far this year.”
Unlike most of his fellow competitors in the PDTR 360 Sprint Car division, Conger does not have a laundry list of sponsors to thank for helping to get him to get his car on the track each week.
“As far as sponsors go, unfortunately after the passing of Hagar Nelson, who became a great friend and was the most generous man you will ever meet, not just to me but all of us racers, we are a completely self-funded team,” Conger said. “That at times has made it difficult to keep up with having new parts and tires as much as we would like.”
Looking ahead to the stretch run of the 2020 season, Conger is eager to carry on his recent string of success.
“The goals for the remainder of the season are to get back to being comfortable in the car and striving to keep up with the best Sprint Car drivers around” Conger said.
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This Saturday, July 25 will feature all four regular Plymouth Dirt Track Racing divisions – 360 Sprint Cars, Late Models, Grand Nationals and B Mods at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis.
Grandstand gates open at 4:30 p.m. with hot laps at 5:30 p.m. and racing at 6 p.m.
Hopf Farms is the trophy sponsor for the evening.
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The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds is located at 229 Fairview Drive in Plymouth, Wis. For more information, visit www.plymouthdtr.com or check out Plymouth Dirt Track Racing on Facebook.
Pedal Down Promotions is a full-service public relations and media services company devoted to helping clients effectively communicate with targeted audiences through a diverse array of promotional strategies and methods, including 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.pedaldownpromotions.com or call 920-323-7970.
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