By Jeff Pederson
Pedal Down Promotions
(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) August 13, 2021 – Keeping pace in a fleet and stacked field of 360 Sprint Cars on a weekly basis is no small task, but sixth-year driver Will Gerrits of Waupun has certainly been up to the challenge during the 2021 Plymouth Dirt Track Racing season at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis.
With six nights remaining in the 2021 PDTR 360 Sprint Car campaign, Gerrits sits a solid eighth in the point standings with one A-main victory on July 10 to his credit to go along with five top-five and eight top-10 A-main finishes in 14 events in the ultra-competitive 360 Sprint Car division, which has seen seven different drivers visit victory lane this season.
In addition, Gerrits’ Brabant-Gerrits Racing teammate Tyler Brabant of Waupun stands 18th in the PDTR 360 Sprint Car point standings with one top-five and one top-10 A-main finishes to his credit.
A major highlight for the Brabant-Gerrits Racing team came on June 19 when Gerrits and Brabant each tallied top-five A-main showings in the PDTR 360 Sprint Car main event with Gerrits coming home second and Brabant following just behind in fifth.
“It has been so far so good for us this season,” Gerrits said. “Both cars on our team have had some success and we are very happy with getting that double top-five A-main finish a month ago and the win a couple weeks back.
“From here on out, we are looking to keep adding more top-five and top 10s to our tally and place decently in the standings come the end of the year,” he said.
Gerrits, who operates his own business called Amramp, which builds wheelchair ramps and other accessibility solutions aimed to assist individuals with mobility needs, was introduced to the sport of racing through the involvement of several family members.
“My great grandpa and my grandpa raced back in the day, so racing has always been in my family,” Gerrits said. “I remember lazy Sundays with my dad watching NASCAR races on the couch as a kid as well, so I have always been interested in the sport.”
Gerrits initially learned how to go fast during the cold Wisconsin winters 15 years ago and his dedication to the sport has grown significantly since then.
“I started racing in 2006 racing snowmobiles on ice with the WKKR series as a young kid with my brother Jake,” Gerrits said. “We did that for two years, I believe, before we moved to Dirt Go Karts and started racing with what is now our current team.
“They were all homemade Go Karts that raced right next to the Oshkosh Speed Zone,” he said. “We did that for a long time and I moved up to their Advanced Sprint division there, which was basically the same Go Kart, but it had some bodywork on it that made it look kind of like a Sprint Car with a slightly bigger engine. In 2012, myself, my brother and Tyler Brabant moved to the new Jr. Sprint division at the Beaver Dam Raceways Go Kart track before ultimately moving to race Micro Sprints with Badger a year later. After three years racing Micro Sprints with Badger, at the end of 2015 we got a Sprint Car to race with the MSA and we have been racing with them ever since.”
Gerrits points to a few major accomplishments behind the wheel of a Micro Sprint and a 360 Sprint Car as his career highlights so far.
“My career highlights are winning a Badger Micro Sprint championship and winning three MSA 360 Sprint Car feature races so far,” Gerrits said. “All of those moments have been surreal. I never thought as a kid racing Go Karts that I would achieve those.”
Outside of the trophies, checkered flags and prize money, Gerrits says he cherishes the personal connections he has formed through racing.
“The relationships are the best,” Gerrits said. “I have met some awesome people over the years and meet new people every year I do this. The competition aspect is also something that keeps us coming back.”
While it is clear that Gerrits has developed into one of the top competitors in the PDTR 360 Sprint Car ranks, he admits that he is not one to put a lot of extra statistical pressure on himself to perform.
“I have never really set any goals,” Gerrits said. “I guess I should say that I am always trying to get better, but I do not put any number goals out there in terms of performance.”
Looking to the future, Gerrits plans to stick with the MSA 360 Sprint Car division for some time to come.
“For future racing plans, our team is content with the MSA as we like the competition of all the cars here, with a healthy car count as well,” Gerrits said.
Gerrits is quick to thank those that have worked hard to keep his No. 21 and Brabant’s No. 99 car on the track each week.
“I would like to thank my pit crew first and foremost, Lloyd, Dusty, Tracy, Nick, John, Tommy, Mason, Keith, T.J., Jake, Pete and of course my teammate Tyler,” Gerrits said. “They all do an awesome job.”
The 2021 sponsors for the Brabant-Gerrits Racing Team are Ditto – Build a More Intentional Relationship, Axel Racing, NAPA-MPEC, A. Glewen & Sons Excavating, Anything and Everything Home Maintenance, Amramp, I Know a Guy, NorthStar Asset Management, The Rock Golf Course, Rock River Eyewear, Edward Jones, Box3 Media and Riggs Marine.
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Plymouth Dirt Track Racing will again hit the third-mile clay oval at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. this Saturday, Aug. 14 with competition in the 360 Sprint Car, Late Model, Grand National and B Mod divisions.
JDL Automotive and Detailing is the evening’s trophy sponsor.
Grandstand gates open at 4:30 p.m. with hot laps at 5:30 p.m. and racing at 6 p.m.
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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