Travis Arenz captured his first career Bumper to Bumper Auto Value Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series championship at the Wisconsin Sprint Car Championships at The Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, Sept. 26. – Victory Imagery photo
(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) September 29, 2026 – As a highly driven competitor who has piled up race victories and championships in each division he has raced in, Travis Arenz entered the world of Winged 410 Sprint Car racing four years ago with the goal of becoming a Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association champion.
That wish became reality at the ninth annual Wisconsin Sprint Car Championships on Saturday, Sept. 26 as the 35-year-old Sheboygan Falls, Wis. driver secured his first career IRA 410 Sprint Car Series title at the place his racing career started back in 2008 – The Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, Wis.
Entering the season-ending IRA doubleheader championship weekend eight points behind Paul Nienhiser in the chase for the IRA title, Arenz opened strong by qualifying second among the 28 cars on hand in a time of 11.701 seconds at Outagamie Speedway in Seymour, Wis. on Friday, Sept. 25.
Arenz then placed third in the second heat race and fourth in the first dash to secure the seventh starting position in the 30-lap main event. He put together a solid race, moving up to fourth in the middle stages before recording a sixth-place showing.
Arenz’s top-10 finish coupled with Nienhiser’s misfortune at Outagamie gave him a 27-point cushion at the top of the IRA point standings heading into the 2026 IRA season finale at The Plymouth Dirt Track on Saturday, Sept. 26.
The two-time Plymouth Dirt Track Racing and Midwest Sprint Car Association 360 Sprint Car champion pocketed fast qualifier honors in the 31-car field with a quick lap of 11.318 seconds around the 76-year-old third-mile clay oval.
Following a second-place finish in the second heat race, Arenz finished fourth in the first IRA dash to claim the seventh starting position in the 30-lap season-closing A main.
Arenz had an up-and-down race, falling to 13th on lap 17 before rallying to post a ninth-place finish, which proved to be enough to earn his first IRA championship by a 10-point margin over Nienhiser.
“I didn’t want to focus the last two nights of the season on the points standings,” Arenz said. “It was in the back of my mind, but my goal was to execute both nights how I did every night of the season. Focus on being smooth, consistent, and fast. Winning this title has been the goal since the first time I drove a 410. It took four years, but we learned and grew so much as a team.
“The talent throughout the IRA is exceptional, and there are so many factors that need to fall into place each week to come out on top,” he said. “This was by no means an easy feat. I am so proud of myself and my crew, and it’s an honor to bring this title home for our sponsors. Like every season, the motto is ‘smooth and consistent. Winning races helps more with paying the bills; there were times during the season where I didn’t take too many risks because I didn’t want to risk wrecking and having DNFs. Podium finishes were what we worked for each night.”
Arenz’s first IRA 410 Sprint Car title represents the ninth track/series championship of his 18-season career (2013 Plymouth Outlaw Compact 4-Cylinder, 2016 141 Speedway Northern Sport Mod, 2021-2022 Plymouth 360 Sprint Car, 2021-2022 Midwest Sprint Car Association).
“After I was officially named IRA champion, we all kept looking at each other, asking, ‘Now what? What should we do now?’” he said. “I’ll have to figure that out over the off-season.”
The 2026 Travis Arenz Motorsports sponsorship partners include Service One Transportation Inc., Don and Lynn Kiel, Professional Plating Inc., Pfeffer Trucking, Oostburg Concrete, Wittkopf Family Funeral Homes, Carbliss, PalletWorks, Oostburg State Bank, Sonntag Plumbing, Jensen Sales and Service, Fastenal, Roth’s Auto Restoration, Lake Auto Glass, Arenz Auto Detailing, Hair Fellers Barbershop, and Duehring Tax Service.
Additional information about the Travis Arenz Motorsports team can be found on the team’s Facebook and X (Twitter) pages.
Travis Arenz Motorsports Sponsor Showcase – Professional Plating
Located at 705 Northway Drive in Brillion, Wis., Professional Plating Inc. was established in 1979 when Bob and Pat Endries, founders of Endries International, sought a dependable source of plating for the fasteners they supplied to their customers.
In May 1979, the zinc plating operation commenced, with the barrel line serving as Professional Plating’s sole production area. In June 1983, the company expanded its zinc plating capabilities with the purchase of a Cyclemaster rack line.
Plating has grown into one of the largest electroplaters in the Midwest, in addition to a large powder coating operation and an electrocoat facility.
Today, Professional Plating offers a wide range of services, including coating and plating, quality systems, trucking, shipping, and packaging.
In addition, Professional Plating has been a five-time Products Finishing Top Shops Benchmarking Survey Award winner for both plating and powder coating, taking home the prestigious award each year that it has been offered.
For more information on the top-of-the-line services Professional Plating has to offer, call 920-756-2153, email kerry.behnke@proplating.com, or visit https://www.proplating.com.
The 2026 Travis Arenz Motorsports sponsorship partners include Service One Transportation Inc., Don and Lynn Kiel, Professional Plating Inc., Pfeffer Trucking, Oostburg Concrete, Wittkopf Family Funeral Homes, Carbliss, Pallet Works, Oostburg State Bank, Sonntag Plumbing, Jensen Sales and Service, Fastenal, Roth’s Auto Restoration, Lake Auto Glass, Arenz Auto Detailing, Hair Fellers Barbershop, and Duehring Tax Service.
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.
Travis Arenz Motorsports
2026 Final Statistics
Total Events – 26
IRA Events – 21
World of Outlaws Events – 1
Midwest Open Wheel Association Events – 1
Butler Motor Speedway Events – 1
Wilmot Raceway Events – 2
A-Main Victories – 4
Podium Finishes – 8
Top Five A-Main Finishes – 12
Top 10 A-Main Finishes – 20
Top 15 A-Main Finishes – 22
Top 20 A-Main Finishes – 23
Heat Race Victories – 5
B-Main Victories – 0
Dash Appearances – 21
Dash Victories – 4
Fast Qualifier Awards – 3
Travis Arenz Motorsports
Career Highlights
2008-2026
Total Career A-Main Victories – 78
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
High Limit Racing 410 Sprint Car A-Main Victories – 1
IRA 410 Sprint Car A-Main Victories – 5
Wilmot Raceway Open 410 Sprint Car A-main Victories – 2
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
2025 Wilmot Raceway 410 Sprint Car Champion
2026 Wilmot Raceway 410 Sprint Car Champion
2026 Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series Champion
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