May 27, 2023 – Four-time Midwest Sprint Car Association champion Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh made it two for two as he backed up his 2022 Wilmot Raceway main event victory with a triumph the 25-lap in Akright Auto MSA 360 Sprint Car Series A main presented by Adonnis Waterproofing and Foundation Repair on Saturday, May 27 in Wilmot, Wis.
Shortly after the drop of the green flag in the MSA main event, 2005 MSA champion Lance Fassbender of Burnett used his outside front row starting spot to vault past polesitter Katelyn Krebsbach of Cascade into the lead in turn two of the opening circuit.
With Fassbender showing the way and Krebsbach settling into second, the leaders caught the rear of the 23-car A-main field on lap 5. Four laps later, Brandon McMullen, who started eighth, moved in to challenge Krebsbach for second in heavy lapped traffic.
After a spirited duel with Krebsbach in a sea of slower cars over the next four laps, McMullen finally secured the runner-up spot on lap 13. McMullen then charged in to pressure Fassbender for the top spot on lap 15 just before the lone caution flag of the race appeared on lap 16 after Chris Larson of Franksville embarked on a 360 spin in turn four.
When the race resumed, McMullen used the inside lane to get a big run on Fassbender and pull off what proved to be the winning move in turn two on lap 17. Once out front, the two-time Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car champ began to distance himself from Fassbender and the rest of the field.
McMullen went on to notch his second consecutive MSA A-main victory at Wilmot Raceway, second 360 Sprint car main event victory of the 2023 season and 40th career MSA A-main triumph. In addition to capturing the A-main win, McMullen pulled off a clean sweep of the MSA program by winning his heat race and claiming overall 360 Sprint Car fast qualifier honors.
Robbie Pribnow of Lomira charged from the 10th starting position to secure a strong second place finish in his first start of the 2023 season, Fassbender placed third, Krebsbach wound up fourth and 2011 MSA champion Ben Schmidt of Plymouth placed fifth after starting ninth.
“It was quite interesting racing with Lance [Fassbender], Katelyn [Krebsbach] through all those lapped cars,” McMullen said in victory lane. “It got tight a few times and I almost drove off the track in turn two running up high. It had to be a fun race to watch. I have to thank Wilmot Raceway for having us here tonight. Also, thanks goes to the track crew for giving us a great track and to the fans for coming out and supporting us tonight.”
MSA 10-lap heat race victories went to Robbie Pribnow, Ben Schmidt and Brandon McMullen.
Brandon McMullen turned in the fastest MSA 360 Sprint Car qualifying lap of the night with a time of 14.113 seconds on the three-eighths mile semi-banked clay oval.
The fourth Akright Auto MSA 360 Sprint Car Series racing event of the 2023 campaign drew a field of 23 entrants to Wilmot Raceway, which served as the home track of the Midwest Sprint Car Association during the 2004 season.
The MSA 360 Sprint Car Series will return to action with a tripleheader weekend of action kicking off this Friday, June 2 at the Dodge County Fairgrounds Speedway in Beaver Dam, Wis. for the first annual Gib Wiser Classic, which will also include a Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions – Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car challenge event.
Pit gates open at 3 p.m., spectator gates are set to open at 5 p.m. with warm ups at 6 p.m. and hot laps, qualifying and racing to follow with opening ceremonies slated for 7:30 p.m.
On Saturday, June 3, the MSA 360 Sprint Car teams will head to The Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, Wis. to run in support of another Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions – Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car challenge race, featuring the $26,000-to-win Rayce Rudeen Foundation event.
Pit gates open at 2 p.m., followed by spectator gates at 4:30 p.m. with hot laps at 5:30 p.m. and qualifying and racing to follow.
The MSA tripleheader weekend closes on Sunday, June 4 with the series’ first of two scheduled 2023 appearances at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wis., which will also include the Badger Midgets and Wisconsin WingLESS Sprint Cars.
Spectator gates open at 4 p.m. with open ceremonies at 6 p.m.
For more information on the 2023 Midwest Sprint Car Association season, visit www.msasprints.com or check out the Midwest Sprint Car Association Facebook page.
Akright Auto Midwest Sprint Car Association
Wilmot Raceway
Wilmot, Wis.
May 27, 2023
A Main (25 Laps): 1. 98-Brandon McMullen [8]; 2. 20R-Robbie Pribnow [10]; 3. 7-Lance Fassbender [2]; 4. 08-Katelyn Krebsbach [1]; 5. 35-Ben Schmidt [9]; 6. 11-Tony Wondra [4]; 7. 6K-Kurt Davis [7]; 8. 2-Chris Clayton [6]; 9. 4-Alex Pokorski [14]; 10. 66-Nick Daywalt [13]; 11. 85J-Logan Julien [3]; 12. 69S-TJ Smith [20]; 13. 63K-Kevin Karnitz [11]; 14. 69-Bill Taylor [23]; 15. 15-Dan Wade [12]; 16. 54G-Scott Grissom [19]; 17. 41-Dennis Spitz [17]; 18. 53A-Spyder Akright [16]; 19. 51-Chris Larson [5]; 20. 92-Kevin Seidler [15]; 21. 7D-Josh Davidson [18]; 22. 55S-Ryan Sawusch [22]; 23. (DNF) 21H-TJ Haddy [21]
Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 20R-Robbie Pribnow [4]; 2. 51-Chris Larson [1]; 3. 08-Katelyn Krebsbach [2]; 4. 66-Nick Daywalt [3]; 5. 15-Dan Wade [6]; 6. 53A-Spyder Akright [5]; 7. 7D-Josh Davidson [7]; 8. 55S-Ryan Sawusch [8]
Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 35-Ben Schmidt [4]; 2. 11-Tony Wondra [1]; 3. 7-Lance Fassbender [3]; 4. 2-Chris Clayton [7]; 5. 54G-Scott Grissom [2]; 6. 41-Dennis Spitz [5]; 7. 69S-TJ Smith [6]; 8. 21H-TJ Haddy [8]
Heat 3 (10 Laps): 1. 98-Brandon McMullen [4]; 2. 6K-Kurt Davis [3]; 3. 63K-Kevin Karnitz [2]; 4. 85J-Logan Julien [6]; 5. 4-Alex Pokorski [5]; 6. 92-Kevin Seidler [7]; 7. 69-Bill Taylor [1]
Qualifying 1: 1. 20R-Robbie Pribnow, 14.130; 2. 66-Nick Daywalt, 14.280; 3. 08-Katelyn Krebsbach, 14.809; 4. 51-Chris Larson, 14.884; 5. 53A-Spyder Akright, 14.892; 6. 15-Dan Wade, 14.924; 7. 7D-Josh Davidson, 15.490; 8. 55S-Ryan Sawusch, 19.004
Qualifying 2: 1. 35-Ben Schmidt, 14.227; 2. 7-Lance Fassbender, 14.310; 3. 54G-Scott Grissom, 14.322; 4. 11-Tony Wondra, 14.347; 5. 41-Dennis Spitz, 14.712; 6. 69S-TJ Smith, 14.740; 7. 2-Chris Clayton, 14.745; 8. 21H-TJ Haddy, 15.332
Qualifying 3: 1. 98-Brandon McMullen, 14.113; 2. 6K-Kurt Davis, 14.288; 3. 63K-Kevin Karnitz, 14.341; 4. 69-Bill Taylor, 14.408; 5. 4-Alex Pokorski, 14.495; 6. 85J-Logan Julien, 14.519; 7. 92-Kevin Seidler, 14.705