(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) February 6, 2020 – Coming off one of the most successful seasons of his 14-year racing career while splitting time between the 360 and 410 Sprint Car ranks in 2019, Josh Walter is set to up the ante in a big way during the upcoming 2020 campaign.
For his 15th season of competition, Walter has unveiled a highly ambitious 2020 schedule, which will see his Torque Racing team venture to storied 410 Sprint Car racing venues in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Iowa, while mixing in 11 events at familiar tracks near his Plymouth, Wis. home.
Walter will kick off his 2020 season with a Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association event at Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam, Wis. on Saturday, April 18 before traveling to Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa for weekly competition on Saturday, April 25, which could potentially serve as a tune up for the team’s tentatively planned return to Winged 410 Sprint Car racing’s biggest event – the Knoxville Nationals Aug. 12-15.
In addition to two possible trips to the Knoxville Raceway, Walter will make his first-ever appearance at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio with the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9.
The Torque Racing team is also planning to make its debut with the famed Pennsylvania Posse, during weekly events at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa. on Friday, June 5 and Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, Pa. on Saturday, June 6.
“Our schedule for the 2020 season is based off my bucket list,” Walter said. “I don’t know how much longer my racing career will continue, so we’re going to as many high-profile tracks and events as possible that I’ve dreamt about competing at.”
Staying true to its Wisconsin roots, Walter and Torque Racing will appear in a total of nine Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association-sanctioned events, including a co-sanctioned event with the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions at the Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, Wis. on Saturday, May 30. Walter will also compete with the IRA at his hometown Plymouth track on Saturday, Aug. 1, Saturday, Sept. 5 and Saturday, Sept. 26.
The team’s remaining IRA schedule includes three events at 141 Speedway in Francis Creek, Wis. on Sunday, May 24, Sunday, July 5 and Sunday, Sept. 6, along with a tentatively planned event at Outagamie Speedway in Seymour, Wis. on Friday, May 1.
Other high-profile events on the Torque Racing team’s 2020 schedule include NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Sprint Cars Series events at Beaver Dam Raceway on Saturday, June 20 and at Wilmot Raceway in Wilmot, Wis. on Saturday, July 11.
“We are hoping to have a lot of fun this year going to some big races out of the area, while also competing at some of the local and area tracks that we enjoy,” Walter said. “The Knoxville Nationals is something we would like to do, but it is highly tentative at this point. The IRA race at Outagamie Speedway is also very tentative.
“The rest of our schedule is also subject to change based on how things go during the season,” he said. “The best way to keep up with schedule changes is to follow the Torque Racing Facebook page and the Josh Walter Twitter page.”
After originally intending to run the complete Midwest Sprint Car Association 360 Sprint Car schedule in 2019, Walter ended up splitting his time between the MSA 360 division and the Bumper to Bumper IRA 410 Sprint Car Series last year.
Walter notched a pair of A-main victories, four top-five and seven top-10 A-main finishes to go along with three heat race victories and one B-main triumph in 14 MSA 360 Sprint Car events.
In late July, Walter and the Torque Racing team turned their attention to the IRA 410 Sprint Car ranks, making six 410 starts during the second half of the 2019 campaign with one top-10 A-main showing and one heat race victory to the team’s credit.
“In our preparation for the 2020 season, we’ve made some car updates and upgraded the car with some new components,” Walter said. “We are aiming to be competitive in the events we have on our schedule.”
Before the team hits the track in 2020, it will stage its annual preseason brat fry fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 29 starting at 10 a.m. at Plymouth Tap, located at 101 East Mill St. in Plymouth.
“Our 2020 car will be on display and we will have all-day raffles and walk-around raffles too,” Walter said. “We will be serving brats, burgers and beverages all day as well. Torque Racing and Plymouth Tap will also be hosting our second annual Bar Olympics on that day. It was a great time last year and it should be a lot of fun again this year.”
The Bar Olympics competition, which runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., will feature two-person teams in a round-robin format, including four pool games, four 501 dart games, four corn hole games, four foosball games and one team bye per round. The Bar Olympics competition will be limited to 17 teams with 100-percent payout. The first-place team receives $300, second place gets $150 and third place will earn $60.
Teams can sign up in advance for the Bar Olympics at Plymouth Tap now through 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 29. The entry fee is $30 per two-person team.
Walter is currently seeking additional sponsors to help support the team during the upcoming 2020 campaign.
‘We are always looking to expand our racing family and if anyone is interested in being part of the Torque Racing team, they can contact me directly by email at sprint.racer12w@gmail.com,” Walter said. “We can set up an appointment to meet. I prefer to make our partnerships as personal as possible.
“We are still working on clinching some returning sponsors, as well as talking with some new ones for the 2020 season,” he said.
Torque Racing sponsors for the 2019 season included JDV Lawncare, Brittany's School of Dance, Sheboygan by Owner, Plymouth Tap, Doug's Quality Beef, Tiffany's Wildtree, Cow Pies, Full Throttle Ink, Lakehouse Bar & Grill, Home Transitions, Oostburg Concrete, Kombucha Brothers, Platinum Restoration Services, Ruh Custom Woodworking, RC Custom Design and Pedal Down Promotions.
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For more information on Pedal Down Promotions, email pedaldownpromotions@gmail.com, visit www.pedaldownpromo.com or call 920-323-7970.
2020 Josh Walter-Torque Racing Schedule
Saturday, April 18 – Beaver Dam Raceway, Beaver Dam, Wis. (IRA)
Saturday, April 25 – Knoxville Raceway, Knoxville, Iowa (weekly)
Friday, May 1 – Outagamie Speedway, Seymour, Wis. (IRA-TENTATIVE)
Friday, May 8 – Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, Ohio (World of Outlaws)
Saturday, May 9 – Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, Ohio (World of Outlaws)
Sunday, May 24 – 141 Speedway, Francis Creek, Wis. (IRA)
Saturday, May 30 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis. (All Stars/IRA)
Friday, June 5 – Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, Pa. (weekly)
Saturday, June 6 – Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, Pa. (weekly)
Saturday, June 20 – Beaver Dam Raceway, Beaver Dam, Wis. (World of Outlaws)
Sunday, July 5 – 141 Speedway, Francis Creek, Wis. (IRA)
Saturday, July 11 – Wilmot Raceway, Wilmot, Wis. (World of Outlaws)
Saturday, Aug. 1 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis. (IRA)
Wednesday, Aug. 12 or Thursday, Aug. 13 – Knoxville Raceway, Knoxville, IA (Knoxville Nationals-TENTATIVE)
Friday, Aug. 14 – Knoxville Raceway, Knoxville, IA (Knoxville Nationals-TENTATIVE)
Saturday, Aug. 15 – Knoxville Raceway, Knoxville, IA (Knoxville Nationals-TENTATIVE)
Saturday, Sept. 5 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis. (IRA)
Sunday, Sept. 6 – 141 Speedway, Francis Creek, Wis. (IRA)
Saturday, Sept. 26 – Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, Wis. (IRA)
2019 Josh Walter-Torque Racing By The Numbers
Total Events – 21
MSA events – 14
IRA events – 7
A-Main Victories – 2
B-Main Victories – 1
Top Five A-Main Finishes – 4
Top 10 A-Main Finishes – 8
Heat Race Victories – 4