Wisconsin Local Travis Arenz Upsets Kubota High Limit Racing for $26,000 Score in Rayce Rudeen Foundation Race
Story By: BRIAN WALKER / HIGH LIMIT RACING – MARIBEL, WISC. – It was a night that will long live in Wisconsin Sprint Car Racing lore; where were you when Travis Arenz beat the High Rollers?
Earning the biggest win of his life on Thursday night, Sheboygan, WI native Travis Arenz stunned Kubota High Limit Racing and sent a raucous 141 Speedway crowd into pandemonium. For good measure, he even enjoyed a post-race swim after cashing $26,000 in the Rayce Rudeen Foundation Race – easily the richest payday of his career.
Arenz put himself in position to strike by qualifying second and transferring through his Heat Race to make the FK Rod Ends Dash. Rolling out in fifth for the 35-lap Feature, he fell back as far as seventh before taking advantage of a restart and roaring into third on Lap 10, then quickly into second on Lap 11.
“The Badger State” fans were torn as far as who to cheer for as they watched Arenz chase down fellow Wisconsin resident Bill Balog for the early lead. The winning moment came on Lap 15 as Arenz’s #25T rolled right underneath Balog’s #17B, which stayed committed to the outside while Arenz refused to leave the bottom.
Arenz went on to survive several restarts en route to crossing the checkered flag with a 1.028-second margin of victory. He’s the 17th driver to hit Whiskey Myers Victory Lane in Kubota High Limit Racing history, and the eight different driver through 18 races to claim a Casm Safety Products Win Sticker in 2025.
Saying it was “one of the greatest nights of his life” afterwards, Arenz was swarmed by his home state fans throughout victory lane, teching procedures, and the post-race party at his pit.
Following Arenz and his $26,000 check was Tanner Thorson with a $10,000 runner-up effort. The Rod Gross Motorsports #88 team is on a heater with Kubota High Limit Racing, finishing 4th, then 3rd, and now 2nd over their last three shows.
Rounding out the podium was another Wisconsinite in Bill Balog, who led the opening 14 laps aboard his #17B machine. He’ll now prepare for a trio of World of Outlaws events in his home state this weekend.
Closing out the top-10 at 141 was Brent Marks, Scotty Thiel, Daison Pursley, Corey Day, Joel Myers Jr, Kyle Larson, and Aaron Reutzel.
After misfortune for both Brad Sweet and Tyler Courtney on Thursday night, the entire top-five in the Kubota High Limit Racing championship standings are now separated by a jaw-dropping 16-points. It’s the Kasey Kahne Racing #49 ahead of the Rico Abreu Racing #24 (-2 PTS), the Murray-Marks Motorsports #19 (-5 PTS), the Clauson-Marshall Racing #7BC (-8 PTS), and the Ridge & Sons Racing #87 (-16 PTS).
THE ALL-IN NOTEBOOK (6/5/25)
141 Speedway (Maribel, WI)
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps – Kyle Larson (10.832)
Capital Custom Trailers QuickTime – Spencer Bayston (11.182)
TJ Forged Heat One Winner – Tyler Courtney
DMI Heat Two Winner – Bill Balog
BR Motorsports Heat Three Winner – Justin Peck
FK Rod Ends Dash Winner – Bill Balog
Winters Performance B-Main Winner – Kasey Kahne
Jake’s Golf Carts Fastest Lap Award – Bill Balog (11.882)
Rod End Supply Hard Charger – Joel Myers Jr. +16 (24th-8th)
Lap Leaders – Bill Balog 1-14; Travis Arenz 15-35
Kubota A Feature (35 Laps): 1. 25T-Travis Arenz[5]; 2. 88-Tanner Thorson[9]; 3. 17B-Bill Balog[1]; 4. 19-Brent Marks[11]; 5. 51-Scotty Thiel[13]; 6. 13-Daison Pursley[7]; 7. 14BC-Corey Day[14]; 8. 19H-Joel Myers Jr[24]; 9. 57-Kyle Larson[21]; 10. 87-Aaron Reutzel[10]; 11. 14-Spencer Bayston[2]; 12. 9R-Chase Randall[20]; 13. 24-Rico Abreu[23]; 14. 5-Brenham Crouch[22]; 15. 24D-Danny Sams III[15]; 16. 26-Justin Peck[3]; 17. 49-Brad Sweet[17]; 18. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[8]; 19. 16C-Max Guilford[12]; 20. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[4]; 21. 9-Kasey Kahne[19]; 22. 39M-Anthony Macri[16]; 23. 42-Sye Lynch[6]; 24. 17GP-Tim Shaffer[18]
