Wi Dirt Racin

Fountain City, WI (May 9th, 2014) – Again this season, MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY was graced with the presence of a pack of visiting drivers as other tracks in the area couldn’t handle all the moisture Mother Nature poured down on the area. The MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY track crew worked all week to stay ahead of the forces of nature, and aside from the extreme low line which held waters through the mid-week rains and couldn’t quite handle the pounding from the competitors cars, the rest of the track laid in extremely well and allowed the drivers three distinct grooves from which to choose as they were battling their competitors.

On an evening when the Rivercity Manufacturing USRA Modified division had more than 20 championships represented by the drivers on track, it was the Coordinated Business Systems WISSOTA Supers Stocks division that had everyone talking.

Compliments of an ingeniously designed “Roll Forward” Bonus program, the 23 Super Stock drivers were battling for $700 worth of bonus money from Coordinated Business Systems and Brauer Roofing, Inc. $400 of which was for the evening’s feature winner, $200 for the second place finisher, and $100 for the driver completing the top-3.

Needless to say, the field was strong and the on-track action was exciting.

As the green flag waived to send the 23-car field battling into turn one, first row starters Gary Wiersgalla and Tommy Richards (amongst whom three MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY Track Championships are represented) started a battle which would last the entire 20-lap feature. For the first five laps, that battle was for the lead, for the last nine laps, that battle was for second; because on lap 11, Cameron, WI racer Curt Myers threw his name into the fray.

Along with Wiersgalla, Richards and Myers, Ben Hanke’s #B0H made it a fun four-car battle for the top spot while other notables such as Jason Forehand, Shane Sabraski, opening night two-time feature winner Tim Johnson, and third heat-race winner Bart Steffen worked the field just behind the lead pack.

But it was Myers who combined his smooth driving skills with the equally smooth racing surface in order to master the field and claim the $400 bonus money which was tacked onto the regular winner’s payout.

Richards and Hanke completed the top three collecting $200 and $100 respectively of the bonus money.

HOFER FINALLY VISITS VICTORY LANE

With his last name and racing pedigree, race fans knew it was only a matter of time until Cochrane, WI’s Lance Hofer visited MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY’s Victory Lane! With a father and two uncles who were so dominant when they were behind the wheel, everybody knew that much of that talent would also be present in this second generation driver.

He’s been close before, but Lance had not yet visited Victory Lane with his #11 USRA Modified at his home track of MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY. Well that all changed Friday night as he left some huge competition behind him in dominant fashion and raced, practically unchallenged, to that first feature win.

With former MTS track champions Josh Angst, Lucas Schott & John Doelle as well as 9-time USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock behind him, I’m sure Hofer would understand if some race fans expected the outcome to be a little different. But Hofer proved that he has the car and the ability to turn the tables on those former champs, or any other challengers who are ready for the battle.

True, he started from the pole position, but the simple results print out does not do justice to Lance’s feature win run. He battled fellow front-row starter, and former MTS Feature winner, Jeremy Houle early for the lead and then left Joel Alberts very fast looking #4A behind easily through restarts to claim the feature win, which also contained a $100 bonus in the form of the all new “Wehrs’ Winner’s Bonus” which was implemented for the first time for the entire 2014 season this past Friday night.

“I was kind of nervous, but I was up front and wanted to stay up there,” offered a near speechless Hofer in Victory Lane, “I saw so many things coming at me, I just tried to keep going. I’m pretty happy; I don’t know what to say.”

Alberts held off two former track champions, in the form of Angst and Schott, respectively, for second.

MORE THAN LUCK PUTS VAN MINSEL IN VICTORY LANE

Jon Van Minsel’s nickname is “Lucky” . . . but, it was more than luck that put him into Victory Lane Friday Night in the Black Horse Bar & Grill USRA B-Mod Feature. A strong car and his driving skills combined to help him work from his third row starting spot to the front of the field.

While young standout Alex Williamson ran his familiar low line with amazing quickness, Van Minsel let it all hang out in the ultra high groove to work around both Williamson and pole-sitter Brandon Reutzel to grab the lead on lap 13. Opening night feature winner, and defending MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY Track Champion Jacob Bleess, followed Van Minsel to the front from his fourth row starting spot, but ran out of laps to mount a challenge for the win – finishing second ahead of Williamson.

CISEWSKI ON A TWO-WIN STREAK

Opening Night redbox+ 600 Mod Feature winner Bob Cisewski put the rest of the field on notice Friday night by picking up his second feature win in a row, coming all the way from a 13th place starting spot to win the main event. Similar to Van Minsel, Cisewski used the extreme high groove to literally run his Ace Auto #40 around the competition on the way to the feature win.

Defending Track Champions Don Werner and Greg Wohletz finished second and third.

The 600 Mods take next week off at MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY as those drivers will be attending the first event of the all new Liquid Nitro Energy Drink 600 Mod Touring Series event at the Fayette County Speedway in West Union, IA. Visit www.XcelChassisWest.com for details.

RICHARDS FAMILY WINNERS IN STREETS AND PURES

Danny Richards and George Richards both put the Richards Family into the MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY Victory Lane Friday night with Danny behind the wheel of his #3R Jailhouse Saloon WISSOTA Street Stock and George behind the wheel of his #5R Elmer’s Auto Salvage MTS Pure Stock.

Racing resumes next Friday night May 16th with another evening of exciting regular season entertainment. The first green flag is scheduled to wave at 6 PM with the first appearance of the Sunshine Sanitation Midwest Mini Mods on the 1/10 mile “Lightning Speedway” which is located within the infield of MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY. Action on “The Big 1/3 Mile” starts immediately following the 7 PM Opening Ceremonies with on-track competition provided by Rivercity Manufacturing USRA Modifieds, Coordinated Business Systems WISSOTA Super Stocks, Black Horse Bar & Grill USRA B-Mods, Jailhouse Saloon WISSOTA Street Stocks, Elmer’s Auto Salvage MTS Pure Stocks and the first of four appearances by the Midwest Poker League Four-Cylinder Flyers.
Pit gate & Grandstands Open at 5:00 PM
Family Friendly General Admission Prices continue at: Adults $12, Senior Citizens $10, College Students 23 & under (with current Valid Student ID) and Children 17 & Under are admitted ABSOLUTELY FREE!
MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY is located 3.0 miles north of Fountain City on Wisconsin Highway 35. For more information, call 608-687-3282 or visit www.MississippiThunder.com on the World Wide Web.
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MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY is presenting its 6th season of top-notch dirt track action in Fountain City, WI. The high-banked 1/3 mile dark-clay oval is quickly becoming known as one of the best speedways in the upper Midwest presenting dirt track racing in a fan and family friendly atmosphere every Friday night throughout the racing season.
For all details, continue visiting the MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY web site: www.MississippiThunder.com

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