Wi Dirt Racin

Fountain City, WI (May 16th, 2014) – While other tracks were cancelling due to rains and cold temperatures, MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY staff and management once again showed their determination to provide an active destination for racers and fans alike. Sure, the temperatures were a bit chilly, but as opening ceremonies were underway at the beginning of the seven o’clock hour, the skies began clearing and sunshine greeted the racers who rolled onto the track for the evening’s program.

And what a program it was!

29 drivers lined up for the Black Horse Bar & Grill USRA B-Mod Feature with only a couple of cautions to slow the on-track battles. Battles for position completely circled the big 1/3-mile, but all of the attention was riveted upon the front of the field as a pack of no fewer than 10 cars continuously challenged each other for an opportunity to get close to the front. At the front for most of the main event was outside pole sitter Dan Hovden, who continuously held off advances by first heat race winner Bob Fort, fourth heat race winner (and defending Track Champion) Jacob Bleess, two-time former track champion Ben Anderson, and the previous week’s feature winner Jon Van Minsel.

Hovden kept his #16 out front for 16 of the evening’s 18 laps before first Fort, and then Van Minsel stole the top position; Van Minsel leading the most important lap – the last – to claim his second feature win in as many weeks! “The track was smooth and the car was fast up top,” said Van Minsel in the MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY Victory Lane, “that was some great racing by everyone up front and all the way through the field. A very fun feature.”

Hovden had to settle for what must have seemed like a disappointing second place finish, after leading so long, while Fort, Anderson and Bleess completed the top five finishing positions.

DAVIS AND CUMMINS WOW THE CROWD

Brandon Davis is fast, and he wins races. That about sums up every results article covering a race in which Davis and his #50III modified were in the starting lineup; and that’s pretty much the tail of Friday night’s 25-lap Rivercity Manufacturing USRA Modified feature.

While it’s true Davis took the lead from last Friday night’s feature winner Lance Hofer on lap three and quickly distanced himself from the rest of the 19-car field, another driver was also turning heads threw the entire feature. As Davis lead lap after lap, the #71 of New Richland, WI’s Jason Cummins was putting on a driver’s clinic for the field and the fans.

On the pace lap, Cummins lined up inside of the NINTH ROW! And combined with his last place finish in the evening’s third USRA Modified heat race, many thought that perhaps this just wasn’t going to be the night for Cummins to shine; but shine he did – like the brightest meteor blazing across the night sky at unmatched speeds.

By lap 2 Cummins was up to 12th.

Lap 4, 10th.

Lap 5, 9th.

Lap 7, 8th.

Lap 10, 6th.

Lap 13, 5th.

Lap 15, 4th.

Lap 16, 3rd.

Lap 17, 2nd.

And over the final 8 laps, Cummins was visually reeling in the leader, Davis. Nobody will ever know if 5 more laps would have changed the outcome of the finishing order . . . but by the way the #71 was closing in on the #50III, many might agree that perhaps it might have.

While no one will ever celebrate a second place finish more than a feature win, Cummins and his crew are sure to be smiling with the run he made through the pack. But it was Davis who got the face time and photos in the MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY Victory Lane. A strong performance rewarded with not 1, but 2 bonuses; Davis collected the $100 “Wehrs Winner’s Bonus” given the USRA Modified feature winner every Friday night through the 2014 season, and then was surprised with a second $100 bonus which was handed to him as a wad of 1’s, 5’s, 10’s, & 20’s which was collected by friends and family of the late Blake Hauser who had been memorialized earlier in the evening during opening ceremonies.

“A win like this is great”, said Davis in Victory Lane, “Thank you to Wehrs Machine for their bonus and also a special thank you very much to those fans, friends and family members who pulled this extra bonus money together in memory of their friend.”

Just behind Cummins was Brad Waits completing the top three.

BRAUER BREAKS INTO VICTORY LANE

For the first time this season, former MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY Track Champion Jeff Brauer was able to enjoy a visit to Victory Lane after a dominant run in the Coordinated Business Systems WISSOTA Super Stock feature. While second heat race winner (and defending Track Champion) Tommy Richards, Jason Forehand, Jon Duffy, and Ben Hanke battled fiercely for second, Brauer stretched out a commanding lead which was never to be challenged.

Richards and Forehand eventually broke free of the battle for position to finish second and third respectively, while Duffy and Hanke completed the top-5.

SCHWEBACH WOWS ‘EM WITH STREET STOCK WIN

A five car battle for the front of the Jailhouse Saloon WISSOTA Street Stock feature running order was wild and wooly with a ‘Take No Prisoners’ flare that had the crowd Ooohing, Ahhhing and Wowing through the entire 15 lap main.

More than a few taps were traded, as Danny Hanson, Shaun Mann, and Danny Richards battled with Nick Schwebach and Fred Prudoehl to find racing room at the front of the field before the checkered flag waived.

When it did, it was Schwebach by just a bit more than half a second over Hanson, followed by Richards, Mann and Prudoehl.

BORNITZ AND NEWKIRK ALSO WINNERS

Mark Bornitz won the inaugural visit to MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY by the Midwest Poker League Flyers, which marked the return of four-cylinder “Hornet” racing to MTS with their first of four visits, while Jason Newkirk bested the 12-car Elmer’s Auto Salvage MTS Pure Stock main event.

LADUKE AND BRAUER ARE MINI-MOD WINNERS ON THE LIGHTNING SPEEDWAY

Matthew La Duke and Braden Brauer were winners during the season opening event for the Sunshine Sanitation A & B Mini Mods on the 1/10-mile Lightning Speedway. La Duke held off Jett Sorenson to win the first A Mini Mod feature of the year while Brauer battled from mid-pack to win the 9-car B Mini Mod feature!

Racing resumes next Friday night May 23rd with Severson Sinclair night at MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY. The first green flag is scheduled to wave at 6 PM with 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 – highlighted by the first appearance at MTS by the all new Liquid Nitro 600 Mod Touring Series!
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.
– – – – – – – – – – – –
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

Comments

comments