Wi Dirt Racin

Photo courtesy of Jerry Zimmer

Fountain City, WI (JUNE 20th, 2014) – MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY opened its gates and welcomed the local racing community in to enjoy a prized packed evening in the grand stands and the best edge-of-the-seat on-track dirt track racing action during “Fastenal Night”. With nearly 1500 fans and friends jammed into the stands, and every single seat in every VIP suite filled – and with other tracks in the area unable to keep up with the heavy rains that had visited the area through the previous days, the pits were likewise jammed to almost over-flowing.

Visiting racers were ready to do battle with the MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY regulars with top money and Fastenal awards on the line!

One of the MTS regulars ready for the challenge was Rushford, MN’s Alex Williamson. After spending the first third of the 2014 mixed in the battles at the front of the pack, Williamson’s #15 had yet to visit Victory Lane to celebrate a Feature win; however, there was an air of optimism throughout the Williamson crew before Friday night’s first green flag.

But with 33 Black Horse Bar & Grill USRA B-Mods in the pits, before any celebrations could be planned, there would be four heat races and a 12-lap last chance B-Main needed to even set the running order for the evening’s 18-lap Fastenal Feature. After visiting Iowa racer Brain Mahlstedt won the opening heat race, Williamson found his first challenge of the evening in the second heat race. Former National Champion Cory Crapser lined up alongside of Williamson in the second row, and proceeded to win the heat – just one finishing position ahead of the young red-headed racer.

Former Feature winner Bobby Fort and defending Track Champion Jacob Bleess collected the third and fourth heat race wins, respectively before the final positions of the 24-car field for the feature in the last-chance qualifier.

Mahlstedt, Crapser and Bleess, along with pole sitter Parker Hale all factored into the early battles for the lead as the feature got under way. But, after six quick laps Hale and Crapser found themselves on the outside looking in, both needing to battle back from the back of the pack after a caution.

All the while, out front of the pack was Williamson’s #15. Initial challenges for the position in the lead first came from Brandon Reutzel, himself enjoying one of the best runs of the year with his Rivercity Manufacturing #44. By lap 13 Mahlstedt grabbed second and began an effort to unseat Williamson as the leader. But despite Mahlstedt’s best efforts, Williamson was not to be denied picking up his first Feature win at MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY in this 2014 season.

Mahlstedt held on for second with Reutzel rounding out the top three.

SCHOTT RETURNS TO VICTORY LANE

2012 MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY Track Champion Lucas Schott has enjoyed a strong 2014 season thus far, and his strong running continued Friday night with another ‘clean sweep’ of the Rivercity Manufacturing USRA Modified program.

After Brain Waits and Joel Alberts claimed victories in the first two heat races, Schott held off the Fastenal supported #59 of Hank Rollinger, Jr. to win the evening’s third heat race. But that heat race win was not a guarantee of an easy feature; the posted line up for the main event of the evening had Schott lining up on the inside of the fourth row of the “FASTENAL 25”. But Schott’s command of his #69 and his mastery of MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY allowed him to attack the competition in the 18-car field and by just three laps into the 25-lap event, Schott had stolen the lead from opening laps leader Jake Timm.

Behind Schott, Brent Larson, who’d come from a ninth place starting spot had to deal with the #24 of Brad Waits from lap 4 all the way until Waits was finally able to sneak past for second place on lap 18. Waits put forth a Herculean effort to real in Schott, but to no avail; Schott claimed the “FASTENAL 25” Feature win with Waits and Larson second and third respectively.

PLANK PRODUCES FEATURE WIN PERFORMANCE

Eau Claire, WI’s Lucas Plank took the lead of the Coordinated Business Systems WISSOTA Super Stock Feature from pole-sitter Dan Nissalke on lap two, and never looked back. But to think that the feature win was uneventful would be incorrect. While Plank enjoyed running out front for 18 laps of the 20-lap feature, Cameron, WI’s Curt Myers had to claw his way through the field from an eighth place starting spot and by lap 8 Myers was up to second.

But there was a large amount of track, almost an entire straight away, separating Plank’s #71 from Myers’ #33, many thought any hopes for a battle for the win would never materialize. Then, on lap 17, the caution flag waived for trouble on the track. The resultant restart repacked the field for a single file restart which sent the field into a green-white-checkered shootout for the victory.

“Before that caution, I’d seen on the scoring tower that Curt was running second”, said Plank after the feature concluded, “So, then when the caution did come out, I knew it was going to be a battle. Curt is such a good driver, I knew that I had my work cut out for me!”

Myers did, indeed, challenge Plank for the lead and eventual win . . . as a matter of fact, when the two crossed the finish line beneath the waiving checkered flag, they were separated by only 0.03 of a second! Myers had to settle for second with two-time and defending MTS Track Champion Tommy Richards in third.

PROVINZINO WINS 600 MOD TOURING SERIES FEATURE

Joe Provinzino has always been fast in the 600 Mod class . . . Friday night he grabbed his second Liquid Nitro 600 Mod Touring Series feature win of the 2014 season. A Touring Series program which is visiting a handful of different tracks throughout the upper Midwest, the 16 race series made it’s second of four stops at MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY Friday night during Fastenal Night.

After joining Chris Gilbertson and Curt Luhmann as a heat race winner, Provinzino dominated the evening’s 18-lap feature, taking the lead from Luhmann on lap 7 and stretching his advantage en route to the $300 feature win. Luhmann remained in second with Casey Indra in third.

RICHARDS, NEWKIRK, LaDUKE, & BRAUER ALL WINNERS

Danny Richards passed former MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY Track Champion Danny Hanson for the lead on lap 2 of the 18-lap Jailhouse Saloon WISSOTA Street Stock feature and held on for the feature win. Richards and Hanson, the two heat race winners, finished first and second ahead of the most recent feature winner Shaun Mann in third.

Austin, MN’s Jason Newkirk grabbed his second Elmer’s Auto Salvage MTS Pure Stock Feature win in as many visits. Newkirk stole the lead from George Richards and raced his way to the win, while Richards fought off challenges from Jeremy Dahl in the battle for second and third.

Matthew LaDuke won the Sunshine Sanitation A Mini-Mod Feature on The LIGHTNING SPEEDWAY while Braden Brauer won the Sunshine Sanitation B Mini-Mod Feature.

Racing resumes next Friday night June 27th with another great night of action at MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY. The first green flag is scheduled to wave at 6 PM with the Sunshine Sanitation Midwest Mini Mods and Outlaw 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, redbox+ 600 Mods, & Elmer’s Auto Salvage MTS Pure Stocks!
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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