RICHARDS FAMILY RACERS SWEEP WISSOTA EVENTS AT MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY
Fountain City, WI (May 30th, 2014) – Another beautiful clear blue skied Friday night welcomed racers and race fans alike to MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY to enjoy the excitement of the dirt-track battles as well as the fun of one of the longest running racing promotions in the area. Winona Radio’s presentation of KG / Bud Night has been a staple of the local racing scene in West Central Wisconsin for over 24 years, and as they have in the past, on-air personalities and staff at Winona Radio and supporters from Budweiser were eager to flood the grandstands with gifts, prizes and merchandise as a way to say thank you to the fans for turning out for another night of fun at the Fountain City, WI speedway.
“Man, I’m so excited,” said Winona Radios KG 95.3 FM morning personality Gabe Glidden early in the evening’s program, “I’ve been looking forward to and talking about this for a couple weeks or more and what we’re seeing on the track tonight is awesome and exciting!”
Glidden’s comments were nothing short of prophetic, as the evening’s features were, indeed, “awesome and exciting” and kept the fans guessing and cheering until the final checkered flag was waived!
While the Richards’ racing stable had the two WISSOTA classes covered, it was two time and defending Track Champion Josh Angst who put together a run at the front of the pack to insure a visit to Victory Lane. But Angst’s run at the front was not without worry.
With laps remaining in the KG / Bud Night 25 before the checkered flag would wave, a caution bunched up the field for a restart, erasing the lead that Angst had established over his competitors, including the #69 of Lucas Schott. As the field prepared for the restart what caught the attention of fans was that second place starter Schott had given up his outside groove and opted to restart on the inside of the first two-by-two row behind Angst’s #99.
“I chose the bottom to see if I could find a way around Angst,” explained the 2012 MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY Track Champion after the race was over; unfortunately for Schott, that bottom groove did not work well for him, as he backslid to a fourth place finish. Behind second heat race winner Brad Waits (third) and the #4A of Joel Alberts (second).
Angst stayed in the top groove and powered away from the competition to claim the KG / Bud 25 Feature win, “I had to go to the top, and it gave me an advantage,” said Angst, before reflecting on the competition for the feature win. “There are a lot of guys who can win on any given night, and it was good to (be) up front.”
RICHARDS SWEEP WISSOTA CHECKERS
Tommy and Danny Richards swept the WISSOTA portion of the evening’s program, winning both their heat races and features in their respective WISSOTA divisions. Danny Richards worked past multi-time former track champion Danny Hanson to win the evening’s Jailhouse Saloon WISSOTA Street Stock feature with first time MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY visitor Tyler Wahlstrom completing the top three across the line.
In the Coordinated Business Systems WISSOTA Super Stock ranks two-time and defending MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY Track Champion Tommy Richards survived a battle of attrition to win the 20-lap feature. Spoiling the efforts, along the way, of long-time area Super Stock racers John Duffy and Kevin Hager who ran first and second through the first half of the feature. Duffy enjoyed a great battle with Richards over several laps before the #7R finally cemented the pass for position and then went to work on Hager’s lead.
Duffy eventually moved his green #47 to second while Hager settled in for a third place finish.
FORT FIRST IN B-MODS
Bob Fort caught some off guard with his win at the end of the Black Horse Bar & Grill USRA B-Mod feature. Fort has been near the front in almost every B-Mod feature this season, Friday was his chance to taste victory, followed across the line by defending Track Champion Jacob Bleess, who battled his way to second after starting inside the sixth row of the strong 23-car field.
WERNER WINS ANOTHER
After winning the inaugural Liquid Nitro 600 Mod Touring Series event the previous week, Don Werner stormed back for another visit to Victory Lane by winning the regular weekly redbox+ 600 Mod feature. Curt Luhmann made a strong charge after battling Chris Eide for second but couldn’t quit catch Werner’s #99.
HAGER, BRAUER, WILLIAMSON ALSO COLLECT WINS
Lee Hager stepped out of line on a restart and passed Elmer’s Auto Salvage MTS Pure Stock feature leader, and heat race winner, Eric Duellman for the lead, and eventual win. While Hager celebrated the feature victory, Duellman celebrated with him, “I said earlier tonight, that Lee is going to win soon.”
Devin Williamson jumped from the interior of his Sunshine Sanitation A Mini Mod and celebrated a feature win on “The Lightning Speedway”, but rather than focus the spotlight on himself, he used him time in front of the microphone and crowd to wish a happy birthday to a family friend!
Braden Bruaer picked up another feature win in the Sunshine Sanitation B Mini Mod feature.
Racing resumes next Friday night June 6th 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, Midwest Poker League Flyers (Hornets), & 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 visitwww.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