2024 Awards Banquet
FOUNTAIN CITY (July 2) – An outstanding crowd, fabulous weather, and hungry drivers provided a wild show on Thursday, July 2nd to set off the holiday weekend at Mississippi Thunder Speedway. The Dart WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series’ first point race event got into full swing after its first events were rained out. Twenty-nine drivers checked in for their first adventure at the new speedway. Steve Laursen, Brent Larson, and Don Copp topped their heats in the WISSOTA Late Models while Adam Hensel won the B-Main and Jake Redetzke notched the Debbie’s Dash win. Non-stop WISSOTA Street Stock action saw an end to a winning streak while the WISSOTA Super Stocks had drama; lots of drama.
Shaun Mann sat on the pole for the WISSOTA Street Stock main event inside Lee Hager, but it was Danny Richards who charged to the lead at the drop of the green flag. Mann and Hager raced for second place while Kevin Hager found the outside groove to his liking to move into the top five behind Donny Ganz. Richards seemed to pull away early on which left the pieces for the others to sort out. Danny Hanson quickly made a charge for fifth place as he raced side by side with Kevin Hager. Ganz dove low under Lee Hager to take over third place. Richards maintained the lead while Mann held his spot in second. By this time Hanson had moved into third ahead of Ganz. The Hager brothers flew side by side of each other for fifth place, and it was Kevin Hager to take the spot. Kevin Hager worked to steal away fourth from Ganz, but Ganz kept a clamp on the spot. Mann slipped into the marbles which allowed Ganz and Hager up to a three-car battle for third place with Mann. By this ! time, Dan Bork had made his way toward the top five while Lee Hager tried to hold him off. Richards stretched his lead followed by Hanson. Kevin Hager shot under Mann in turn four for fourth place behind Ganz. As the cars began to spread out, Mann and Bork battled for fifth place which occupied them enough to allow Kevin Hager to concentrate on Ganz ahead. Hanson gained momentum on Richards with three laps to go, and Hanson closed in to a two-car length deficit. Hanson did not have enough laps and would have to settle for runner-up. Richards appeared to have evicted the gremlins who had settled into his car in the weeks prior to break Hanson’s winning streak. Hanson, Ganz, Kevin Hager, and Bork sealed the top five.
Gary Wiersgalla shot to the lead over Kevin Hager in the WISSOTA Super Stock feature as Tommy Richards followed close in third. Troy Langowski’s night ended prematurely when he dropped off the pace and ducked into the infield. Richards took over first from Wiersgalla as first-timer at the track this year Dave Mass got under Hager in turn one for third. Bob Fort moved fast and under Hager for fourth place and Darrel Hazelton and Hager charged side by side for fifth place, but it was Hazelton who claimed the spot. Richards continued his lead over Wiersgalla, Mass, Fort, and Hazelton. Mass began to gain on Wiersgalla’s second place spot and moved in to side by side racing when a caution emerged for a spun car. Richards sat atop the field on the restart, but Wiersgalla and Mass were right behind him. Fort poured himself between Mass and Wiersgalla, but Mass was able to take second place and set out to take the lead from Richards. Fort and Wiersgalla raced close for third! while Hazelton and Dan Nissalke made contact while working for fifth place. A big caution slowed the field when Nissalke’s machine got sideways out of turn four which resulted in a stack up of cars including Dennis Earney, Hager, Jon Duffy, and Tim Williamson. Nissalke headed off the track and the whole “cautions breed cautions” set in. First it was a spin by Wiersgalla in which Richards was tagged on the caution, and then it was the big event of the night. On a restart with six laps to go, Fort got into Mass which stacked up a bunch of cars forcing some to resign for the night. Fort was black flagged for his addition to the night’s crumpled metal but refused to leave the track. Discussions with him led the tow trucks to try to hook him up, but he tore off and tried to get back in line. As Fort got back to the front stretch, the race director and other officials talked with him while a tow truck backed up and hooked him up. At the same time, officials lined the rem! aining cars up in a barricade just past the track exit. Fort’s car wa s let off the hook as he exited the track showing his displeasure. Mass then led the restart over Wiersgalla, Hazelton, Brian Fetting, and Duffy. With two laps to go, Fetting suffered a flat tire which sent him bolting across the front stretch as he made contact with Duffy and Wiersgalla. Wiersgalla got a flat from the incident and retired for the night. A green-white-checkered finish was in order, and it was Mass who topped the drama-filled feature. Hazelton finished a strong second followed by Richards, Duffy, and Hager.
Twenty-nine WISSOTA Late Models lit up the track with a four-wide salute before their forty-lap feature on their way to a $2,000 paycheck. Three-wide through turn one on the first lap ended in cars piled up in turn two. A complete restart was in order, and Keith Foss took the point followed by Chad Mahder, Jake Redetzke, and Lance Matthees. Matthees shot under Redetzke for third, but Redetzke shot right back. Brent Larson moved into fifth at the time Foss got himself crossed up in turn two. While Foss recovered without incident, Mahder assumed the lead and Foss dropped back into the mix in sixth place. Matthees and Redetzke tore side by side as they raced for second place. Mahder then began his weave through lap traffic. A big caution with 27 laps to go occurred when the lapped car of Joe Ludemann spun in turn one. The spin unfortunately caught third place runner Redetzke and the lapped car of Nick Kramer. After the three cars were extracted from each other and the! wall, a very tight and fast restart set up the final stretch with no more cautions. Mahder wheeled his ride out front ahead of Matthees, Larson, and then Foss as he regained a top five spot. Mahder bolted away from the field, but Matthees gained momentum. Larson held off the advances of Foss for third place. A close call for Mahder happened when a lapped car nearly lost it on the front stretch as Mahder was passing, but Mahder made the pass and was on his way. Matthees began to weave through lap traffic and Larson and Foss raced very close for third place. Don Copp had moved into fifth place and gained ground on Larson and Foss. With nine laps to go, Mahder dropped off the pace without warning and headed to the infield which handed the lead to Matthees. Matthees had a big lead over Larson and Foss who continued to battle for what now became second place. Copp had settled into a comfortable fourth place ahead of Cory Mahder. With two laps to go, Foss charged insid! e of Larson for second place, but Larson kept a handle on the spot. I t was Matthees who would take home the $2,000 win in the first event of the Dart WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series event. Larson was able to hold off Foss for second place, and Copp finished fourth followed by Cory Mahder.
Matthew Schliesman topped the B Mini Mods in the first night in a two-night special for the Midwest Mini-Mods Summer Nationals hosted by Redbox+. Schliesman led Alex Stevens, Dylan Buckland, and Alexis Schott on the green. Rachel LaDuke three-wheeled her car around turn four to complete the first lap. Buckland looked to the outside of Stevens for a try at second place, but Stevens was able to pull away. Schliesman quickly moved into lap traffic when Stevens got a bit too high out of turn two which sent him over the edge. Stevens was able to keep his car straight and popped back up on the track but was down a lap. LaDuke snuck around Schott into third place as Schliesman stretched his lead over Buckland. Matt Stevens had a late-race surge and climbed into fifth place behind Schott. Schliesman capped the field with another win. Buckland had to settle for second ahead of LaDuke, Schott, and Jackson Hale.
A Mini Mod feature racing saw Lucas Schott and Mike Stevens take the field into the first lap, but a caution in turn four reset the group. Schott manned the lead while Alex Williamson dove inside Stevens for second. Charlie McNally took fourth place, and Cody Gardner worked on taking McNally’s spot. Schott extended his lead over Williamson while Stevens, McNally, and Gardner all vied for third. McNally came out on top as he began to track down Schott and Williamson. Williamson began to close in fast on Schott’s terrain while Sydney Alberts looked in on the top five. Schott continued to widen his lead over Williamson and McNally, but Williamson again gained steam to close in on Schott. The laps wound down and Schott nearly was taken by Williamson in the last corner. Schott was able to hold off Williamson for the win. McNally, Gardner, and Stevens finished out the top five.
Friday, July 3rd will be the final night for the Midwest Mini-Mod Summer Nationals as the night will be capped off with a fireworks display. All regular classes will be on hand for the event.
WISSOTA Street Stock Feature – Danny Richards, Danny Hanson, Donny Ganz, Kevin Hager, Dan Bork, Fred Prudoehl, Shaun Mann, Lee Hager, Darryl Foegen, Jimmy Patzner, Andy Hoch, Rick Lisowski, Lonnie Klonecki Heat 1 – Richards, Hoch, Mann, L. Hager, Lisowski, Klonecki, Patzner Heat 2 – Hanson, Bork, K. Hager, Ganz, Prudoehl, Foegen
WISSOTA Super Stock Feature –
Dave Mass, Jon Duffy, Darrel Hazelton, Tommy Richards, Kevin Hager, Tim Williamson, Jeff Brauer, Michael Hofer, Scott Rollinger, Brian Fetting, Gary Wiersgalla, Dennis Earney, Dan Nissalke, Troy Langowski, Bob Fort, Phil Kendrick Heat 1 – Fort, Langowski, Richards, Fetting, Williamson, Earney, Hofer, Kendrick Heat 2 – Mass, Wiersgalla, Hazelton, Hager, Nissalke, Duffy, Brauer, Rollinger
WISSOTA Late Model Feature –
Lance Matthees, Brent Larson, Keith Foss, Don Copp, Cory Mahder, Eric Pember, Steve Laursen, Adam Hensel, Kelly Anderson, Jesse Redetzke, Justin Ritche, Joel Cryderman, Chris Oertel, Todd Gehl, Jake Hartung, Jordan Yaggy, Todd Frank, Dustin Reeh, Chad Mahder, Jake Redetzke, Nick Kramer, Joe Ludemann, Justin Sass, Doug Herrick, Kevin Kuehn Debbie’s Dash – Jake Redetzke, Matthees, Foss, Chad Mahder, Larson, Copp, Laursen, Herrick B-Main – Hensel, Gehl, Cryderman, Kramer, Frank, Reeh, Dennis Hilson, Bob Slater, Troy Brand, Ludemann, Rick Groth Heat 1 – Laursen, Anderson, Hartung, Matthees, Sass, Hensel, Kuehn, Kramer, Ludemann, Brand Heat 2 – Larson, Jake Redetzke, Jesse Redetzke, Cory Mahder, Chad Mahder, Gehl, Jordan Yaggy, Frank, Reeh, Groth Heat 3 – Copp, Pember, Herrick, Foss, Oertel, Cryderman, Ritche, Slater, Hillson
A Mini Mods Feature –
Lucas Schott, Alex Williamson, Charlie McNally, Cody Gardner, Mike Stevens, Sydney Alberts, Parker Hale, Mac Alberts, Gary Kellner, Jerome Kellner, Jake Timm, Don Werner, Brandon Reutzel
B Mini Mods Feature –
Mathew Schliesman, Dylan Buckland, Rachel LaDuke, Alexis Schott, Jackson Hale, Matt Stevens, Alex Stevens, Matthew LaDuke, Tanner Brown
Saturday, February 22, 2025
2024 Awards Banquet
