2024 Awards Banquet
By Tracy Hager FOUNTAIN CITY (October 9) –
The pits were overflowing on an extremely cold night to start off the first annual Mississippi Thunder Speedway Fall Festival. Five heats for both the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds and the USRA Modifieds resulted in two B-Mains for each of the classes. The WISSOTA Street Stocks had a good turnout with 33 cars forcing a single B-Main for the class. But first a moment of silence was offered for the loss of local veteran racer Marv Fenske. Fenske passed away of cancer, and two sons, Karl and Derrick, followed in his racing footsteps. USRA Modified driver Lance Hofer was also acknowledged as the Winona Radio Driver of the Week for the September 4th Pit Stop Challenge Event.
Twenty-five WISSOTA Super Stocks registered through the draw booth with a National Championship to be determined. Dave Mass held a three-point lead over Don Shaw going into the event, but Shaw was not able to cash in on the night he needed. Mass locked in the championship in convincing fashion with a clean sweep on the night.
Matt Leer immediately took charge of the WISSOTA Midwest Modified feature over Kyle Jumbeck and Andy Jones. Three and four-wide racing ensued during the first few laps as Leer held the point. Jumbeck then made a move on Leer for the lead while Jones followed through to second place. Leer fought back and ran with Jones when cars tangled on the backstretch which pulled the first of many cautions. Jumbeck led on the restart as Leer and Jones continued to dart back and forth for second. Jumbeck pulled out ahead, and Jones settled into second. Leer then had to contend with Dustin Strand for third place while Shane Sabraski chased them down. With nine laps to go, Jumbeck dropped off the pace while still leading which handed the point to Jones. Another caution for a multi-car pile-up in turn four set the bunch back in line with Jones out front followed by Strand, Sabraski, Jake Smith, and Kyle Johnson. Jones kept his momentum although he fiercely was being pursued by Stran! d. Sabraski was able to make the pass into third when Strand scooted low on Jones to take over the lead. Jones kept at Strand on the high side as he attempted to take the lead back. Johnson fought for fourth place with Smith when Brandon Davis appeared in fifth place with four laps to go. The final caution reset the field when Johnson went spinning in turn one and ended with a broken driveshaft stuck in the track. Davis was charged with the incident which ended his great run to the top. Strand was able to keep the rest of the field behind him in the final few laps to grab the win. Jones finished a strong runner-up followed by Sabraski, Smith, and Ryan Olson.
Hurley, Wisconsin’s John Kallas and Brainerd, Minnesota’s Tim Johnson manned the front line in the WISSOTA Street Stock ahead of Devin Neske and Jay Kesan. A beautiful start had Kallas and Johnson run side by side for the first lap as Neske ran strong in third. Kesan and Kevin Hager raced for fourth and fifth places when Neske made a considerable charge on Johnson for second. Kallas held the lead, but Neske looked in on the spot once he made his way around Johnson. Donny Ganz careened through the pack into fifth place behind Kesan, but Danny Hanson was on the move in sixth place. By lap ten, drivers began to fall into place, but a caution for debris slowed the field down for a restart. Kallas led the bunch as he was being run down by Johnson and Neske. A tight restart made it a three-way fight for the lead when Kesan also joined in. A caution then flew over the field for a self-spin by Anthony Zvorak. But as the caution flew, some drivers slowed down and some did no! t. Chaos erupted on the front stretch when Chanda Fjorden Nord and Jared Linder spun in turn one which collected Danny Richards. Dave Smith then drove into the cars as well which ended his night. With seven laps to go, Johnson assumed the lead, and Kallas tried to slingshot to the lead. Kallas could not make the pass, and Neske then dove into second place ahead of Kallas. Hanson gained considerable ground on the top four cars as the laps wound down. Neske was all over Johnson when a caution for a spin produced a green-white-checkered shootout. Neske was able to make the pass count to take the lead while Hanson zipped into second ahead of Johnson. Neske celebrated the win followed by Hanson, Johnson, Kallas, and Ganz.
Dave Mass and Don Eischens set the pace for the WISSOTA Super Stock feature, but a caution and complete restart were in store for the bunch. Mass took the lead, but Eischens remained a constant threat. John Yilek, Andy Grymala, and Dan Nissalke raced for spots three, four, and five when a big caution literally erupted on the front stretch after Les Duellman got into Jon Duffy which sent Duffy hard into the wall resulting in a fire. As Duffy attempted to exit his burning car, the emergency crew put out the flames ultimately ending Duffy’s night. Mass again hit the lead spot as Eischens and Yilek fought back and forth for second place. And so the race went; caution, Mass leads, Eischens and Yilek race side by side for second place. Repeat, and repeat again. After the sixth caution, a single-file restart was ordered. Lap after lap, Mass and Eischens raced side by side a distance ahead of the field. Eischens took the lead, but Mass then shot under Eischens and back into! the lead. Jeff Brauer silently pursued the leaders and then challenged Yilek for third with two laps to go. Mass had then pulled to a comfortable lead over Eischens. Mass definitely earned his win after all of the cautions as well as his National Championship. Eischens notched second place followed by Brauer, Yilek, and Nissalke.
USRA Modified feature action started with Kevin Viebrock and Kerry Ledebuhr out front, but Robby Bunkelman took the lead by the end of lap one. Josh Angst made some powerful moves to quickly contend for second place with Viebrock. Bob Timm raced into third ahead of Viebrock when a caution for a pile-up in turn one began the train of cautions for the class. Bunkelman set the pace on the restart as Angst and Timm charged side by side for second. Joey Jensen continued his pursuit of the leaders as Dan Bohr jetted into fifth place. Bohr was being fiercely hunted down by Keith Tourville as laps were finally strung together for some uninterrupted racing. Bunkelman put some distance on Angst as did Angst on Timm. Jensen and Bohr flip-flopped high lines for low grooves as they sorted out fourth place. Doug Hillson began to creep up on Tourville as well as Craig Scott to make it a three-way battle for sixth place. As more cautions reset the field, Bunkelman continued his hol! d on the lead spot. Angst and Timm kept the excitement going as they kept the game on for second place. Bohr moved into fourth place, but Jensen took it back. With six laps to go, the fifth caution reeled Bunkelman back in to the pack. With the last release of the cars, Bunkelman shot to the lead and never looked back. Timm finally made it past Angst into second place as the checkered waved across the field. Jensen and Scott completed the top five.
WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature –
Dustin Strand, Andy Jones, Shane Sabraski, Jake Smith, Ryan Olson, Mark Gerth, AJ Roschen, Jared Happel, Jared Loos, Michael Truscott, Erik Kanz, Don Schaefer, Chris Creeley, Brandon Davis, Mickey Nosser, Kyle Johnson, Eric Herbison, Kyle Jumbeck, Matt Leer, Darran Jonsgaard, Chris Gilbertson, Jason Schill, Tim Johnson, Joe Horgdal B-Main 1 – Herbison, Kanz, Beau Lammer, Justin Supri, Dalton Yohnk, Tyler Limoges, Barry Johnson, Curt Luhmann, Nick Donahue, David Swearingen, Grant Southworth, Shane Halopka, Shaun Walksi B-Main 2 – Truscott, Jonsgaard, Wayne Dean, Leigh Volkman, Jake Frion, Mike Gibson, John Sharpnack, Wayne Bignell, Josh Appel, Jesse Glenz, Josh Crary, Tyler Creeley, Brian Strand Heat 1 – D. Strand, Jones, Schill, C. Creeley, Swearingen, T. Creeley, Herbison, Halopka, Frion, Gibson Heat 2 – Roschen, Johnson, Happel, Horgdal, Glenz, Lammer, Appel, Donahue, Yohnk Heat 3 – Leer, Gerth, Davis, Nosser, Southworth, Dean, B. Strand, Volkman, Crary Hea! t 4 – Sabraski, Jumbeck, Olson, Gilbertson, Truscott, Kanz, Supri, Limoges, Luhmann Heat 5 – Smith, K. Johnson, Loos, Schaefer, B. Johnson, JOnsgaard, Bignell, Sharpnack, Walski
WISSOTA Street Stock Feature –
Devin Neske, Danny Hanson, Tim Johnson, John Kallas, Donny Ganz, Anthony Zvorak, Christina Wollak, Jimmy Patzner, Jeff Klopstein, Shaun Mann, Rick Lisowski, Sam Fankhauser, Lee Hager, Darryl Foegen, Kevin Hager, Maria Wollak, Toby Jahnke, Fred Prudoehl, Jay Kesan, Danny Richards, Chanda Fjorden Nord, Justin Pogones, Jared Linder B-Main – Mann, Richards, Fankhauser, Foegen, Dave Smith, Tyler Peterson, Tyler Wahlstrom, Lonnie Klonecki, Josh Flury, Cory Hanson, Lee Jonsgaard, Jason Barber, Kim Korstad Heat 1 – D. Hanson, Fjorden Nord, Prudoehl, Klopstein, M. Wollak, Mann, Klonecki, Korstad, Fankhauser Heat 2 – Neske, Pogones, K. Hager, Jahnke, L. Hager, Wahlstrom, Smith, Barber Heat 3 – Linder, Johnson, Kallas, Zvorak, Patzner, C. Hanson, Peterson, Foegen Heat 4 – Ganz, Kesan, C. Wollak, Lisowski, Jon Duffy, Jonsgaard, Flury, Richards
WISSOTA Super Stock Feature –
Dave Mass, Don Eischens, Jeff Brauer, John Yilek, Dan Nissalke, Shane Kisling, Jason Schill, Andy Grymala, Troy Langowski, Bob Fort, Gary Wiersgalla, Michael Hofer, Tim Johnson, Les Duellman, Tommy Richards, John Feirn, Kevin Hager, Tim Williamson, Bruce Lutz, Don Shaw, Scott Rollinger, Aaron Wilson, Steve Speltz, Greg Mattick, Jon Duffy Heat 1 – Duellman, Richards, Schill, Yilek, Duffy, Hager, Williamson, Lutz, Wilson Heat 2 – Langowski, Kisling, Brauer, Nissalke, Johnson, Fort, Speltz, Rollinger Heat 3 – Mass, Eischens, Wiersgalla, Grymala, Shaw, Hofer, Feirn, Mattick
USRA Modifieds Feature –
Robby Bunkelman, Bob Timm, Josh Angst, Joey Jensen, Craig Scott, Ben Mattick, Dan Bohr, Keith Tourville, Doug Hilson, Adam Stockhausen, Andy Bohnstengel, Shane Sabraski, Lance Hofer, John Doelle, Kevin Viebrock, Josh Mattick, Greg Jensen, Gary Doelle, Kerry Ledebuhr, Steve Wetzstein, Jason Cummins, Hank Rollinger Jr., Tyler Clark, Dustin Nelson B-Main 1 – B. Mattick, Stockhausen, Jim King, Leroy Scharkey, Steve Lavasseur, Chet Ragan, Les Jonsgaard, Bryan Hessler, Brian Shaw, Jeremy Jonsgaard, Phil Wernert B-Main 2 – Clark, Hofer, Les Duellman, Don Eischens, Tom Brink, Kent Baxter, Kevin Roigers, Don Paddock, Jeff Rollinger, Brian Albrecht, Todd Scharkey Heat 1 – Bunkelman, Angst, J. Mattick, Bohnstengel, B. Mattick, Clark, Duellman, Roigers, Albrecht Heat 2 – Wetzstein, Cummins, Tourville, H. Rollinger, Hofer, L. Scharkey, Lavassuer, King, L. Jonsgaard Heat 3 – Jensen, Hillson, Nelson, Jensen, Stockhausen, Eischens, Brink, Paddock Heat 4 – Timm, Sabraski, Boh! r, Scott, Baxter, Shaw, Hessler, Wernert Heat 5 – Viebrock, Ledebuhr, J. Doelle, G. Doelle, Ragan, T. Scharkey, J. Jonsgaard, J. Rollinger
A Mini Mods Feature –
Lucas Schott, Alex Williamson, Parker Hale, Jake Timm, Jerome Kellner, Gary Kellner, Mike Stevens, Charlie McNally, Rachel LaDuke Heat – Schott, Hale, Williamson, J. Kellner, McNally, G. Kellner, Timm, Stevens, LaDuke
B Mini Mods Feature –
Alexis Schott, Dylan Buckland, Mathew Schliesman, Alex Stevens, Matt Stevens, Ryan Wetzstein, Jackson Hale, Nicholas Wagner Heat – A. Stevens, Buckland, A. Schott, Schliesman, Wetzstein, M. Stevens, Wagner, Hale
600 Mini Mods Feature –
Dave Fruechte, Charlie McNally, Don Werner, Brett LaDuke, Joe Jasnoch, Matt Wolfe, Bill Baures, Jeff Matejka Heat – McNally, Werner, Fruechte, Wolfe, Jasnoch, LaDuke, Matejka, Baures
Saturday, February 22, 2025
2024 Awards Banquet
