FRIDAY NIGHT SPEED (and attrition) AT MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY

May 21, 2010

By Tracy Hager
FOUNTAIN CITY, WI (May 21, 2010) – For the second week in a row, racing occurred at Mississippi Thunder Speedway; that was a big feat this season. What had started out as an unfavorable forecast turned into a very favorable night at the speedway for some but much less than desirable for many.

Attrition was definitely the big word as nearly 20 cars across all classes DNF’d their night. Gary Wiersgalla made it through the WISSOTA Super Stock marathon which eliminated over half of the cars in multiple melees to win his second feature in as many nights for the class. Troy Langowski motored through the USRA B-Mod main event to win his first feature of the year. Danny Hanson collected his second feature of the season in the WISSOTA Street Stocks while last week’s winner Donny Ganz was crowned the Driver of the Week.

Wiersgalla Wins Wild One

The Winona Auto Sales WISSOTA Super Stocks started with a field of 15. On the initial start, a caution flew right away when Brett Dulas lost a spring down the front stretch. A restart sent Tim Williamson and Jon Duffy on a charge for the lead when several cars clumped together out of turn two that resulted in a caution for a downed tire on Josh Rodewald’s machine.

A second restart surfaced, and Williamson got the jump to take the lead early on. Duffy and Kevin Glander ran side by side for second place followed by the fierce #4 of Dennis Earney and Michael Hofer. Duffy, Glander, and Williamson ran three-wide for the lead, but Williamson slipped a bit high and dropped to fifth. That allowed Gary Wiersgalla into third place ahead of Duffy.

Earney and Glander ran side by side for the lead followed by Wiersgalla and Duffy when a lapped car with a flat bunched several on the back stretch. Williamson was a victim when he got caught up and his left front was run over eliminating him from competition. Glander assumed the lead on the restart followed very closely by Earney, Wiersgalla, Duffy, and Hofer.

Wiersgalla moved into side-by-side racing with Earney while Duffy and Hofer did the same for fourth place. Jeff Brauer, Kevin Hager, and Brian Fetting followed the bunch in sixth, seventh, and eighth places.

Just after the half-way of the race, Wiersgalla shot under Glander for the lead at the exit of turn four. Earney shot between Wiersgalla and Glander; Earney and Glander locked so hard that a wheel was ripped off and laid in the middle of the front stretch. The two appeared to be welded together as they came to a stop at the wall entering turn one. Both drivers were physically uninjured.

With nine laps to go, Wiersgalla assumed the pole followed by Duffy, Hofer, Brauer, and Fetting. Brauer gained strength and shot to third over Hofer as Hager whipped past Fetting for fifth. Wiersgalla continued to hold the lead followed by Duffy and Brauer as Hager struggled to overtake Hofer for fourth. Wiersgalla overcame the trials and tribulations of the WISSOTA Super Stocks to gain his second win in as many nights. Duffy, Brauer, Hofer, and Hager rounded out the top five.

Ihrke Grabs First 2010 Feature At MTS

Jay Ihrke used his outside pole start to lead right away in the Rivercity Manufacturing USRA Modified feature. Andy Bohnstengel raced hard in second as he was pursued by Adam Stockhausen, Josh Angst, and Dan Bohr. Angst moved into third over Stockhausen while Bohr slowly crept up behind Stockhausen. Chris Gilbertson moved into sixth place after starting ninth.

With 15 laps to go, John Doelle went into a flip in turn one. The red flag was waved and Robby Bunkelman was charged with the incident. Ihrke resumed his lead spot when the race went back to green. Angst, Bohnstengel, Stockhausen, and Gilbertson charged up behind Ihrke. Gilbertson flew into fourth which left Stockhausen to fend off Hank Rollinger and Bohr. Angst closed in on Ihrke as they entered lap traffic.

With seven laps to go, the cars spread out, but a final caution slowed the pack for Steve Lavassuer’s breakdown in turn four. With a five-lap shoot out, Ihrke was able to hold Angst back and secure his first win at the speedway this year. Bohnstengel, Gilbertson, and Stockhausen grabbed impressive top five finishes as well as they placed third, fourth, and fifth respectively.

Hanson Handles The Competition

Jailhouse Saloon WISSOTA Street Stock action took off with three-wide racing down the front stretch between pole sitter Dave Smith, Shaun Mann, and Dan Bork. Mann took the point out of turn one while Fred Prudoehl charged into second ahead of Smith. More three-wide racing through turn four resulted in Danny Hanson’s run to fourth place. Mann continued a strong lead followed by Prudoehl as Bork shot into third ahead of Hanson.

The first caution flew when Kevin Hager took a spin in turn four which reset the field. Mann remained in front followed by Prudoehl, Bork, Hanson, and Donny Ganz. Bork, Ganz, and Hanson raced in a tight cluster just behind Mann as Danny Richards crept into fifth place.

Hanson gained control of second place over the cluster of cars when the second caution flew for Michael Knudtson’s spin in turn one. With seven laps to go, Hanson shot low to race side by side with Mann. Lap after lap, the two continued their side by side cat and mouse game. Bork and Richards engaged in their own side by side battle for third while Ganz held Prudoehl off for fifth.

Hanson finally made the move on Mann with one lap to go to take the lead and the win. Mann proved his strength by finishing second ahead of Richards, Bork, and Ganz.

Langowski Back In Victory Lane

Jake Timm and Brian Schrage graced the front line in the EngineStore.com USRA B-Mod feature. The green flagged waved and Timm shot to the lead as he exited turn one. Troy Langowski moved from fourth to second in his race-long pursuit of Timm. Schrage and Chad Kosidowski followed Langowski while Ben Anderson shot to the top five fast. Kosidowski put up a fight for third but Scrage managed to hold on.Langowski looked in on the lead of Timm several times but nestled back into second. Schrage fought off Anderson after Anderson picked off Kosidowski for third.

The lead pack of Timm, Langowski, Schrage, Anderson, Kosidowki, and Brandon Hare separated from the rest of the field. Langowski finally made the pass on Timm but a caution slowed the field when Schrage and Anderson locked together in what appeared to be a failed attempt at leapfrog.

With eight laps remaining, Langowski led the restart followed by Timm, Kosidowski, Hare, and Ed Appel. Kosidowski worked hard on Timm for second, but Timm managed to keep his composure and stay in second. Another caution and another restart proved idyllic for Timm when he nearly pulled off the track and ended his second place run. Timm got back up to race speed when another caution flew which gave him his restart spot back behind Langowski.

With only seven of the 12 cars left, Langowski earned his feature win through all of the turmoil to head to victory lane. Timm finished a very strong second followed by Anderson, Hare, and Kosidowki.

Matejka, Wagner & Williamson Flag-to-flag winners

Jeff Matejka led flag to flag in the Oakridge Fabrication 600 Mini Mods. Nicholas Wagner did the same in the Junior Midwest Mini Mods as did Alex Williamson in the Senior Midwest Mini Mods.

The next event will be Friday, May 28 with all regular classes including WISSOTA Late Models, the Jailhouse Saloon WISSOTA Street Stocks, the Winona Auto Sales WISSOTA Super Stocks, TheEngineStore.com USRA B-Mods, River City Manufacturing USRA Modifieds, Oakridge Fabrications 600 Mini Mods, and the RedBox+ A and B Midwest Mini Mods. Racing begins at 6 p.m. for the Mini Mods and 7 p.m. for all other classes.

Coming up on Friday, June 4 will be the return of the Baehman Law B-Mod Challenge in a $1000-to-win event for the class. Read all about it in this recent MississippiThunder.com article.

May 21st RESULTS

River City Manufacturing USRA Modifieds

Feature - Jay Ihrke, Josh Angst, Andy Bohnstengel, Chris Gilbertson, Adam Stockhausen, Hank Rollinger Jr., Leroy Scharkey, Dan Bohr, Paul Hamernik, Phil Wernert, Robby Bunkelman, Randy Jonsgaard, Bryan Hessler, Steve Lavasseur, Les Jonsgaard, John Doelle, Shaun Wehlage, Ron Konkel
Heat 1 - Gilbertson, Ihrke, Bohnstengel, Scharkey, Hessler, Hamernik, Wernert, L. Jonsgaard, Bunkelman
Heat 2 - Angst, Stockhausen, Bohr, Wehlage, R. Jonsgaard, Doelle, Rollinger, Konkel, Lavasseur

Winona Auto Sales WISSOTA Super Stocks

Feature - Gary Wiersgalla, Jon Duffy, Jeff Brauer, Michael Hofer, Kevin Hager, Brian Fetting, Jay Oricchio, Jaysen Vaughn, Kevin Glander, Dennis Earney, Tim Williamson, Bob Fort, William Kerley, Josh Rodewald, Brett Dulas
Heat 1 - Unavailable at Press Time
Heat 2 - Unavailable at Press Time

The Engine Store.com USRA B Mods

Feature - Troy Langowski, Jake Timm, Ben Anderson, Brandon Hare, Chad Kosidowski, Tyler Creeley, Barry Johnson, Ed Appel, Jack Baehman, Parker Hale, Erik Kanz, Brian Schrage
Heat 1 - Unavailable at Press Time
Heat 2 - Unavailable at Press Time

Jailhouse Saloon WISSOTA Street Stocks

Feature - Danny Hanson, Shaun Mann, Danny Richards, Dan Bork, Donny Ganz, Fred Prudoehl, Kevin Hager, Dave Smith, Michael Knudtson, Ashley Husby, Lee Hager, Tyler Sass, Lonnie Klonecki, Richard Weir, Cory Hanson, Jane Keating
Heat 1 - Bork, Ganz, Mann, Smith, K. Hager, L. Hager, Klonecki, Weir
Heat 2 - Hanson, Prudoehl, Richards, Hanson, Knudtson, Sass, Husby, Keating

Oak Ridge Fabrication 600 Mods

Feature - Jeff Matejka, Dave Freuechte, Charlie McNally, Bill Baures, Bruce Schmitt, Joe Jasnoch, Don Werner, Pat Kaiser
Heat - Matejka, Freuechte, McNally, Baures, Werner, Schmitt, Kaiser, Jasnoch

RedBox+ A Mini Mods

Feature - Alex Williamson, Brandon Reutzel, Jake Timm, Mike Stevens, Alex Stevens
Heat - M. Stevens, Williamson, Reutzel, Timm, A. Stevens

RedBox+ B Mini Mods

Feature - Nicholas Wagner, Keagen Einck, Matthew Stevens, Spencer Ihrke, Hendrik Welti
Heat - Wagner, Stevens, Welti, Einck, Ihrke