LAWSON CRUISES TO FIRST WIN AT MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY!

June 3, 2011

By Tracy Hager
FOUNTAIN CITY, WI (June 03, 2011) – And into June we go with a complete turn of the thermometer going from multi-layers the previous week to as little as possible this week as temps surged into the 90's. Also hot was Drew Lawson as he turned his ninth place starting spot into his first feature win at Mississippi Thunder Speedway.

Jeff Brauer notched his second win in the WISSOTA Super Stocks while Josh Angst took down the field in the caution-free USRA Modified feature. Jason Raun topped the traveling series in the Dart Corn Belt Clash Late Models as they ended a three-day run from Tipton, Iowa to West Union, Iowa to Fountain City, Wisconsin.

The Jailhouse Saloon WISSOTA Street Stocks were off to roam the countryside in search of other tracks to race at or just relax as were the Oakridge Fabrication 600 Mini Mods.

The EngineStore.com USRA B-Mods played a little bumper tag in the first lap of their main event which resulted in the first caution. Brandon Hare assumed the point followed by Troy Langowski and Ben Anderson. Anderson got a jump on Langowski into second place behind Hare, but Langowski darted right back to take the spot back. Anderson flew around the high side in third place when Drew Lawson showed up to run side by side with Anderson. Parker Hale stepped up his game to tap the top five from his eighth place starting spot. Hare continued to stretch his lead over Langowski as Lawson pulled to a solo third place run over Anderson. With nine laps down, Langowski made a valiant attempt at the lead under Hare, but Hare was able to stay out front. Lawson then made a move into second place as Langowski appeared to be fighting a wandering car. With 12 laps down, Lawson began a mission to challenge Hare for the lead. In no time, Lawson made the pass and cruised out front ahead of Hare. Anderson gained on Langowski and took over third while Hale continued to run a strong fifth. Lawson locked in his first MTS win followed by Hare, Anderson, Langowski, and Hale.

Jon Duffy and Kevin Hager led a fast-paced start in the Winona Auto Sales WISSOTA Super Stock feature. Bob Fort dove under both Duffy and Hager into the lead in the first lap, but as the cars entered turn four, Fort went around slowing the field for a restart. The addition of a piece of blue nosecone wedged in the right side of Fort's machine made it apparent that Duffy was the dealer of the cards and headed to the tail of the nine-car field. Fort took the point followed by Hager on the outside of row two and Gary Wiersgalla on the inside. Michael Hofer and Kelly Anderson followed in fourth and fifth places. Fort set out in the lead while Hager and Wiersgalla raced side by side for second. Hager gained momentum on the high line and flew around Fort into the lead while Wiersgalla followed suit into second. Hofer and Jeff Brauer raced for third spot as Fort drifted backwards. Brauer shot under Hofer for third place as Hager continued to fly out in the lead and lay some ground between himself and Wiersgalla. Brauer then cleared Wiersgalla for second and set his sights on Hager's lead. With nine laps down, Brauer caught up to Hager and dipped underneath for the number one spot. Hager slipped a bit into the marbles at the time Dennis Earney gained ground and shot into second place behind Brauer. Earney crept up to Brauer's bumper as the two ran side by side for the lead. Brauer pulled ahead, but Earney and Hager remained strong in second and third places respectively. Brauer zipped to the finish line with another win followed by Earney in second. Hager finished a solid third place followed by Anderson and Wiersgalla.

Josh Angst and Lucas Schott drove the River City Manufacturing USRA Modified field into a fast and furious feature start. Schott quickly turned the track into his own by taking the lead over Angst, Jay Ihrke, and Hank Rollinger Jr. John Doelle dropped into fifth place before running side by side with Rollinger for fourth. Bob Timm then moved into fifth place which sent Rollinger back a spot. Schott pulled away up front and left Angst and Ihrke to duke it out for second place. Angst grabbed second place back from Ihrke and then shot up behind Schott to challenge for the lead. Schott slipped a bit which allowed Angst into the lead, however, Schott battled back. Angst again won over the lead from Schott at approximately lap 12. Angst gave himself a cushion between himself and Schott while Ihrke and Doelle raced for third. Keith Foss moved into the top five ahead of Les Duellman and Timm after starting 12th. Angst laid down a straightaway lead over Schott who was just a car length ahead of Ihrke in second. Schott slipped a bit high which gave Ihrke the opportunity to shoot into second place. With 20 laps down, Angst entered lap traffic but was able to thread his way through with ease. Angst charged to the win followed by Ihrke in a strong second-place effort. Doelle, Foss, and Duellman rounded out the top five in the non-stop event.

Tim Isenberg and Jason Raun sat atop the 25-car feature line-up in the visiting Dart Corn Belt Clash Late Model feature event. Raun was fast to the lead over Isenberg, Justin Mitchell, and Chris Simpson. Early on, the top four spread out, and by lap seven, Raun was already looking at the back bumper of the tail of the field. Raun continued out front of the pack when the first caution flew for a spun car. A restart sorted out the cars again with Raun on the point followed by Mitchell, Isenberg, Simpson, and Lance Matthees. Cautions breed cautions, and so the second caution occurred right away as multiple cars piled up in turn one. Another attempt at a restart on lap 12 shot Raun out to the front again. Isenberg dropped into second place ahead of Mitchell, Simpson, and Matthees. At the half-way mark of the race, Raun had no significant challengers as the cars fell into line. A slowed car in turn two gave way to the final caution and chance for anyone to take over the lead from Raun. At the end of 35 laps, it was all Raun as he grabbed the paycheck for the win over Isenberg, Mitchell, Chris Simpson, and Chad Simpson.

It was an all-Stevens victory lane in the Sunshine Sanitation Mini Mods as Mike Stevens topped the Senior Mini Mods, and Matthew Stevens took top honors in the Junior Mini Mod division.

Next up at Mississippi Thunder Speedway on Friday, June 10th is a regular show which will include WISSOTA Street Stocks, USRA B-Mods, WISSOTA Super Stocks, and USRA Modifieds as well as the 600 Mini Mods, Senior Mini Mods, and Junior Mini Mods in racing action. Be sure to keep up on all that is happening at MTS and visit www.mississippithunder.com.

JUNE 3RD - RESULTS

Dart Corn Belt Clash Series Late Models

Feature - Jason Raun, Tim Isenberg, Justin Mitchell, Chris Simpson, Chad Simpson, Lance Matthees, Denny Eckrich, Brad Waits, Doug Herrick, Mike Sorensen, Tyler Bruening, Nick Herrick, Jake Meier, Andrew McKay, Jason Utter, Kyle Jumbeck, Kelly Anderson, Dustin Hapka, Dennis Hillson, Kevin Kuehn, Jill George, Chris Gilbertson, Jerry Bloom, Kevin Sather, Dave Eckrich
B Main (Top 9 transfer to A-Main - Utter, Sather, Kuehn, Hapka, Jumbeck, George, Bloom, D. Herrick, Gilbertson, John Rogers, Joe Ludemann, Hillson, Don Schaefer
Pole Dash - Mitchell, Raun, Isenberg, Chris Simpson, Meier, Matthees, De. Eckrich, Da. Eckrich, Sorensen
Heat 1 - Raun, De. Eckrich, Chris Simpson, N. Herrick, McKay, Kuehn, Sather, Gilbertson, George, Hillson
Heat 2 - Mitchell, Meier, Da. Eckrich, Waits, Anderson, Hapka, Bloom, D. Herrick, Roger Herrick, Ludemann
Heat 3 - Isenberg, Sorensen, Matthees, Bruening, Chad Simpson, Utter, Jumbeck, Rogers, Schaefer

River City Manufacturing USRA Modifieds

Feature - Josh Angst, Jay Ihrke, John Doelle, Keith Foss, Les Duellman, Lucas Schott, Bob Timm, Ben Mattick, Andy Bohnstengel, Dan Bohr, LeRoy Scharkey, Lance Hofer, Hank Rollinger Jr., Jake Timm, Ryan York, Cole Queensland, Mike Gibson, Shaun Wehlage, Randy Jonsgaard
Heat 1 - Doelle, Schott, J. Timm, Foss, Hofer, Gibson, Jonsgaard
Heat 2 - Angst, Bohr, Rollinger, Bohnstengel, Duellman, Queensland
Heat 3 - Mattick, B. Timm, Ihrke, Scharkey, York, Wehlage

Winona Auto Sales WISSOTA Super Stocks

Feature - Jeff Brauer, Dennis Earney, Kevin Hager, Kelly Anderson, Gary Wiersgalla, Jon Duffy, Jay Oricchio, Michael Hofer, Bob Fort
Heat 1 - Wiersgalla, Duffy, Fort, Anderson, Hager, Hofer, Earney, Brauer, Oricchio

The Engine Store.com USRA B Mods

Feature - Drew Lawson, Brandon Hare, Ben Anderson, Troy Langowski, Parker Hale, Shaun Walski, Jake Timm, Nick Frion, Tyler Creeley, Greg Mattick, Patrick McCarthy, Matt Appel, Troy Hovey, Chad Kosidowski, Alex Williamson, Erik Kanz, Brandon Reutzel, Jack Baehman
Heat 1 - Hare, Anderson, Hovey, Timm, Creeley, Kosidowski
Heat 2 - Lawson, Walski, Hale, Reutzel, Appel, Baehman
Heat 3 - Langowski, Kanz, Williamson, Frion, McCarthy, Mattick

Sunshine Sanitation "A" Mini Mods

Feature - Mike Stevens, Alex Stevens, Jackson Hale, Dylan Buckland, Spencer Ihrke
Heat 1 - M. Stevens, Buckland, Hale, A. Stevens, Ihrke

Sunshine Sanitation "B" Mini Mods

Feature - Matthew Stevens, Matthew LaDuke, Nate Becker, Devin Williamson, Keagen Einck
Heat - Williamson, LaDuke, Stevens, Einck, Becker