:: MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY News - 2011 Awards Banquet Coverage ::

12.18.11

EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY AS TRACK CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT 2011 SEASON AWARDS BANQUET

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By Tracy Hager
Winona, MN (Saturday, December 17, 2011) - MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY officially concluded its 2011 season with the Awards Banquet which was held at the Riverport Inn & Suites in Winona. With the Christmas weekend quickly approaching, a great crowd was on hand to celebrate the drivers and sponsors who made the season a success.

Tons of door prizes were up for grabs for everyone in attendance at the banquet, not just the drivers. The drivers though were also eligible for a congratulatory gift certificate from Les Duellman Racing Equipment. This was not only to the top five drivers either.

In addition to thanking the drivers, sponsors, and fans, promoter Bob Timm clarified the classes that the track will run in 2012. All classes currently at the track will continue. This includes the WISSOTA Street Stocks and WISSOTA Super Stocks, USRA B-Mods and USRA Modifieds, A & B Midwest Mini-Mods, and the 600 Mini Mods. However, an addition will be made to the lineup which will include Pure Stocks. Watch the track website after the first of the year for details on rules of this new class at the track.

Timm then commented that they added 1-2' of banking to the speedway last fall in order to promote more multi groove racing with less maintenance for the 2012 season.

Speaking of the 2012 season, Timm briefly talked about the tentative 2012 schedule of events which will include a big event to start the season off. The USMTS will run a $4,000-to-win event right out of the chute with supporting classes tentative as USRA B-Mods and WISSOTA Street Stocks. Timm also mentioned that truckloads of new surface were laid down to allow for more banking, more racing surface, and promote multi-groove racing.

The WISSOTA Street Stock Nationals will return as that has become a big event for the class at the track and in the area. The event will be held on Thursday, July 5th and will see the USRA Mods as the support class. The following night on Friday, July 6th will be the Late Model show, but this year will showcase the Cornbelt Clash Series which will be the day before the Gopher 50 at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minnesota.

August 17th will bring in the USMTS again, and the season championships will be delayed to Labor Day weekend versus the weekend before as has been in the past. The USRA Nationals which has taken place the weekend after Labor Day will become a multi-car event for USRA classes rather than just a Modified show. That event's dates are yet to be decided.

The 2012 MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY season will kick off with the car show at Sugar Loaf Ford in Winona sometime in early spring, so watch the website for those details as well.

A huge announcement for the WISSOTA Super Stock class is that courtesy of Jay Oricchio and Coordinated Business Systems, an additional $200 will be added to the winner's purse each night which will bring in a $550 paycheck. And what makes this partnership even more intriguing is that if there is a rainout one week with no racing, that $200 will get tagged on to the purse the following week resulting in a $750 payday for the winner. If the track rains out two weeks in a row, first place will be $950. Essentially a progressive payout for the WISSOTA Super Stocks is what will happen for the class in 2012.

So, to clarify: It will always be an extra $200.00 to win over and above the weekly MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY payout for the WISSOTA Super Stocks. MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY pays $400 for 24 or more cars, $350 for 11-23 cars and $250 for 10 or fewer cars. So the payout could be as high as $600 in the event there are 24 cars in attendance, $550 if there are 11-23 cars or $450 if there were less than 10. But, the main point is that the $200 will always roll over and accumulate for any regular scheduled event that would be cancelled because of weather.

USRA B-Mod driver Jack Baehman stepped up big in 2011 to provide an individual Baehman Law Point Fund to the class in which he also competes. From $350 going to 15th place driver Patrick McCarthy to $3,000 to the division winner Ben Anderson, almost $15,000 was given to the USRA B-Mod drivers' point fund.

In a November 16th press release MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY was excited to announce the recipients of The 2011 BAEHMAN LAW B-MOD POINT FUND!! As announced on March 29th, 2011, USRA B-Mod racer - and class fan Jack Baehman decided to fund an unbelievably generous point fund for the USRA B-Mod class for the 2011 season.

Thus was born the The 2011 BAEHMAN LAW B-MOD POINT FUND.

The point fund pays a whopping $3000.00 to the "Point Fund Champion" and pays back through the top 20 competitors who met the point fund criteria. There is also a $250.00 bonus paid to the competitor who raced every point fun show and ended up with the lowest point total.*

"I can't even begin to explain just how fortunate the USRA B-Mod racers are to have a supporter such as Baehman Law at MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY," said speedway owner Bob Timm, "and any time we can find a way such as this to reward our regular drivers by putting a little extra cash in their pockets, is a win-win situation for all involved. We all owe a HUGE Thank You to Jack Baehman and Baehman Law!"

Results of The 2011 BAEHMAN LAW B-MOD POINT FUND were as follows:

2011 BAEHMAN LAW B-MOD POINT FUND WINNERS
FINISHING POSITION	DRIVER	POINTS	WINNINGS
1st	Ben Anderson	1244	$3,000.00
2nd	Brandon Hare	1234	$2,000.00
3rd	Shawn Walski	1182	$1,000.00
4th	Troy Langowski	1149	$900.00
5th	Erik Kanz	1117	$850.00
6th	Greg Mattick	1059	$800.00
7th	Tyler Creeley	1022	$750.00
8th	Nick Frion	985	$700.00
Nick is also the recipient of the $250.00 "Hard Luck" Bonus for gathering the lowest point total although still participating in all of the POINT FUND races!
9th	Alex Williamson	960	$650.00
10th	Brandon Reutzel	923	$600.00
11th	Chad Kosidowski	917	$550.00
12th	Jack Baehman	907	$500.00
13th	Matt Appel	893	$450.00
14th	Parker Hale	839	$400.00
15th	Patrick McCarthy	807	$350.00

Congratulations to all B-Mod drivers who competed towards The 2011 BAEHMAN LAW B-MOD POINT FUND!

And that rolls into the awards of the night. The Jailhouse Saloon WISSOTA Street Stocks once again saw Danny Hanson top the division for his fourth championship in a row at the track. Shaun Mann grabbed his best season finish in second followed by a great season as well by Ryan Henderson. Fred Prudoehl hit it home with a fourth place on the season followed by Lee Hager in his best finish in a few years.

Ben Anderson topped the EngineStore.com USRA B-Mods. Brandon Hare took second place followed by Troy Langowski, Shaun Walski, and Erik Kanz.

In the Winona Auto Sales WISSOTA Super Stock class, Jeff Brauer topped Kelly Anderson, Dennis Earney, Kevin Hager, and Gary Wiersgalla to make it back-to-back championships.

The River City Manufacturing USRA Modified division was topped by Bob Timm himself. Josh Angst reeled in second place followed by Ben Mattick, Jay Ihrke, and John Doelle.

The RedBox+ 600 Mini Mod division was won by Jeff Matejka. Don Werner finished second while Bill Baures notched third place followed by Bruce Schmidt and Joe Provinzino.

The Sunshine Sanitation A Mini Mod class was won by Mike Stevens. Alex Stevens finished second to his cousin while Dylan Buckland took third place. Spencer Ihrke finished fourth followed by Jackson Hale.

The Sunshine Sanitation B Mini Mod class was won by Keagen Einck. Matthew Stevens took runner-up honors followed by Nate Becker, Devin Williamson, and Matthew LaDuke.

And so comes the official ending to the season. May your sheet metal be hung by the chassis with flair, in hopes that your new firesuit and helmet also be there. Merry Christmas to all! And that's a wrap.

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