:: MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY News

07.28.17

SHAUN WALSKI RACES TO BAEHMAN LAW B-MOD CHALLENGE WIN!

Hensel, Kramer, Krause, Hovden, & Miller Also Visit Victory Lane on Fastenal / Minnesota State College Southeast Night At MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY

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By Dan Bailey
FOUNTAIN CITY, WI (Friday July 7, 2017) – Fastenal / Minnesota State College Southeast night brought with it The 9th Annual Baehman Law B-Mod Challenge to MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY - with extra money on the line and a full grand-stands, Shaun Walski waltzed his way into Victory Lane with a #95 Dirt Dueller Modified that seemed tuned to perfection!

Additionally, Adam Hensel and Travis Krause picked up their first USRA Feature wins of 2017 at MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY while Brad Kramer returned for his second straight 600 Mod Feature win and Dan Hovden handled the visiting USRA Stock Cars.

WALSKI WALTZES TO WIN

Shaun Walski has won in the past at MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY. He knows his way to Victory Lane and has proven that any time he rolls onto the track, he is a threat for yet another feature win.

The 2017 season, however, has had a slightly different flavor for the Winona racer. What began with plans for a brand new Dirt Dueller USRA B-Mod morphed slightly into running the first have of the year in a USRA Late Model, while work commenced on the ground-up build of that new steed to run in Walski's favorite division - the Black Horse Bar & Grill USRA B-Mods.

A couple weeks ago, Walski made his debut with the new ride at MTS . . . things didn't quite go as expected as some, naturally, unexpected gremlins produced a last place DNF on his first trip to the track in B-Mod trim.

But, as proven in years past, a single week's set back does not slow Walski.

Back to the shop they went and preperations were made for a much more fitting second visit to MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY. That second visit just so happened to align with the running of the 9th Annual Baehman Law B-Mod Challenge - a high dollar special 9 years in the running. With past winners such as Jon Van Minsel, Parker Hale, Cory Crapser, Jacob Bleess, Ben Anderson, & Kyle Jumbeck - to add one's name to that growing list would be quite a return to form for any racer.

This week, Walski was ready.

With a huge turnout of B-Mod cars - necessitating four heats and a last change B-Main to get into the evening's feature - Walski proved to be the class of the field as he battled a host of hot-shoes to remain at the front of the field for the 20-lap main.

"We took our time building this Dirt Dueller, making sure we did everything right and the best we could," Walski explained in Victory Lane. "The top groove was very fast early, but I could see it losing some grip as the race wore on. I stayed low, had excellent grip and power and couldn’t be happier with this win."

The grip and power propelled Walski to his first feature win of the 2017 season at MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY.

Early evening heat rac winner Ryan Olson spent the entire 20-lap feature throwing his No. 21 Flyin Ryan’s Sports Bar & Grill B-Mod into the high banks early with Alex Williamson, the reigning feature winner from two weeks ago, following suit with his #15W. But both eventually ground at the front of the field to Dan Hovden, who worked the middle to lower portion of the track like a master drive to a second place finish.

With Hovden ending up second, Olson and Williamson settled for third and fourth just ahead of heat race winner Casey Knutson, who appears to finally be turning his season around after a string of bad luck, in fifth.

HENSEL TOPS A-MODS

Call it coincidence, call it fate, call it destiny - Some times things just line up.

Friday night was an evening of alignment as Adam Hensel drove his Minnesota State College Southeast sponsored #44 Dirt Dueller to Victory in the Rivercity Manufacturing USRA Modified division on the same night that Minnesota State College Southeast was at the track supporting the MTS Kids Club with fun activities for all the youngsters at the speedway.

The Rivercity Manufacturing USRA Modifieds feature opened with a fierce side-by-side battle between front-row starters Cory Crapser and Hensel.

Unfortunately for Crapser, just before the fifth lap he blew the left rear tire and spun his CRC Motorsports #07 between Turns 1 and 2. With the rest of the field blazing towards the lead battle, all were able to avoided any contact at all, and Crapser rejoined the race at the back of the pack for the restart.

What followed were to seperate, but equally impressive happenings - while Crapser worked his way through the field (to an evental 7th place finish), Hensel began adding onto his lead at the front of the field. Hensel's Mod crossed beneath the waiving checkered flag with a larger than 4 second lead over defending track champion Josh Angst.

Dustin Sorensen was third, just ahead of two-time and defending feature winner Keith Foss, while Brad Waits completed the top-5.

HOVDEN HAPPY WITH USRA STOCK CARS FEATURE WIN

With the Centerville Welding and Repair USRA Late Models, presented by Big Toy Storage traveling to othe area tracks for the weekend, MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY welcomed the wild and wooly USRA Stock Cars to the track for their second visit in 2017.

This class always presents great battles regardles of where they're running, and Friday nights MTS swing proved to be exactly what everyone expected.

Mitch Hovden won a heat race and kept the car humming later in the evening as well, winning the 20-lap feature.

"Really like the way our Stock Cars run on this track," Hovden said in Victory Lane. "We appreciate every time they invite us up for specials like this, and I’ll be here every time we come back."

USRA Stock Car top-runner Pete Solum finished second by not much more than a whisper, while Dillon Anderson raced to a third place finish.

KRAUSE CAPTURES USRA HOBBY STOCK FEATURE WIN

Travis Krause was finally ready - finally read to make a big decision despite being just past the mid-way point of the 2017 season.

After running a couple "test sessions" mixed in with the Jailhouse Saloon USRA Hobby Stock division at MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY, Krause completely reworked his Street Stock to fit the USRA Hobby Stock rule book and decided Friday nights at MTS were for him.

Friday night he raced his #X01 to the front of the Hobby Stock feature and held on for the win.

"This class is fun, the track is great, the competition if good," explained Krause after the win, "That why I completely rebuilt this car for the Hobby Stock rules and here I am with my very first USRA Feature win!"

Krause just beat Kevin Hager to the line, followed by Hobby Stock master Brady Link in third.

KRAMER TAKES SECOND STRAIGHT 600 MOD FEATURE WIN

To say that the last couple weeks have been a whirlwind experience for Brad Kramer would be an understatement. After battling towards the front of the redbox+ 600 mod division over the past few years, Kramer's #13 burst onto the scene with his first ever feature win two weeks ago at MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY.

Then Thursday night, Kramer backed up his first feature win with his second feature win during a Red Cedar Raceway visit battling in the Victory Promotions 600 Mod Touring Series!

Then this week, Kramer returned to the MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY Victory Lane with his third straight 600 Mod feature win!

Kramer battled away from the #8 of Curt Luhmann to button up his feature win.

MILLER MOVES FORWARD TO HORNET FEATURE WIN

Hunter Miller used a last-lap pass to steal the lead from prior week's feature winner JR Tourtellott and raced to his first ever dirt track featue win in the Harmston Trucking MTS Hornet Division!

BARTEL AND KNUTSON WIN SLINGSHOT FEATURES ON LIGHTNING SPEEDWAY

The LIGHTNING SPEEDWAY produced some exciting and entertaining action as the Sunshine Refuse Sr. & Jr. Slingshots sliced and diced their way around the tight oval during the early evening program.

Dylan Knutson raced to a Senior Slingshot feature win just ahead of Wyatt Hanson and Jake James.

Gavin Barthel beat Mason Stockhausen and Jake James to the checkered flag in the Junior Slingshot feature!

Enjoy Another Exciting Night of Regular Season Action next Friday, August 4th, with Stone machinery / Lakeview Drive Inn Night at MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY!

Green flag competition begins at 6 pm with the Sunshine Refuse Slingshots on The LIGHTNING SPEEDWAY.

Action on "The Big 1/3 Mile" resumes immediately following the 7 PM Opening Ceremonies with green flag laps provided by the Rivercity Manufacturing USRA Modifieds, Centerville Welding & Repair USRA Limited Late Models presented by Big Toy Storage, Black Horse Bar & Grill USRA B-Mods, Jailhouse Saloon USRA Hobby Stocks, REDBOX+ 600 Mods, & Harmston Trucking MTS Hornets!

General Admission Grandstands Open at 5:00 PM
Family Friendly General Admission Prices continue with ALL Students - even college (23 yrs old and younger with current Valid Student ID) and Children 17 & Under are admitted ABSOLUTELY FREE!
Adult Grandstand admission just $12!
Senior Citizens (65 & Older) only $10!

MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY is located 3.0 miles north of Fountain City on Wisconsin Highway 35. For more information, call 608-687-3282 or visit www.MississippiThunder.com on the World Wide Web.

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MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY is presenting its 9th season of top-notch dirt track action in Fountain City, WI. The high-banked 1/3 mile dark-clay oval is quickly becoming known as one of the best speedways in the upper Midwest presenting dirt track racing in a fan and family friendly atmosphere every Friday night throughout the racing season.

For all details, continue visiting the MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY web site: www.MississippiThunder.com

RESULTS - FRIDAY JULY 28th - BAEHMAN LAW B-MOD CHALLENGE on FASTENAL / MINNESOTA STATE COLLEGE SOUTHEAST NIGHT

full results

MTS results at MyLaps.com

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