FOUNTAIN CITY, Wis. -- After winning the previous week’s USRA B-Mod feature, Winona’s Erik Kanz was unable to celebrate as Mother Nature opened the skies and delivered a downpour of rain that had fans scrambling to their cars in the parking lot and racers heading straight for their haulers.

One week later, the results were the same but the weather conditions were much more conducive to Kanz’s plans for a victory lane celebration at the Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wis.

Early on in the main event, it didn’t appear as if Kanz was headed for victory. Young Brandon Reutzel of Winona was the early race leader, jumping from his pole position start to build up a sizable lead over the strong field. Reutzel’s #44 really did appear ready for that elusive first trip to victory lane in impressive style.

But luck was not on the side of the Winona racer. At the halfway point of the feature, Reutzel’s USRA B-Mod slowed on the back-straight and coasted to a stop at the top of the banking in turn 4.

Kanz gladly inherited the lead and never looked back, picking up his second feature win in as many weeks and finally being able to thank his pit crew, family, friends and sponsors from victory lane.

Shaun Walski settled for second with Alex Williamson enjoying a strong run for the second week in a row, racing his way to a third-place finish.

After settling for a second place finish earlier in the evening at the conclusion of the make-up feature from the previous week’s rain-shortened program, Josh Angst left nothing to chance, laying down an impressively strong performance on his way to a commanding win in the evening’s River City Manufacturing USRA Modified feature.

Consistently building a comfortable lead over defending track champion Bob Timm and 2009 track champion John Doelle, Angst paced the field through the 25-lap feature, holding off challenges through several restarts to collect the win.

“I didn’t know exactly how close Bob (Timm) was to me under green,” smiled Angst from victory lane, “but on the restarts, I knew he was going to challenge me. Yeah, I knew that I needed those restarts or he’d be right there.”

As the top 3 worked lapped traffic late in the feature, it appeared that Timm’s #49 might be on the verge of mounting a challenge for the top spot, but couldn’t quite get up to Angst’s #99 to offer a legitimate contest for the win.

“The car was strong,” said Timm afterward. “I think I was about equal to Josh. Right there over the last few laps though the top groove started to give way a little, and that was about it.”

Doelle was quite pleased with the third-place feature finish that he added to the heat race win he picked up earlier in the evening.

“You know, for my first time back in the car this season, I was really happy. I mean, after the last year or so,” explained Doelle referencing his recent season’s results that were off the mark after the 2009 track championship, “So, yeah, this is the way I like to be racing again.”

Mississippi Thunder Speedway’s 2012 regular season action continues next Friday night, May 18, with another regular program on the high-banked 1/3-mile oval. On-track action begins at 7:00 and will be comprised of a complete program from the River city Manufacturing USRA Modifieds, Winona Auto Sales WISSOTA Super Stocks, The Engine Store USRA B-Mods, Jailhouse Saloon WISSOTA Street Stocks, Oak Ridge Fabrication 600 Mods, and Elmer’s Auto Salvage M.T.S. Pure Stocks.

Adult general admission is $12 with senior citizen tickets only $10. Student admission (age 13-18) is just $5 while all children 12 and under will be admitted absolutely free. The MTS Family Pass consisting of two (2) adult tickets and up to three (3) kids (17 & under) is available for only $25 – a $14 savings over the individual purchase of those same five tickets.

The Mississippi Thunder Speedway is embarking upon its fourth season of top-notch dirt track action. 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 more details, visit the Mississippi Thunder Speedway web site at www.mississippithunder.com.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

OFFICIAL RESULTS
American Racer USRA Weekly Racing Series
Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, Wis.
Friday, May 11, 2012

USRA MODIFIEDS

Heat #1:
1. (1) 94JR John Doelle, Arcadia
2. (4) 24 Brad Waits, Rochester, Minn.
3. (2) 30 Shane Wehrs, West Salem
4. (8) 76X Troy Hovey, Decorah, Iowa
5. (6) 89 Eric Pember, Pittsville
6. (7) 18 Mick Glenn, Minnesota City, Minn.
7. (3) 86 Phil Wernert, Galesville
8. (5) 49JR Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.

Heat #2:
1. (1) 49 Bob Timm, Winona, Minn.
2. (4) 59 Hank Rollinger Jr., Buffalo City
3. (2) 51 Chris Oertel, Marshfield
4. (5) 99L Steve Lavasseur, River Falls
5. (8) 96 Doug Herrick, West Concord, Minn.
6. (7) 11 Lance Hofer, Cochrane
7. (6) 44 Leroy Scharkey, Rochester, Minn.
8. (3) 4G Chris Gilbertson, Trempeleau

Heat #3:
1. (1) 35 Ron Konkel, Caledonia, Minn.
2. (3) 96 Jay Ihrke, Dover, Minn.
3. (5) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn.
4. (4) 77 Thomas Brink, Winona, Minn.
5. (8) 6 Nick Herrick, West Concord, Minn.
6. (2) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
7. (7) 15 Steve Bangart, Auburndale
8. (6) 56H Brandon Hare, Elma, Iowa

Feature:
1. (1) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn.
2. (2) 49 Bob Timm, Winona, Minn.
3. (4) 94JR John Doelle, Arcadia
4. (9) 24 Brad Waits, Rochester, Minn.
5. (3) 59 Hank Rollinger Jr., Buffalo City
6. (18) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
7. (6) 99L Steve Lavasseur, River Falls
8. (22) 49JR Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
9. (10) 96 Jay Ihrke, Dover, Minn.
10. (7) 77 Thomas Brink, Winona, Minn.
11. (11) 35 Ron Konkel, Caledonia, Minn.
12. (13) 89 Eric Pember, Pittsville
13. (16) 18 Mick Glenn, Minnesota City, Minn.
14. (15) 6 Nick Herrick, West Concord, Minn.
15. (5) 51 Chris Oertel, Marshfield
16. (12) 30 Shane Wehrs, West Salem
17. (8) 76X Troy Hovey, Decorah, Iowa
18. (19) 86 Phil Wernert, Galesville
19. (17) 11 Lance Hofer, Cochrane
20. (20) 44 Leroy Scharkey, Rochester, Minn.
21. (14) 96 Doug Herrick, West Concord, Minn.
22. (21) 15 Steve Bangart, Auburndale
23. (23) 4G Chris Gilbertson, Trempeleau
24. (24) 56H Brandon Hare, Elma, Iowa

USRA B-MODS

Heat #1:
1. (1) 90 Tyler Creeley, Winona, Minn.
2. (2) 9 Brady Keefe, Stewartville, Minn.
3. (5) 15W Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn.
4. (4) 23K Erik Kanz, Winona, Minn.
5. (7) 39 Ben Anderson, Winona, Minn.
6. (6) 3 Matt Appel, Taylor
7. (3) 17 Rick Duerr, Stratford

Heat #2:
1. (6) RED1 Dan Wheeler, Columbia Heights, Minn.
2. (3) 95X Shaun Walski, Winona, Minn.
3. (2) 28 Parker Hale, Grand Meadow, Minn.
4. (5) 44 Brandon Reutzel, Winona, Minn.
5. (4) 80J Lee Jonsgaard, Minnesota City, Minn.
6. (1) 4G Scott Guthrie, Whitehall

Feature:
1. (3) 23K Erik Kanz, Winona, Minn.
2. (2) 95X Shaun Walski, Winona, Minn.
3. (9) 15W Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn.
4. (5) 39 Ben Anderson, Winona, Minn.
5. (7) RED1 Dan Wheeler, Columbia Heights, Minn.
6. (8) 28 Parker Hale, Grand Meadow, Minn.
7. (10) 9 Brady Keefe, Stewartville, Minn.
8. (4) 80J Lee Jonsgaard, Minnesota City, Minn.
9. (6) 90 Tyler Creeley, Winona, Minn.
10. (11) 3 Matt Appel, Taylor
11. (13) 17 Rick Duerr, Stratford
12. (1) 44 Brandon Reutzel, Winona, Minn.
13. (12) 4G Scott Guthrie, Whitehall