FOUNTAIN CITY, Wis. -- A large 28-car field rumbled onto the 1/3-mile Mississippi Thunder Speedway for the evening’s River City Manufacturing USRA Modified feature, and the drama started even before the waiving of the green flag. Rolling out onto the racing surface, outside polesitter Kurt Krauskopf's #60 Modified lost its right front tire. His crew was able to get a new right front bolted on before the starting green flag, but despite being fast early, Krauskopf fell to an 18th-place finish.

Several drivers worked their way from starting positions deep in the field to strong finishes. Nick Herrick raced his way through heavy traffic after starting on the outside of the seventh row to a sixth-place finish. Recent feature winner Lucas Schott appeared to turn on the afterburners and worked his way from 11th up to a secnd-place finish. Defending track champion Bob Tim had everyone paying attention with an mazing charge as he worked his way through the field after starting 27th to a fifth-place finish.

But the man of the evening was Brad Waits. After winning the first heat race earlier in the evening, Waits lined up on the outside of the third row for the start of the 25-lap main event. After working his way towards the front, Waits caught the race leader in turn 2 and as the duo went side by side in the bottom groove, Waits squirted past for lead and never looked back.

“It was tight, but there was still room down there,” commented Waits in victory lane. “There was traction down on the bottom and we both wanted it.”

The pass for the lead and eventual win was almost less dramatic than the traffic Waits had to compete with over the closing laps of the feature to hold on for the win. After working through the field as mentioned earlier, Schott was able to see the rear of Waits’ USRA Modified. As the race entered its closing laps, Waits entered lapped traffic with several racers embroiled in a heated battle for position.

“Yeah, they were racing hard for position too,” Waits added. “The track was fast and they had their own battle happening.”

Waits was boxed in and Schott was gaining, but the Chatfield youngster ran out of laps as Waits held on for the feature win.

Polesitter Doug Herrick finished third, with third heat race winner Dan Bohr fourth and Timm rounding out the top 5.

WALSKI’S B-MOD BACK IN VICTORY LANE

Shaun Walski could see the front of the field at the start of the TheEngineStore.com USRA B-Mod feature, and as the green flag sent the feature field into turn 1 to start the 18-lap event, he went to work getting his #95 there.

Coming off of a feature win the last time the USRA B-Mods hit the track, 15-year-old Jacob Bleess started from the pole position after winning the second heat race earlier in the evening and appeared to be one of the favorites to be battling for the eventual win.

“I learned everything by all the years I spent racing go karts,” explained Bleess. “All those years racing karts taught me how to race, and I think that’s what’s helping me the most with the B-Mod.”

Walski, however, was in striking position and took the top spot to race his way into victory lane.

“Jake is a really good racer,” commented Walski. “He’s a good kid, a great driver and a clean racer.”

Bleess was followed across the finish line by another youngster, Alex Williamson, who held off current points leader and multi-feature winner Erik Kanz for third. Behind them, Jack Baehman raced his way to one of his strongest finishes, crossing the line fifth.

Mississippi Thunder Speedway’s 2012 regular season action continues next Friday night, June 8. Adult general admission is $12 with senior citizen tickets only $10. Student admission (ages 13-18) is just $5 while all children 12 and under will be admitted absolutely free. The MTS Family Pass is just $25 and gets two adults and up to three kids into the show.

For more details, visit the official Mississippi Thunder Speedway website at www.mississippithunder.com.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
American Racer USRA Weekly Racing Series
Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, Wis.
Friday, June 1, 2012

USRA MODIFIEDS

Heat #1:
1. (3) 24 Brad Waits
2. (6) 96 Jay Ihrke
3. (5) 94JR John Doelle
4. (8) 60 Kurt Krauskopf
5. (2) 11 Lance Hofer
6. (9) 01 Brandon Aggen
7. (4) 43 Luke Schilling
8. (1) 86 Phil Wernert
9. (7) 44 Leroy Scharkey
10. (10) 9X Les Jonsgaard

Heat #2:
1. (1) 99L Steve Lavasseur
2. (4) 89 Eric Pember
3. (2) 49JR Jake Timm
4. (9) 59 Hank Rollinger, Jr.
5. (7) 6 Nick Herrick
6. (3) 4X Dan Hesch
7. (5) 15 Steve Bangart
8. (6) 66X Tony Vaith
9. (8) 95 Keith Foss

Heat #3:
1. (1) 66 Dan Bohr
2. (7) 96? Doug Herrick
3. (8) 69 Lucas Schott
4. (3) 99 Josh Angst
5. (4) 77 Thomas Brink
6. (6) 30 Shane Wehrs
7. (5) 18 Mick Glenn
8. (9) 3 Bryan Hessler
9. (2) 49 Bob Timm

Feature:
1. (6) 24 Brad Waits
2. (11) 69 Lucas Schott
3. (1) 96? Doug Herrick
4. (3) 66 Dan Bohr
5. (27) 49 Bob Timm
6. (14) 6 Nick Herrick
7. (4) 89 Eric Pember
8. (7) 99L Steve Lavasseur
9. (8) 49JR Jake Timm
10. (9) 96 Jay Ihrke
11. (17) 4X Dan Hesch
12. (12) 59 Hank Rollinger, Jr.
13. (19) 43 Luke Schilling
14. (16) 01 Brandon Aggen
15. (5) 94JR John Doelle
16. (10) 99 Josh Angst
17. (13) 11 Lance Hofer
18. (2) 60 Kurt Krauskopf
19. (15) 77 Thomas Brink
20. (18) 30 Shane Wehrs
21. (24) 3 Bryan Hessler
22. (22) 86 Phil Wernert
23. (23) 66X Tony Vaith
24. (26) 95 Keith Foss
25. (21) 18 Mick Glenn
26. (25) 44 Leroy Scharkey
27. (20) 15 Steve Bangart
28. (28) 9X Les Jonsgaard

USRA B-MODS

Heat #1:
1. (5) 23K Erik Kanz
2. (6) RED1 Dan Wheeler
3. (2) 28 Parker Hale
4. (1) 15W Alex Williamson
5. (3) 18J Mike Jaeger
6. (4) 11 Jack Baehman
7. (7) 4G Scott Guthrie

Heat #2:
1. (4) 21 Jacob Bleess
2. (2) 39 Ben Anderson
3. (7) 95X Shaun Walski
4. (3) 44 Brandon Reutzel
5. (5) 90 Tyler Creeley
6. (1) U7 Rick Utley
7. (6) 3 Matt Appel

Feature:
1. (4) 95X Shaun Walski
2. (1) 21 Jacob Bleess
3. (3) 15W Alex Williamson
4. (2) 23K Erik Kanz
5. (11) 11 Jack Baehman
6. (9) 28 Parker Hale
7. (5) 18J Mike Jaeger
8. (13) 4G Scott Guthrie
9. (12) U7 Rick Utley
10. (14) 3 Matt Appel
11. (10) 44 Brandon Reutzel
12. (6) 90 Tyler Creeley
13. (7) 39 Ben Anderson
14. (8) RED1 Dan Wheeler