FOUNTAIN CITY, Wis. -- In the shadows of a non-existent spring, racers and race fans alike were chomping at the bit for the 2013 racing season to get underway. Some thought it wasn’t possible, some thought it shouldn’t be attempted but most wanted it, needed it and simply wouldn’t go another weekend without it ... like an itch which needs to be scratched that simply can’t be ignored, this weekend was going to see race cars on a dirt oval whether Mother Nature cooperated or not.

After dumping snow in the area a week previously, Mother Nature teased the racing faithful with sunshine and 70-degree weather Thursday and Friday so, naturally, the track crew at Mississippi Thunder Speedway took the challenge and put forth the effort to prepare the fast 1/3-mile oval for the Friday night, April 26, season opener.

By the time the almost 1,000 fans on hand were headed towards their cars in the parking lot, they’d witnessed a wild season opener.

Just over 100 cars attacked the track in hopes of a fun evening. Unfortunately, the soft surface, deep moisture and recent thaw produced a racing surface that growled loud through ruts and berms and bit fiercely at steering wheels and suspension parts. And as the racers tried every setup they could think of, and attempted negotiating every obstacle the track threw at them, they soon learned that survival, rather than victory was the goal of the evening.

No fewer than nine roll-overs and 21 races later, some were victorious, some were nursing sore wounds and some were simply happy that they’d survived. But, through it all, the 2012 season opener did, indeed, produce some simply amazing on-track action.

After winning the second of three heat races, defending USRA Modified national champion Brandon Davis held off all challengers to win the first River City Manufacturing USRA Modified feature of the season. First heat race winner Dale Mathison gave Davis a hard challenge, but settled for a second-place finish just ahead of Princeton, Minn.’s Andy Jones, in third and 2011 Mississippi Thunder Speedway track champion Josh Angst, fourth, with 2012 track champion Lucas Schott completing the top 5.

The Black Horse Bar & Grill USRA B-Mods belonged to Cory Crapser. Crapser dusted up the division by winning the fourth heat race and then besting the 29-car field’s main event. Michael Truscott and first heat race winner Troy Hovey completed the feature race’s top 3.

A rough track, yes; a wild night, but it was a night of on-track action ... much better than sitting home on a Friday night and waiting.

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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OFFICIAL RESULTS
USRA Weekly Racing Series
Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, Wis.
Friday, April 26, 2013

USRA MODIFIEDS

Feature:
1. (3) 50iii Brandon Davis, Medford, Minn.
2. (9) 9m Dale Mathison, Clearwater, Minn.
3. (2) 73 Andy Jones, Princeton, Minn.
4. (7) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn.
5. (8) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
6. (10) 10 Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
7. (11) 94jr John Doelle, Arcadia
8. (16) 77 Thomas Brink, Winona, Minn.
9. (5) 90 Steve Wetzstein, West Concord, Minn.
10. (1) 23 Matt Gilbertson, Watson, Minn.
11. (12) 11 Lance Hofer, Cochrane
12. (15) 05 Jake Hartung, Elmwood
13. (4) 44 Leroy Scharkey, Rochester, Minn.
14. (13) 95 Keith Foss, Winona, Minn.
15. (14) 18 Mick Glenn, Minnesota City, Minn.
16. (17) 24 Brad Waits, Rochester, Minn.
17. (18) 14w Clayton Wagamon, Blaine, Minn.
18. (19) 24jr Jeffrey Lien, Mora, Minn.
19. (6) 42n Paul Niznik, Medford

USRA B-MODS

Feature:
1. (7) 07 Cory Crapser, Chippewa Falls
2. (3) 22 Michael Truscott, Chippewa Falls
3. (6) 476x Troy Hovey, Decorah, Iowa
4. (16) 10 Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
5. (26) 83 Kylie Kath, Owatonna, Minn.
6. (13) 10t Trevor Fecht, Allison, Iowa
7. (15) 1 Jon Van Minsel, Spring Grove, Minn.
8. (4) 15w Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn.
9. (17) 90 Tyler Creeley, Winona, Minn.
10. (24) 13 Ryan Konkel, Winona, Minn.
11. (25) 12 Tucker Breitung, Prior Lake, Minn.
12. (21) 79 Bobby Carpenter, Black River
13. (28) 80 Bill Engler, Hixton
14. (22) 20k Kyle Brown, Minnesota City, Minn.
15. (10) 14m Brian Mahlstedt, Lawler, Iowa
16. (2) 8x Darran Jonsgaard, Fountain City
17. (8) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
18. (11) 4g Chris Gilbertson, Trempealeau
19. (1) 85 Ben Moudry, Cottage Grove, Minn.
20. (18) 44 Brandon Reutzel, Winona, Minn.
21. (19) 83x Kadden Kath, Owatonna, Minn.
22. (29) RED1 Dan Wheeler, Savage, Minn.
23. (12) 95x Shaun Walski, Winona, Minn.
24. (9) 5w Mike Krueger, Tomah
25. (14) 28 Parker Hale, Grand Meadow, Minn.
26. (5) 34 Jeremy Schaufenbuel, New Hampton, Iowa
27. (23) 54 John Feirn, Chippewa Falls
28. (27) 35x Phillip Dunbar, Rushford, Minn.
29. (20) 23k Erik Kanz, Winona, Minn.