FOUNTAIN CITY, Wis. -- As Severson Oil Company continued their support of local dirt track racing at Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Brad Waits continued his winning ways at the banked, black-clay 1/3-mile oval in Fountain City, Wis.

After leading 2012 track champion Lucas Schott to the checkered flag in the evening’s second, of three, heat races, Waits started outside front row for the “Severson Oil 25” feature and put on a display of dominance not seen in a while.

Polesitter Paul Harelstad jumped from the pole position of the 17-car field to lead the first lap, but after that it was all Waits as the Rochester, Minn., racer took the lead on lap 2 and never once relinquished the position.

Stretching out a lead that took him through lapped traffic all the way into the top-10 and put almost a half lap between his flat-black NFG sponsored #24 and the second place finisher of Schott, Waits three-wheeled through the ultra-low groove with bite, traction and speed that was unmatched by all.

As a matter of fact, the only real action Waits saw around other cars was as he was picking his way through lapped traffic, “We all like the low groove,” smiled Waits in Victory Lane, after being asked about the pack, “but we got this back up car out and it was really strong!”

Schott finished a distant second with first heat race winner, and defending Track Champion, Josh Angst completing the top three positions.

BLEESS BEST OF THE USRA B-MOD BATTLE

The Black Horse Bar & Grill USRA B-Mod feature was a treat for the fans in the packed grandstands. After four heat races which produced high speeds and first time winners, the evening’s 26-car 18-lap main event was an action packed affair which had no fewer than seven drivers battling for and swapping the lead out front of the pack!

The first 12 laps were led by Bob Fort with his #97 while a pack of eight battled and snarled behind him in an effort to get to him and challenge for the lead. On lap 13 the #21 of defending Track Champion Jacob Bleess lead the field for the first time, but he was not alone. Alex Williamson, first heat race winner Tyler Creeley, and two-time and defending feature winner Jon Van Minsel were mixed up in the pack at the front of the field, and chomping at the bit for a chance to lead.

On Lap 14 Williamson worked past Bleess to lead a lap; as Bleess and Williamson battled amongst themselves to see who could use the lowest groove to their advantage, Van Minsel, the evening’s Wing Dam Saloon & Grill Driver Of The Week, ran the extreme opposite line, circling the high-banked 1/3-mile oval in the outermost extreme high line that the track had to offer!

As the battle for the lead, and eventual win, raged on, a late race caution slowed the field and packed them up for a classic ‘shoot out’ to the finish . . . and many, if not all, of the fans in the stands were surprised to see Bleess leave the low line open on the restart. Williamson saw the opportunity and seized it but couldn’t quite pull past Bleess for the lead, which Bleess held for the feature win.

“It was a real fun race,” Bleess said in victory lane. “I just battled and found my way up front. I did well on my restarts and stayed on the bottom.”

Van Minsel followed Williamson to the checkered flag in third.

Racing resumes next Friday night May 30th with KAGE / BUD Night presented by Winona Radio’s KAGE Radio and Budweiser at Mississippi Thunder Speedway. The first green flag is scheduled to wave at 6 PM with the Sunshine Sanitation Midwest Mini Mods on the 1/10 mile “Lightning Speedway” which is located within the infield of Mississippi Thunder Speedway. Action on “The Big 1/3 Mile” starts immediately following the 7 PM Opening Ceremonies with on-track competition provided by Rivercity Manufacturing USRA Modifieds, Coordinated Business Systems WISSOTA Super Stocks, Black Horse Bar & Grill USRA B-Mods, Jailhouse Saloon WISSOTA Street Stocks, redbox+ 600 Mods, & Elmer's Auto Salvage MTS Pure Stocks!

• Pit gate & Grandstands Open at 5:00 PM
• Family Friendly General Admission Prices continue at: Adults $12, Senior Citizens $10, College Students 23 & under (with current Valid Student ID) and Children 17 & Under are admitted absolutely free!

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.

Mississippi Thunder Speedway is presenting its 6th 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

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Racing Association
USRA Weekly Racing Series
Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, Wis.
Friday, May 23, 2014

USRA MODIFIEDS

Heat #1:
1. (2) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn.
2. (1) 71 Jason Cummins, New Richland, Minn.
3. (4) 89X Paul Harelstad, Bloomer, Wis.
4. (6) 94JR John Doelle, Arcadia, Wis.
5. (5) 89 Eric Pember, Pittsville, Wis.
6. (3) 59X Bob Sammann, Winona, Minn.

Heat #2:
1. (3) 24 Brad Waits, Rochester, Minn.
2. (6) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
3. (4) 11 Lance Hofer, Cochrane, Wis.
4. (2) 49X Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
5. (1) 6M Ted Marrs, Bethel, Minn.
6. (5) 24S Justin Sass, Elgin, Minn.

Heat #3:
1. (6) 18 Mick Glenn, Minnesota City, Minn.
2. (1) 77 Tom Brink, Winona, Minn.
3. (5) 13-2 Bryan Hessler, Chetek, Wis.
4. (3) 44 Alan Wagner, Orchard, Iowa
5. (2) 83 Billy Steinberg
6. (4) 15 Chris Loberg, Menomonie, Wis.

Feature:
1. (2) 24 Brad Waits, Rochester, Minn.
2. (4) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
3. (9) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn.
4. (3) 11 Lance Hofer, Cochrane, Wis.
5. (11) 71 Jason Cummins, New Richland, Minn.
6. (7) 18 Mick Glenn, Minnesota City, Minn.
7. (12) 94JR John Doelle, Arcadia, Wis.
8. (1) 89X Paul Harelstad, Bloomer, Wis.
9. (10) 49X Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
10. (13) 89 Eric Pember, Pittsville, Wis.
11. (8) 77 Tom Brink, Winona, Minn.
12. (6) 44 Alan Wagner, Orchard, Iowa
13. (16) 59X Bob Sammann, Winona, Minn.
14. (5) 13-2 Bryan Hessler, Chetek, Wis.
15. (14) 6M Ted Marrs, Bethel, Minn.
16. (17) 15 Chris Loberg, Menomonie, Wis.
17. (15) 83 Billy Steinberg
18. (18) 24S Justin Sass, Elgin, Minn.

USRA B-MODS

Heat #1:
1. (3) 90 Tyler Creeley, Winona, Minn.
2. (5) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
3. (2) 88 Troy Langowski, Winona, Minn.
4. (6) 83 Kylie Kath, Owatonna, Minn.
5. (7) 39 Ben Anderson, Winona, Minn.
6. (1) 00R Chad Rosendahl, Houston, Minn.
7. (4) 12 Tucker Breitung, Prior Lake, Minn.

Heat #2:
1. (1) 23K Erik Kanz, Winona, Minn.
2. (2) 97X Bob Fort, Fountain City, Wis.
3. (4) 2 Andrew Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
4. (6) 95X Shaun Walski, Winona, Minn.
5. (3) 35X Phillip Dunbar, Rushford, Minn.
6. (7) 99 Bill Engler, Hixton, Wis.
7. (5) 31 Bill Stettner, Inver Grove, Minn.

Heat #3:
1. (2) 13 Ryan Konkel, Winona, Minn.
2. (6) 9 Brady Keefe, Stewartville, Minn.
3. (4) 5WX Kyle Jumbeck, Houston, Minn.
4. (3) 80J Lee Jonsgaard, Minnesota City, Minn.
5. (1) 48K Scott Kunda, Winona, Minn.
6. (5) 20K Kyle Brown, Minnesota City, Minn.

Heat #4:
1. (1) RED1 Dan Wheeler, Savage, Minn.
2. (4) 15W Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn.
3. (3) 1 Jon Van Minsel, Spring Grove, Minn.
4. (2) 20J Jackson Hale, Grand Meadow, Minn.
5. (6) 88D Nick Frion, Ellsworth, Wis.
6. (5) 12K Casey Knutson, Spring Grove, Minn.

Feature:
1. (6) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
2. (4) 15W Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn.
3. (5) 1 Jon Van Minsel, Spring Grove, Minn.
4. (2) 97X Bob Fort, Fountain City, Wis.
5. (3) 90 Tyler Creeley, Winona, Minn.
6. (11) RED1 Dan Wheeler, Savage, Minn.
7. (1) 23K Erik Kanz, Winona, Minn.
8. (7) 9 Brady Keefe, Stewartville, Minn.
9. (8) 5WX Kyle Jumbeck, Houston, Minn.
10. (13) 83 Kylie Kath, Owatonna, Minn.
11. (9) 13 Ryan Konkel, Winona, Minn.
12. (10) 88 Troy Langowski, Winona, Minn.
13. (17) 39 Ben Anderson, Winona, Minn.
14. (25) 12K Casey Knutson, Spring Grove, Minn.
15. (14) 95X Shaun Walski, Winona, Minn.
16. (15) 80J Lee Jonsgaard, Minnesota City, Minn.
17. (24) 31 Bill Stettner, Inver Grove, Minn.
18. (18) 35X Phillip Dunbar, Rushford, Minn.
19. (19) 48K Scott Kunda, Winona, Minn.
20. (23) 20K Kyle Brown, Minnesota City, Minn.
21. (12) 2 Andrew Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
22. (26) 12 Tucker Breitung, Prior Lake, Minn.
23. (22) 99 Bill Engler, Hixton, Wis.
24. (21) 00R Chad Rosendahl, Houston, Minn.
25. (16) 20J Jackson Hale, Grand Meadow, Minn.
26. (20) 88D Nick Frion, Ellsworth, Wis.