FOUNTAIN CITY, Wis. -- As the 2013 racing season cruises deeper into the final complete month of on-track competition at Mississippi Thunder Speedway, some points battles are heating up, while others are being decided.

Josh Angst turned an outside second row starting spot into a feature win, and his battle to the front was lengthy and required much patience. This win was only the third notch in Angst’s belt for the season at Mississippi Thunder Speedway.

The Rivercity Manufacturing USRA Modified Sugar Loaf Ford 25, looked ready to be a surprise first time win for 2009 track champion John Doelle as the Arcadia racer turned a pole position starting spot into a commanding lead through the first 21 laps of the 25-lap main event.

But on that 22 lap, Angst was there to offer a challenge and take the lead.

“I went to the bottom early, and it wasn’t quite as good, and then I found the top side, and it was working really good up there, so I made the move for the lead there,” Angst said. “I knew I had to slingshot by him, but then I knew if I got back to the top I’d be good again.”

And that’s exactly how the pass for the lead, and eventual win went for the 2010 track champion.

Based on his read of the track, Angst was able to nibble away at an almost 6 car-length lead that Doelle had established over the first 21 circuits, before catching Doelle’s #94JR and making that ‘slingshot’ pass for the lead.

“At first they watered the track, and it was a little tight,” Angst said. “I was kind of hoping it would slick off and waited and waited, and finally the track came to me I guess you could say.”

Despite losing the lead with the end in sight, Doelle’s second place finish was still a strong showing as the USRA Modified racers prepare for the arrival of the USMTS stars and Cars next Friday night for the running of the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup presented by the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Winona.

Dan Bohr, Eric Pember and Bob Timm completed the top-5 finishing positions in the 19-car main event.

Jacob Bleess has once again found his stride, and that stride is returning him to his winning ways. The young Chatfield, Minn., driver visited victory lane for the fourth time this season, after stretching a lead out over defending track champion and second heat race winner Erik Kanz, who finished second.

Third heat race winner Jake Timm finished third ahead of another strong run for Tyler Creeley in fourth and Josh Angst in fifth.

Next Friday night, Aug. 16, sees the return of the USMTS stars and cars to Mississippi Thunder Speedway with the running of the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup prsented by the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Winona. The USMTS action will be joined by the rest of the fields on the big 1/3-mile with the first green flag scheduled for 7 p.m.

Mississippi Thunder Speedway is located 3.0 miles north of Fountain City on SR 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, Aug. 9, 2013

USRA MODIFIEDS

Heat #1:
1. (2) 11 Lance Hofer, Cochrane
2. (4) 66 Dan Bohr, Decorah, Iowa
3. (6) 89 Eric Pember, Pittsville
4. (3) 90 Steve Wetzstein, West Concord, Minn.
5. (1) 94JR John Doelle, Arcadia
6. (8) 6T7 Brian Albrecht, Winona, Minn.
7. (7) 10 Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
8. (9) 44 Leroy Scharkey, Rochester, Minn.
9. (5) 77 Tom Brink, Winona, Minn.
10. (10) 15 Chris Loberg, Menomonie

Heat #2:
1. (6) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn.
2. (4) 59 Hank Rollinger Jr., Buffalo City
3. (8) 95 Keith Foss, Winona, Minn.
4. (9) 49 Bob Timm, Winona, Minn.
5. (2) 99L Steve Lavasseur, River Falls
6. (7) 54 Jeremy Houle, Ham Lake, Minn.
7. (3) 13-2 Bryan Hessler, Chetek
8. (1) 86 Phil Wernert, Galesville
9. (5) 24 Brad Waits, Rochester, Minn.

Feeature:
1. (4) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn.
2. (1) 94JR John Doelle, Arcadia
3. (3) 66 Dan Bohr, Decorah, Iowa
4. (7) 89 Eric Pember, Pittsville
5. (5) 49 Bob Timm, Winona, Minn.
6. (10) 11 Lance Hofer, Cochrane
7. (19) 24 Brad Waits, Rochester, Minn.
8. (2) 99L Steve Lavasseur, River Falls
9. (12) 54 Jeremy Houle, Ham Lake, Minn.
10. (13) 10 Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
11. (17) 77 Tom Brink, Winona, Minn.
12. (11) 6T7 Brian Albrecht, Winona, Minn.
13. (15) 44 Leroy Scharkey, Rochester, Minn.
14. (6) 59 Hank Rollinger Jr., Buffalo City
15. (14) 13-2 Bryan Hessler, Chetek
16. (18) 15 Chris Loberg, Menomonie
17. (16) 86 Phil Wernert, Galesville
18. (8) 90 Steve Wetzstein, West Concord, Minn.
19. (9) 95 Keith Foss, Winona, Minn.

USRA B-MODS

Heat #1:
1. (1) 23K Erik Kanz, Winona, Minn.
2. (2) 28 Parker Hale, Grand Meadow, Minn.
3. (4) 15W Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn.
4. (3) 19X Josh Angst, Winona, Minn.
5. (5) 12K Casey Knutson, Spring Grove, Minn.
6. (8) 5WX Kyle Jumbeck, Houston, Minn.
7. (7) 58K Taylor Knutson, Caledonia, Minn.
8. (6) 80J Lee Jonsgaard, Minnesota City, Minn.

Heat #2:
1. (1) 4G Chris Gilbertson, Trempealeau
2. (3) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
3. (6) 90 Tyler Creeley, Winona, Minn.
4. (5) 14X Dan Hesch, Acadia
5. (8) 8X Darran Jonsgaard, Fountain City
6. (7) 35X Phillip Dunbar, Rushford, Minn.
7. (2) 95X Shaun Walski, Winona, Minn.
8. (4) 12 Tucker Breitung, Prior Lake, Minn.

Heat #3:
1. (5) 10 Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
2. (1) 9 Brady Keefe, Stewartville, Minn.
3. (2) 44 Brandon Reutzel, Winona, Minn.
4. (4) 13 Ryan Konkel, Winona, Minn.
5. (6) 20K Kyle Brown, Minnesota City, Minn.
6. (7) 34F Nick Frion, Ellsworth
7. (3) 54 John Feirn, Chippewa Falls

Feature:
1. (1) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
2. (5) 23K Erik Kanz, Winona, Minn.
3. (12) 10 Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
4. (8) 90 Tyler Creeley, Winona, Minn.
5. (7) 19X Josh Angst, Winona, Minn.
6. (9) 28 Parker Hale, Grand Meadow, Minn.
7. (6) 9 Brady Keefe, Stewartville, Minn.
8. (21) 95X Shaun Walski, Winona, Minn.
9. (14) 8X Darran Jonsgaard, Fountain City
10. (4) 4G Chris Gilbertson, Trempealeau
11. (16) 5WX Kyle Jumbeck, Houston, Minn.
12. (10) 13 Ryan Konkel, Winona, Minn.
13. (23) 12 Tucker Breitung, Prior Lake, Minn.
14. (11) 44 Brandon Reutzel, Winona, Minn.
15. (20) 58K Taylor Knutson, Caledonia, Minn.
16. (18) 34F Nick Frion, Ellsworth
17. (3) 14X Dan Hesch, Acadia
18. (22) 80J Lee Jonsgaard, Minnesota City, Minn.
19. (13) 12K Casey Knutson, Spring Grove, Minn.
20. (19) 54 John Feirn, Chippewa Falls
21. (2) 15W Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn.
22. (17) 35X Phillip Dunbar, Rushford, Minn.
23. (15) 20K Kyle Brown, Minnesota City, Minn.