A great count of cars were on hand for Winona Radio KAGE Budweiser Night at Mississippi Thunder Speedway Friday night. With three heats in the USRA Modifieds, it proved to be a very exciting night of racing with intense battles.

A hard rain passed through the area earlier in the day on Friday, July 24, which made it a very saturated track at the Mississippi Thunder Speedway, but regular racing festivities got underway and the evening appeared to be well on its way as the sun was out with a gentle breeze.

A overflow crowd was on hand to witness the season opener of the new Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wis., Friday. Highlighted by the USRA Modifieds, the newness of it all rolled into a near complete show by night’s end.

The above average temperatures have allowed track workers to resume work on the newly constructed oval at the Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wis. The frost is nearly out of the ground and more than 2,000 yards of new clay has been hauled in.

Several people gathered at the Hilltop Bar and Ballroom high atop the bluffs of Fountain City, Wis., to honor the final track champions and drivers of the historic three-cornered track.

Bob Timm will be in his 19th year of racing in 2009, but the USRA Modified competitor will be a rookie in the racetrack promotions business as he takes over the reigns of the former Tri-Oval Speedway. With the new role also comes a new configuration for the track, a new clay surface and a new name. The facility will now be known as Mississippi Thunder Speedway.

In what may be a first in organized racing, three of the four drivers that captured the USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Racing Series titles in 2007 repeated the feat in 2008. Brad Waits captured his second straight USRA Modified crown, while the same can be said for Tom Schmitt (USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Cars) and Matt Jones (USRA Karl Chevrolet B-Mods). Jason McDaniel (USRA Hobby Stocks) won his first title after finishing second last year.

Hawkeye Racing News will publish their annual “Hometown Heroes” issue, which is due out Feb. 20. This issue profiles drivers throughout the Midwest in support classes.