UPDATE: Since the publication of this article, Mississippi Thunder Speedway has announced that this event has been postponed due to rain and impending cold weather. The event has been rescheduled for Sept. 27.
FOUNTAIN CITY — With the arrival of spring comes a new season of racing at the Mississippi Thunder Speedway dirt track.
This season’s schedule kicks off Friday with the return of the Interstate Racing Association for the Bumper to Bumper IRA 410 Winged Sprint Series’ inaugural Spring Sizzler.
After the season opener scheduled for April 5-6 was canceled because of rain, this weekend’s Wisconsin doubleheader at MTS and Beaver Dam Speedway will serve as the start of the 2024 season.
The IRA Sprint Series — a touring series that’s operated since 1967 and runs races in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana and North Dakota — will return to Fountain City for their second-ever race at the track and first since 2012. That event was won by 10-time series champion Bill Balog.
People are also reading…
A new season for the IRA Sprint Series provides an opportunity for a new champion with last year’s series champion and rookie of the year Brenham Crouch taking his talents to the High Limits Series.
Jordan Goldesberry from Springfield, Illinois, returns to the series in search of his second title. Goldesberry won the title in 2022 and finished second to Crouch last season. Goldesberry had three wins and 17 top-10 finishes in 27 features.
Also in the title hunt is Jake Blackhurst, a two-time champion who led the standing last season before moving to a part-time schedule. The Hanna City, Illinois, native piloted the No. 96 to three top-five finishes last year.
Sheboygan Falls’ Travis Arenz finished third in the standings as a rookie last season and won the Scott Semmelmann Memorial in Plymouth.
Along with the winged sprints in the main event, weekly series seasons begin for the USRA Modifieds, B-Mods and Hobby Stocks.
Defending modified champion and Winona’s own Josh Angst looks to build off three wins in nine features last season. Fellow natives of Minnesota J.T. Wasmund and Brandon Davis III look to take their place atop the standings after each picking up one win last season.
In the B-Mods, Flyin’ Ryan Olson of Strum beat out Chippewa Falls’ Dylan Goettl by just 17 points for the title last season. On Friday, Olson will look to do something he didn’t do last season and win a B-Mod feature.
The duo of Chris Hovden and Devin Holthaus from Creston, Iowa, won nine of 10 Hobby Stock features last season with Hovden winning the series title. They return hoping to continue their domination.