This message was edited on
May 10, 2009 at
12:53:51 PM by grp
New Winners Plentiful on Quick-Paced Night at Cedar Lake Speedway
New Richmond, WI
by Greg Parent (5-9-09)
New winners were plentiful on the fifth night of the season at the Cedar Lake Speedway in a very quick-paced evening of NASCAR dirt track racing action. A cool spring evening on Whelen Night for the weekly NASCAR racing divisions saw new winners emerge in three of the four classes. Making his first appearance of the season, Andy Jones returned to the track where he recorded his first win a couple of years ago and drove past last week's winner Bob Smith on lap 6 enroute to victory in NASCAR midwest modified division. Jason Schill was the only repeat winner, as he put on a strong performance in the NASCAR super stocks taking the lead on lap 8 from Ryan Wiome in a race slowed only once for an early caution. It was Schill's second win of the season at CLS. Although the NASCAR modifieds had some difficulty getting their feature race underway, the final 17 laps ran green with Jason Miller picking up his first win of the season when he moved around race leader Darrell Nelson just past the halfway mark. The 30 lap NASCAR late model feature ran nonstop and show-cased a very good battle between Pat Doar and Darrell Nelson for a good share of the race. Nelson was able to gain the advantage in lapped traffic and went on to record his first late model victory of the season.
As usual, the NASCAR midwest modifieds are the first class to come trackside for their feature event. Bob Smith and Dave Siercks brought the 25 car field to the green for 20 laps of racing. The race was immediately under the red flag on the opening lap when Jared Gorka bounced off the concrete wall exiting turn two and came down the track in front of several cars. Todd Stefen, E J Heitala, and Ryan Nieters had nowhere to go and got collected in the wreck. All four cars were out. The second attempt saw Bob Smith edge past Dave Siercks to lead the opening lap, but Siercks came back strong and returned the favor on lap 2. Smith regained the top spot the next lap. A caution with four laps in for a Kenny Jordan spin kept the field bunched up. Two laps after the green replaced the yellow, fifth starter Andy Jones moved around Smith for the lead. A lap later, the race was under caution when fifth place runner Tony Schill looped his car in turn four. Jones led Smith and Siercks on the restart. The race then ran eleven green flag laps with Jones maintaining the lead over Smith. Jeremy Houle worked his way to third while Shawn Phillips and Jason Vandekamp were working their way forward from their row six starting spots. With 17 laps in, the third place car of Jeremy Houle got sideways in turn two and collected the lapped car of Ben Johnson. This set the stage for a quick three lap dash to the checkers. Andy Jones was able to hold on for his first win of the season in his first appearance, as positions changed hands behind him. Both Phillips and Vandekamp were able to get past Smith on lap 19 in a wild scramble for the runnerup spot. Shawn Phillips rode home in second ahead of Jason Vandekamp while Bob Smith settled for fourth in front of Mike Gibson. Completing the top ten were Eric Herbison, Dave Siercks, 14th starter Lucas Milz, 23rd starter A J Roschen, and 19th starter Kyle Steffen. Heat race winners included Jones, Siercks and Houle.
The NASCAR super stock feature race saw Mike Loomis and Cody Campeau on the front row. Loomis led the opening lap, as a pack of cars battled for the top spots. Ryan Wiome came from fourth to first in just two laps, as the lone caution of the race waved for a spin by rookie Mike Dyrdahl. It would be 18 nonstop laps of green flag racing to the finish. Wiome continued to lead Loomis and a host of others on the restart. Jim Gullikson, Jason Schill and Greg Nippoldt were making their presence felt in the lead group along with rookie Tyler Boumeester. Schill got past Gullikson for third on lap 5 while Nippoldt cracked the top five a lap later. As Wiome and Loomis raced for the lead, Schill was hooked up and hauling. On lap 8, Schill moved from third to first with a whisper of white smoke trailing his car. Tim Borgeson came from 15th to run sixth when he nudged past Justin Stahl on lap 8 as well. With Schill showing the way up front, the battle continued behind him. At the halfway mark, Loomis had regained the runnerup spot ahead of Nippoldt, Wiome and Gullikson. Nippoldt moved past Loomis for second a lap later while Gullikson edged by Wiome. Schill began working lapped traffic on lap 13, but the lapped cars did little to hamper his strong run. With 17 laps in, Stahl moved by Wiome for fifth. The running order up front remained the same to the checkers with Jason Schill earning his second victory of the season at CLS since joing the Mueller team three weeks ago. Greg Nippoldt, Mike Loomis, Jim Gullikson and Justin Stahl completed the top five. Rounding out the top ten were Tim Borgeson, Ryan Wiome, Chad Johnson, Brian Lick and rookie Shawn Kammerud. Heat race wins went to Gullikson and Justin Dodge.
It was a tough time getting the NASCAR modified main event underway in the early laps with no less than five cautions in the first three laps. The race then went 17 laps nonstop to the finish. Rick Kobs and Craig Brightbill paced the field to the green. Kobs grabbed the lead on the opening lap, but Brightbill blasted by up top to lead the second lap. This is when the race got bogged down under caution. The first yellow appeared when Jason Gross and Dave Lear stopped in turn three. Gross retired from the race while Lear continued. A series of three spins on three attempts to restart the race prevented a lap from being completed. Finally the race got going with Brightbill up front, but just one lap later the fifth and final caution waved when Scott Kobs slowed to exit the track and Jake Jay glanced off his car and smacked the turn one wall head on. The red light was displayed in order to make sure Jay was okay. He was and the race resumed. The race would go nonstop to the finish then. Darrell Nelson moved past Kobs for second a couple laps after the green blinked on while Jason Miller cracked the top five. On lap 7, Nelson drove underneath Brightbill for the lead while Miller moved past Kobs for third. Miller continued his march forward, taking second from Brightbill two laps later. Ron Schreiner was also advancing from his 9th starting spot and edged by Brightbill for third. At the halfway mark, it was Nelson, Miller, Schreiner, Kobs and Brightbill. With Miller working the middle area of the track and Nelson glued to the inside lane by the tires, Miller drove around Nelson for the lead on lap 11. The running order up front remained the same the rest of the way, as Miller held the lead over Nelson. Jason Miller went on to earn his first victory of the season over three-time winner Darrell Nelson. Ron Schreiner ran a solid third ahead of Rick Kobs and Craig Brightbill. The remaining top ten spots were occupied by Mike Kelley Jr, Jeff Lein, 17th starter Scott Duvall, Jeremy Gross, and Dave Friendt. Heat races were won by Erik Peterson and Schreiner.
With light sprinkles falling, the sound of the big late model motors filled the air with 23 cars slated for 30 fast-paced laps of NASCAR dirt track racing. The famous words of announcer Chris Stepan rang out over the PA system, as Pat Doar and Darrell Nelson brought the field to life. Doar bolted into the lead at the drop of the green, but just one lap later Nelson worked underneath Doar for the top spot. Nelson found the bottom lane to his liking just like he had in the modified feature and proceeded to hold off Doar while Rick Hanestad ran third. A very entertaining battle for the lead began to play out as the laps rolled by under green between Nelson and Doar. The two drivers were never separated by more than a few cars lengths. Doar continued to charge back in the middle and high lanes while Nelson stayed on the bottom. Doar regained the lead on lap 12, as the leaders began to encounter a few lapped cars. The side-by-side race for the top spot saw Nelson once again move under Doar on lap 18 for the lead. With a group of three lapped cars just in front of them and Hanestad closing in from his third spot, Nelson worked the lapped traffic masterfully over the course of the next two laps. When Nelson emerged from the lapped cars on lap 20, he was able to open up a several car length lead over Doar and Hanestad. With no caution to close the margin, Darrell Nelson earned a hard fought victory for his first NASCAR late model win of the season. Pat Doar held off Rick Hanestad for second with 10th starter Rick Egersdorf fourth ahead of Eric Breeschoten who was making his first appearance of the young season. Completing the top ten finishers were Kelly Anderson, Jake Redetzke, Steve Laursen, 17th starter John Kaanta, and Adam Hensel in the 30 lap nonstop run to the checkers. Earning heat race wins were Laursen, Doar and Hensel.
The quick-paced program was completed shortly after 9:00 PM, and the threat of rain only materialized with a few sprinkles during the modifed and late model features. Fans had ample time to head to the pits, back to their campers or make their way home at the conclusion of another fun-filled evening of Saturday night dirt track racing at the western Wisconsin track. Racing action continues next Saturday night May 16 with the 4th Annual School Bus Race Night. There is always a large crowd on hand for this popular event featuring race buses from several local area schools. An added attraction will see the return of the Winged Outlaw Modifieds with their first appearance of the season at the track that made this class of cars famous during the 1980s era. A full program of NASCAR late models and midwest modifieds will also be in action. The NASCAR super stocks and regular modifieds have the night off, although several modified teams are expected to bolt a wing on their mod and give the winged racing a try. Racing action gets underway at 6:30 PM with regular admission prices in effect. Come on out and enjoy another entertaining evening of Saturday night dirt track racing at the Cedar Lake Speedway.
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