Firecracker Special at CLS Provides Fantastic Racing
6-28-08 New Richmond, WI
by Greg Parent
The annual Firecracker Special held at the Cedar Lake Speedway on Saturday night June 28 provided some spectacular racing along with a fantastic fireworks display following the races. A great summer evening, a large crowd and a very strong field of 117 cars were on hand in four NASCAR weekly racing divisions highlighted by a season high 41 car turnout in the midwest modified class. Feature race action tonight saw Brent Larson record his third NASCAR late model win of the season at CLS while Dave Cain also racked up his third modified main event victory. Mike Weber raced to his first main event win of the season in the super stocks while young A J Roschen recorded his first-ever career feature win in a thrilling midwest modified main.
The 41 car field for the NASCAR midwest mods required four heat races with A J Roschen, Karth Mitchell, Dane Durbin and Shawn Phillips the winners. The NASCAR super stocks had 20 cars on hand with two heat races. Larry Boumeester and Dan Carlson raced to victory. A solid turnout of 27 NASCAR modifieds meant three heats for this popular division. Dave Cain, Jason Miller and Terry Hanson took first place honors. Rounding out heat race action was the 29 car field in the NASCAR late model division. Cory Mahder, Adam Hensel and Rick Hanestad bested strong contenders in each of their heat races to record wins. With some attrition in a couple of classes, the midwest modifieds were the only class that needed to run a B Main tonight. A full 20 car starting field would see the yellow wave four times and the race ended up being cut short by a couple of laps due to time limit. Paul Fontecchio, Alex Gerlach, Sam Nelson and Josh Bazey earned the final feature race transfer positions.
The first feature race of the evening to come trackside was the 20 car starting grid in the very competitive NASCAR super stock division paced by front row starters Justin Stahl and Rich Bishop. Following an opening lap spin that required a complete restart, the race got going with Rich Bishop bolting into the early from his outside row one starting spot. Bishop led until the second caution of the race slowed the pace with four laps in. On the restart, sixth starter Dan Carlson had worked his way into second and moved past Bishop for the lead. A few laps later an incident on the frontstretch involving Dan Preston and Kevin Ayotte brought the race under its third caution. Mike Weber was up to third and quickly moved into second once the race went green. The final caution waved at the halfway mark when Greg Nippoldt's car lost the right front wheel and came to rest up against the turn one wall. The race then went nonstop to the finish and the battle for the lead was nothing short of spectacular. Carlson and Weber proceeded to have a great battle up front with Carlson leading lap 11, then Weber taking control for lap 12 before Carlson retook the lead on lap 13. Weber kept applying the pressure and was able to regain the lead on lap 17. Ninth starter Larry Boumeester was now in the picture and the three leaders raced close during the final three laps. Weber, who had a preliminary feature win earlier this season, was able to fend off the two challengers and went on to record his first main event victory of the season in a thrilling finish. Boumeester appeared to have second on the final corner from Carlson, but a lapped car got in his way and Carlson was able to move back past for second at the finish line. Boumeester slammed into the back end of the lapped car as they crossed the line to finish third. Rounding out the top five was 8th starter Tim Borgeson and early leader Rich Bishop.
Mike Kelley Jr and Jeremy Gross brought the 26 car starting field for the NASCAR modified feature race down to the green. Gross led the first two laps before third starter Craig "Wild Child" Brightbill roared by on the high side. Scott Duvall soon moved into the runnerup spot but suddenly began slowing and dropped out of the race a couple of laps later. The lone caution of the 20 lap race flew with seven laps in when tenth starter Jason Miller suffered a flat tire and slowed. Miller had been battling for third at the time. His crew changed the tire and he restarted tail-end. Dave Cain was now in second but Brightbill was strong up front. The race clicked off 13 laps straight to the finish with the leaders encountering lapped traffic during the last several laps. On lap 18, Brightbill was slowed slightly by a lapped car and Cain took full advantage of the opportunity to race past for the lead and eventually his third win of the season. Brightbill, who one week earlier saw his bid for a win go up in smoke while leading, had to settle for a solid second place effort. Jason Schill, Jeremy Gross and 18th starter Kevin Viebrock completed the top five.
With two very good feature races already in the books, the 24 car NASCAR midwest modified field saw young A J Roschen and Dave Lear bring them to life for 20 racing laps. The race was immediately under caution for a four car incident with a complete restart necessary. When the green replaced the yellow, Roschen drove to the middle of the track and took the lead. Two laps later, Vince Corbin's night came to an end when he stopped in turn 3 with mechanical woes. Roschen continued to lead on the restart while under serious pressure from Shawn Phillips and a host of cars right behind him. A spin at the halfway mark brought out the third yellow. At this point, fans noticed the forward progress being made by Dan Wheeler and Andy Jones. Roschen maintained his lead running very smooth right in the middle of the track, although he was under constant pressure from Phillips and Bob Smith. The final caution waved when Matt Durbin made contact with the backstretch wall on lap 14 and rode the hook to the pits. Phillips soon retired to the pits himself with a flat tire while attempting to take the lead when the race went back to green. Bob Smith then picked up where Phillips left off in attempting to get by Roschen. The final six laps were spectacular, as 14th starter Dan Wheeler and 17th starter Andy Jones were now in the top five and on the move. Wheeler got by Smith for second on lap 19 while Andy Jones moved to fourth. The last lap saw the leaders race hard for the win, with Roschen, Wheeler and Smith exiting the final corner three wide while the crowd rose to its feet. Roschen had the advantage by a slim margin at the line to record his first-ever career feature win. Wheeler rode home in second just ahead of Smith. Jones was a close fourth while Charlie Hillukka rounded out the top five in his first appearance of the season.
The final event of the night was the 30 lap NASCAR late model feature. Randy Gullixson and Chuck DeSmith paced the large 27 car starting field. DeSmith immediately drove to the lead, but the race was under caution for a five car crash in turn 4. Toby Patchen was unable to continue while Cory Mahder headed to the work area to change a flat tire. Mahder returned to the tail of the field in 26th. The second attempt to get the race underway would not see a lap completed either, as Jim Carlson spun in turn 3 with a flat tire. Like Mahder, Carlson changed his tire and returned to the race at the back of the pack. The third time was the charm and again DeSmith blasted into the lead. Narrowly leading the opening lap, DeSmith soon saw Brent Larson drive underneath him for the lead on lap two. The race ran 23 laps until the next caution with Larson, DeSmith, Eric Breeschoten, Marshall Fegers and Rick Hanestad in the top five. By the time Bob Slater stalled in turn 4, Hanestad had moved up to the second place position and had tracked down Larson in traffic. This would set the stage for a fine finish. Two laps later, the final caution waved when Jeff Martire looped his car in turn 2. A five lap shootout was in order. Breeschoten and DeSmith were strong on the restart, as the two through five spots changed hands a few times. Hanestad got back to second and closed in on Larson with Breeschoten a very close third. Brent Larson was able to hold off those two for his third win of the season. Hanestad, Breeschoten, DeSmith and 15th starter Mike Nutzmann rounded out the top five. Completing the top ten finishers was Rick Egersdorf, Marshall Fegers, 18th starter Mike Goodremote, Randy Gullixson, and Jeff Patchen. Cory Mahder came back from 26th to finish 11th.
The track lights were soon extinguished and the large crowd on hand enjoyed one of the area's best fireworks displays, as CLS is noted for putting on a spectacular display of pyrotechnics at this event each year. With racing and fireworks done at a very reasonable hour, many fans headed to the pits to visit with their favorite drivers while young fans scampered around collecting driver photo cards. A great night of racing came to a close but action would quickly resume the following night with the annual appearance by the World of Outlaws sprint cars along with the NASCAR midwest modified division in action at the popular 3/8 mile Wisconsin oval.
Race Report
NASCAR Impact Printing Late Models 29 cars
Heat 1- Cory Mahder, Randy Gullixson, Jeff Martire, Marshall Fegers, Jim Carlson, Bryan Wennen, Kelly Anderson, Toby Patchen, Brent Mueller, Jay Poidinger
Heat 2- Adam Hensel, Brent Larson, Eric Breeschoten, Rick Egersdorf, Paul Hipsag, Barry Underdahl, Mike Bear, Mike Hesselink, Mike Raboin, Doug Herrick
Heat 3- Rick Hanestad, Ashley Anderson, Charles DeSmith, Jeff Patchen, Mike Nutzmann, Mike Goodremote, Jeff Keeney, Jake Hiatt, Bob Slater
A Main- Larson, Hanestad, Breeschoten, DeSmith, Nutzmann, Egersdorf, Fegers, Goodremote, Gullixson, Patchen, Mahder, Wennen, Anderson, Hipsag, Underdahl, Keeney, Hesselink, Bear, Martire, Carlson Hensel, Anderson, Slater, Mueller, Raboin, Hiatt, T Patchen
NASCAR Amsoil Modifieds 28 cars
Heat 1- Dave Cain, Craig Brightbill, Mike Kelley, Mark Froehlich, Larry Zeller, Don Brightbill, Cory Williams, Bill Stettner, Jason Gross
Heat 2- Jason Miller, Scott Splittstoesser, Dave Lear, Jason Schill, Dave Siercks, Mark Blood, Shaun Kelley, Jake Jay, Ted Marrs
Heat 3- Terry Hanson, Jeremy Gross, Scott Duvall, Rick Kobs, Chris Gorka, Kevin Viebrock, Lonnie Louschke, Keith Lepinski, Scott Pomeroy
A Main- Cain, Brightbill, Schill, Gross, Viebrock, Lear, Splittstoesser, Froehlich, Kelley, Zeller, Hanson, Kobs, Siercks, Blood, Gross, Miller, Kelley, Gorka, Stettner, Louschke, Jay, Lepinski, Pomeroy, D Brightbill, Duvall, Williams
NASCAR Sunoco Super Stocks 20 cars
Heat 1- Larry Boumeester, Mike Weber, Dan Preston, Joel Collins, Rich Bishop, Steve Thomas, Dale Gangl, Jeff Pellersells, Brian Lick, Kevin Ayotte
Heat 2- Dan Carlson, Greg Nippoldt, Justin Stahl, Jim Gullikson, Tim Borgeson, Lyle Archambeau, Ryan Wiome, Brandon Jensen, Justin Dodge, Mike Loomis
A Main- Weber, Carlson, Boumeester, Borgeson, Bishop, Collins, Gullikson, Thomas, Jensen, Wiome, Stahl, Loomis, Pellersells, Dodge, Ayotte, Lick, Gangl, Nippoldt, Preston, Archambeau
NASCAR 3M Midwest Modifieds
Heat 1- AJ Roschen, Clark Perry, Dave Lear, Jeremy Houle, Andy Jones, Paul Fontecchio, Kyle Steffen, Sam Nelson, Jason Hall, Jake Miller, Chad Patterson
Heat 2- Karth Mitchell, Jeremy Kerzman, Vince Corbin, Dan Wheeler, Jason Vandekamp, Alex Gerlach, Patrick McCarthy, Kyle Matuska, Jared Gorka, Toby Meyer
Heat 3- Dane Durbin, Bob Smith, Matt Durbin, Tim Swanson, Tim Siercks, Bryan Siercks, Robbie Franklin, Chad Matuska, Clayton Wagamon
Heat 4- Shawn Phillips, Charlie Hillukka, Mark Trog, Mike Hernke, Todd Steffen, Josh Bazey, Rob Caho Jr, Trevor Alms, John Harer, Steve Strandlund Jr
B Main- Fontecchio, Gerlach, Nelson, Bazey, Wagamon, Caho Jr, Strandlund Jr, Matuska, Franklin, McCarthy, Hall, Gorka, T Siercks, B Siercks, Miller, Meyer, Patterson, Alms, Steffen, K Matuska
A Main- Roschen, Wheeler, Smith, Jones, Hillukka, Kerzman, Perry, Houle, D Durbin, Mitchell, Lear, Hernke, Nelson, Strandlund, Trog, Gerlach, Swanson, Bazey, Steffen, Fontecchio, Phillips, M Durbin, Vandekamp, Corbin,
Cedar Lake Speedway Point Standings as of 6-30-08
|
NASCAR Impact Printing Late Models |
|
Car # |
Driver Name |
Points |
|
B1 |
Brent Larson |
365 |
|
17 |
Rick Egersdorf |
318 |
|
81 |
Ashley Anderson |
297 |
|
8 |
Kelly Anderson |
270 |
|
71H |
Rick Hanestad |
264 |
|
18 |
Mike Hesselink |
216 |
|
2 |
Mike Nutzmann |
198 |
|
05 |
Charles DeSmith |
190 |
|
61 |
Jeff Keeney |
180 |
|
11 |
Pat Doar |
175 |
|
25 |
Toby Patchen |
174 |
|
44H |
Paul Hipsag |
172 |
|
66 |
Eric Breeschoten |
170 |
|
24 |
Mike Bear |
158 |
|
7C |
Jim Carlson |
144 |
|
20 |
Jeff Patchen |
140 |
|
40 |
Bryan Wennen |