New Richmond, WI
by Greg Parent (7-31-09 & 8-1-09)
Nick Anvelink had a stellar night at the Cedar Lake Speedway on Saturday August 1st when he swept both NASCAR Late Model feature races during the running of the 22nd Annual USA Nationals before a near-capacity crowd. Rain on Friday evening postponed the scheduled NASCAR Late Model feature race until Saturday giving racers and fans double features in the NASCAR portion of the show. Anvelink led all 30 laps in convincing style enroute to recording his first-ever win at the Cedar Lake Speedway during the make-up NASCAR feature race. Later on in the evening, Anvelink came from the 12th starting position to pass race leader Keith Foss on lap 19 and went on to earn his second win of the night. Anvelink was nearly perfect in the NASCAR portion of the show, as he won his heat race on Friday night and finished second in his heat on Saturday night. Anvelink also participated in the open late model part of the program with the same car and completed 99 laps in the big USA National 100 feature event to cap off a very busy evening for the Bonduel, Wisconsin driver.
On Friday night July 31st, the NASCAR Late Models opened their first night of action at the USA Nationals with a strong field of 41 cars on hand in addition to 63 open late models for a total of 104 cars. The large crowd saw 10 lap heat race victories go to Adam Hensel, Rick Hanestad, Nick Anvelink and Pete Parker. Terry Anvelink topped Lance Matthees, Pat Doar and Jesse Redetzke in the 15 lap B Main just moments before rain started falling. Track officials had hurried the Friday night show along as quickly as they could, but the 30 lap NASCAR Late Model feature race fell victim to the weather and was postponed until Saturday night.
Kicking off racing action on Saturday night was the NASCAR Late Model main event from Friday evening. Joel Cryderman and Nick Anvelink brought the 24 car field to the green, but a crash on the backstretch involving four cars quickly brought the race under caution. All cars were able to continue, and when the green light blinked on it was Nick Anvelink blasting into the early lead over Cryderman. As Anvelink began to pull away from the field, the battle for several spots behind him heated up. The leaders encountered lapped traffic on lap 10. Anvelink continued a blistering pace around the 3/8 mile high-banked oval to extend his lead. Just past the midway mark, Brent Larson began to challenge Cryderman for the runner-up spot while working in heavy lapped traffic. Larson ducked underneath Cryderman for second on lap 21 while Steve Laursen, Mike Goodremote and Rick Hanestad began to close in. The race remained under green flag racing while the battle for second heated up in the late stages with several lapped cars in the mix. Nick Anvelink was long gone though when the checkered flag waved at the conclusion of 30 nonstop laps of NASCAR Late Model feature racing. It was Anvelinks first career feature win at the Cedar Lake Speedway earning $2,500 for the victory. Following Anvelink was Brent Larson, Joel Cryderman, Steve Laursen and Mike Goodremote to complete the top five. Rounding out the top ten finishers were Rick Hanestad, Adam Hensel, Tim Isenberg, Pete Parker, and Zach Johnson. Only four cars failed to finish the race while five cars were lapped. An interesting feat not often seen in dirt track racing occurred when Pat Doar went a lap down on lap 17 but managed to unlap himself on lap 27 to finish on the lead lap. Although it did not count for position, Doar was the only driver to actually pass the race winner.
A very stout field of 43 NASCAR Late Models were on hand Saturday night to compete in their part of the program in front of one of the largest crowds in USA Nationals history. Winners of the 10 lap heat races included Ashley Anderson, Paul Parker, Cory Mahder, and Tim Isenberg. Mahder had destroyed a car the previous Saturday night in a wild ride on the backstretch. The crew worked long hours during the week to put together a new car for the two day NASCAR show. Jesse Redetzke won the 15 lap B Main over Steve Laursen, Pete Parker and Mike Nutzmann, as those four cars earned starting spots in the 30 lap feature race.
Prior to the running of the 100 lap USA National race for the open late models, the NASCAR Late Models lined up 24 cars strong for their 30 lap main event. Keith Foss and Tim Isenberg occupied the front row. Foss flew to the early lead over fourth starter Joel Cryderman. The only caution of the race blinked on early with just three laps in the books when Eric Pember spun in turn four. It would then be 27 laps nonstop to the finish. Foss continued his lead over Cryderman with Isenberg in third. Scott Gilberts and Pat Doar swapped the fourth spot a few times until 12th starter Nick Anvelink suddenly appeared in the battle. Anvelink moved under Doar in turn two on lap 10 for fifth. Two laps later, a similar move under Gilberts netted him fourth place. Anvelink was not done by any means, as he quickly closed in on Isenberg. On lap 14, Anvelink raced to third while working lapped traffic. Anvelink continued his march to the front the next lap when he drove by Cryderman for second. Foss had built up a bit of a lead by this time, but the margin evaporated quickly when he got trapped behind a lapped car trying to exit the track into the infield. With Anvelink right on the rear bumper of Foss, the two drivers battled for the lead on lap 18. Once again Anvelink made a low groove pass on lap 19 to move past Foss for the lead. Foss stayed close for several laps, but the Winona, MN driver was unable to mount any kind of a serious bid to regain the lead. Nick Anvelink went on to record his second NASCAR Late Model feature win of the night, capping off a very impressive evening in the NASCAR division for the eastern Wisconsin driver. Foss finished second while Scott Gilberts got by Joel Cryderman on the final lap for third. Pat Doar completed the top five. Rounding out the top ten finishers were Tim Isenberg, current track point leader Rick Egersdorf, Ashley Anderson, Gregg Hill in his career best CLS finish, and Paul Parker. Anvelink earned another $2,500 winner's check for his effort. Each season the Anvelink racing family makes two or three trips west from their eastern Wisconsin home tracks to compete at CLS, and on this night they certainly had their most memorable evening ever with Nick Anvelink sweeping the NASCAR Late Model feature races.
Racing action continues next Saturday night at the Cedar Lake Speedway with the running of the Elmer Cook Memorial. The four weekly NASCAR sanctioned divisions will return to action with the late models, modifieds, pro stocks and midwest modifieds joined by the NVRA Vintage Cars in competition. For more information on the remaining racing schedule, ticket prices, or other information, please visit our website at www.cedarlakespeedway.com or call 1-866-4CLS-FUN.
Friday Results:
Impact Printing Late Models
Heat 1- Adam Hensel, Brent Larson, Mike Goodremote, Keith Foss, Eric Pember, Terry Anvelink, Pat Doar, Rick Egersdorf, Bob Slater, Luke Strandlund, Mike Raboin
Heat 2- Rick Hanestad, Cory Mahder, John Kaanta, Zach Johnson, Scott Gilberts, Lance Mathees, Dennis Larson, Nick Herrick, Kelly Anderson, Jake Hartung
Heat 3- Nick Anvelink, Tim Isenberg, Joel Cryderman, Chuckie DeSmith, Mike Nutzmann, Tom Naeyaert, Paul Parker, John Hinkemeyer, Chad Mahder
Heat 4- Pete Parker, Jeff Keeney, Steve Laursen, Travis Budisalovich, Ashley Anderson, Mike Bear, Jim Carlson, Eric Breeschoten, Gregg Hill, Matt Auklund
B Main- Anvelink, Mathees, Doar, Redetzke, Breeschoten, Naeyaert, Egersdorf, Carlson, Hartung, Bear, Anderson, Larson, Strandlund, Slater, Hill, Hinkemeyer, Auklund, Parker, Raboin
A Main- Anvelink, Larson, Cryderman, Laursen, Goodremote, Hanestad, Hensel, Isenberg, Parker, Johnson, Anderson, Kaanta, DeSmith, Mahder, Doar, Foss, Budisalovich, Mathees, Keeney, Nutzmann, Gilberts, T Anvelink, Pember, Redetzke
Saturday Results:
Impact Printing Late Models
Heat 1- A Anderson, N Anvelink, Egersdorf, Auklund, DeSmith, Redetzke, K Anderson, Brust, Greer, Slater, Anvelink
Heat 2- Parker, Foss, Doar, Mathees, Hinkemeyer, Nutzmann, Larson, D Larson, Breeschoten, Hensel, Bear
Heat 3- Mahder, Naeyaert, Cryderman, Pember, Hanestad, Laursen, Mondus, Raboin, Carlson, Budisalovich, Strandlund
Heat 4- Isenberg, Hill, Gilberts, Keeney, J Carlson, Pete Parker, Goodremote, Johnson, Oertel, Kaanta
B Main- Redetzke, Laursen, Parker, Nutzmann, Goodremote, Breeschoten, Larson, Anderson, Oertel, Mondus, Slater, Strandlund, Brust, Greer, Raboin, Carlson, Hensel, Bear, D Larson
A Main- N Anvelink, Foss, Gilberts, Cryderman, Doar, Isenberg, Egersdorf, A Anderson, Hill, Parker, Aukland, Naeyaert, Mathees, Mahder, Hanestad, Laursen, Pember, Keeney, Redetzke, DeSmith, Carlson, Parker, Hinkemeyer, Nutzmann