Lee Grosz Sweeps To UMSS Sprint Win At CLS
(Mahder, Gross, Ayotte & Hanestad Top NASCAR Features)
New Richmond, WI (5-3-14)
By: Greg Parent

Following a week filled with rainy weather, the Cedar Lake Speedway hosted the first of three UMSS sprint car events on a partly cloudy, cool and windy early May evening.  Lee Grosz of Harwood, ND had a clean weep in UMSS action, winning his heat, challenge race and the feature for his first CLS victory and third career UMSS triumph.  2010 NASCAR track champion Chad Mahder got past Eric Breeschoten on lap 13 en route to the late model feature win.  Jason Gross topped a short field of NASCAR Modifieds for his 8th CLS victory in that division.  In a very entertaining NASCAR Pro Stock feature, young Adam Ayotte earned his second CLS win over defending track champion Mike Loomis.  Ayotte's margin of victory was by less than one car length at the checkers.  Buddy Hanestad made it two straight with another hornet feature victory.

Moving at a steady pace through the twelve preliminary events, the NASCAR Pro Stock feature lined up for 20 laps around the 3/8 mile high-banked dirt oval.  Ben Hanke hustled to the early lead from his pole starting position with Jeff Heintz and Donna Jo Schmidt close behind.  Sixth starter Adam Ayotte was strong on the bottom and began his march to the front while eight starter Mike Loomis was working the high side.  On lap 14, Ayotte finally moved past Hanke for the lead.  The lone caution waved with 15 laps in the books and set up a five lap dash to the checkers with Mike Loomis now in second.  Loomis made it very close at the checkers, but Ayotte was able to hold him off for an exciting win.  Schmidt recorded her best CLS finish in third with Heintz and Marcus Simonson completing the top five.  Heintz and Loomis won the heat races.

For the second week in a row, the NASCAR Hornet feature ran nonstop.  Also for the second time, Buddy Hanestad led all 12 laps for his second win of the season and third career CLS victory.  Chris Dyke, Todd Tacheny, William Voeltz and Brandon Opsahl rounded out the top five.  Hanestad and Dan Knish topped the heats.

The 15 lap NASCAR Modified feature would see outside front row starter Jason Gross lead all the way for his 8th career feature win in the modified division.  Clayton Wagamon stayed within shouting distance but never seriously challenged Gross up front.  Paul Niznik, Donnie Lofdahl in his first season behind the wheel of a modified, and pro stock winner Adam Ayotte completed the top five.  The only other modified on hand was Andy Jones.  Andy saw his night end early when the engine in Craig Rabenberg's car expired on lap five of the feature.  Niznik won the heat race earlier in the evening.

Seventeen sprints started the 25 lap UMSS feature and sixteen of them were still running at the checkers.  St. Peter, MN driver Troy Manteufel grabbed the early lead from his pole starting spot.  On lap 3, defending UMSS champion Chris Graf of Glencoe roared past Manteufel.  Eighth starter Lee Grosz wasted little time in beginning his quest for the top spot, as he moved into the top five just four laps into the 25 lap main event.  One lap later following the first of three cautions, Grosz sped into third behind leaders Chris Graf and Rick Kobs.  After the second caution near the halfway mark, Grosz got by Kobs for second.  Grosz had actually taken the lead from Graf early on lap 13, but the final caution blinked on and scoring reverted back to the last fully completed lap.  It didn't take the Harwood hot shoe, driving the potent Howells 4J car, long to find his way to the front once the race went green again.  The versatile Rick Kobs, who has driven just about every type of race car at Cedar Lake, finished second in the Ron Olson entry ahead of 2013 UMSS Champion Chris Graf.  Scott Broty, making his return to sprint car racing after a hard crash last June, looked like he never missed a beat coming from his 10th starting spot to finish fourth.  The motor in Broty's car was only installed just hours before racetime, as he and his son James thrashed to get their cars ready for the first UMSS race of the season.  Tony Norem completed the top five.  Norem is no stranger to CLS, having raced numerous times during the past 20 years or so at the popular western Wisconsin track.  Norem was strong early on, but his B1st sprinter dropped a valve part way through the feature race and was down a cylinder for several laps in the end.  Norem, Kobs and Grosz won the heats while Grosz and Neal Matuska topped the challenge races.

The thundering sound of the NASCAR Late Models would ring through the cool evening air, as they were set for 20 laps in the final feature event.  Eric Breeschoten blasted from his outside front row starting spot into the early lead.  A couple of cautions in the first three laps slowed the pace, but soon it was a two car battle up front between Breeschoten and Chad Mahder.  Lap 13 proved to be fortunate for Mahder, as he took the lead.  The yellow blinked on for the final time one lap later, but Breeschoten was not able to retake the top spot in the final six lap run to the checkers.  John Kaanta, making his season debut, finished third ahead of Steve Laursen (4th last week as well), and Nick Herrick.  The heat races were won by Breeschoten and Kaanta.

Next week is the extremely popular School Bus Night.  This will be the 10th Annual event for the school bus races at CLS.  Joining the buses on the program will be the NASCAR Midwest Modifieds and Hornets along with the NVRS vintage cars.   Check out our website at www.cedarlakespeedway.com to get information on upcoming races, results, photos, news and much more.  You can call us toll free at 1-866-4-CLS-FUN or make sure to become a friend of CLS on our Facebook page.

RACE SUMMARY for May 3, 2014 (UMSS Spring Sprint Special)

UMSS Sprint Car Feature (25 laps): Lee Grosz, Rick Kobs, Chris Graf, Scott Broty, Tony Norem, Troy Manteufel, Jamey Ogston, James Broty, Jerry Richert Jr, Jared Goerges, Tony Kaus, Ryan Bowers, Anna Kouba, Neal Matuska, Chad Patterson, Bob McVitty, Reed Allex.
NASCAR Late Model Feature (20 laps): Chad Mahder, Eric Breeschoten, John Kaanta, Steve Laursen, Nick Herrick, Jake Redetzke, Jim Carlson, Gregg Hill, Lucas Peterson, Terry Lillo, Greg Nippoldt, Ben Hanke.

NASCAR Modified Feature (15 laps): Jason Gross, Clayton Wagamon, Paul Niznik, Donnie Lofdahl, Adam Ayotte, Andy Jones.

NASCAR Pro Stock Feature (20 laps): Adam Ayotte, Mike Loomis, Donna Jo Schmidt, Jeff Heintz, Marcus Simonson, Dale Gangl, Larry Fitzsimmons, Cody Campeau, Mike Hesselink, Ryan Gangl, Dustin Sanders, Matthew Dibb, Denny Schouveller, Ben Hanke, Brian Weber.

NASCAR Hornet Feature (12 laps): Buddy Hanestad, Chris Dyke, Todd Tacheny, William Voeltz, Brandon Opsahl, Darrell Johnson, Dan Knish, Charles Eckl, Natalie Rogers, Tyler Karg, Derrick Johnson, Brian Adams.