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Greg Parent
NEW RICHMOND, Wisc. (August 1) - A great evening for racing brought out a large crowd for the Friday night show at the 21st Annual Young Oil USA Nationals at the Cedar Lake Speedway on August 1. Time trials, heat races and a pole dash for the open late models would begin their attempt to qualify for the $50,000 to win 100 lap USA Nationals feature race on Saturday night. A complete program for the local area NASCAR late models saw Rick Hanestad defeat Pat Doar in a superb 30 lap race. The action concluded with a spectacular 50 lap WDRL late model makeup feature race for their event that was rained out at the Masters back in June. Brady Smith held off Ashley Anderson by a matter of a few feet to earn a thrilling victory in the WDRL makeup event.
A fine field of 34 NASCAR late models provided fans with some great racing action throughout the night. Ashley Anderson led all ten laps enroute to the win in the first heat race. Each heat would transfer the top five finishers to the feature event with the top three cars eligible for the all-important redraw. Celebrating his 50th season of racing, veteran Canadian driver Tom Nesbitt led the opening three laps in the second heat before pole starter Rick Hanestad blasted by for the win. Fans cheered as underdog and underfunded local driver Jeff Keeney led the first six laps of the third heat race prior to giving way to eventual winner Adam Hensel. The first and only red flag of the evening flew in the fourth heat race for a crash involving five cars just one lap into the race. None of the cars were able to continue. Making his first CLS appearance of the season, Steve Laursen raced to a dominating win.
NASCAR late model B Main action would see twelve cars line up for 12 laps with the top four finishers earning the final transfer spots into their 30 lap main event. After an opening lap incident in turn four required a complete restart, the race clicked off 12 straight green flag laps. Pole sitter Jim Carlson took the early lead with Mike Nutzmann and Keith Foss trailing. Foss moved to second a few laps into the race and soon was challenging Carlson for the lead. On lap 6, Foss made the winning pass. Nutzmann took second a lap later while 8th starter Eric Breeschoten rode past Carlson for third on the next lap. Carlson was able to hold on to the last transfer spot ahead of Mike Hesselink.
Following the pole dash for the open late models and prior to the WDRL makeup feature, the NASCAR late models lined up 24 cars strong for 30 racing laps. The large crowd was in store for some great racing on the finely prepared 3/8 mile high-banked dirt oval. Marshall Fegers and Pat Doar brought the field around for the green with Doar immediately driving to the top side to take the lead. With Doar showing the way up front, Adam Hensel moved past Fegers for second on lap five. Sixth starter Rick Hanestad was hooked up on the bottom and moving forward. Hanestad got by Hensel for second on lap 7 and set his sights on the leader. With Hanestad reeling in Doar, the lone caution of the race tightened the field up with 13 laps in the books when Eric Breeschoten stopped at the end of the front stretch and required wrecker assistance to the pits. This would set the stage for a very entertaining 17 lap run to the finish. With Doar running high and Hanestad running low on the track, the race resumed as a great battle for the top spot developed. Hanestad got by Doar on lap 16 for the lead, but two laps later Doar moved back by at the same time Brent Larson drove past Hensel for third. Doar narrowly led three laps before Hanestad came back to the front on lap 21. Two laps later Doar resumed the lead in lapped traffic with Hanestad applying the pressure. Hanestad was not to be denied, and he once again got underneath Doar on lap 26 for the lead. Hanestad was able to hold off Doar over the remaining four laps enroute to a thrilling victory. Doar finished second ahead of Larson, Hensel and 12th starter Ashley Anderson. Rounding out the top ten finishers were Dave Cain, Cory Mahder, Steve Laursen, 16th starter Joey Jensen, and Kelly Anderson. Although fans had just watched a superb NASCAR late model feature, they were in store for a spectacular WDRL Masters makeup race as well.
Race Results:
NASCAR Impact Printing Late Models
Heat 1- Ashley Anderson, Marshall Fegers, Pat Doar, Kelly Anderson, Jake Redetzke, Lance Mathees, Keith Foss, AJ Diemel, Bryan Wennen
Heat 2- Rick Hanestad, Tom Nesbitt, Cory Mahder, Pete Parker, Joey Jensen, Chuckie DeSmith, Jeff Martire, Dave Friendt, Brent Laursen
Heat 3- Adam Hensel, Brent Larson, Jeff Keeney, Ron Schreiner, Toby Patchen, Jim Carlson, Mike Bear, Mike Hesselink
Heat 4- Steve Laursen, Dave Cain, Rick Egersdorf, Gregg Hill, Caley Emerson, Mike Nutzmann, Eric Breeschoten, Jeff Provinzino
B Main- Foss, Nutzmann, Breeschoten, Carlson, Hesselink, Martire, Wennen, Friendt, DeSmith, Laursen, Bear, Diemel
A Main- Hanestad, Doar, Larson, Hensel, Anderson, Cain, Mahder, Laursen, Jensen, Anderson, Egersdorf, Nutzmann, Fegers, Keeney, Foss, Nesbitt, Schreiner, Hill, Emerson, Patchen, Redetzke, Parker, Breeschoten, Carlson, Bear
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