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Greg Parent
NEW RICHMOND, Wisc. (August 29) - On a cool and windy late summer evening, the Cedar Lake Speedway crowned their 2009 track point champions on Season Championship and Fan Appreciation Night Saturday August 29th. Earning point titles in the four weekly NASCAR sanctioned divisions were Rick Egersdorf in the NASCAR Late Models, Darrell Nelson in the NASCAR Modifieds, Greg Nippoldt in the NASCAR Pro Stocks, and Jason Vandekamp in the NASCAR Midwest Modifieds. For Egersdorf, it was his thirteenth track point championship dating back to 1976. Nelson, Nippoldt and Vandekamp earned their first-ever CLS track point titles. Each track champion was interviewed by CLS announcer Chris Stepan following the feature race in their divisions.
Only one track point champion was able to win the feature race in their division however. Jason Vandekamp put an exclamation mark on his night by winning the 20 lap NASCAR Midwest Modified main event, as he passed race leader Eric Herbison with five laps to go. The point battle in the NASCAR Pro Stock division came down to their feature race between Greg Nippoldt and Tim Borgeson. Borgeson got by Nippoldt for the lead and eventual victory with three laps to go in their 20 lap feature. It was a fitting finish with Borgeson winning the battle on this night but Nippoldt emerging as the victor in the season-long point battle. Although he waited until the final night of the regular season, Craig "Wildchild" Brightbill showed a strong field of NASCAR Modifieds the quick way around the 3/8 mile high-banked oval for 20 laps to gain his first win of the season. Steve Laursen capped off the evening with a dominating performance in the 30 lap NASCAR Late Model main event to record his second win of the season. Track officials moved the program along quickly for the 111 cars on hand completing the 16 event season championship finale at a very respectable 9:58 PM on a night that the weather felt more like late October rather than late August.
As the final race of the regular season rumbled trackside, 25 NASCAR Late Models lined up for thirty ground-pounding laps of racing action. Rick Egersdorf had already locked up the track point title, so the focus would be on who would win the final event before the popular late model division returns for action at the Legendary 100 a few weeks later. Steve Laursen and Chad Mahder were on the front row. During the pace laps, John Kaanta stalled in turn one with some type of transmission problem and was pushed to the pits. The remaining 24 cars roared to life with Steve Laursen swiftly moving to the top spot followed by fourth starter Mike Bear, Darrell Nelson, Mahder, and Jake Redetzke. The first caution flew when Dave Friendt dropped a driveshaft in turn one and coasted to a stop with eight laps in. With the race under green again, Laursen was long gone up front. Redetzke moved past Nelson for third on lap 12. By this time, a very good battle had developed for the firth spot between Chad Mahder, Pat Doar and Adam Hensel. Doar was able to gain the position on lap fifteen, but the battle amongst those three cars continued. As Mahder moved back by Doar on lap 20, contact on the following lap between Doar and Hensel resulted in Doar spinning to the turn three infield while Hensel stopped on the frontstretch in need of wrecker assistance. Hensel was charged with the caution and Doar was placed back in the sixth spot. When the race restarted, many fans took note that Mike Nutzmann had moved from nineteenth to eighth. Nutzmann's charge forward was not done yet by any means. Laursen once again built up a comfortable lead over Bear, Redetzke, Nelson and Chad Mahder. The final caution flew with 27 laps in when Pat Doar slowed with a flat tire and dropped out of the race. In a dominating performance, Steve Laursen went on to record his second win of the season at CLS. Mike Bear turned in his best effort of the season with a solid second place finish. Jake Redetzke was third in front of fellow Eau Claire driver Chad Mahder. Mike Nutzmann completed his outstanding drive forward with a fine fifth place finish, as he gained fourteen positions from his original starting spot. Completing the top ten finishers were Darrell Nelson, Cory Mahder, track point champion Rick Egersdorf, Rick Hanestad, and Chuck DeSmith. Heat race wins went to Laursen, Hanestad and Doar.
NASCAR Late Models (25 Cars)
Heat 1- Steve Laursen, Adam Hensel, Rick Egersdorf, Jake Redetzke, Brent Larson, John Kaanta, Mike Nutzmann, Jeff Keeney, Jake Hartung
Heat 2- Rick Hanestad, Chad Mahder, Darrell Nelson, Eric Breeschoten, Davin Larson, Jim Carlson, Toby Patchen, TJ Adams
Heat 3- Pat Doar, Cory Mahder, Mike Bear, Chuckie DeSmith, Bryan Wennen, Ronnie Rihn, Dave Friendt, Dennis Larson
A Main- Laursen, Bear, Redetzke, Chad Mahder, Nutzmann, Nelson, Mahder, Egersdorf, Hanestad, DeSmith, Breeschoten, Larson, Hartung, Rihn, Carlson, Patchen, Keeney, Wennen, D Larson, Doar, Hensel, Dennis Larson, Adams, Friendt, Kaanta
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