Eight Features Close out Regular Season at Cedar Lake Speedway
08/25/07
By Greg Parent
Under partly cloudy skies and pleasant summer weather, racing action returned to the Cedar Lake Speedway on Season Championship Night August 25. With the Saturday August 11 program shortened by rain and the August 18 show completely washed out, it would be a full night of racing highlighted by eight feature races. Four features were makeups from August 11 plus four Season Championships in the DTRA modified, super stock, midwest modified and street stock divisions. The August 11 makeup feature served as the DTRA late model Season Championship. Earning 2007 Cedar Lake Speedway track point championships were Brent Larson in the late models, Dave Cain in the modifieds, Larry Boumeester in the super stocks, Greg Chesley in the midwest modifieds, and Keith Tourville in the street stocks.
Racing got underway early with the first of four makeup features. The DTRA Midwest Modifieds had 20 of the scheduled 24 starters return for their August 11 feature race. Outside front row starter Dan Wheeler wasted little time in grabbing an early lead after a caution on the opening lap required a complete restart. Wheeler opened up a lead over second place runner Ryan Olson, but the second and final caution erased that margin with five laps in the books when Greg Chesley spun in turn 4. Chesley's fortune would improve as the night worn on though. Wheeler began distancing himself from the rest of the field when the race went back to green flag racing and proceeded to click off ten green flag laps to the finish. Wheeler pulled away for the win followed by Dave Lear, Shawn Phillips, Ryan Olson and Jason Gross in the top five spots. Olson, who was in a heated battle with Chesley for the track point title, ran second until the last lap of the race when he slipped back a couple of positions.
The DTRA Super Stocks had three cars unable to return for their makeup feature race, so front row starters Mike Weber and Dan Carlson brought a 21 car field to the green. Carlson was able to grab the early lead coming off turn 2 and raced to the win in a nonstop 20 lap feature. The track was fast and not a great deal of passing took place. The leaders began working lapped traffic at the midway point, but the running order remained the same. Dan Carlson defeated Mike Weber, Larry Boumeester, Jim Gullikson and Brandon Jensen. Of the cars in the top twelve starters, Rich Bishop advanced five positions from 12th to finish 7th as most of the other cars advanced a few spots or lost a few spots.
All 24 starters were on hand for the DTRA Modified makeup feature event. Some races have problems and this one was one of those. A total of seven cautions waved in the 20 lap race for various accidents, spins or mechanical failures. Three attempts to get the race started with the standard two-by-two starting grid did not work, so track officials called for a single file start on the fourth attempt. That didn't work either as eight cars were eliminated from competition before a single lap could be officially completed. When the race finally got going, Dave Cain took the lead from Dave Siercks exiting turn 2. Cain had been collected in an earlier accident on the third start attempt, but his car fortunately did not sustain much damage and he was able to continue on. The race would be slowed three more times under caution on laps 1, 11 and 18. Each time Cain would take command up front on the restart. With just 12 of the 24 starters around at the end of the race, Dave Cain scored another feature victory. Completing the top five finishers were Doug Gustafson, Ron Schreiner, Joey Jensen and Shaun Kelley. Schreiner actually had to come from the 24th starting spot, since he just barely made the call for the start of the race after making some suspension repairs to his car. Schreiner was originally scheduled to start fourth. Shaun Kelley also moved up a long way from his initial 19th starting position. A lot of attrition in this race; with eight cars sustaining accident damage, one car breaking a driveshaft, and another one losing a right rear spring.
The final makeup feature race would be the only race of the night for the DTRA Late Model division. With the late models originally scheduled to have the night off, 18 cars returned to complete their August 11 show. This race would also be their season championship. The late models had their fair share of problems in this race. Joel Cryderman immediately bolted into the lead at the drop of the green flag from his outside row one starting position with Mike Nutzmann, Steve Laursen and Pat Doar close behind. Two laps into the race Jeff Keeney broke a driveshaft and ended up against the inside concrete wall on the front stretch with some front steering damage as well. His night was done early. While running second, Mike Nutzmann brought out the second caution when his car slowed and then came to a halt in turn 4 on lap 8 after showing some smoke the previous lap. Nutzmann's car was pushed to the pits. A spin one lap later saw the third caution flag fly. Cryderman continued to lead with Pat Doar now second and Steve Laursen third. With 11 laps in, leader Joel Cryderman's car suddenly darted into the turn 1 wall after something let go in the right front. Cryderman's car rode the hook to the pits. Steve Laursen had passed Doar a lap earlier and became the new leader of the race. The fifth caution flew on the restart for a spin. Laursen held the point two laps before Pat Doar made the winning pass on lap 14. Another spin on lap 15 closed the field up for the sixth and final time. The remaining 15 laps went green to the finish, although the race finished under the checker and yellow when Chuckie DeSmith's car sustained some right front damage and came to rest at the pit exit in turn one on the final lap. Pat Doar went on to post the win over Steve Laursen, Brent Larson, Mike Bear and Ron Schreiner. Brent Larson wrapped up the track point title by virtue of simply starting the feature race.
At last the regular Season Championship race night could begin with the DTRA Street Stock heats. Two heats were in order for the 17 cars on hand. Jason Vandekamp fell back to 8th on the opening lap of the first heat race but roared back to take the win. Chanda Fjorden-Nord led the first 8 laps before Vandekamp got by at the end of lap 9. Keith Tourville led all the way in the second heat for the win ahead of Ron Hanestad. The largest car count of the season in the DTRA Midwest Modified division would see 41 cars race in four heats. Greg Chesley came from 8th to 1st in the first heat after passing leader Adam Archer on lap 7. Archer, who was making his first career CLS appearance, and 10th starter Shawn Phillips trailed. It was Alan Bohlman in his first appearance of the season leading all the way in the second heat to defeat Justin Schill and Mike Hernke. One of the best races of the night was the third midwest mod heat race. Four different leaders and four lead changes kept this one very interesting up front. Making a last lap pass for the win, Sam Nelson came from his eighth starting spot to narrowly defeat Steve Alsaker and Taylor Luethner in a nonstop 10 lap run. Luethner was also making his first-ever CLS appearance. Stan Thom finished a close fourth. Each of the top four runners led at one point or another. The final midwest mod heat race had Dan Wheeler leading all the way for the win. Trailing the fleet RED1 machine was Clark Perry and Lonnie Louschke.
A total of 32 DTRA Super Stocks were on hand with three heat races. Jim Gullikson led all the way in the first heat. Larry Boumeester came from 9th to finish second ahead of Mike Bellefeuille and Brandon Jensen. The second heat found Mike Loomis up front for all 10 laps with pressure from Mike Weber. Dave Friendt and J B Stortz completed the top four feature redraw finishing positions. Tim Borgeson never looked back from his pole starting spot enroute to victory in the third heat. Dan Carlson moved up four spots finish second in front of Ryan Wiome and Dave Flynn. Flynn was also making his first CLS start of the season. The DTRA Modifieds had one less car than the supers, so three heats were also scheduled for their 31 car field. It was Dave Cain all the way in the first heat, but Joey Jensen kept close to finish second ahead of Ron Schreiner from the back and Doug Gustafson in a quick 10 lap run. Tyler Keyser led the first four laps of the second modified heat, but Jody Bellefeuille moved by up top on lap 5 and went on to earn the win. Keyser ran second with rookie Mark Froehlich and Scott Splittstoesser completing the top four spots. The third and final heat race of the night proved to be a troublesome one. No less than six cautions waved and the race ended up being reduced to eight laps due to time limit. Surprisingly, nine of the ten starters finished. Jason Gross led early until Jason Miller took over. Miller recorded the win while Kevin Viebrock, Shaun Kelley from 9th and Eric Bjorklund rounded out the top four. Gross was running in second on lap 6 when his car snapped its second driveshaft of the night.
Three classes required B Mains. A large 21 car field came trackside for the Midwest Modified B Main. Six yellows later and two laps short of the scheduled distance, first time 2007 visitor Bobby Swanson rode home with the win ahead of Keith Johnson, another first time visitor John Sertich, and Matt Potvin. Potvin made a last lap pass of Kyle Steffen to garner the final transfer spot into the feature. Only 11 cars finished. Extremely bad luck on the opening lap of this race saw Ryan Olson get clipped by Patrick McCarthy. Olson's potent #21 car sustained right rear damage and was done After suffering a flat tire in his heat race, Olson needed to transfer out of the B Main and into the main event in order to have a realistic shot at the track point title. His misfortune meant that Greg Chesley needed to finish 21st or better in the A Main. Subbing for Al Koren in the super stock division, veteran driver Mike Bear wheeled home with the win in the 12 lap DTRA Super Stock B Main. The top six finishers moved to the feature race. Likewise in the DTRA modified B Main, the top six cars would move on. As it turned out, only six cars finished the race so it was cut to 8 laps. Dale Mathison posted the win. The feature fields were now set for Season Championship Night.
The DTRA Street Stocks were first up for their feature race. With Brian Loss unable to start, 16 streeters took the green flag. The point battle was still up for grabs between Keith Tourville and Jason Vandekamp. Tourville drew the pole position while Vandekamp started eighth. Misfortune on the opening lap saw Vandekamp head to the work area to change a flat tire. He returned to tag the tail of the field. The race then went nonstop for 15 laps. Keith Tourville raced into the lead at the drop of the green and cruised to the victory, his 30th over all for the 2007 season. Tourville locked up the track point championship with his first place finish. Rounding out the top five finishers were Chanda Fjorden-Nord, Jason Vandekamp from the back after changing his flat tire, Shawn Kammerud and Ron Hanestad. Only one car dropped out of the race.
In the DTRA Midwest Modified division, Greg Chesley found good fortune with his redraw. Chesley would lead the 24 car field to the green flag from the pole. Chesley immediately grabbed the lead in front of Steve Alsaker. Alan Bohlman and Dan Wheeler slowly but surely began working their way forward as did 14th starter Andy Jones. The race was only slowed twice under caution, and each time Chesley was able to race ahead of the field. Like Tourville in the street stocks, Greg Chesley went on to post the win and garner the 2007 track point title. Alan Bohlman advanced seven positions to finish second in front of Dan Wheeler. 2006 track champion Justin Schill finished fourth in front of 2006 DTRA Rookie of the Year Andy Jones. Jones earned hard charger honors with a gain of nine spots to finish fifth. Only one car failed to finish the race.
A full 24 car starting field in the DTRA Super Stock class would also see the point battle waged between Larry Boumeester and Mike Weber. Making his first visit of the 2007 season, Dave Flynn raced into the early lead from his outside row one starting spot. A yellow flew with three laps in for a spin in turn 2. When the green replaced the yellow, it would remain that way for the final 17 laps. Flynn held the top spot for the first six laps, but Larry Boumeester slid up in front of him in turn 4 on lap 7 to take over the lead. Boumeester proceeded to lead the remaining circuits, but Ryan Wiome closed in and kept things interesting up front. Continuing the trend set by the first two season championship race winners, Larry Boumeester went on to victory and the 2007 track point title. Wiome turned in a solid second place run, his best of the season. Trailing the lead duo were Mike Loomis, Mike Weber, and Dan Carlson. Only one car failed to finish this race as well.
The final feature race of the regular season would also be the best one of the night. The DTRA Modifieds roared to life with 24 cars ready for 20 racing laps. Dave Cain had already locked up the 2007 track point title, but Cain would be looking for another win from his 10th starting spot. Jason Miller blasted into the lead on lap one and pulled away from the field. A healthy six car battle developed for the second spot before the first caution waved with nine laps in when Dan Hesch ended up against the turn 2 wall with right front damage. Cain had moved up to fourth at the time. Miller pulled away again but two laps later the caution light was back on for a spin on the backstretch. Cain had now moved into second and was setting his sights on Miller. Two more laps and the third and final caution came out when Tyler Keyser ended his night in the wall on the frontstretch. The final seven circuits would feature some great racing between Jason Miller and Dave Cain. Miller was generally running the high line while Cain searched on the bottom and then moved up to kind of diamond the corners. Lap after lap Miller narrowly led Cain the line, as the two drivers had the attention of the crowd focused on them. Coming down to complete lap 19 with the white flag flying high, Dave Cain edged past Jason Miller by about a foot or so. Miller fought back hard on the final lap and repassed Cain to take a close victory. Jody Bellefeuille, Shaun Kelley and Joey Jensen completed the top five finishers. Although Cain could not continue the trend of season championship feature winners also being crowned season point champions, he was able to win the makeup feature earlier in the evening enroute to clinching the point title. The exciting finish in the modified main event closed out the regular season at the Cedar Lake Speedway!
Racing action will return to the Cedar Lake Speedway on Saturday September 8 when the track hosts the 7th Annual Jerry Richert Memorial IRA/Knoxville/NOSA Shootout for 410 sprint cars. The DTRA modifieds will join the race program that night for a national points race. The vintage cars will also be on the program September 8. They had originally been scheduled for August 25, but with four makeup features and four regular features on tap they were moved back a couple of weeks. The Jerry Richert Memorial usually draws a strong field of sprint cars numbering 40 or more. Past champions include Kim Mock, Don Droud Jr, Terry McCarl (twice), Justin Henderson and Mike Reinke. See you at CLS on September 8.
Make-Up Results 8-11-07
DTRA Impact Printing Late Models
A-Main Pat Doar, Steve Laursen, Brent Larson, Mike Bear, Ron Schreiner, Eric Breeschoten, Rick Egersdorf, Paul Hipsag, Bryan Wennen, Toby Patchen, Jim Carlson, Brent Mueller, Chuckie DeSmith, Mike Raboin, Joel Cryderman, Mike Nutzmann, Kelly Anderson, Jeff Keeney
DTRA Amsoil Modifieds
A-Main Dave Cain, Doug Gustafson, Ron Schreiner, Joey Jensen, Shaun Kelley, Dave Siercks, Dale Mathison, Bill Stettner, Brandon Kallenbach, Eric Bjorklund, Mark Froehlich, Chris Magistad, Scott Pomeroy, Mike Kelley Jr, Jason Schill, Tyler Keyser, Mike Wood, Don Brightbill, Scott Splittstoesser, Kevin Viebrock, Jeff Doriott, Rick Friendt, Jason Miller, Jason Gross
DTRA Sunoco Super Stocks
A-Main Dan Carlson, Mike Weber, Larry Boumeester, Jim Gullikson, Brandon Jensen, Cory Davis, Rich Bishop, Greg Nippoldt, Charlie Weber, Mike Loomis, Dale Gangl, Ryan Wiome, Justin Stahl, Al Koren, Jake Hiatt, Cody Campeau, Brent Kobs, Johnny Emerson, Mike Bruggeman, JB Storz, Tim Borgeson
DTRA 3M Midwest Modifieds
A-Main Dan Wheeler, Dave Lear, Shawn Phillips, Ryan Olson, Jason Gross, Clark Perry, Vince Corbin, Andy Jones, Sam Nelson, Paul Kletschka, Paul Fontecchio, Jim Schweitzer, Stan Thom, Greg Chesley, Kyle Steffen, Bryan Siercks, Keith Johnson, Todd Steffen, Lonnie Louschke, Justin Schill
Race Results 8-25-07
DTRA Amsoil Modifieds
Heat 1 Dave Cain, Joey Jensen, Ron Schreiner, Doug Gustafson, Jason Schill, Mike Kelley Jr, Dale Mathison, Brandon Kallenbach, Al Stettner, Scott Pomeroy
Heat 2 Jody Bellefeuille, Tyler Keyser, Mark Froehlich, Scott Splittstoesser, Luke Schilling, Dave Siercks, Jeremy Gross, Chris Magistad, Don Brightbill, Chris Carlson, Jeff Doriott
Heat 3 Jason Miller, Kevin Viebrock, Shaun Kelley, Eric Bjorklund, Bill Stettner, Dan Hesch, Rick Friendt, Clint Wittlief, Mike Wood, Jason Gross
B-Main Mathison, Carlson, Friendt, Gross, Magistad, Wittlief, Kallenbach, Doriott, Brightbill
A-Main Miller, Cain, Bellefeuille, Kelley, Jensen, Schreiner, Gustafson, Froehlich, Schill, Splittstoesser, Schilling, Viebrock, Bjorklund, Friendt, Siercks, Mathison, Gross, Carlson, Kelley Jr, Magistad, Keyser, Stettner, Hesch, Wittlief
DTRA Sunoco Super Stocks
Heat 1 Jim Gullikson, Larry Boumeester, Mike Bellefeuille, Brandon Jensen, Greg Nippoldt, Dale Gangl, Charlie Weber, Marcel Hoaglan, Chris Gorka, Brent Kobs, Rod Dregney
Heat 2 Mike Loomis, Mike Weber, Dave Friendt, JB Storz, Justin Stahl, Rich Bishop, Mike Bear, Jim Martinson, Denny Stordahl, Lyle Archambeau, Johnny Emerson
Heat 3 Tim Borgeson, Dan Carlson, Ryan Wiome, David Flynn, Cody Campeau, Jake Hiatt, Mike Bruggeman, Kevin Ayotte, Carl Zebaith, Cory Davis
B-Main Bear, C Weber, Bruggeman, Hoaglan, Gorka, Archambeau, Stordahl, Dregney, Kobs, Martinson, Emerson, Ayotte, Zebaith
A-Main Boumeester, Wiome, Loomis, M Weber, Carlson, Bellefeuille, Gullikson, Storz, Borgeson, C Weber, Friendt, Bishop, Flynn, Jensen, Gangl, Bear, Gorka, Bruggeman, Stahl, Hoaglan, Hiatt, Nippoldt, Campeau, Archambeau
DTRA 3M Midwest Modifieds
Heat 1 Greg Chesley, Adam Archer, Shawn Phillips, Dave Lear, Paul Kletschka, Kyle Steffen, Matt Potvin, Chad Patterson, Jim Schultz, Paul Fontecchio, Ron Hare
Heat 2 Alan Bohlman, Justin Schill, Mike Hernke, Andy Jones, Jason Gross, John Sertich, Jack Durham, AJ Roschen, Pat McCarthy, Ryan Olson
Heat 3 Sam Nelson, Steve Alsaker, Taylor Luethner, Stan Thom, Vince Corbin, Bobby Swanson, Jim Schweitzer, Trevor Alms, Kenny Jordan Jr, Dan Larson
Heat 4 Dan Wheeler, Clark Perry, Lonnie Louschke, Bryan Siercks, Mark Trog, Keith Johnson, Clayton Wagamon, Keith Lepinski, Mike Huesmann, Todd Steffen
B-Main Swanson, Johnson, Sertich, Potvin, Steffen, Patterson, Schweitzer, Fontecchio, Jordan Jr, Schultz, Wagamon, Lepinski, Steffen, Roschen, Hare, Durham, Alms, Olson, McCarthy
A-Main Chesley, Bohlman, Wheeler, Schill, Jones, Archer, Phillips, Lear, Louschke, Nelson, Hernke, Gross, Luethner, Thom, Perry, Alsaker, Corbin, Siercks, Sertich, Kletschka, Trog, Johnson, Potvin, Swanson
DTRA Dodge Street Stocks
Heat 1 Jason Vandekamp, Chanda Fjorden-Nord, Kylan Gamez, Troy Voth, Shawn Kammerud, Melvin Raska, Kelly Knutson, Kim Korstad, Joey Martinson
Heat 2 Keith Tourville, Ron Hanestad, Jeff Heintz, Matt Raboin, Wes Howland, Jake Miller, Brian Loss, Russell Kostreba
A-Main Tourville, Fjorden-Nord, Vandekamp, Kammerud, Hanestad, Howland, Gamez, Voth, Raska, Heintz, Knutson, Kostreba, Miller, Martinson, Korstad, Raboin
Final 2007 Cedar Lake Speedway Point Standings
Impact Printing Late Models
1 B1 Brent Larson 950
2 97 Ron Schreiner 892
3 17 Rick Egersdorf 837
4 66 Eric Breeschoten 781
5 11 Pat Doar 763
6 2 Mike Nutzmann 716
7 19 Steve Laursen 714
8 51 Joel Cryderman 670
9 7C Jim Carlson 656
10 25 Toby Patchen 655
Amsoil Modifieds
1 2C Dave Cain 856
2 V2 Joey Jensen 771
3 7K Tyler Keyser 740
4 11X Jason Schill 676
5 2 Scott Splitstoesser 666
6 97 Ron Schreiner 628
7 12M Jason Miller 618
8 44FX Mark Froehlich 598
9 1K Shaun Kelley 581
10 7C Chris Carlson 561
Sunoco Super Stocks
1 4 Larry Boumeester 857
2 26 Mike Weber 836
3 24 Dan Carlson 822
4 26W Charlie Weber 799
5 17 Mike Loomis 783
6 B37 Tim Borgeson 764
7 21G Jim Gullikson 760
8 22JB J.B. Storz 721
9 17W Ryan Wiome 681
10 96 Chris Gorka 641
3M Midwest Modifieds
1 97C Greg Chesley 733
2 73 Andy Jones 720
3 11S Justin Schill 712
4 21R Ryan Olson 709
5 12 Jason Gross 670
6 66 Lonnie Louschke 640
7 Red1 Dan Wheeler 626
8 S4 Sam Nelson 599
9 78 Bryan Siercks 588
10 53V Vince Corbin 580
Dodge Street Stocks
1 111 Keith Tourville 787
2 16 Jason Vandekamp 777
3 99K Shawn Kammerud 724
4 57 Jeff Heintz 680
5 21X Chris Peterson 643
6 5 Chanda Fjorden-Nord 569
7 05 Wes Howland 544
8 77 Melvin Raska 517
9 37 Brian Loss 504
10 71H Ron Hanestad 491