Bloomquist survives wild last lap at Cedar Lake
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt.com
NEW RICHMOND, Wis. (Aug. 2) — The first 99 laps of the 21st annual Young Oil USA Nationals, which featured daring passes among five leaders, could've stood among the memorable races in Cedar Lake Speedway history. But throw in a can-you-believe-that final lap — when Scott Bloomquist drove the widest race car of his life to fend off charges by Shannon Babb and Brian Birkhofer — and you've got a 100-lapper the Cedar Lake faithful will rave about for years. | Saturday notebook | Friday notebook | Preliminary results | Saturday slideshow | Friday slideshow
After taking the white flag, Bloomquist felt serious heat — along with a couple of bumps from the nose of Babb's car — in racing towards his fourth USA Nationals trophy. The Mooresburg, Tenn., Hall of Famer's victory wasn't guaranteed until he swept wide off of turn four heading for the checkered flag, blocking Babb's high-side momentum, allowing him to flash across the finish line just barely ahead of Babb and an onrushing Birkhofer. The track's tradition of bringing the top three to victory lane was fitting on a night when the top three crossed the finish line within milliseconds of one another.
The ninth-starting Bloomquist's admired strategy of pacing 100 laps to be at his best at the finish worked once again, but it might not have worked for 101 laps against the polesitting Babb, who fell back as far as fourth, and the fifth-starting Birkhofer, who twice had to pit to change flat tires.
"At the end, we looked to the right and saw Shannon, and I was like, 'Whoa!' " said Bloomquist, who collected $50,000 after surviving a mini-collision with Babb just before taking the checkered flags. "When you're going for 50 on the last lap, it's all good. We had a little contact, but nothing too severe."
Babb, who led laps 27-33 and again from lap 40-52, made a do-or-die move on lap 99 by jumping to the high side as the leaders negotiated the slower car of Matt Miller in turn three. Bloomquist slipped under Miller just as Babb swept around him and the leaders flew into turn one with Babb cocking his car sideways as he nuzzled up to Bloomquist's rear bumper in turn two. He stayed up top through turns three and four but couldn't get alongside Bloomquist before the leader shut the door on him at the frontstretch wall.
"You can always throw those Hail Mary's in there. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't," Babb said. "It was close. It was one of those deals where I went for it, but I had to lift a little bit, or I'd be in the fence."
Birkhofer, who led laps 34-39 before a flat tire helped Babb get by him on a lap-39 restart, did his best to rally from a pair of pit stops and was poised to pounce if the top two bobbled on the final lap. But he knew Bloomquist wasn't going to make it easy on anyone.
"Scott made it as wide as he could going down the front straightaway," Birkhofer said. "I'd have done the same thing. You've gotta make that car wide on the last lap, especially when it's that tight."
Bloomquist added the $50,000 payday to a $42,000 victory at West Plains (Mo.) Motor Speedway's Show-Me 100 and a $100,000 victory at Eldora (Ohio) Speedway's Dream XIV while Babb and Birkhofer — both $40,000 winners this season — settled for second and third. Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., looking for his first USA Nationals victory in 15 years, started outside the front row and led 26 laps but was a fading fourth at the finish, just ahead of first-time Cedar Lake visitor Will Vaught of Crane, Mo., who rallied from 19th to finish fifth in a race slowed by nine cautions and a red flag.
Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., started third and aggressively attacked the high groove to take the lead from Babb on lap 53, but the center of his right rear wheel ripped out on the 71st lap, knocking him out of contention for his first victory at Cedar Lake.
The race was hampered by three stoppages in the first five laps, including for Eric Pember's slow rollover in turn four that brought out a red flag. Pember wasn't injured and Moyer resumed his lead through the early stages. Moyer never got comfortable up front, though, as Babb and McCreadie hounded him for several laps. When Moyer was briefly hung up by the slower car of John Kaanta, Babb made an inside move on the frontstretch to take control on lap 27.
But Birkhofer was right in the mix, too, and when Babb got too high exiting turn two on lap 34, Birkhofer rolled past and was leading Babb, Moyer, Matt Miller, Darren Miller, Bloomquist and McCreadie when Chris Simpson slowed to draw a lap-39 caution.
Babb went ahead on the restart as Birkhofer soon slowed with a flat right-rear tire. Matt Miller also had a flat a few laps later and Babb led at the halfway point over Moyer and McCreadie, who picked up speed when he committed to the high side. McCreadie blew around Babb exiting turn four to lead lap 53 and stayed in control through lap 70. But his right rear wheel bounded off the car on lap 71, and Bloomquist's 100-lap pacing appeared to be playing out just right as he inherited the lead.
The race ran caution-free the rest of the way, and Bloomquist wasn't able to put Babb away. Birkhofer worked from sixth to third over the final 29 laps and when the frontrunners came upon Miller's car in the closing laps, it set up the late-race theatrics that left the huge crowd at Cedar Lake buzzing following the track's most prestigious event.
USA Nationals: (1) Scott Bloomquist, (2) Shannon Babb, (3) Brian Birkhofer, (4) Billy Moyer, (5) Will Vaught, (6) Darren Miller, (7) Wendell Wallace, (8) Kevin Weaver, (9) Jeep Van Wormer, (10) Jack Sullivan, (11) John Kaanta, (12) Rick Hanestad, (13) Rodney Melvin, (14) Matt Miller, (15) James Ward, (16) Kerry Hansen, (17) Rob Moss, (18) Adam Hensel, (19) Keith Foss, (20) Tim McCreadie, (21) Denny Eckrich, (22) Jimmy Mars, (23) Brady Smith, (24) Chris Simpson, (25) Eric Pember. Fast qualifier (among 50 cars): Babb, 13.696 seconds. Heat race winners: Babb, Moyer, McCreadie, Van Wormer, Miller, Chris Simpson. Consolation winners: Sullivan, Hensel.
Feature lineup (25-car field)
Row 1: Shannon Babb, Billy Moyer
Row 2: Tim McCreadie, Jeep Van Wormer
Row 3: Matt Miller, Brian Birkhofer
Row 4: Chris Simpson, Darren Miller
Row 5: Scott Bloomquist, Eric Pember
Row 6: Rick Hanestad, Brady Smith
Row 7: Keith Foss, Wendell Wallace
Row 8: Kevin Weaver, Jimmy Mars
Row 9: Rob Moss, Denny Eckrich
Row 10: Will Vaught, Jack Sullivan
Row 11: Adam Hensel, John Kaanta
Row 12: James Ward, Rodney Melvin
Row 13: Kerry Hansen
Second consolation
Polesitter Adam Hensel raced to victory over fellow front-row starter James Ward while a flurry of drivers battled for the third spot behind them. Kerry Hansen held the third spot through most of the race, but he had his hands full with Curt Martin, Nick Anvelink and Chris Wall in the closing laps. Martin lifted Hansen's rear end at the flagstand on the 12th lap before dropping back, then Anvelink got rolling on the low side in the final laps. Anvelink edged ahead in the lower groove in turns three and four on the final lap, but Hansen's high-side momentum carried him to the third and final transfer spot. Third-starting Jason Utter, who battled with Hensel for the lead early and restarted second on the eighth lap, had a tight battle for third with Hansen for a few laps before slowing to draw a lap-11 caution. The race's first caution appeared on the eighth lap when Bryan Wennen slowed in turn four.
Finish: Adam Hensel, James Ward, Kerry Hansen, Nick Anvelink, Curt Martin, Chris Wall, Lance Matthees, Andrew McKay, Scott Gilberts, Tim Isenberg, Jason Utter, Bryan Wennen, Tom Nesbitt.
First consolation
Jack Sullivan won a duel with polesitter and fellow front-row starter John Kaanta through the first half of the 20-lapper, then edged away for a victory in the caution-free prelim. Fourth-starting Rodney Melvin got the third and final transfer spot over fellow second-row starter Jake Redetkze in a battle of 27s. Bill Frye drove Gregg Hill's car to a ninth-place finish
Finish: Jack Sullivan, John Kaanta, Rodney Melvin, Jake Redetzke, Chad Simpson, Justin Fegers, Frank Heckenast Jr., Dave Eckrich, Bill Frye, Jeff Provinzino, J.D. Auringer.
Consolation lineups
First consolation (20 laps; top three transfer)
Row 1: John Kaanta, Jack Sullivan
Row 2: Jake Redetzke, Rodney Melvin
Row 3: Justin Fegers, Dave Eckrich
Row 4: Frank Heckenast Jr., Joey Jensen
Row 5: Chad Simpson, Ashley Anderson
Row 6: Jeremy Grady, Bill Frye
Row 7: Jeff Provinzino, D.J. Auringer
Row 8: Dustin Hapka
Second consolation (20 laps; top three transfer)
Row 1: Adam Hensel, James Ward
Row 2: Jason Utter, Cory Mahder
Row 3: Kerry Hansen, Curt Martin
Row 4: Tom Nesbitt, Andrew McKay
Row 5: Scott Gilberts, Lee Thomason
Row 6: Bryan Wennen, Nick Anvelink
Row 7: Lance Matthees, Chris Wall
Row 8: Tim Isenberg
Friday Night Recap-
Babb earns USA Nationals pole at Cedar Lake
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt.com chief writer
NEW RICHMOND, Wis. (Aug. 1) — Action is under way at Cedar Lake Speedway for the 21st annual Young Oil USA Nationals at the 3/8-mile oval in western Wisconsin. Shannon Babb was the fastest of 50 qualifiers on preliminary night (all results unofficial; the top three drivers in each heat transfer). The $50,000-to-win feature is scheduled for Saturday: | Friday slideshow
Saturday's feature lineup
Row 1: Shannon Babb, Billy Moyer
Row 2: TIm McCreadie, Jeep Van Wormer
Row 3: Matt Miller, Brian BIrkhofer
Row 4: Chris Simpson, Darren Miller
Row 5: Scott Bloomquist, Eric Pember
Row 6: Rick Hanestad, Brady Smith
Row 7: Keith Foss, Wendell Wallace
Row 8: Kevin Weaver, Jimmy Mars
Row 9: Rob Moss, Denny Eckrich
Row 10: WIll Vaught, Consolation transfer
Row 11: Consolation transfers
Row 12: Consolation transfers (tentative)
Saturday's B-Main Line Up
B-Main #1 20 Laps Top 3 Transfer to USA Nationals
Row 1: John Kaanta, Jack Sullivan
Row 2: Jake Redetzke, Rodney Melvin
Row 3: Justin Fegers, Dave Eckrich
Row 4: Frankie Heckenast Jr, Joey Jensen
Row 5: Ashley Anderson, Chad Simpson
Row 6: Bill Frye, Jeremy Grady
Row 7: JD Auringer, Jeff Provinzino
Row 8: Dustin Hapka
B-Main #2 20 Laps Top 3 Transfer to USA Nationals
Row 1: Adam Hensel, James Ward
Row 2: Jason Utter, Cory Mahder
Row 3: Kerry Hansen, Curt Martin
Row 4: Tom Nesbitt, Andrew McKay
Row 5: Scott Gilberts, Lee Thomason
Row 6: Bryan Wennen, Nick Anvelink
Row 7: Lance Mathees, Chris Wall
Row 8: Tim Isenberg
Pole dash
Polesitter Shannon Babb led all the way in an eight-lap pole winner's dash to earn the pole position for Saturday's $50,000-to-win USA Nationals 100-lap feature. Fourth-starting Billy Moyer finished second ahead of a hard-charging Tim McCreadie while outside front-row starter Jeep Van Wormer slipped back to finish fourth. Matt Miller was fifth ahead of Brian Birkhofer, the only non-heat winner who was added to the dash lineup by virtue of being among the top two qualifiers. Chris Simpson was seventh. The seven cars will line up the way they finished to start Saturday's main event.
Finish: Shannon Babb, Billy Moyer, Tim McCreadie, Jeep Van Wormer, Matt Miller, Brian Birkhofer, Chris Simpson.
Sixth heat
Polesitter Matt Miller fought off a lap-eight challenge from Keith Foss and went on to capture the final 15-lap heat race. Foss, who started third, nearly got alongside Miller, but his broken momentum dropped him several car lengths back. Still, he finished second ahead of fifth-starting Will Vaught, who drove a Bill Frye-owned car into his first-ever USA Nationals feature. Jason Utter started outside the front row but was a distant fourth. Curt Martin came from the tail to finish fifth in the eight-car field. The race ran caution-free.
Finish: Matt Miller, Keith Foss, Will Vaught, Jason Utter, Curt Martin, Scott Gilberts, Nick Anvelink, Tim Isenberg.
Fifth heat
Polesitter Chris Simpson blasted away to a big lead early in the race and cruised the rest of the way in the low groove. A higher-running Brady Smith, who started outside the front row, separated himself from the pack after a few laps and cut into Simpsons's lead, but he couldn't catch the winner. Denny Eckrich, meanwhile, won an exciting duel for third that included his brother Dave, Jake Redetzke and Jeff Provinzino. Provinzino fell out of the battle when he spun into the infield in turn four, kicking up a huge cloud of dust and sending a photographer scurrying away. Both Eckriches and Redetzke each held the third spot at one time or another before Denny Eckrich claimed it for good in the caution-free event.
Finish: Chris Simpson, Brady Smith, Denny Eckrich, Jake Redetzke, Dave Eckrich, Gregg Hill, Bill Frye, Jeff Provinzino.
Fourth heat
Polesitter Billy Moyer cruised to an effortless victory, outrunning runner-up Rick Hanestad by more than a full straightaway in the 15-lapper slowed by one early caution. Hanestad wasn't challenged for the second position while fifth-starting Rob Moss got the third and final transfer spot over James Ward, who was battling a car with right-front damage after an early skirmish. Ward pulled within a few lengths of Moss midway through the race, but faded the rest of the way to finish a distant fourth. Fourth-starting Chris Wall's race ended on the second lap when he and fellow Louisianan Ward got together, and Wall's car ended up getting torn up at the end of the backstretch. The nosepieceless car was towed off the track and Ward had to restart on the tail after being charged with the caution.
Finish: Billy Moyer, Rick Hanestad, Rob Moss, James Ward, Kerry Hansen, Andrew McKay, Bryan Wennen, Chris Wall.
Third heat
Third-starting Tim McCreadie won a lengthy side-by-side duel with polesitter Eric Pember, sliding ahead for good on the seventh lap and going on to a heat race victory. A lap-12 caution bunched the field late, but McCreadie still cruised away for the victory, finishing more than a half-straightaway ahead of Pember. Pember had his hands full with Jimmy Mars in the final laps, and Mars edged ahead at the white flag, but Pember's high-side momentum carried him back ahead on the final lap. The third-starting Mars was third while Jack Sullivan, who started on the front row but slid back to fifth early in the race, was fourth. Chad Simpson ran third until Mars squeezed underneath in turn one on the 10th lap, but Simpson spun two laps later in turn two to fall from contention. Another caution appeared on the lap-12 restart when JD. Auringer took an infield detour. Justin Fegers nearly got into the turn-two wall on the fourth lap, but he rebounded and continued racing.
Finish: Tim McCreadie, Eric Pember, Jimmy Mars, Jack Sullivan, Justin Fegers, Joey Jensen, Chad Simpson, J.D. Auringer. (Corrects Simpson to Chad sted Chris)
Second heat
Tail-starting Scott Bloomquist couldn't get around Jeep Van Wormer's wide car in the final laps as the polesitting Van Wormer completed a 15-lap victory. Bloomquist switched grooves a couple of times late in the race, but he only lost ground in settling for second behind Van Wormer, whose No. 55 took up plenty of racetrack. Kevin Weaver, who inherited the second spot for a lap-five restart, got the third and final transfer spot over Brian Birkhofer, who ran a lackluster fourth despite entering the race as the fastest qualifier among the nine starters. Lance Matthees, who started outside the front row, ran second the first five laps before slowing and coming to a stop at the flagstand. His No. 90 was pushed to the pits during the race's only caution period.
Finish: Jeep Van Wormer, Scott Bloomquist, Kevin Weaver, Brian Birkhofer, Adam Hensel, Cory Mahder, Tom Nesbitt, Lee Thomason, Lance Matthees.
First heat
Fourth-starting Shannon Babb worked underneath front-row starter on the sixth lap and cruised to victory in overcoming the four-car heat race inversion. Wallace lost the second spot to tail-starting Darren Miller on the ninth lap, but he held on for third over polesitter John Kaanta in the 15-lapper slowed by a single caution. Miller made up a little ground on Babb in the second half of the race but still finished more than a half-straightaway behind. The race's lone caution appeared on the second lap when Dustin Hapka spun in turn four and Ashley Anderson spun to avoid him.
Finish: Shannon Babb, Darren Miller, Wendell Wallace, John Kaanta, Rodney Melvin, Frank Heckenast Jr., Ashley Anderson, Jeremy Grady, Dustin Hapka.
Time trials
Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., posted fast time in preliminaries for the $50,000-to-win USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway. Babb, one of just four qualifiers to crack the 14-second mark, had a lap of 13.696 seconds on the 3/8-mile western Wisconsin oval.
The top 24 qualifiers are inverted (four cars per heat), meaning unofficial 24th fastest qualifier Matt Miller of Waterville, Ohio, will start on the pole of the sixth heat race. The top three finishers from each of six heat races will earn transfer spots to Saturday's main events. Everyone else will run consolation races on Saturday. (Correct Miller's heat starting position)
Pre-race notes
Some top drivers had serious problems in time trials. Three-time USA Nationals winner Scott Bloomquist got into turn-two wall on his first lap and his right-front tire peeled off the rim. He didn't get a time. Darren Miller posted a time (14.513) that would've put him in the front row of a heat race, but he failed to go to the scales and was disqualified. ... As qualifying went on, the cushion got heavier and trickier and many drivers got caught up in it during either one or both of their two qualifying laps. Justin Fegers actually spun in turn four after getting bogged down in the heavy stuff. ... While most drivers used unlimited open-competition powerplants, several regional drivers used spec engines. Besides the USA Nationals action, Cedar Lake's weekly Late Model division is running a full program. ... Also, the World Dirt Racing League is running a $5,000-to-win makeup event from a race rained out at Cedar Lake's June 14 Masters.
Time trials (unofficial)
1. Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., 13.696
2. Brian Birkhofer (15B), Muscatine, Iowa, 13.87
3. Jimmy Mars (28), Menomonie, Wis., 13.923
4. Chris Wall (71w), Holden, La., 13.95
5. Jake Redetzke (27j), Eau Claire, Wis., 14.078
6. Scott Gilberts (21), Sand Creek, Wis., 14.095
7. Frank Heckenast Jr. (99jr), Orland Park, Ill., 14.105
8. Adam Hensel (54), Barron, Wis., 14.124
9. Tim McCreadie (39), Watertown, N.Y., 14.225
10. Rick Hanestad (71), Boyceville, Wis., 14.29
11. Dave Eckrich (58), Cosgrove, Iowa, 14.359
12. Keith Foss (95), Winona, Minn., 14.359
13. Wendell Wallace (88), Batesville, Ark., 14.388
14. Lance Matthees (90), Winona, Minn., 14.435
15. Jack Sullivan (18), Greenbrier, Ark., 14.505
16. James Ward (w3), Lettsworth, La., 14.506
17. Brady Smith (2), Solon Springs, Wis., 14.517
18. Jason Utter (31), Columbus Junction, Iowa, 14.551
19 .John Kaanta (85), Elk Mound, Wis., 14.553
20. Jeep Van Wormer (55), Pinconning, Mich., 14.594
21. Eric Pember (90x), Pittsville, Wis., 14.648
22. Billy Moyer (21), Batesville, Ark., 14.678
23. Chris Simpson (32), Oxford, Iowa, 14.69
24. Matt Miller (7), Waterville, Iowa, 14.71
25. Jeremy Grady (43), Story City, Iowa, 14.727
26. Tom Nesbitt (1n), Thunder Bay, Ontario, 14.751
27. Chad Simpson (25), Mount Vernon, Iowa, 14.753
28. Rob Moss (1m), Iowa City, Iowa, 14.775
29. Jeff Provinzino (28), Hibbing, Minn., 14.793
30. Will Vaught (66v), Crane, Mo., 14.802
31. Rodney Melvin (27), Benton, Ill., 14.872
32. Kevin Weaver (B12), Gibson City, Ill., 14.893
33. Joey Jensen (33), Forest Lake, Minn., 14.959
34. Andrew McKay (71), Edina, Minn., 15
35. Denny Eckrich (50), Tiffin, Iowa, 15.098
36. Nick Anvelink (15), Navarino, Wis., 15.131
37. Ashley Anderson (81), Eau Claire, Wis., 15.145
38. Cory Mahder (55jr), Eau Claire, Wis., 15.161
39. Justin Fegers (F15), Mound, Minn., 15.166
40. Kerry Hansen (25), Spencer, Iowa, 15.225
41. Gregg Hill (8), Eveleth, Minn., 15.38
42. Tim Isenberg (9T), Marshfield, Wis., 15.489
43. Dustin Hapka (18), Grand Forks, N.D., 15.622
44. Lee Thomason (53), Marion, Ill., 15.715
45. J.D. Auringer (00), Evansdale, Iowa, 15.737
46. Bryan Wennen (40), Lindstrom, Minn., 15.783
47. Bill Frye (66), Greenbrier, Ark., 15.812
48. Curt Martin (45), Independence, Iowa, 21.568
49. Darren Miller (32D), Milledgeville, Ill., no time
50. Scott Bloomquist (0), Mooresburg, Tenn., no time