FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 9, 2011

Mars, Gross, Davis and Smith Score CLS Opener Victories

by Chris Stepan
NEW RICHMIND, Wisc. (May 9) - The 2011 racing season officially kicked off at the Cedar Lake Speedway after five straight rain outs on Saturday night, May 7th with racing by NASCAR Late Models, Modifieds, Pro Stocks and Midwest Modifieds at the 3/8 mile Western Wisconsin clay oval.

Cory Davis and Ryan Wiome lead the small but stout field of NASCAR Pro Stocks to the green in the first feature event of the 2011 racing season. Davis took the top spot on the opening circuit and drove off completely uncontested during the non-stop 20-lap event. Wiome ran in the runner up spot for most of the event, until 18 year old Adam Ayotte snuck by late in the event to snag the second spot at the finish. Justin Stahl raced from 8th to 3rd throughout the event and started his 2011 campaign on a positive note with a solid third place finish. The win was Davis’14th career feature victory at Cedar Lake.

The Midwest Modified feature event was set to be a great one with the two most previous track champions Jason VandeKamp and Bob Smith sharing the front row for the 20-lap affair. Smith got the jump on the field with VandeKamp in tow as Dave Siercks, Ryan Olson and Josh Bazey gave chase. Smith, Olson and VandeKamp ran three wide for several circuits and swapped the top spot over and over while the rest of the field followed closely behind. The event was slowed by five cautions, keeping the field bunched close together and on each double file restart the trio once again began their spirited battle. Smith ran the middle, Olson on the low side and VandeKamp up on the cushion throughout the mid-point of the event, allowing Olson to sweep by into the race lead. Several cautions later, Smith was able to regain the lead on a restart and never relinquished it, racing to his first CLS win since July of last season. Bazey pulled along in and around the top five throughout the entire event and stole second from Siercks for his best career finish at Cedar Lake.

Terry Hanson and rookie Mike Gibson lead the field to the green in the NASCAR Open Wheel Modified feature event. Hanson took command at the drop of the green with Craig Thatcher stealing second, only to see a caution fly on lap one, scrubbing the original start and setting up a complete restart. On the second try, Hanson again took the top spot, but this time Jason Gross made the bottom of the speedway work and swept by Thatcher into second and began to chase down Hanson up front. The duo battled for the lead with Thatcher close in third. Several laps later, Gross stole the lead and began to drive off, while Thatcher snatched second away and began to pound the cushion to try to run down Gross out front. Gross began to encounter lapped traffic while Thatcher was running after the race leader. Once Gross got to traffic, Thatcher was there and snuck inside of Jason through turns 1 and 2 stealing the lead in the process. Just as Thatcher took command, the caution flew for a blown tire on Craig Brightbill’s #4, wiping out the pass and putting Gross back out front. Jason then took off and lead the final five laps uncontested for his second consecutive opening night victory at CLS. Thatcher was forced to settle for second in his return to the track where he has five track titles. Hanson rounded out the top three ahead of Scott Splittstoesser and 12th starting Jason Schill.

Rick Egersdorf and Rick Hanestad circled the speedway out front on the opening lap of the NASCAR Super Late Model feature event, with the two Ricks battling door to door on the opening lap of the 30-lapper. The duo was quickly joined by third starting Adam Hensel in a three car battle, while Tim Isenberg, Chad Mahder and 7th starting Jimmy Mars were on the move toward the front. Hanestad finally tussled the lead away from Egersdorf and began to run away from the field as Mars worked by Mahder into the top five at the midpoint of the event. Hanestad was long lout front, while Isenberg and Hensel were in a great battle with Egersdorf until a crash occurred damaging Egersdorf’s machine and setting up the only restart of the event. Hanestad took back off, but Mars was not going to be denied as he swept into second and two laps later blasted by Rick into the lead. Once out front Jimmy would not be challenged again and cruised the final laps for the impressive win. Hanestad and Hensel rounded the top three spots on opening night.

Racing resumes at the Cedar Lake Speedway on Saturday, May 14th with a one of the most anticipated special nights of the year featuring the annual school bus spectacular plus NASCAR Midwest Modifieds, Pro Stocks and a visit by the Northern Vintage Stock Cars. Racing will begin at 6:00pm on Saturday. Check out www.cedarlakespeedway.com for more information.

SUMMARY:

NASCAR Late Models
Feature: Jimmy Mars, Rick Hanestad, Adam Hensel, Tim Isenberg, Chad Mahder, Steve Laursen, John Kaanta, Caley Emerson, Scott Duval, Justin Fegers, Rick Egersdorf, Jake Redetzke, Marshall Fegers, Brent Larson, Jeff Keeney, Randy Gullixson, Greg Nippoldt, Jim Carlson, Toby Patchen, Bryan Wennen, Mike Raboin
Heat 1: Kaanta, Laursen, Isenberg, Hanestad, Redetzke, Keeney, Nippoldt
Heat 2: Mars, Emerson, Egersdorf, J. Fegers, Larson, Carlson, Wennen
Heat 3: Hensel, Mahder, Duval, Gullixson, M. Fegers, Patchen, Raboin

NASCAR Modifieds
Feature: Jason Gross, Craig Thatcher, Terry Hanson, Scott Splittstoesser, Jason Schill, Bobby Gierke, Mark Gerth, Lonnie Louschke, Tim VanMeter, Craig Brightbill, Mike Gibson, Bryan Hessler, Ted Marrs, Mike Wood, Vince Corbin, Brandon Jensen
Heat 1: Thatcher, Hanson, Marrs, Gierke, Gerth, VanMeter, Corbin, Wood
Heat 2: Gross, Brightbill, Louschke, Gibson, Splittstoesser, Schill, Hessler, Jensen

NASCAR Pro Stocks
Feature: Cory Davis, Adam Ayotte, Ryan Wiome, Justin Stahl, Lyle Archambeau, John Olson, Cody Campeau, Marcus Simonson
Heat 1: Davis, Wiome, Archambeau, Ayotte, Stahl, Campeau, Olson,Simonson

NASCAR Midwest Modifieds
Feature: Bob Smith, Josh Bazey, Dave Siercks, Ryan Olson, Jason VandeKamp, Jake Miller, Jason Haugerud, Tony Schill, Mitch Weiss, Erik Herbison, Scott Splittstoesser, Bryan Siercks, Zach Stewart, Kyle Steffen, Brent Swanson, Kevin Marlett, Andy Nelson, Mike Kyllonen, Kyle Matuska, Dean Grube, Don Brightbill, Robbie Franklin, Andrew Inman, Jeremy Kerzman
B-feature: Franklin, Weiss, Steffen, Matuska, Kerzman, Swanson, Ron Jablonske, Doug Toepper, Ryan Nieters, Ed Puariea, Jared Gorka, Pete Leuschner, Cory Jackson
Heat 1: D. Siercks, B. Siercks, Swanson, Smith, Nelson, Haugerud, Steffen, Puariea, Matuska, Kerzman
Heat 2: Olson, VandeKamp, Miller, Herbison, Splittstoesser, Inman, Franklin, Weiss, Swanson, Jablonske
Heat 3: Bazey, Schill, Kyllonen, Brightbill, Grube, Marlett, Nieters, Toepper, Gorka, Leuschner, Jackson