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Brady Smith Stellar In WISSOTA Late Models On Opening Day Of The USA Nationals
by Bob Peine and Roby Helm
August 8, 2003
New Richmond, WI.- The weather was perfect on Friday night at Cedar Lake
Speedway for night one of the 16th Annual USA Nationals. 45 cars signed in for
the Xtreme Dirt Car Series segment, along with 54 WISSOTA Late Models.
Five qualifying heat races were ran with heat race wins going to Eric Pember,
Mike Nutzmann, Rob Caho, Brady Smith, and Pat Doar. Two B-Features were run as
well, with Trent Follmer and Jerry Redetzke scoring the wins.
Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, IA earned the pole position on Friday night for
the 75-lap $40,000-to-win USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway. Birkhofer
drove the Seubert Calf Ranches Mastersbilt/Pro Power Monte Carlo to victory in
the 4-lap Action Performance Dash to earn pole for the Saturday night 75-lap
main event. Birkhofer started on the outside front row of the dash after
winning the third 15-lap heat race and battled pole sitter and JE Pistons
fourth heat race winner Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN side-by-side on the
opening lap. Birkhofer took the lead from the XDCS point leader and four-time
series champion coming off the fourth turn of the first lap.
Shannon Babb of Decatur, IL came from the fourth starting spot after winning
the first heat race, and drove his Car City Company Rayburn/Dickens Monte
Carlo around the outside of Bloomquist in turn two on lap three to take the
second spot. Babb will start the USA Nationals from the outside of the front
row. Bloomquist finished third and will start his Miller Brothers Coal
Bloomquist/Warrior Taurus on the inside of the second row for the main event.
The defending and two-time series champion Rick Eckert of York, PA won the
second heat race and finished fourth in the dash. Eckert will start the big
show from the outside of row two in the Raye Vest Rocket/Cornett Taurus.
Babb charged to the front from the outside of row 2 at the start of the first
15-lap heat race, and took the lead from Pat Doar of New Richmond, WI with an
inside move on lap five in turn two. Earlier, Babb got by Jimmy Mars of Elk
Mound, WI in the Trim Spa Mastersbilt/Pro Power Monte Carlo for the second
spot on the second lap. Mars began to challenge Doar on lap seven for second
spot. Doar continued to fall back when he jumped the turn two cushion on lap
nine, and Mars moved up to second spot. Steve Francis of Ashland, KY moved his
Valvoline/Mopar Parts Rocket/Stanton Intrepid up to the third spot, getting by
Doar's Tri-Star Engine Supply Mastersbilt/Doar Grand prix on lap 12. Babb took
the win to earn the outside second row starting spot in the Action Performance
Dash. He was followed by Mars, Francis, and Doar in the second through fourth
transfer spots to the USA Nationals.
Eckert won the second heat going wire-to-wire from the outside front row
starting spot. Dan Schlieper of Pewaukee, WI in the Miller Brothers Coal
Rayburn/Pro Power Monte Carlo stayed behind Eckert for the entire 15 laps.
Jeff Smith of Dallas, NC challenged Eric Pember of Pittsville, WI for the
third spot early in the race. Smith worked inside Pember in the Pro Craft
Racing Engines Mastersbilt/Pro Craft Grand Prix to take the third spot in turn
three. Steve Shaver of Parkersburg, WV started his Bill Bland Towing Rocket/Malcuit
Monte Carlo in the seventh spot, but was soon working the inside groove up
into a transfer spot. Shaver passed Pember for fourth in turn four on lap
four, and then got around Smith for third on lap six. Pember came back to
challenge Smith for the fourth and final transfer spot, but jumped the turn
two cushion on lap ten. Eckert was the winner followed by Schlieper, Shaver,
and Smith in the Die Cast Digest Magazine Rocket/Gaerte Monte Carlo. Justin
Fegers of Mound, MN crashed his Seubert Calf Ranches Mastersbilt/Pro Power
Monte Carlo on the front stretch on the last lap, and despite heavy damage to
the race car, he was uninjured.
Birkhofer took the lead at the start of the third heat, and outside front row
starter Randle Chupp of Mooresville, NC jumped the turn two cushion in his
Biscotti's Restaurant Rocket/Race Tech Grand Prix, and fell to the rear of the
field. The caution flag came out on lap three when Chupp, Kerry Hansen of
Spencer, WI and Tyler Keyser of Baldwin, WI crashed in turn two. Birkhofer
jumped the turn two cushion on the restart, and 2003 Lucas Oil Rookie of the
Year Matt Miller of Waterville, OH drove his McCullough Motorsports
Rocket/Russell Baker Grand Prix under Birkhofer for the lead. On lap 5,
Birkhofer rode the outside groove back around Miller to take the point coming
off the fourth turn. The caution flag came out for the second time on lap
eight when Ace Ihm of Hazel Green, WI hit the turn two wall with his Fishbowl
Bar Rocket/Grove Grand Prix. It was Birkhofer leading Miller, 1999 series
champion Dale McDowell of Rossville, GA, and Mitch Johnson of Hixon, ND in the
Northwest Auto Body Mastersbilt/Pro Power Grand Prix for the restart. When the
field went back to green, 1996 series champion Freddy Smith of Knoxville, TN
moved by Johnson to put his White Oaks Motorsports Warrior/Gaerte Intrepid
into the fourth and final transfer spot. McDowell and Miller battled for the
second spot in the closing laps, but it was Miller taking second behind
Birkhofer. McDowell finished third in the Larry Shaw Race Cars Rocket By Shaw/Kuntz
Taurus, and Smith took the fourth spot.
Bloomquist took the lead from the pole position of the JE Pistons fourth heat
race followed by Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL, Darren Miller of
Chadwick, IL, and Johnny Johnson of West Burlington, IA. Johnson hit the front
stretch wall with his J&J Steel Rocket/Cornett Taurus on lap five, and
Dennis Erb Jr. moved up to the fourth spot after starting ninth. Erb got up on
the wheel for the restart and began to challenge Miller for the third spot,
and took the position on lap six. On lap 10, Pearson jumped the cushion in
turn fourth turn, and Erb put his First City Mortgage Rayburn/Hedrick Monte
Carlo into the second spot. Bloomquist had checked out by the halfway point,
went on to take the win and the JE Pistons $100 Bonus Award. Erb finished
second followed by Pearson in the Lucas Oil/Dunn-Benson Ford Rocket/Eatmon
Taurus, and Miller finished fourth in the Seubert Calf Ranches Mastersbilt/Pro
Power Monte Carlo. Mars debuted a new sponsor, Trim Spa, with the first award
of the evening. Mars was the Ringers Gloves Fast Qualifier among the 45
entrants with a lap around the 3/8-mile clay oval in 13.665 seconds for an
average speed of 98.793 miles per hour.
Saturday night's action will begin with two Consolation Races to fill starting
spots 17 through 22. The 23rd and 24th starting spots will XDCS Provisionals.
The consys will be followed by the 75-lap $40,000-to-win USA Nationals. The
WISSOTA Late Models will also be on the card with a full racing program.
HEAT RACES (15 Laps - Top 4 Finishers Transfer To Main Event):
1ST HEAT: 1. Babb; 2. Mars; 3. Francis; 4. Doar; 5. Moran; 6. Bahr; 7.
Cryderman; 8. Boen; 9. Casey.
2ND HEAT: 1. Eckert; 2. Schlieper; 3. Shaver; 4. J. Smith; 5. Kaanta; 6.
Isenberg; 7. Waits; 8. Pember; 9. B. Smith; 10. Mathees; 11. Fegers.
3RD HEAT: 1. Birkhofer; 2. M. Miller (R); 3. McDowell; 4. F. Smith; 5.
Johnson; 6. Parker; 7. Hansen; 8. Chupp; 9. Nesbitt; 10. Ihm; 11. Keyser.
JE PISTONS 4TH HEAT: 1. Bloomquist; 2. Erb; 3. Pearson; 4. D. Miller; 5.
Redetzke; 6. Anderson; 7. Keeney; 8. Gehl; 9. Stettner; 10. Foss; 11. J.
Johnson; 12. Harris.
ACTION PERFORMANCE 4-LAP DASH: 1. Birkhofer; 2. Babb; 3. Bloomquist; 4.Eckert.
The WISSOTA Late Model 30 lap feature was the final event of the evening. A
pair of deuces shared the front row with Mike Nutzmann on the pole, and Brady
Smith to his outside.
Smith took the lead at the start followed by Nutzmann and John Kaanta. Rick
Egersdorf challenged Kaanta for third and Pat Doar moved up to fifth. Smith
wasted no time in pulling away and opening up a big gap over Nutzmann.
The first caution came on lap six when Jeff Patchen rolled to a stop on the
apron of the track in turn one. On the restart, Doar snuck by Egersdorf
to take over fourth and Kaanta challenged Nutzmann for second. Doar made it a
three car battle for second with Kaanta and Nutzmann, but it was Kaanta taking
the spot. By lap 10, Smith had pulled out to a straightaway advantage
over second place. But that would not last, due to a caution on lap 11 when
Nutzmann spun to the infield coming off of turn four. Keith Foss was on the
move and had worked his way up to fourth after starting 13th on the grid. Foss
battled with Doar for third, while at the same time, trying to hold off
Egersdorf who was looking to take fourth. Ryan Aho brought out the next
caution on lap 17 with a spin in turns three and four. On the restart, it was
still Smith dominating out front, followed by Kaanta, Doar, Foss, and
Egersdorf. Doar got by Kaanta for second when racing resumed, and a rare
mistake by Kaanta dropped him back to eighth after brushing the wall coming
off of two. Mark Teske had been hanging out in the top ten all night and
stepped up the pace, cracking the top five in the closing laps. Egersdorf had
moved up to third, and Doar was starting to rapidly close the gap on Smith who
had been all alone out front the whole race. Smith was working through traffic
and Doar was catching him. The caution waved on lap 25 when Jon
Kurshinsky looped it in turn two, putting Doar right on Smith's rear bumper
for the restart. Egersdorf, Teske, and Joel Cryderman made up the top five for
the restart. Teske went to the bottom to challenge Egersdorf for third while
Smith tried to pull away from Doar. The final caution came out when Eric
Pember slowed with mechanical trouble and would be done for the night. This
gave Doar one last
away from Doar and hold on for the win. Teske got by Egersdorf for third on
the last lap coming home third.
A great night of racing once again at the Cedar Lake Speedway, with night two
of the USA Nationals next up on Saturday, August 9th. If you have questions or
need more information, please call 1-866-4CLSFUN or visit our website at www.cedarlakespeedway.com.
See you at the races!!
Results
WISSOTA Late Models
Feature: Brady Smith, Pat Doar, Mark Teske, Rick Egersdorf, Joel Cryderman,
John Kaanta, Keith Foss, Terry Casey, Jerry Redetzke, Darrel Nelson
Heat 1: Eric Pember, Egersdorf, Casey, Cryderman, Scott Cramer
Heat 2: Mike Nutzmann, Mark Chamernick, Chad Cummings, Tony Bahr, Redetzke
Heat 3: Rob Caho, Kaanta, Foss, Jim Paulson, Trent Follmer
Heat 4: Smith, Nelson, Teske, Duane Mahder, Steve Isenberg
Heat 5: Doar, Tyler Keyser, Jeff Patchen, Jon Kurshinsky, Jeff Keeney
B-Feature 1: Follmer, Cramer, Jeff Wildung, Mike Goodremote, Tom Naeyert
B-Feature 2: Redetzke, Ryan Aho, Tom Nesbitt, Isenberg, Bill Stettner
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