Cedar Lake results, news

DirtNews Digest Your Online News Source for Late Model Dirt Track Racing "Get Some Dirt On Your Computer!" Todd Turner, editor

Email address: DirtNews@aol.com Web site: http://members.aol.com/dirtnews/digest =================================== CONTENTS: May 30-31 results (published June 2) STARS: Hartman wins $15,000 in first series trip to Wisconsin SOUTHERN ALL-STARS: Scott Sexton wins rain-shortened race =================================== SHORT TRACK AUTO RACING STARS St. Croix Casino 100

NEW RICHMOND, Wis. (Friday and Saturday) Bart Hartman, taking the lead on the 79th lap after patiently reeling in race-long leader Billy Moyer, won the St. Croix Casino 100 at Cedar Lake Speedway to collect $15,000 and score his first big-purse win of 1997.

Hartman led the final 21 laps in the first STARS trip to Wisconsin with hard-charging Rick Eckert finishing second. Series points leader and defending champion Steve Francis, Jimmy Mars and Brian Birkhofer rounded out the top five. Moyer, who had a flat tire just after being passed by Hartman, ended up seventh behind Tim Hitt. Mike Balzano, Lance Matthees and Jeff Wildung finished eighth through 10th at the 3/8-mile oval east of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area.

Indy Racing League and NASCAR Busch Grand National driver Tony Stewart, who finished fifth at the Indianapolis 500 earlier in the week, started fifth and finished 12th at Cedar Lake.

The polesitting Moyer, a five-time winner of the Cedar Lake Outlaw Nationals, jumped to a big lead early in the race and was slowed only by three cautions in the first 25 laps. While Moyer cruised up front, Hartman, who started eighth, worked his way into the second position by the 40th lap and was making up ground on the leader. At the 50-lap fuel stop, three lapped cars separated Moyer and Hartman.

When the second half began, Hartman disposed of the slower cars and set sail for Moyer, pacing himself as the pair began working through more lapped traffic. On the 78th lap, Moyer went to the outside of a lapped car entering Turn 3 and Hartman shot to the bottom, powering into the lead exiting Turn 4.

With Moyer bringing out the caution a lap later, Rick Eckert -- who stood eighth at the halfway point -- took over the second and tried in vain to catch Hartman over the final 20 circuits.

CAR COUNT: 37 late models.

FAST QUALIFIER: Jimmy Mars, 13.660 seconds (3/8-mile oval).

FAST DASH: Billy Moyer, Joel Cryderman, Mike Balzano, Jeff Wildung, Tony Stewart, Jimmy Mars.

HEAT WINNERS: Tim Hitt, Bart Hartman, Jerry Legatt..

CONSOLATION WINNER: Johnny Johnson.

FEATURE (Pos., driver, car no., laps, purse) 1. Bart Hartman (75), 100 laps, $15,000 2. Rick Eckert (24), 100 laps, $8,000 3. Steve Francis (15), 100 laps, $4,000 4. Jimmy Mars (28), 100 laps, $3,500 5. Brian Birkhofer (15B), 100 laps, $2,500 6. Tim Hitt (68), 100 laps, $2,400 7. Billy Moyer (21), 100 laps, $2,300 8. Mike Balzano (E1), 100 laps, $2,200 9. Lance Matthees (90), 100 laps, $2,100 10. Jeff Wildung (50), 99 laps, $2,000 11. Rick Egersdorf (17), 99 laps, $1,900 12. Tony Stewart (9), 99 laps, $1,800 13. Joel Cryderman (51), 99 laps, $1,700 14. Layne Meyer (21), 99 laps, $1,600 15. Pat Doar (11), 98 laps, $1,600 16. Gary Webb (56), 98 laps, $1,400 17. John Herrick (91), 98 laps, $1,400 18. Jerry Legatt (71), 87 laps, $1,200 19. Steve Egersdorf (3E), 91 laps, $1,100 20. Barry Bragdon (77), 50 laps, $1,100, fuel system 21. Jim Bruggeman (54), 49 laps, $1,000, handling 22. Johnny Johnson (99), 16 laps, $1,100, accident 23. Bob Halstead (81), 16 laps, $1,100, accident 24. Tom Nesbitt (1), 15 laps, $1,000, engine

NOTES: Only five of the top 10 in STARS points made the long trip to Wisconsin .... Steve Francis still holds a commanding points lead over Tim Hitt, 3,450-2,770 .... the series takes a week break for the Dirt Late Model Dream at Eldora Speedway .... among drivers failing to make the feature was Rick Aukland, who was coming off a $31,000 victory at the Show-Me 100 in West Plains, Mo. .... Hartman added another $500 to his winnings with a spin of the St. Croix Casino Money Wheel .... total purse money was $79,000.

NEXT STARS WEEKEND: June 13, Red Hill Raceway, Sumner, Ill., $5,000 to win; June 14, Florence (Ky.) Speedway, "Ralph Latham Memorial," $10,000 to win.

CREDIT: Bret Emrick of STARS. ------------------------------------------------------------- SOUTHERN ALL-STARS Ray Neely 100

TAZEWELL, Tenn. (Friday and Saturday) Scott Sexton struck before the bad weather did.

Sexton, of Pigeon Forge, Tenn.., fought past Freddy Smith and Scott Bloomquist to make it to the front and win the rain-shortened Ray Neely 100 at Tazewell Speedway. Sexton, cheered on as he raced from back in the pack, passed both Smith and Bloomquist on the 38th lap and held the lead until the rain hit at lap 68. After a 15-minute wait he was declared the winner at the 3/8-mile oval in eastern Tennessee.

The victory worth $10,000 was Sexton's first series win on dirt. He previously won a dirt-car-on-asphalt Southern All-Stars race at 411 Motor Speedway in Knoxville, Tenn. Smith finished second ahead of Bloomquist, Donnie Moran and Mark Miner. Polesitter Billy Ogle Jr. broke an axle at the race's outset, slammed the guardrail in Turn 3 and settled for 21st.

CAR COUNT: 28 late models

FAST QUALIFIER: Roger Best, 12.02 seconds (3/8-mile oval).

HEAT WINNERS: Billy Ogle Jr., Freddy Smith, Bill Reed, Scott Bloomquist.

FEATURE (Pos., driver, car no., hometown, purse) 1. Scott Sexton (52), Pigeon Forge, Tenn., $10,000 2. Freddy Smith (00), Knoxville, Tenn., $4,000 3. Scott Bloomquist (0), Mooresburg, Tenn., $2,500 4. Donnie Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, $2,000 5. Mark Miner (7), Stockbridge, Ga., $1,300 6. Roger Best (84), Maryville, Tenn., $1,100 7. Steve Smith (3), Powell, Tenn., $1,050 8. Jeff Walker (49), McMinnville, Tenn., $1,000 9. Rick Rodgers (25), Knoxville, Tenn., $800 10. Mike Hill (11), Rockwood, Tenn., $700 11. Jack Trammell (9), Lake City, Tenn., $600 12. Mike Head (54), Ellenwood, Ga., $500 13. Mark Brooks (25), Tazewell, Tenn., $450 14. David Killian (25), Murphy, N.C, $425 15. Marty Calloway (7), Maynardville, Tenn., $400 16. Bill Reed (28), Knoxville, Tenn., $400 17. Casey Huffman (7), Newport, Tenn., $400 18. Larry Blankenship (32), Mooresville, N.C., $400 19. Clayton Christenberry (cv3), Knoxville, Tenn., $400 20. Bo Shirley (11), Gadsden, Ala., $400 21. Billy Ogle Jr. (201), Knoxville, Tenn., $400 22. Greg Burchette (17), Church Hill, Tenn., $400

NOTES: The track was lucky to get the weekend in as threatening weather in the region rained out many races, including the $10,000-to-win Volunteer 100 in Bulls Gap, Tenn. .... of the 24 late models rained out at Volunteer Speedway, Freddy Smith and Donnie Moran were among those who made their way to Tazewell .... two rain showers hounded Friday's qualifying .... the feature was run first on Saturday night to try and beat the rain .... Buddy Morris, Stan Massey and Jeff Treece were among drivers failing to qualifying for the feature .... Roger Best leads Bo Shirley in the Southern All-Stars point standings, 656-608.

NEXT SOUTHERN ALL-STARS WEEKEND: June 12, Seven Flags Speedway, Douglasville, Ga., $3,000 to win; June 13-14, Talladega (Ala.) Short Track, $10,000 to win

CREDIT: Lynn Acklin <SOUTHERNALLSTARRACING@msn.com>. -------------------------------------------------------------