April 28, 2001; West Salem, WI - A record 167 cars took to the track at the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway on Saturday night, and once again it appeared that Mark Lamoreaux's canary yellow Taurus was the quickest of the bunch, but seven-time track champion Kevin Nuttleman had just enough to hold him off down the stretch, as he became the third former track champion in the past three weeks to take a feature win. Nuttleman and Lamoreaux touched twice on the final lap, but Nuttleman was unwilling to give up the low groove, and Lamoreaux's outside bid coming out of the final turn fell 3/4-length short at the checkers.
Nuttleman started on the pole, and jumped to the early lead, but couldn't shake a surprisingly strong run by Kurt Thicke, who stayed right with the champion for the first 14 laps, turning over second just after a yellow flew on lap 15. While Lamoreaux took second on lap 17 from Thicke, his most impressive move of the race came on lap four. As he and Brad Powell looked for a way around Tim Nelson, Lamoreaux and Powell touched in turn three, and Powell's 23 car slid up the track. Lamoreaux ducked low, not only getting by Powell, but also sliding under Nelson to take fourth as well. Four laps later, Lamoreaux drove by Rick Wateski, and the chase to catch the leaders was on. The only two yellows of the race flew on laps 14 and 15, as Steve Burgess drove too hard into turn one, and finally spun in turn two. After the cars got one lap in, Frank Doherty spun in turn four, and Greg Scheck spun in trying to avoid Doherty, and the two cars touched. Lamoreaux looked inside of Thicke on the second restart, but to no avail. On lap 16, he looked inside of Thicke in turn four, then went to the outside in turn one, making the pass through the corners. Lamoreaux closed on Nuttleman, and the two cars were side by side at the white flag. Nuttleman regained his lead through turns one and two, as the two cars appeared to touch in one. Lamoreaux charged back down the backstretch, and appeared to tap Nuttleman in turn three, but the Wehrs Chevy Monte Carlo would not be rooted out of the low groove. Lamoreaux took his car to the outside coming out of turn four, but was unable to make the pass by the finish line. Thicke held on for third, followed by Powell, Wateski, Nelson and Mike Belling. Steve Carlson, Todd Korish and Tim Hagen rounded out the top ten. Isaak Owen tangled with Jim Christenson on lap two of the semi, but battled back through the field to take third behind Marv DeGarmo and Greg Scheck as he advanced to the feature. Jim Hagel and Tom McClintock won heat races, while the Bud Dashes went to Kevin Nuttleman and Mark Lamoreaux. Brad Powell was the fast timer for the division, clocking a 97.631 MPH hour lap. In the Ray Hutson Chevrolet Sportsman feature, Jon Barrette held off Jimmy Gilster after an early yellow, then as Gilster battled with Jeff Baker midrace, Barrette pulled away to a huge advantage to post his first win of the season. Baker took second, followed by Tony Ciano, Blake Horstman, Chand Wehling and Corey Jankowski. Trent Boettcher, Rick Shisler, Sam Andersen and Rick Steinhoff rounded out the top ten. Corey Jankowski was quick timer for the sportsman cars, as he posted a 86.791 MPH lap around the paved oval. Paul Smith and Mike Campbell took the qualifying heats, while Sam Andersen and Tom Thill won the Budweiser Dashes. Tony Wheeler outgunned Grant Kutchara at the start of the United Auto Supply Thunderstox feature, but Dan Secor came up on the outside of Wheeler on the second lap, made the pass in turn three, and never looked back as he cruised to the win. Chad Rosendahl finished third, followed by Dean Ashbacher, John Hendrickson and Kelly Schendel. Heat wins went to Kelly Schendel, Dan Secor, Jeff Schaitel and Matt Inglett. Jason Stark came away the winner in the Bud Dash, and Greg Lindvig held off Mary Schill to win the semi-feature. Craig Johnson and Jim Schermerhorn moved to the front of the first of two Features Sports Bar Hornets feature, and by lap five were already winding their way through lapped traffic in the 34-car field. Schermerhorn ducked underneath Johnson on lap seven, as he was able to use a lapped car to move by and into the lead. Charlie Schwabenbauer moved by Johnson on lap twelve, but he was unable to close on the leader. Johnson pulled his car into the pits with two laps remaining, and finished well back in the field. Jason Dummer made a late charge to take second, followed by Schwabenbauer, Clint Mohn and Paul Bakke. In the second feature, Jeff Martin and Rick Schermerhorn jumped to the top two spots, , but Schermerhorn was spun out on lap seven, bringing out the yellow, and moving Bob Cisewski up to second behind Martin. On the restart, Cisewski moved by Martin, bringing Chris Hartley along, but it was Hartley ho moved into the lead a lap later, leaving Cisewski, Ryan Larson and Martin following him around. As Hartley went to the outside to bypass some lapped traffic, Larson ducked inside, and closed on leader. On the fnal lap, Cisewski chose to stay low, and got bottled up again in turn two, but this time Larson went to the outside, moving by on the backstretch for the win. Rick Placek came on late to take second, followed by Hartley, Cisewsi and Nate Roessler. Craig Johnson, Clint Mohn and Ryan Larson took the heat wins on opening night for the Hornets. |
