New Richmond, WI
By: Greg Parent
The second race of the inaugural season for the
UMSS sprint cars brought the group to the Cedar Lake Speedway for the 7th
Annual Billy Anderson Memorial on Saturday night April 25.A cool spring evening did not put a damper on
the racing action at the 3/8 mile high-banked western Wisconsin
speedplant.When the checkered flag
waved over the 20 car field, Winnipeg driver Lou Kennedy Jr had become the
seventh different winner of this prestigious early season event held in memory
of a fallen sprint car comrade.Kennedy
earned $1,000 for his victory.
Taking top honors in the first round of
qualifying races, Ultimate Sprint Race wins went to Leigh Thomas, Brad
Barickman and Jody Roseboom.The second
round of qualifiers called the Ultimate Challenge Races saw John Nelson and
Jerry Richert Jr earn victories.John
Nelson was the high-point driver following this round, and he drew the zero
pill so the feature would line straight up based on points from the qualifiers.
With three cars unable to take the green, John
Nelson and Jason Tostenson paced the 17 car starting grid for the scheduled 20
lap Billy Anderson Memorial feature race.Tostenson blasted into the early lead from his outside front row
starting spot, but it was seventh starter Lou Kennedy Jr the big gainer on the
opening lap.Kennedy moved all the way
to second by the end of lap one with Nelson running third.Just as fourth starter Jody Rosenboom moved
to third with seven laps in the books, contact with the lapped car of rookie
driver Mike Louks caused his Mighty Mouse #27 sprinter to spin sideways in turn
one.Even though it was not his fault,
under UMSS rules if a car stops on the track it must tag the tail of the field
on the restart.Rosenboom would be on a
mission over the course of the next 13 laps.Kennedy had also just taken the lead from Tostenson.
When the green reappeared, Kennedy held the point
over Tostenson with Brad Barickman holding off Nelson for third.The second caution of the race waved when
fifth place runner Jerry Richert Jr looped his sprinter in turn four with 12
laps in.Kennedy continued to show the
way with Tostenson, Barickman, Nelson and Chris Graf in the top five.Rosenboom had already raced his way back to
the sixth position, but his charge forward was certainly not done by any
means.Just one lap after the race went
green, young Thomas Kennedy spun in turn two to bring out the third
yellow.The running order remained the
same, but that would change soon.
Two laps after the green blinked on, Rosenboom
moved past Graf for fifth while the second spot swapped around a couple of
times.The final caution came when Kevin
Nickel spun his sprinter in turn four with 16 laps in the books.This set up a four lap dash to the
finish.Rosenboom had just passed Nelson
for fourth while the top three spots remained unchanged.Not for long though, as the drivers raced
hard during the final four circuits with several positions changing hands more
than once.With just two laps to go,
Rosenboom got by Barickman for third and set his sights on Tostenson.At the white flag, Rosenboom edged past
Tostenson for the runnerup position while Barickman applied the pressure.Rosenboom was clearly the fastest car on the
track, but he did not have enough laps left to catch Kennedy.Lou Kennedy Jr rode home first followed by
Rosenboom.Barickman as able to get past
Tostenson for third on the final lap.Nelson completed the top five finishers.Rounding out the top ten was Graf, Leigh Thomas, Friday night winner
Tony Norem, Richert Jr from the back after his lap 12 spin and Thomas Kennedy,
son of race winner Lou Kennedy Jr.Young
Robby Wolfgang appeared headed for a top ten finish, but a complete 360 spin in
turn four following the lap sixteen restart dropped him down in the running
order at the finish.Wolfgang was able
to keep going, so no caution was necessary.Unlike the previous night at Kopellah, the 20 lap feature event
completed an evening of sprint car racing without any red flags.
Lou Kennedy Jr placed his name in the record
books along side of previous Billy Anderson Memorial winners Tony Norem, Bill
Boles, Jerry Richert Jr, Loren Langerud, Jake Peters, and Chuck Swenson.Having completed their doubleheader weekend
debut, the UMSS sprint cars next race will see them return to the 1/4 mile
Kopellah Speedway on Friday evening May 8.Thanks to all the sprint car fans and drivers who supported the series
on its opening weekend.
UMSS Feature Finish (Billy Anderson Memorial):
Lou Kennedy Jr, Jody Rosenboom, Brad Barickman, Jason Tostenson, John Nelson,
Chris Graf, Leigh Thomas, Tony Norem, Jerry Richert Jr, Thomas Kennedy, Scott
Thiel, Joseph Kouba, Jeremy Schultz, Robby Wolfgang, Kenny Melanson, Mike
Louks, Kevin Nickel.DNS: Gene Kelly,
Adrian Wagner, Billy Balog.
Lap Leaders: Tostenson 1-6, Kennedy Jr 7-20
