NEW RICHMOND, Wis. (Aug. 6) — Live updates from Friday night’s double-heats qualifying program for the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series-sanctioned USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway (results unofficial):
Pole dash
Cade Dillard of Robeline, La., led Friday night's 8-lap pole dash from flag-to-flag to earn the number one starting spot in Saturday's $50,000-to-win USA Nationals finale at Cedar Lake Speedway.
After fighting off an early challenge from Ashton Winger, Dillard pulled away to defeat the Hampton, Ga., driver — and winner of the 30-lap World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series feature that was added to Friday's program due to rain on Thursday night — by 1.523 seconds.
Winger secured the outside pole with his runner-up finish. Kyle Bronson overtook Max Blair midway through the race to place third, Jimmy Owens was fourth and Brandon Sheppard was fifth.
Saturday's feature lineup
Row 1: Cade Dillard, Ashton Winger
Row 2: Kyle Bronson, Jimmy Owens
Row 3: Brandon Sheppard, Max Blair
Row 4: Brandon Overton, A.J. Diemel
Row 5: Garrett Alberson, Chris Madden
Row 6: Jonathan Davenport, Chad Mahder
Row 7: Shannon Babb, Nick Hoffman
Row 8: Jimmy Mars, Tyler Bruening
Row 9: Consolation transfers
Row 10: Consolation transfers
Row 11: Consolation transfers
Row 12: Last chance transfers
Row 13: Provisional starters
Row 14: Provisional starters
Dash results
Pole dash (eight laps; sets first four rows of Saturday's 100-lapper): Cade Dillard, Ashton Winger, Kyle Bronson, Jimmy Owens, Brandon Sheppard, Max Blair, Brandon Overton, A.J. Diemel.
Kyle Koch Memorial FANS Fund dash (12 laps; $2,500-to-win): Mark Whitener, Garrett Alberson, Bobby Pierce, Jason Feger, Trevor Gundaker, Chad Simpson, Billy Moyer Jr., Ashton Winger, Gordy Gundaker, Ryan Unzicker, Chris Simpson, Nick Hoffman, Tegan Evans.
Passing points totals
(Top 16 locked into USA Nationals feature)
1. Jimmy Owens - 209
2. Ashton Winger - 209
3. Max Blair - 209
4. A.J. Diemel - 207.50
5. Brandon Sheppard - 204
6. Cade Dillard - 197
7. Kyle Bronson - 197
8. Brandon Overton - 197
9. Garrett Alberson - 188.50
10. Chris Madden - 188.50
11. Jonathan Davenport - 185
12. Chad Mahder - 185
13. Shannon Babb - 185
14. Nick Hoffman - 183.50
15. Jimmy Mars - 173
16. Tyler Bruening - 173
17. Dennis Erb Jr. - 168
18. Chad Simpson - 161
19. Mark Whitener - 161
20. Jason Feger - 152.50
21. Frank Heckenast Jr. - 152.50
22. Chase Junghans - 151
23. Jake Timm - 149
24. Ryan Unzicker - 149
25. Brent Larson - 149
26. Bobby Pierce - 140.50
27. Daniel Hilsabeck - 140.50
28. Lance Matthees - 139
29. Jeffrey Massingill - 139
30. Rick Eckert - 135.50
31. Brian Shirley - 130.50
32. Chris Simpson - 128.50
33. Gordy Gundaker - 128.50
34. Jordan Yaggy - 123.50
35. Ryan Gustin - 123.50
36. Ricky Weiss - 122
37. Trevor Gundaker - 120
38. Billy Moyer Jr. - 120
39. Nick Anvelink - 120
40. Allen Murray - 111.50
41. Thomas Hunziker - 111.50
42. Johnny Scott - 110
43. Allan Hopp - 103
44. Mitch McGrath - 84.50
45. Kyle Hammer - 77.50
46. Tegan Evans - 76
47. Shawn Kirwin - 60.50
48. Jason Rauen - 60.50
49. Boom Briggs - 25
Round 2 heat recap
Roaring back from his rough first round when he was momentarily stunned by a mud clod that struck his helmet, third-starting Jonathan Davenport overtook Chris Madden for the lead on lap four and glided away to a convincing victory in Heat 1. “I just want to let everybody at home know that I’m OK,” he said in a post-race interview. … Chase Junghans made a major rebound from his last-place finish in Round 1, advancing from the fifth starting spot to capture the second heat. … The round’s other heat winners — Jimmy Owens, Jimmy Mars and Tyler Bruening — cruised to victories from front-row starting spots. … Defending USA Nationals champion Brandon Overton made a last-lap pass of Johnny Scott in Heat 5 to claim a fifth-place finish after starting last. … Boom Briggs was a no-show for the fifth heat after his car sustained significant damage in his slap of the wall between turns one and two on the opening lap of his Round 1 prelim.
Round 2 heat results
First heat: Jonathan Davenport, Chris Madden, Bobby Pierce, Cade Dillard, Ryan Gustin, Dennis Erb Jr., Billy Moyer Jr., Frank Heckenast Jr., Kyle Hammer, Mitch McGrath.
Second heat: Chase Junghans, Daniel Hilsabeck, Nick Hoffman, Lance Matthees, Trevor Gundaker, Shannon Babb, Nick Anvelink, Chad Simpson, Allen Murray, Shawn Kirwin.
Third heat: Jimmy Owens, A.J. Diemel, Brent Larson, Ashton Winger, Chad Mahder, Rick Eckert, Ryan Unzicker, Jeffrey Massingill, Tegan Evans.
Fourth heat: Jimmy Mars, Max Blair, Kyle Bronson, Brandon Sheppard, Ricky Weiss, Brian Shirley, Jason Feger, Jake Timm, Jordan Yaggy, Jason Rauen.
Fifth heat: Tyler Bruening, Garrett Alberson, Chris Simpson, Mark Whitener, Brandon Overton, Johnny Scott, Thomas Hunziker, Gordy Gundaker, Allan Hopp. Scratched: Boom Briggs.
Round 1 heat recap
The momentum Ashton Winger picked up with his victory in the held-over 30-lap WoO feature continued with his triumph in Heat 2 from the sixth starting spot. He overtook Chad Mahder for the lead on lap four and wasn’t headed. … Eighth-starting Jonathan Davenport was in second place and bidding for the lead on lap nine of the second heat when he suddenly slowed off turn two, jerked his car into the infield and slid to a stop just to the inside of the racing surface in turns three and four. He had been momentarily stunned after taking a hit to the helmet from a mud clod, but after being checked over by the track ambulance crew he returned to the race for the green-white-checkered restart and salvaged a sixth-place finish. … Starting from the pole position in their respective heats, Chad Simpson and Brandon Overton did what they absolutely must do under a passing points system: they were victorious. Simpson beat Jake Timm by just under a second in the first heat while Overton outran Cade Dillard by a straightaway in Heat 3. … The fourth heat was a battle of Illinois boys with Shannon Babb racing around the outside of Frank Heckenast Jr. with two laps remaining to grab the victory. The Land of Lincoln racers shared the front row with Heckenast on the pole and Babb starting on the outside. … Brandon Sheppard bolted into the lead from the third starting spot in the fifth heat and raced unchallenged to the checkered flag. … Boom Briggs started from the outside pole in Heat 4 but contact between turns one and two sent him into the outside wall. He limped of the track with right-front damage and a flat left-rear tire. … Chase Junghans went from finishing second in the postponed WoO feature to registering a last-place result (10th) in the first heat after starting sixth. ... The top five in passing points after the first round: Winger (125 points), A.J. Diemel (10th-to-third in Heat 5 for 121 points), Max Blair (ninth-to-third in Heat 2 for 116 points), Sheppard (110) and Babb (105).
Round 1 heat results
First heat: Chad Simpson, Jake Timm, Jason Feger, Jimmy Owens, Allen Murray, Allan Hopp, Jimmy Mars, Bobby Pierce, Chase Junghans.
Second heat: Ashton Winger, Chad Mahder, Max Blair, Jordan Yaggy, Garrett Alberson, Jonathan Davenport, Thomas Hunziker, Trevor Gundaker, Kyle Hammer, Boom Briggs.
Third heat: Brandon Overton, Cade Dillard, Kyle Bronson, Jeffrey Massingill, Chris Madden, Billy Moyer Jr., Tyler Bruening, Lance Matthees, Ricky Weiss, Shawn Kirwin.
Fourth heat: Shannon Babb, Frank Heckenast Jr., Ryan Unzicker, Gordy Gundaker, Mark Whitener, Nick Anvelink, Brent Larson, Ryan Gustin, Daniel Hilsabeck, Jason Rauen.
Fifth heat: Brandon Sheppard, Dennis Erb Jr., A.J. Diemel, Nick Hoffman, Rick Eckert, Brian Shirley, Mitch McGrath, Johnny Scott, Tegan Evans.
Pre-race notes
After Thursday’s program was cut short by thunderstorms that deluged Cedar Lake Speedway four laps into the first of three B-mains, Friday has brought Chamber of Commerce weather conditions to the area. Skies turned sunny during the afternoon and temperatures rose into the 80s. … Track and WoO officials are keeping a keen eye, however, on Saturday’s forecast, which shows a strong chance of rain and thunderstorms throughout the day. Officials have told teams and fans that they plan to check the latest forecast on Saturday morning and announce a plan of attack on social-media platforms by 11 a.m.; they said if it appears that the best window of opportunity with the weather would entail an earlier start time than scheduled, they will make the change in hopes of completing the USA Nationals finale on Saturday (though Sunday is listed as a rain date). … Friday’s two rounds of WoO heat races will transfer the top 16 drivers in combined passing points directly to Saturday’s 100-lap feature. The top-eight drivers will run in Friday’s 8-lap dash with the finish determining the starting order for the first four rows of the headliner. ... After Thursday's postponed feature was checkered at 6:56 p.m., Cedar Lake's track crew reconditioned the surface and the first round of WoO heat action began at 7:49 p.m.
Round 1 heat lineups
(12 laps; passing points determine transfers)
First heat
Row 1: Chad Simpson, Jake Timm
Row 2: Allen Murray, Allan Hopp
Row 3: Jason Feger, Chase Junghans
Row 4: Bobby Pierce, Chris Simpson
Row 5: Jimmy Owens, Jimmy Mars
Second heat
Row 1: Jordan Yaggy, Boom Briggs
Row 2: Chad Mahder, Kyle Hammer
Row 3: Thomas Hunziker, Ashton Winger
Row 4: Trevor Gundaker, Jonathan Davenport
Row 5: Max Blair, Garrett Alberson
Third heat
Row 1: Brandon Overton, Cade Dillard
Row 2: Ricky Weiss, Lance Matthees
Row 3: Billy Moyer Jr., Kyle Bronson
Row 4: Jeffrey Massingill, Shawn Kirwin
Row 5: Tyler Bruening, Chris Madden
Fourth heat
Row 1: Frank Heckenast Jr., Shannon Babb
Row 2: Gordy Gundaker, Ryan Unzicker
Row 3: Nick Anvelink, Mark Whitener
Row 4: Jason Rauen, Brent Larson
Row 5: Ryan Gustin, Daniel Hilsabeck
Fifth heat
Row 1: Tegan Evans, Dennis Erb Jr.
Row 2: Brandon Sheppard, Rick Eckert
Row 3: Mitch McGrath, Johnny Scott
Row 4: Brian Shirley, Nick Hoffman
Row 5: A.J. Diemel
Round 2 heat lineups
(12 laps; passing points determine transfers)
First heat
Row 1: Chris Madden, Ryan Gustin
Row 2: Jonathan Davenport, Bobby Pierce
Row 3: Mitch McGrath, Billy Moyer Jr.
Row 4: Kyle Hammer, Dennis Erb Jr.
Row 5: Cade Dillard, Frank Heckenast Jr.
Second heat
Row 1: Daniel Hilsabeck, Nick Hoffman
Row 2: Shawn Kirwin, Trevor Gundaker
Row 3: Chase Junghans, Nick Anvelink
Row 4: Lance Matthees, Allen Murray
Row 5: Shannon Babb, Chad Simpson
Third heat
Row 1: A.J. Diemel, Jimmy Owens
Row 2: Brent Larson, Jeffrey Massingill
Row 3: Ashton Winger, Rick Eckert
Row 4: Ryan Unzicker, Chad Mahder
Row 5: Tegan Evans
Fourth heat
Row 1: Jimmy Mars, Max Blair
Row 2: Brian Shirley, Jason Rauen
Row 3: Kyle Bronson, Jason Feger
Row 4: Brandon Sheppard, Ricky Weiss
Row 5: Jake Timm, Jordan Yaggy
Fifth heat
Row 1: Garrett Alberson, Tyler Bruening
Row 2: Chris Simpson, Johnny Scott
Row 3: Mark Whitener, Thomas Hunziker
Row 4: Allan Hopp, Gordy Gundaker
Row 5: Boom Briggs, Brandon Overton
Friday’s schedule
5:30 p.m. - WoO hot laps
6 p.m. - Thursday’s WoO consolations (10 laps)
- Thursday’s WoO feature (30 laps)
- Opening ceremonies
- Cedar Lake Late Model hot laps
- WoO Round 1 heats (12 laps)
- Cedar Lake Late Model heats (12 laps)
- WoO Round 2 heats (12 laps)
- Cedar Lake Late Model consolation (12 laps)
- WoO Pole Dash redraw
- WoO Pole Dash (8 laps)
- Track prep
- FANS Fund Dash
- Fireworks
- Cedar Lake Late Model feature (40 laps)
