Cornell Captures First ASCS Win in Regional Showdown at I-80 Speedway

Lonnie Wheatley, GREENWOOD, Neb. (April 11, 2009) – Jonathan Cornell corralled his first career American Sprint Car Series feature win by topping Saturday night's 25-lap ASCS Midwest vs. Northern Plains Challenge Series main event atop Nebraska Raceway Park's I-80 Speedway.

The 21-year-old Sedalia, MO, shoe advanced from the third row to take the lead away from early leader Wade Nygaard en route to victory lane aboard Kiowa Line Builders No. 28 entry.

Cornell took the checkered flag in front of Nygaard, who paced the opening ten rounds, with two-time ASCS Northern Plains champion Lee Grosz, 13th-starter Lou Kennedy, Jr., and Billy Alley rounding out the top five.

Brian Brown crossed the stripe sixth, with Jody Rosenboom, Bryan Dobesh, Don Droud, Jr., and Gregg Bakker completing the top ten.

Ryan Roberts, Nygaard, Grosz, Mitch Runge and Brown topped heat race action for the 46-car field, with Kennedy and Droud winning the twin "B" Mains.


ASCS Midwest vs. Northern Plains Results from I-80 Speedway:

Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 18-Ryan Roberts, 2. 17b-Ryan Bickett, 3. 27-Jody Rosenboom, 4. 2k-Kevin Ingle, 5. 1w-Chad Meyer, 6. 77-John Klabunde, 7. 14-Jeff Heffner, 8. 20k-Thomas Kennedy, 9. 7-Roger Sundquist, 10. 72-Steven Richardson.

Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 9n-Wade Nygaard, 2. 2-Don Droud, Jr., 3. 1m-Chad Humston, 4. 82-Jason Danley, 5. 40-Clint Garner, 6. 5-Eric Lutz, 7. 51-Mike Boston, 8. 4t-Josh Riggins, 9. 7g-Mike Gabelhouse.

Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 4j-Lee Grosz, 2. 28c-Jonathan Cornell, 3. 4c-Mike Chadd, 4. 71r-Ryan Anderson, 5. 1a-Robby Wolfgang, 6. 21k-Lou Kennedy, Jr., 7. 25-Dylan Peterson, 8. 28x-Ken Klabunde, 9. 9w-Adrian Wagner.

Heat Four (8 Laps): 1. 28-Mitch Runge, 2. 10-Danielle Ossenfort, 3. 10d-Bryan Dobesh, 4. 29-Russ Hall, 5. 17a-Austin McCarl, 6. 35ab-Trevor Grossenbacher, 7. 8b-Bobby Becker, 8. 47-Brandt Obanion, 9. 99vw-Shawn Van Wyhe.

Heat Five (8 Laps): 1. 21-Brian Brown, 2. 22-Billy Alley, 3. 11x-Gregg Bakker, 4. 71-Tige Jensen, 5. 99jr-Dusty Zomer, 6. 3-Jeff Griffis, 7. 6g-Bryan Gossel, 8. 7k-Chris Morgan, 9. 99-Jake Ossenfort.

First "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 21k-Lou Kennedy, Jr., 2. 82-Jason Danley, 3. 4c-Mike Chadd, 4. 29-Russ Hall, 5. 71r-Ryan Anderson, 6. 40-Clint Garner, 7. 17a-Austin McCarl, 8. 20k-Thomas Kennedy, 9. 35ab-Trevor Grossenbacher, 10. 99-Jake Ossenfort, 11. 25-Dylan Peterson, 12. 4t-Josh Riggins, 13. 28x-Ken Klabunde, 14. 1a-Robby Wolfgang, 15. 47-Brandt Obanion, 16. 7-Roger Sundquist, 17. 51-Mike Boston.

Second "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 2-Don Droud, Jr., 2. 1m-Chad Humston, 3. 71-Tige Jensen, 4. 99jr-Dusty Zomer, 5. 7k-Chris Morgan, 6. 1w-Chad Meyer, 7. 5-Eric Lutz, 8. 77-John Klabunde, 9. 6g-Bryan Gossel, 10. 14-Jeff Heffner, 11. 3-Jeff Griffis, 12. 7g-Mike Gabelhouse, 13. 72-Steven Richardson, 14. 9w-Adrian Wagner, 15. 8b-Bobby Becker, 16. 2k-Kevin Ingle, 17. 99vw-Shawn Van Wyhe.

“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 28c-Jonathan Cornell, 2. 9n-Wade Nygaard, 3. 4j-Lee Grosz, 4. 21k-Lou Kennedy, Jr., 5. 22-Billy Alley, 6. 21-Brian Brown, 7. 27-Jody Rosenboom, 8. 10d-Bryan Dobesh, 9. 2-Don Droud, Jr., 10. 11x-Gregg Bakker, 11. 18-Ryan Roberts, 12. 1m-Chad Humston, 13. 82-Jason Danley, 14. 17b-Ryan Bickett, 15. 99jr-Dusty Zomer, 16. 10-Danielle Ossenfort, 17. 29-Russ Hall, 18. 71-Tige Jensen, 19. 28-Mitch Runge, 20. 4c-Mike Chadd.

ASCS Midwest Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Billy Alley 290, 2. Jonathan Cornell 288, 3. Wade Nygaard 286, 4. Brian Brown 284, 5. Lou Kennedy, Jr. 266, 6. (tie) Jody Rosenboom and Don Droud, Jr. 264, 8. Dusty Zomer 262, 9. Mike Chadd and Jason Danley 254.

ASCS Northern Plains Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Billy Alley 290, 2. Jonathan Cornell 288, 3. Wade Nygaard 286, 4. Brian Brown 284, 5. Lou Kennedy, Jr. 266, 6. (tie) Jody Rosenboom and Don Droud, Jr. 264, 8. Dusty Zomer 262, 9. Mike Chadd and Jason Danley 254.