CHICAGO WHISPERS
by Stan Kalwasinski
October 15, 2009
West Salem, Wis.—Stock cars, stock cars and more stock cars, and some cold weather thrown in too! That pretty much summarizes the 40th annual Oktoberfest Race Weekend, which took place during the weekend of October 8 - 11 at the LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway.
If you haven’t ever made it up to LaCrosse for the ‘Fest, mark it on the calendar for early October a year from now. The event is pretty much a “one of a kind” affair. There is a lot to do during the weekend, parties, racing, more parties and some more racing to watch. I didn’t get an “official count” on how many campers graced the fairgrounds facility during the weekend, but there had to be hundreds and hundreds and hundreds. The campers started getting their spots as early as Monday prior to the weekend classic.
Track officials estimated more than 500 competitors were present for the four days of racing, which started on Thursday evening and ended late Sunday afternoon. Championships for three late model stock car tours were pretty much determined by the results that occurred at LaCrosse. Season titles for the ASA Midwest Tour, the ASA Late Model Series Northern Division and the Mid American Stock Car Series were all finally decided during the weekend.
Crafty Wisconsin stock car veteran Steve Carlson nailed down the championship in the ASA Midwest Tour ranks. Carlson, who lives in the town of West Salem , picked up his 10th major series title of his career, having previously won ARTGO Challenge Series and NASCAR Midwest Series championships in the past. Carlson won four ARTGO crowns and five NASCAR points battles after “cutting his racing teeth” at LaCrosse in the sportsman ranks before moving into the late model ranks in 1982.
Carlson finished second to 100-lap race winner Travis Sauter to take championship honors ahead of Nathan Haseleu, who finished fifth in Sunday afternoon’s chase. Sauter, the third generation Wisconsin racer, finally etched the Sauter family name on to the ‘Fest winners list, wheeling his white Chevrolet #5 to the victory. Over the course of 39 previous events, Sauter’s dad, Tim, grandfather, Jim, and uncles, Jay and Johnny, had all tried to grab a ‘Fest win. Previously, Jim Sauter had finished third (in 1982) for the best Sauter family finish.
Commenting about his most recent championship, Carlson said, "I started off the season and I decided that I was only going to run part-time because at the first race of the year I got a flat and dropped out of the race. So I skipped the next race then I started winning two, three, and four of them and found myself second in points. I thought to myself, well I better go for it."
Colorado ’s Chris Eggleston started the weekend with a 40 point lead over Eddie Hoffman for this year’s ASA Late Model Series Northern Division title. After Saturday night’s 100-lap affair, which was held in very chilling condition, Eggleston, the “Colorado Kid,” emerged the series champion with a fourth place finish behind racer winner Carlson, Jacob Goede and Ross Kenseth. Hoffman, shooting for this second straight ASALMS crown, saw his evening come to an end with a blown engine which sent the veteran Chicago area driver spinning into turn one. Hoffman was then hit head-on by J. Herbst, who was this year’s LaCrosse late model champion. Neither driver was injured, but both cars were badly damaged.
After the ASALMS 100, Kenseth, son of NASCAR star Matt Kenseth, won the 48-lap Big 8 Series season finale with Kenseth grabbing series championship honors. Becoming a major regional success story as far as late model (sportsman-style) stock cars go, the Big 8 Series saw over 50 cars qualify for the evening’s action.
Winning his division’s headliner, Minnesota ’s Paul Neisius captured Mid American Stock Car Series honors, grabbing the title away for Wisconsin veteran Bill Prietzel, a three-time Mid American titlist. Prietzel started the day with a 21-point lead only to see his day turn into ruins as he ran into a number of problems, eventually finishing 13th and 20 points behind the Neisius. The 38-year-old Neisius became the first Minnesota driver to ever win a Mid American title.
Oktoberfest Pit Bits
Josh Nelms of Lockport , Ill. claimed rookie of the years for the ASA Late Model Series Northern Division after turning in an 11th place finish in the ASALMS 100 lapper on Saturday. Nelms used his own Chevrolet #0 to claim the honor.
With the Big 8 Series having an impressive car count, the series lined up a 23-car “last chance” race on Saturday with Scott Broughton claiming top honors.
Tim Cox of Park City , Ill. was on hand, wheeling the Danny Darnell #85 late model in ASA Midwest Tour competition. Cox was the 2009 Hoosier Outlaw Sprint Series (HOSS) champion as he won five feature victories in the open-wheel, winged sprint car action. Cox did not make the feature lineup for Sunday’s 100-lap feature race.
Kyle Shear drove his Joe Shear-look-a-like Monte Carlo #36 in Big 8 Series action, winning the first 10-lap qualifying heat race on Saturday. Shear, who hails from Roscoe , Ill. , is a second cousin to the former Midwest late model sensation, the late Joe Shear.
During ASA Midwest Tour qualifying runs for on Saturday, Carlson set a new all-time LaCrosse late model qualifying track record, zipping around the big 5/8’s-mile paved oval in 18.944 seconds for an average speed of 103.648 miles per hour. Carlson was also fast time during qualifications for ASALMS racing.
The most unique car of the weekend award, in this corner’s estimation, goes to Matt McLaughlin’s 1958 Edsel. The Friendship, Wis. driver raced in the vintage car competition.
A number of legendary late model speedsters were on hand for the weekend racing including Dick Trickle, Jim Sauter, Tom Reffner and Bob Iverson.
The address for news and comments is 9618 Cypress Ave. , Munster , Ind. 46321-3418 or e-mail to skalwasinski@yahoo.com.
END