By: Ashley Iwanski & Kevin Ramsell
(West Salem, WI – October 6, 2011)
The racing gods blessed the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway Thursday with great weather and exciting racing for the Livewire Energy and CC106.3 night at the races. Three different drivers were able to race their cars to track championships, while others dragged their cars home in pieces.
J. Herbst started the night 25 points ahead of Todd Korish in the Kwik Trip NASCAR Late Model points standings. After a 40-lap feature and four cautions Herbst was named the 2011 Late Model champion, it didn’t come easy though. Hard-charging Korish wasn’t just going to hand the title to Herbst, he was going to make him work for it.
Herbst started the race 4th and Korish 12th. Within five laps Korish had moved up four spots while Herbst moved up two. Herbst tried to get the lead from Steve Carlson, but Carlson had already opened a five car length lead. By the half-way point Korish was on the back bumper of Herbst and took the second spot on the outside of Herbst. As a result Herbst’s momentum slowed and he fell back to the fifth spot. Korish then had to hold off fast time qualifier Brad Powell and Brent Kirchner. Korish was able to hold onto the second spot, but he was unable to make up enough points on Herbst to capture the championship. Korish ended the season 2nd in points, 17 behind Herbst. Carlson took the checkered flag followed by Korish, Kirchner, Powell and Herbst.
Nick Barstad and Matt Tifft led the field of 30 cars to the lead for the 25-lap Futures event. Tifft would get the lead but the caution would fly after one lap for Jamie Wallace’s stalled car on the backstretch. On the re-start, Joel Theissen would take over the top spot from Tifft.
The second caution flew on lap eight for a multi-car wreck on the backstretch. Paige Decker, Ed Szelagowski Jr., and Mark Kissinger were a few of the drivers involved in the melee. Using the choose-a-lane re-start, Collin Reffner joined Theissen on the front row for the green flag where Theissen would hold on to the top spot over Reffner. Behind them, Becca Kasten would challenge Tifft for third.
With 15 laps to go, Reffner would challenge for the lead going into turn one. Theissen would shut the door. This allowed Kasten to join the battle for the lead. Reffner would get a run coming off of turn two with ten laps to go.
Reffner would maintain the inside line until taking over the top spot with nine laps to go in the event.
Fast qualifier Corey Jankowski would get his nose on the inside of Kasten with seven laps to go for the third spot. Reffner was opening up to a ten-car length lead over Theissen. Jankowski would take over third with five laps to go and a lap later challenge Theissen for second. Jankowski would easily make the pass to take over the runner up position. Reffner would have too big of a lead for Jankowski to challenge and would take the checkered flag. Theissen was third with Kasten in fourth. Tifft would round out the top five.
Even a broken left arm where the cast is up to his shoulder couldn’t stop Jake Arneson from taking home the North Country Contractors Grand National Sportsmen Oktoberfest feature win. Arneson started ninth and worked his way towards the front. Bill Martin spun with nine laps to go to create a double file restart, which allowed Arneson to battle with Greg Scheck for the lead. With four laps to go, Arneson went to the outside of Scheck to challenge for the lead. Scheck would get loose coming off of turn four in the last few laps. Arneson would take advantage of Scheck’s loose car and take the lead on the last lap all the way to the checkered flag.
Dan Gilster’s fourth place finish secured his fifth North Country Contractors Grand National Sportsmen title.
Andy Moore ended his season in style. He didn’t just win the Thunderstox feature by racing three-wide with Michael Krueger and Rob Christen; Moore was also crowned the 2011 United Auto Supply Thunderstox champion. Moore started 5th and within two laps was side by side with Krueger. When the two caught up to Christen Moore went to the low side while Krueger went high. Both had to fall back. But Moore quickly made another move to pass first Christen for 2nd and then Daniel Fradette for the race lead. Moore held onto the lead from there to cap his season off with a feature win and championship. Jason Bolster came out of no where to finish 2nd in the feature and 2nd in the championship standings, 12 points behind Moore.
The Hornet cars ruled in the Double-O Oktoberfest feature event. Mark Bornitz would have the early lead but Kyle Stark would fly by him with eight laps to go as he got by him on the 5/8-mile track. Dan Linnehan, who drove an Outlawz car, came from the back and got up to Stark’s bumper just as the checkered flag fell giving the win to Stark.
Kyle Stark would pick up two Oktoberfest Race Weekend feature wins on the opening night as he also won the 75-lap Enduro. Mike Carlson took the early lead but it didn’t take Stark long to get by Carlson for the top spot. About halfway through the race, Tanya Goss made hard contact with the front stretch wall. The safety crew had to remove her from the car and was transported to the hospital for further observation. When the racing resumed, Stark weaved his way around the field all the way to the checkered flag. Phil Malouf was second with Joe Nuttleman in third.
Oktoberfest racing continues Friday, Oct. 6 with the Super Late Models in the Dick Trickle 99 raced in three segments. Also racing are the Super Sportsmen and Area Sportsmen divisions. The Big-8 Late Models will race on Saturday, Oct. 7 with the Outlawz, Mid-American Stock Cars and ASA Midwest Tour preliminaries. The ASA Midwest Tour will run a 100-lap feature on Sunday, Oct. 9 following the Big-8 JMcK 63 Invitational, another 3-segment feature race. Also racing Sunday are the ASA Midwest Trucks, Vintage Cars, Hornets, Bandits and a 4-Cylinder Open. For more information please call the Speedway office at (608) 786-1525 or visit www.lacrossespeedway.com.
La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway is a proud NASCAR Hometrack, part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series – www.hometracks.nascar.com.
This article was posted to the website on October 6th, 2011
