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Eddie Hoffman completes his
Oktoberfest "Hat Trick" with RE/MAX Challenge Series NASCAR Touring Win!
By Dean Strom |
October
7, 2001; West Salem, WI - Eddie
Hoffman captured the RE/MAX Challenge Series, NASCAR Touring Oktoberfest 200, Sunday
afternoon, at LaCrosse (Wis) Fairgrounds Speedway as part of the 32nd Annual Oktoberfest
race weekend. The triumph was Hoffman's third career Oktoberfest win. "Oktoberfest
has been real good to me," said the 1998 and 1999 winner. "There's just
something special about this race."
Current RE/MAX Challenge Series championship point leader, Steve
Carlson, and Bud Pole fast qualifier, Steve Holzhausen chased Hoffman under the checkered
flag.
Pete Moore, driving his Star Concrete Chevrolet, quickly jumped to
the point from the outside row one starting spot and led the first 40 laps. Tim Schendel,
Jason Schuler, Dan Fredrickson and Johnny Sauter gave chase early. The field was put under
caution after just one lap for a turn one spin by Ronnie White.
Sauter, making his first RE/MAX Challenge Series start since the
season finale in 1999, suffered an ignition problem early on and lost several positions.
Just prior to the half-way point, terminal engine woes ended Sauter's day.
Schuler called it a day on lap 128 when handling problems on his
Havill-Spoerl Ford proved to be too much for him to contend with. The race, however, was
decided on pit lane. A 180 lap green flag run left just four cars on the lead lap, when
the amber flew for the second and final time on lap 186 for the stalled car of Mark Kraus.
Holzhausen led Hoffman, Ron Breese, Jr and Carlson down pit lane. Hoffman's crew got his
Lisa Thomas Salon Chevrolet out in front, with Holzhausen, Carlson and Breese following.
"This win was all pit crew," said Hoffman. "We had
a second place car, behind Holzhausen, but my crew just did a great job." Just seven
laps remained when the field was sent back under green. Carlson quickly dispensed of
Holzhausen, but when his Phillips 66/Trop Artic Motor Oil Chevrolet wiggled out of turn
four with just three laps to go, his
chances of victory slipped away.
Rookie driver Fredrickson led for 101 laps, but when his Great
Clips Chevrolet sputtered, he was forced to pit, under green, on lap 142. The move handed
the lead to Holzhausen. While pitting, Fredrickson went down 1 lap to the leaders, but
with fresh right side rubber, he charged back through the field, but remained 1 lap down.
Fredrickson was hoping the race would end under green, and force the leaders to also pit
under green. The late yellow, however, allowed the leaders to pit under caution and foiled
any chance Fredrickson had for victory.
"This car was so strong that, I feel, if the race goes the
whole way under green, I'd have won," said Fredrickson. "I didn't need to see
that last yellow." "I was watching the fuel pressure gauge, and I don't know if
I would have made it on fuel, but I didn't need that last yellow," said Holzhausen.
"This place still owes me one."
Nathan Haseleu, driving the Jeff Fuller RE/MAX Chevrolet, made his
return to the series, after a stay in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He started 19th
and steadily moved forward to record a ninth place showing. By finishing second, Carlson
moved closer to his seventh career RE/MAX Challenge Series championship. To claim the
crown, he simply needs to start the EDC Water Treatment 400, at the season finale, October
27 at the Rockford (Ill) Speedway.
RE/MAX CHALLENGE SERIES, NASCAR TOURING - Oktoberfest
200
LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway, W. Salem, Wisc, .545-mile oval
finish, start, car #, driver, hometown, car make, laps, average
speed, status, money
1 5 8 Eddie Hoffman, Wheaton, IL Lisa Thomas Salon Chevrolet 200 $6350 Running
2 13 66 Steve Carlson, W. Salem, WI Phillips 66/Trop Artic Chevrolet 200 $4275 Running
3 3 78 Steve Holzhausen, Bangor, WI Motorsports of Rice Lake Ford 200 $2475 Running
4 15 01 Ron Breese, Jr, DeKalb, IL EWT, Inc./Honeywell Chevrolet 200 $2150 Running
5 4 36 Dan Fredrickson, Lakeville, MN # Great Clips Chevrolet 199 $2775 Running
6 11 51 Brian Hoppe, Madison, WI Gildan Activewear Chevrolet 199 $2050 Running
7 1 21 Tim Schendel, Sparta, WI Mathews Solocam Bows Chevrolet 199 $1800 Running
8 17 52 Scott Hansen, Green Bay, WI Victor Ford Ford 199 $1450 Running
9 19 93 Nathan Haseleu, Sun Prairie, WI Jeff Fuller RE/MAX Chevrolet 198 $1350 Running
10 7 29 Justin Diercks, Davenport, IA Adrian Carriers Chevrolet 198 $1625 Running
11 10 18 Paul Menard, Eau Claire, WI Mastercraft Doors/Menards Chevrolet 197 $1400 Running
12 12 17 Jon Lemke, Greenfield, MN Jensen Audio Chevrolet 197 $1400 Running
13 21 22 Tim Rothe, Appleton, WI # Oneida Bingo & Casino Chevrolet 197 $1340 Running
14 16 00 Jeff Kendall, Montello, WI Assembly Products Chevrolet 197 $1330 Running
15 2 86 Pete Moore, McFarland, WI Star Concrete Chevrolet 196 $1270 Running
16 14 9 Mark Kraus, Stratford, WI Wisconsin Homes Chevrolet 194 $1260 Running
17 26 26 Dave Finney, Sycamore, IL # Mendel Plumbing Chevrolet 193 $1300 Running
18 20 4 Les Ferris, Northfield, MN # Ferris Racing Chevrolet 193 $1290 Running
19 18 42 Matt Mylin, Roscoe, IL EDC Water Treatment Chevrolet 190 $1280 Running
20 24 12 Bruce Yackey, Greeley, CO General Air Chevrolet 164 $1070 Running
21 25 95 Ronnie White, Spring Hill, KS Interstate Electrical Chevrolet 155 $1210 Running
22 9 60 Ryan Hanson, Beloit, WI # Magic Construction Ford 132 $1200 Running
23 6 37 Jason Schuler, Cambridge, WI Havill-Spoerl Ford Ford 128 $1200 Handling
24 8 5 Johnny Sauter, Necedah, WI Victor Ford Ford 91 $1000 Engine
25 23 16 Jeff Frederickson, Kaukauna, WI Roberts Trucking Chevrolet 80 $1050 Engine
26 22 02 George Prentice, Jr, Milwaukee, WI Fast Wax/GTR Motorsports Chevrolet 6 $1250
Brakes
# rookie of the year competitor
Margin of Victory: .657-seconds
Time of Race: 1 hour 14 minutes 36 seconds
Average Speed: 87.668 mph
Lap Leaders: Tim Schendel (Grid), Pete Moore 1-40, Dan Fredrickson 41-141, Steve
Holzhausen 142-189, Eddie Hoffman 190-200
Cautions: 2 for 13 laps
Bud Pole Winner: Steve Holzhausen, Motorsports of Rice Lake Ford, 19.431 seconds (100.973
mph)
Gatorade Front Runner Award: Dan Fredrickson, Great Clips/Country Joe Homes Chevrolet
Rookie of the Race: Dan Fredrickson, Great Clips/Country Joe Homes Chevrolet
25-Lap Last Chance Race: 1. Scott Hansen; 2. Matt Mylin; 3. Nathan Haseleu; 4. Les Ferris
Failed to Qualify: (5) Jeff VanOudenhoven, Jeff Way, Joey Miller, Todd Hansen, Barry
Tanner, Jr
Next Event: October 27, EDC Water Treatment 400, Rockford Speedway, Rockford, Ill. |
