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Nathan Haseleu eyes
RE/MAX Challenge Series return in Oktoberfest 200!
By Dean Strom |
October
3, 2001; West Salem, WI - After
a one year RE/MAX Challenge Series, NASCAR Touring absence, Nathan Haseleu is set for a
return to the series that helped launch his racing career. He'll do so in the 32nd
Annual Oktoberfest 200, October 6-7 at LaCrosse (Wis) Fairgrounds Speedway.
"After I got released from the Rousch truck deal, I came home and
just started looking for something to do," said Haseleu. "I'll run the
same car that I did when I was here last year. It's a car that I really like and a
car that we ran well with at LaCrosse last year."
At the completion of the 2000 RE/MAX Challenge Series season, Haseleu was
signed to drive one of the Rousch Racing trucks on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Haseleu competed in 14 events for the high profile truck team, but the squad never
gelled, prompting Haseleu's release in early August.
"We're going to use this race to sort of get our feet wet
again," said Haseleu. "It'll be just the second time I've been in a car
since I was released. We'll hopefully get things put together over the winter and be
able to run more of these RE/MAX races in 2002."
Twenty-six starters are slated to take the green flag, Sunday afternoon
(1:45 p.m. CT) in the Oktoberfest 200. The event will headline the 32nd Annual
Oktoberfest race weekend. RE/MAX Challenge Series competitors will qualify on
Saturday afternoon, with the fastest 16 automatically transferring to the main event.
The remainder of the field will be set
based on current championship point standings and by Saturday night's 25-lap last chance
qualifying race.
Steve Carlson leads the championship point standings as he is in search of
his second consecutive, and seventh career, series crown. Currently, Carlson
holds a 154-point advantage over second running Brian Hoppe. In addition to
being the defending series champion, Carlson is also the defending Oktoberfest 200
champion.
"I feel our chances are as good as any on Sunday, as long as we can
adapt to the new tire compound," said Haseleu. "It's tough to come into
the series, run one race and walk away with a win, but I still like our chances.
Hopefully we'll be able to have some fun."
2001 RE/MAX CHALLENGE SERIES RACE FACTS
WHAT: 32nd Annual Oktoberfest 200
RE/MAX Challenge Series Race #17 of 18
WHERE: LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway, West Salem, Wisconsin
.545-Mile Paved Oval
WHEN: Saturday & Sunday, October 6 & 7
DISTANCE: 200 Laps, 109 Miles
POSTED AWARDS: $52,415
FIELD: 26 cars. Fastest 16 cars through time trials. Positions 17-20 will be
filled by the top four in 25-lap last chance qualifying race. Positions 21-22 are
reserved as provisional starting spots based on current RE/MAX Challenge Series
Championship point standings. Position 23 is reserved as a past RE/MAX Challenge
Series Champion provisional.
Positions 24-26 are reserved as provisional starting spots based on current Featherlite
Southwest Series, Raybestos Northwest Series and Gatorade All-Pro Series Championship
point standings.
SANCTION: National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR)
PROMOTER: Motorsports Management Services, Inc.
CONTACTS: Chuck Deery, LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway (608) 786-1525
Dean Strom, NASCAR, (414) 328-0773
SCHEDULE: Saturday, October 6
8:00 a.m.: Haulers Enter & Registration and Inspection Begins
9:30 a.m.: Mandatory Rookie Driver's Meeting
10:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.: Practice
1:45 p.m.: Mandatory Driver's and Crew Chief's Meeting
3:30 p.m.: Qualifying (2 laps)
7:00 p.m.: 25-lap Last Chance Qualifying Race
Sunday, October 7
8:00 a.m.: Haulers Enter
9:00 a.m.: Mandatory Driver's and Crew Chief's Meeting
1:45 p.m.: 32nd Annual Oktoberfest 200
PARTICIPATING AWARDS SPONSORS: Anheuser-Busch, Auto Meter, Five Star Stock Car Bodies,
Gatorade, Goodyear Belts & Hoses, Holley Carburetors, Hoosier Tires, Moog Chassis,
Quarter Master Clutches, RE/MAX International, 3M, Tilton Engineering.
Notes Of Interest
* The RE/MAX Challenge Series has visited LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway on 29 previous
occasions; the last five of which have been sanctioned by NASCAR. Tom Reffner won
the series' first visit to the speedway on July 4, 1979.
* The RE/MAX Challenge Series evolved from the ARTGO Challenge Series and, in 2001, is
celebrating its 27th consecutive season of competition. The series joined the NASCAR
Touring family in 1998.
* The Oktoberfest 200 will headline the 32nd Annual Oktoberfest Race Weekend. The
RE/MAX Challenge Series has been a part of Oktoberfest, every year, since 1987.
* 2000 Event Champion: Steve Carlson. 2000 Event Bud Pole Winner: Mark Kraus.
In the 2000 version of this event, Steve Carlson scored his first Oktoberfest win
after 20-years of trying. The win was doubly sweet as LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway
is Carlson's home track and the win secured the 2000 RE/MAX Challenge Series Championship;
Carlson's sixth such title. Carlson led the first 55 laps before pitting under
caution. Travis Kvapil and Ron Breese, Jr took turns leading before Carlson regained
the point with 40 laps remaining. Kvapil and Breese finished 2nd and 3rd
respectfully.
* The most recent, September 30, at Elko (Minn) Speedway was won by Steve Carlson.
He took the lead for good on lap 103 and was never headed in the 300-lap affair.
Eddie Hoffman and Bud Pole fast qualifier Dan Fredrickson
trailed him across the stripe at the checkered. Carlson's closest championship point
rival, Brian Hoppe, finished 10th, and as a result, now trails Carlson by 154 markers in
the point standings with just 2 races remaining. With his 3rd place finish,
Fredrickson secured Rookie of the Year honors.
* The series one-lap qualifying record at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway was set by Steve
Holzhausen on October 8, 1995 at 18.903 sec. (103.983 mph). The 200-lap race record
was set by Eddie Hoffman on October 10, 1999 at
1:15:32 (86.584 mph)
Stat Of The Week
Steve Carlson needs to average a 20th place finishing position in each of the two
remaining events to capture the 2001 RE/MAX Challenge Series championship.
2001 Championship Standings
1. Steve Carlson #66 2741
2. Brian Hoppe #51 2587
3. Ron Breese, Jr #01 2349
4. Tim Schendel #21 2236
5. Jon Lemke #17 2188
6. Jeff Kendall #00 2124
7. Justin Diercks #29 2100
8. Dan Fredrickson #36 2086
9. Paul Menard #18 2080
10. Eddie Hoffman #8 2054 |