Holzhausen proves best at 'The Fest in NASCAR Northern action! By Jeffrey Sachse

October 7, 2001;  West Salem, WI -  On a sunny, but cool fall afternoon, the top local drivers at the LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway took to the track for the NASCAR Northern Series 50 lap headliner during the 32nd Annual Oktoberfest weekend.

Moments before the start of the NASCAR Northern Series event started, Steve Holzhausen and Steve Carlson were locked in a battle for the runner-up spot in the NASCAR RE/MAX Challenge Series race. Little did they know that thirty minutes later, they would resume that battle. This time for the win in the NASCAR Northern Series main event. When the checkered flag fell, Holzhausen was a car length ahead of his rival Carlson.

Outside front row starter, J. Herbst took the initial lead with Mark Lamoreaux following into the runner up position before the completion of the second lap. Brent Kirchner and Steve Holzhausen were in the process of contesting the third position when the first caution of the event flew on lap four as the cars of Mike Ehde and Steve O' Brien got turned around on the backstretch. Ehde would make contact with the wall and was forced to retire from the contest.

When the green flag returned Herbst shot back into the lead getting a good jump on the field. Blake Horstman who just recently advanced to the Late Model division had his day take a wrong turn when he looped his machine while running in the lead group letting his car roll backwards down the frontstretch. He was avoided by the field and was able to return to action when the race resumed.

Underway again, Herbst again set the pace. After starting 11th, Steve Carlson cracked the top five on lap 12 as he joined the lead group of five cars which were running nose to tail.
Holzhausen worked past Kirchner for third closing up on the rear decklid of Lamoreaux who was holding the runner-up spot behind Herbst.

Holzhausen using the outside line nosed ahead of Lamoreaux for the runner-up spot on lap 19 and set sail for his teammate Herbst, who held a six car length advantage. Meanwhile, Carlson was busy working the outside line to slip past Kirchner and then Lamoreaux to set himself up in the third spot at the halfway point of the contest.

Herbst meanwhile had his hands full with teammate Holzhausen who was relentlessly pursuing the lead. Holzhausen slipped under Herbst on lap 27 when Herbst went wide. Carlson also took advantage of the situation to more to second. Herbst meanwhile, was stuck in the outside line and quickly fell back in the pack.

Much like the NASCAR RE/MAX event held just moments before the start of the NASCAR Northern Series feature, Holzhausen and Carlson would find themselves in a torrid battle for position. Meanwhile multi-time track champion Kevin Nuttleman had worked past Lamoreaux for the third position.

With 10 laps to go, Carlson began to search for a weakness in the line of the leader Holzhausen as the pair fought for the lead a dozen car lengths ahead of Nuttleman in third. The veteran racers Holzhausen and Carlson found themselves racing through lapped traffic in the closing laps. With two laps to go, Carlson nosed under Holzhausen in turn two, but Holzhausen managed to shut the door and maintain the lead. He would hold the point to the checkered and win the event by less than a car length.

Nuttleman crossed the finish line in third place with Lamoreaux crossing the line in fourth. Newly crowned track champion Brad Powell had moved into fifth with ten laps to go but was unable to advance further. Dennis Haugrad, Kirchner, Shawn Pfaff, Herbst and Kraig Burrows rounded out the top ten in the contest.

The balance of the feature field was set with a Last Chance event prior to the start of the feature contest. The 15 lap qualifier was topped by Kurt Thicke, who lead a tight trio which included Jeremy Wolff and Tim Hagen to the line. Bill Niles, Frank Doehtery and Lorin Kurth completed the top six runners which transferred to the main event.

NASCAR NORTHERN SERIES 

50 Lap Feature: 1. Steve Holzhausen, Bangor, Wis.; 2. Steve Carlson, West Salem, Wis.; 3. Kevin Nuttleman, Bangor, Wis.; 4. Mark Lamoreaux, Bloomington, Minn.; 5. Brad Powell, La Crosse, Wis. 6. Dennis Haugrud, Cashton, Wis; 7. Brent Kirchner, LaCrosse, Wis.; 8. Shawn Pfaff, Sparta, Wis.; 9. J. Herbst, West Salem, Wis.; 10. Kriag Burrows, West Salem, Wis.; 11. Adam Royale, Farmington, MN; 12. Andy Burgess, Rice Lake, Wis.

Last Chance: 1. Kurt Thicke, West Salem, Wis.; 2. Jeremy Wolfe, Shakopee, Minn.; 3. Tim Hagen, La Crescent, Minn.; 4. Bill Niles, Holmen, Wis., 5. Frank Doherty, Elgin, Ill.; 6. Lorin Kurth, Waukon, IA; 7.Steve O'Brien, Red Wing, Minn.; 8. Mike Belling, La Crosse, Wis.