 |
Menard follows Wateski's
lead to third La Crosse win!
By David Morgan |
August 2,
2003; West Salem, WI - Sometimes it pays to charge
straight to the front. Sometimes it pays off more to sit back, follow a veteran to the
front, and then make your move. The veteran drivers seem to have a knack for knowing when
to take either tactic.
On Saturday night at the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway, Charlie Menard
followed Rick Wateski around early race leader Todd Oliver, and then when Wateski slid up
in turn four mid-race, he took advantage, ducked underneath, and came away with his third
feature win of the season.
The points race also tightened up as the season moves into August, as
points-leader Steve Holzhausen lost a rear end, and pitted ten laps into the feature,
finishing 25th. his points lead dropped from 48 to 31 points, with Brad Powell using his
eighth-place finish to take over second from Tony Bagstad. Menard closed to within 44
points of the leader with the win.
Oliver quickly moved by pole-sitter Troy Goodenough on the start, and led the first eight
laps of the race, through the only caution on lap seven, when Tim Nelson and Ken Hutchens
both spun in turn four. Wateski was trying to move by Oliver when the caution flew, and on
the restart, he quickly tried the inside, before taking the lead on the outside on lap
nine. Menard had moved to third by lap four, but was content to watch as Wateski worked
the leader. When Wateski moved to the lead, Menard followed into second.
Menard started looking for away around Wateski on the outside, but Wateski
held his ground for four laps. On lap 15, Wateski slid up the track in turn three, and
Menard took advantage, slipping under him through four, and pulling alongside down the
frontstretch, as he took the lead.
Todd Korish made a late move on the leaders, catching them by the finish,
but he ran out of time and had to settle for third. Oliver finished fourth, followed by
Blake Horstman, Kevin Nuttleman, J. Herbst and Powell.
Nuttleman was fast timer, cloking a 20.342-second lap around the 5/8-mile
oval. Jim Hagel took the heat win, while Wateski and Nelson won the Bud Dashes, and
Hutchens claimed the B-Main.
In the Ray Hutson Chevrolet Sportsman feature, Dan Gilster chose the
outside line on a double-file restart to pick up three positions, and challenged leader
Rick Steinhoff down the stretch, but Steinhoff was able to hold off the challenge by a
half-length at the finish to take the win. Gilster was second, followed by Scott Beckler,
Chand Wehling, and Larry Bolster, Jr.
Wehling was fast timer at 22.821 seconds, heat wins went to Rob Curran,
Dan Linnehan and Troy Anderson, while the Bud Dash wins went to Bolster, Jr. and
Steinhoff. Bill Miller came away with the B-Feature win, while Jamie Schlintz took the
C-Main
Jason Pulham led the first four laps, but on lap five of the United Auto
Supply Thunderstox feature Jason Schaller went by on the outside, taking the top spot,
just before Danielle Neary took the brunt of an incident in turn four, where several cars
bumped and banged their way through. All the cars were able to keep going, and when Neary
pulled back onto the track, the race stayed green.
Schaller led a two-car breakaway, as he and Scott Voss pulled away from
the field. With three laps to go, the leaders ran into lapped traffic, and Voss closed,
looking for a way round for the lead. The chance never materialized, as Schaller held him
off for the win.Tim Steinhoff took third, followed by John Hendrickson and Ed Senn.
Ron Heller took the B-Main, Tony Leis the Bud Dash, and heat wins went to
Ed Senn, Neary, Pulham and Lance Lee. Matt Inglett took the Trailer Race of Destruction
win, being one of just two cars running at the end with their trailer still attached.
Nineteen cars started the race.
For complete results from the RACESTAT
computer click here
Saturday, Aug. 9 Trane Federal Credit Union Presents:
///NASCAR Late Models, Sportsman, Thunderstox, Pylon Race Novelty Event
Saturday, Aug. 16 Kwik Trip Presents: ///NASCAR Late Models, Sportsman, Thunderstox,
Hornets
Saturday, Aug. 23 Budweiser Presents: ///NASCAR Late Models, Sportsman, Thunderstox,
Bus Race
LA CROSSE FAIRGROUNDS SPEEDWAY
Kwik Trip NASCAR Late Models
United Auto Supply 25 Feature (25 Cars) - 1. Charlie Menard, Eau Claire; 2. Rick Wateski,
La Crosse; 3. Todd Korish, La Crosse; 4. Todd Oliver, Bangor; 5. Blake Horstman, Bangor;
6. Kevin Nuttleman, Bangor; 7. J. Herbst, West Salem; 8. Brad Powell, La Crosse; 9. Tony
Bagstad, Cashton; 10. Steve Carlson, West Salem; 11. Mike Belling, La Crosse; 12. Tom
McClintock, Onalaska; 13. Jon Barrette, La Crosse; 14. John Towner, Trempealeau; 15. Bill
Niles, Holmen; 16. Troy Goodenough, Mindoro; 17. Dexter Bean, Westby; 18. Ken Hutchens,
Black River Falls; 19. Jim Hagel, Holmen; 20. Jeff Krueger, La Crescent, Minn.; 21. Adam
Degenhardt, Coon Valley; 22. Monte Gress, Neillsville; 23. Kevin Eddy, Sparta; 24. Tim
Nelson, La Crescent, Minn.; 25. Steve Holzhausen, Bangor
B-Main - 1. Ken Hutchens, Black River Falls; 2. Jeff Krueger, La Crescent, Minn.; 3. Monte
Gress, Neillsville; 4. Dexter Bean, Westby; 5. Greg Scheck, West Salem
Qualifying - 1. Kevin Nuttleman, 20.342 seconds, 96.524 MPH; 2. Blake Horstman, 20.376
secs, 96.363 MPH; 3. Brad Powell, 20.494 secs, 95.809 MPH; 4. Tony Bagstad, 20.497 secs,
95.795 MPH; 5. Steve Holzhausen, 20.506 secs, 95.752 MPH
Qualifying Heat 1 - 1. Jim Hagel, Holmen; 2. John Towner, Trempealeau; 3. Bill
Niles, Holmen; 4. Jon Barrette, La Crosse; 5. Jeff Krueger, La Crescent;
Odd Bud Dash - 1. Rick Wateski, La Crosse; 2. Mike Belling, La Crosse; 3. Kevin Nuttleman,
Bangor; 4. Steve Holzhausen, Bangor; 5. Brad Powell, La Crosse
Even Bud Dash - 1. Tim Nelson, La Crescent, Minn.; 2. Kevin Eddy, Sparta; 3. Charlie
Menard, Eau Claire; 4. J. Herbst, West Salem; 5. Blake Horstman, Bangor
Ray Hutson Chevrolet Sportsman
United Auto Supply 15 Feature (25 Cars) - 1. Rick Steinhoff, Sparta; 2. Dan Gilster, West
Salem; 3. Scott Beckler, Sparta; 4. Chand Wehling, Stoddard; 5. Larry Bolster, Jr.,
Sparta; 6. Jeff Baker, Holmen; 7. Tom Thill, West Salem; 8. Tony Ciano, La Crosse; 9.
Randy Steinhoff, Cashton; 10. Trent Boettcher, La Crescent, Minn; 11. Jimmy Gilster, West
Salem; 12. Dan Linnehan, Sparta; 13. Sam Andersen, Melrose; 14. Lucas Korish, La Crosse;
15. Chris Skrede, Holmen
B-Main - 1. Bill Miller, Sparta; 2. Aaron Hass, La Crosse; 3. Chris Skrede, Holmen; 4 Todd
Lockingotn, La Crosse; 5. Jake Arneson, Taylor
C-Main - 1. Jamie Schlintz, West Salem; 2. Scott Stingl, Mindoro; 3. Rob Curran, West
Salem; 4. Laurel Viera, Eagle Lake, Minn.; 5. Mike Campbell, Bangor
Qualifying - 1. Chand Wehling, Stoddard, 22.821 secs, 86.039 MPH; 2. Jeff Baker, Holmen,
22.853 secs, 85.919 MPH; 3. Dan Gilster, West Salem, 22.918 secs, 85.675 MPH; 4. Trent
Boettcher, La Crescent, Minn., 22.944 secs, 85.578 MPH; 5. Tony Ciano, La Crosse, 23.014
secs, 85.318 MPH
Non-Qualifying Heat - 1. Rob Curran, Rockland; 2. Laurel Viera, Eagle Lake,
MN; 3. Mark Challet, Bangor; 4. Mike Millis, Black River Falls; 5. Ed
Gunther, Melrose;
Qualifying Heat 1 - 1. Dan Linnehan, Bangor; 2. Branden Berg, Melrose; 3.
Chris Skrede, Holmen; 4. Jerimy Wagner, Mindoro; 5. Dan Erdman, Holmen;
Qualifying Heat 2 - 1. Troy Anderson, Galesville; 2. Jordan Hess, West Salem;
3. Todd Lockington, Mindoro; 4. Jake Arneson, Taylor; 5. Jes Tenner,
Melrose;
Odd Bud Dash - 1. Larry Bolster, Jr., Sparta; 2. Scott Beckler, Sparta; 3. Chand Wehling,
Sparta; 4. Dan Gilster, West Salem; 5. Jimmy Gilster, West Salem
Even Bud Dash - 1. Rick Steinhoff, Cashton; 2. Randy Steinhoff, Sparta; 3. Sam Andersen,
Melrose; 4. Jeff Baker, Holmen; 5. Trent Boettcher, La Crescent, Minn.
United Auto Supply Thunderstox
United Auto Supply 15 Feature (25 cars)- 1. Jason Schaller, Cashton; 2. Scott Voss, La
Crescent, Minn.; 3. Tim Steinhoff, Cashton; 4. John Hendrickson, La Crosse; 5. Ed Senn, La
Crosse; 6. Trent Tenner, North Bend; 7. Jason Pulham, West Salem; 8. Tony Leis, Middle
Ridge; 9. Justin Berg, North Bend; 10. Ron Heller, Onalaska; 11. Ryan Lockington, Mindoro;
12. Ben Allen, Bangor; 13. Matt Inglett, La Crosse; 14. Jamie Dummer, Holmen; 15. Jason
Lindvig, Holmen
B-Feature - 1. Ron Heller, Onalaska; 2. Matt Inglett, La Crosse; 3. Jason Bolster, Sparta;
4. Bill Inglett. La Crosse; 5. Greg Lindvig, Holmen
Bud Dash- 1. Tony Leis, Middle Ridge; 2. Tim Steinhoff, Cashton; 3. Travis Schendel,
Cashton; 3. Scott Voss, La Crescent, Minn.; 5. Ed Senn, La Crosse
Heat 1- 1. Ed Senn, LaCrosse; 2. Travis Schendel, Cashton; 3. Ben Allen,
Bangor; 4. Craig Kohlmeier, West Salem; 5. Joey Johnson, West Salem;
Heat 2- 1. Danielle Neary, LaCrosse; 2. Tony Leis, Bangor; 3. Justin Berg,
Bangor; 4. Charles Vian; 5. Craig Chandler, Black River Falls
Heat 3- 1. Jason Pulham; 2.Scott Voss, LaCrescent; 3. Jason Schaller, Holmen;
4. John Hendrickson, LaCrosse; 5.Kevin Burr, LaCrescent;
Heat 4- 1. Lance Lee, Holmen; 2. Tim Steinhoff, Cashton; 3. Andy Moore,
Sparta; 4. Ryan Lockington, Mindoro; 5. Trent Tenner, Melrose;
Trailer Race of Destruction - 1. Matt Inglett, La Crosse |