Horstman sets La Crosse record, Menard takes feature win! By David Morgan

April 10, 2004;  West Salem, WI -  Blake Horstman started off a chilly evening in West Salem by breaking Tom Carlson’s five-year old Kwik Trip NASCAR Late Model qualifying record, and Charlie Menard pulled away from the field twice to take the first feature win of the season as the pair of top ten finishers from last year stated their case to take the title from Steve Holzhausen in 2004.

Photo Highlights Several Race teams sported new paint jobs. Kwik Trip NASCAR Late Model Feature Winner #17 Charlie Menard of Eau Claire. Ray Hutson Chevrolet Sportsman Feature Winner #4 Chand Wehling. A pit area full of 122 race cars opened the new season. This new ABC Late Model Body was checked over with the "referee" on the #17 of Charlie Menard.

Horstman finished eighth in the feature, but it was Menard who dominated the race. he got by early lead Dan Steele on lap two, then pulled away from the field. He was well on his way to crusing to the win, when rookie Shawn Lockington spun just in front of him in turn two. Menard was able to get by, but had the field right behind him on the restart.

Tony Bagstad and Kevin Nuttleman were quick on the restart, with Bagstad getting by Steele for second, and Nuttleman slipping under Andy Burgess for the fourth spot. Nuttleman then continued by Steele to take third, but as the cars battled behind the leader, Menard extended his lead to five lengths once more.

Nuttleman worked the high line to get by Bagstad for second, with Bagstad, Burgess and Steve Holzhausen rounding out the top five. J. Herbst finished sixth, followed by Todd Korish, Horstman, Steele and Rick Wateski.

Horstman spun out as he went to take the green in qualifying. That left him with only one qualifying attempt, but he made the most of it by clocking in at 19.757 seconds, nearly two-tenths under Tom Carlson’s five-year old record.

Dexter Bean claimed the B-Main checkers, while Mike Belling and Kraig Burrows took heat wins for the division, and Todd Korish and Steele taking the Bud Dash wins in the division.

Chand Wehling made a nifty move at the start of the Ray Hutson Chevrolet Sportsman feature started, took the lead, and then held off Chris Skrede down the stretch to take the win. Larry Bolster, Jr. finished third, followed by Jeff Baker, Lucas Korish and fast timer Tom Thill. Rick Steinhoff was seventh, with John Olson, Rick Shisler and Randy Steinhoff rounding out the top ten.

Thill was fast timer at 22.609 seconds, Joe Rinartz and Randy Hass took heat wins, while dash wins went to Skrede and Jimmy Gilster. Jake Arneson was the B-main winner.

Steve Scholze led most of the way in the United Auto Supply Thunderstox feature, but once the field chased him down, he slid back quickly. Andy Moore was the first one by, but his lead was short-lived, as Les Stanfield went by on the outside on lap 12, and claimed the win. Moore was second, followed by Jason Schaller, Scholze and Jamie Dummer.

Joey Johnson won the B-Main, Shane Ulvestad took the Dash, and heat wins went to Lester Stanfield, Matt Inglett, Greg Lindvig and Brad Warthan.

For complete results from the RACESTAT computer click here

LA CROSSE FAIRGROUNDS SPEEDWAY
Kwik Trip NASCAR Late Models
Feature (26 Cars) - 1, Charlie Menard, Eau Claire; 2, Kevin Nuttleman, Bangor; 3, Tony Bagstad, Cashton; 4, Andy Burgess, Eau Claire; 5, Steve Holzhausen, Bangor; 6, J. Herbst, West Salem; 7, Todd Korish, La Crosse; 8, Blake Horstman, Bangor; 9, Dan Steele, West Salem; 10, Rick Wateski, La Crosse; 11, Tim Nelson, La Crescent, Minn.; 12, Jim Hagel, Holmen; 13, Mike Belling, La Crosse; 14, Tom McClintock, Onalaska; 15, Todd Oliver, Bangor; 16, Tim Hagen, La Crescent, Minn.; 17, Kraig Burrows, West Salem; 18, Kevin Eddy, Sparta; 19, Dexter Bean, Westby; 20, Jeff Krueger, La Crescent, Minn.; 21, Andy Niles, Holmen; 22, Shawn Lockington, La Crosse; 23, Joe Scholze, Holmen; 24, Quinn Arnoldy, Arcadia; 25, Bill Niles, Holmen, 26, Adam Degenhardt, Coon Valley.
B-Main - 1, Dexter Bean, Westby; 2, Kevin Eddy, Sparta; 3, Andy Niles, Holmen; 4, Shawn Lockington, La Crosse; 5, Jeff Krueger, La Crescent, Minn.
Qualifying - 1, Blake Horstman, Bangor, 19.757 seconds, 99.382 MPH (New track record); 2, J. Herbst, West Salem, 19.934 secs, 98.500 MPH; 3, Kevin Nuttleman, Bangor, 20.103 secs, 97.672 MPH; 4, Andy Burgess, Eau Claire, 20.112 secs, 97.628 MPH; 5, Steve Holzhausen, Bangor, 20.127 secs, 97.556 MPH.
Qualifiers Heat 1 - 1, Mike Belling, La Crosse; 2, Bill Niles, Holmen; 3, Jeff Krueger, La Crescent, Minn.; 4, Quinn Arnoldy, Arcadia; 5, Andy Niles, Holmen.
Qualifiers Heat 2 - 1, Kraig Burrows, West Salem; 2, Tim Hagen, La Crescent, Minn.; 3, Kevin Eddy, Sparta; 4, Dexter Bean, Westby; 5, Shawn Lockington, La Crosse.
Odd Bud Dash - 1, Todd Korish, La Crosse; 2, Tim Nelson, La Crescent, Minn.; 3, Kevin Nuttleman, Bangor; 4, Blake Horstman, Bangor; 5, Rick Wateski, La Crosse.
Even Bud Dash - 1, Dan Steele, West Salem; 2, Tony Bagstad, Cashton; 3, J. Herbst, West Salem; 4, Andy Burgess, Eau Claire; 5, Charlie Menard, Eau Claire

Ray Hutson Chevy Sportsman
Feature (25 Cars) - 1, Chand Wehling, Stoddard; 2, Chris Skrede, Rockland; 3, Larry Bolster, Jr., Sparta; 4, Jeff Baker, Holmen; 5, Lucas Korish, La Crosse; 6, Tom Thill, West Salem; 7, Rick Steinhoff, Sparta; 8, John Olson, Sparta; 9, Rick Shisler, La Crosse; 10, Randy Steinhoff, Cashton; 11, Jimmy Gilster, West Salem; 12, Dan Linnehan, Sparta; 13, Nick Schroeder, Cashton; 14, Aaron Hass, La Crosse; 15, Jordenn Hess, West Salem.
B-Main - 1, Jake Arneson, Taylor; 2, Tim Groth, Houston, Minn.; 3, Jamie Millis, Black River Falls; 4, Bill Miller, Sparta; 5, Jeff Winterfield, La Crosse.
Qualifying - 1, Tom Thill, West Salem, 22.609 secs, 86.846 MPH; 2, Rick Steinhoff, West Salem, 22.617 secs, 86.815 MPH; 3, Jeff Baker, Holmen, 22.688 secs, 86.544 MPH; 4, Rick Shisler, Stoddard, 22.722 secs, 86.414 MPH; 5, Randy Steinhoff, Cashton, 22.764 secs, 86.255 MPH.
Qualifiers Heat 1 - 1, Joe Rinartz, La Crosse; 2, Aaron Hass, La Crosse; 3, Todd Lockington, Mindoro; 4, Jake Arneson, Taylor; 5, Jamie Millis, Black River Falls.
Qualifiers Heat 2 - 1, Randy Hass, La Crosse; 2, Dan Erdman, Holmen; 3, Tony Leis, Middle Ridge; 4, Bill Miller, Sparta; 5, Rob Christen, Holmen.
Odd Bud Dash - 1, Chris Skrede, Rockland; 2, Nick Schroeder, Cashton; 3, Randy Steinhoff, Cashton; 4, Tom Thill, West Salem; 5, Jeff Baker, Holmen.
Even Bud Dash - 1, Jimmy Gilster, West Salem; 2, Larry Bolster, Jr., Sparta; 3, Rick Steinhoff, Sparta; 4, Chand Wehling, Stoddard; 5, Branden Berg, North Bend.

United Auto Supply Thunderstox
Feature (25 Cars) - 1, Lester Stanfield, La Crosse; 2, Andy Moore, Sparta; 3, Jason Schaller, La Crosse; 4, Steve Scholze, Sparta; 5, Jamie Dummer, Holmen; 6, Wayne Smith, La Crosse; 7, Jason Bolster, Sparta; 8, Greg Lindvig, Holmen; 9, Travis Schendel, Cashton; 10, Andy Barney, West Salem; 11, Al Bartels, Tomah; 12, Brad Warthan, Sparta; 13, Shanve Ulvestad, Holmen; 14, Bill Inglett, La Crosse; 15, Matt Inglett, La Crosse.
B-Main - 1, Joey Johnson, West Salem; 2, Danielle Neary, La Crosse; 3, Raymond Hardy, La Crosse; 4, Tim Steinhoff, Cashton; 5, Jason Pulham, Sparta.
Bud Dash - 1, Shane Ulvestad, Holmen; 2, Charles Vian, Norwalk; 3, Jamie Dummer, Holmen; 4, Travis Schendel, Sparta; 5, Greg Lindvig, Holmen.
Heat 1 - 1, Brad Warthan, Sparta; 2, Shane Ulvestad, Holmen; 3, John Hendrickson, La Crosse; 4, Kevin Burr; 5, Andy Barney, West Salem.
Heat 2 - 1, Greg Lindvig, Holmen; 2, Travis Schendel; 3, Bill Inglett, La Crosse; 4, 24; 5, Wayne Smith, Barre Mills.
Heat 3 - 1, Matt Inglett, La Crosse; 2, Jamie Dummer, Holmen; 3, Jason Bolster, Sparta; 4, Steve Scholze, Sparta; 5, Al Bartels, Tomah.
Heat 4 - 1, Lester Stanfield, La Crosse; 2, Charles Vian, Norwalk; 3, Andy Moore, La Crosse; 4, Lonnie Klonecki, Arcadia; 5, Ed Senn, La Crosse
Novelty Event (Pylon Race Two heats) - Adam Moore, Sparta and Emily Sue Steck, Holmen.