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Dick Trickle 99 feature (99 laps)
THE TOP 3
1. Nathan Hasseleu, Pardeeville, Wis.: Hasseleu, a veteran driver of a number of regional and national series, including 12 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races, won the second annual Trickle 99, thanks to segment finishes of eighth, eighth and third. That left him with 19 points, two more than runner-up finisher Jason Weinkauf. “I like coming to La Crosse for the Oktoberfest Races, although we haven’t always done that well,” Hasseleu said. “This is kind of a different race. We won it, so I like it.“
2. Jason Weinkauf, Merrill, Wis.: Weinkauf finished with
21 points (segment finishes of 12th, seventh, second), but won a tiebreaker with Steve Holzhausen and Jacob Goede because of his second-place finish in the third segment.
3. Steve Holzhausen, Bangor: Holhausen, who has spent the summer racing with his son, Skylar, at tracks around the state,
was unable to defend his title. He had segment finishes of second, 14th and fifth. “It’s been good (his summer). We won the Wisconsin Challenge Series points and were second at the Dells (Super Late Model points),” Holzhausen said.
FAST FACT: La Crosse’s Don “Thunder” Turner, also known as Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame baseball coach Frank Thornton (Central High School), is the only Late Model driver to compete in all 39 Oktoberfest Race Weekend events. He finished 10th overall (out of 23 drivers) in the Dick Trickle 99, thanks to segment finishes of 16th, fifth and 12th.
Oktoberfest Super Sportsman feature (25 laps)
THE TOP 3
1. Matt Pyburn, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.: Pyburn had a rocket, plain and simple, as he set a track record in qualifying when he stopped the clock at 20.985 seconds, shattering the previous track mark of 21.100, which was set by Keith Bohnsack in 2007. That was just the beginning, as Pyburn made a daring move to the outside groove, and took the lead with three laps remaining. He held it, and won the feature by 10 car lengths. “It was absolutely incredible,” Pyburn said. “I kept driving it hard and we stayed after it. I have been trying too hard for too long (to win at Oktoberfest). We’ll be celebrating tonight.”
2. Colin Reffner, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.: Reffner appeared en route to a victory as he led Laps 13 to 22, but he didn’t have the car to hold off Pyburn at the end.
3. John Olson, Sparta: Olson, a regular at the Fairgrounds Speedway, started on the pole and held the lead for the first 12 laps before Reffner took it away on Lap 13. Olson continued to run strong even after losing the lead, and grabbed a top-three finish in a tough field.
FAST FACT: Chaseburg’s Randy Humfeld, another regular during the season at the Fairgrounds Speedway, ran in the top three for the first nine laps, but settled for a seventh-place finish in a race that featured three caution flags.
Oktoberfest Super Late Model feature (49 1/2 laps)
THE TOP 3
1. Eric Fransen, East Troy, Wis.: Fransen took the lead on Lap 36, and was able to hold off the hard-charging Matt Koucourek. Fransen moved into third on Lap 13, into second place on Lap 20, then forged into the lead. It wasn’t easy, but Fransen found his groove and stayed in it. “The car was awesome. I think we may have developed an exhaust leak at the end as it was missing at the end of the straightaway,” Fransen said. “I don’t care what in the hell they call this race. I was just happy to win it. I haven’t raced a lot in the last four or five years, so this was great.”
2. Matt Koucourek, Franklin, Wis.: Koucourek ran in second place much of the race, including the final 10 laps when he took the runner-up spot away from Robb Vanderloop.
3. Robb Vanderloop, Kaukauna, Wis.: Vanderloop led the first
35 laps before Fransen took the top spot away after an intense battle from Laps 30-34.
FAST FACT: Blake Horstman of Bangor ran a strong race, and was in the top five the entire race. He was in fourth up until Lap 46, when Vanderloop took away that spot. Mark Lamoreaux, a former Late Model regular at the Fairgrounds Speedway, finished sixth.
Area Sportsman Oktoberfest feature (25 laps)
THE TOP 3
1. Dan Ryan, Farmington, Minn.: Ryan appeared ready to settle for second place until the unexpected happened with three laps remaining. Tony Leis of Onalaska surged past two cars on the backstretch of Lap 16, then just when it looked like Leis was ready to grab the checkered flag, he dropped off the pace and was forced into the pits with some type of mechanical problem with just three laps left. Ryan, who started 13th, wound up with a smile — and a win.
2. Jake Arneson, Taylor, Wis.: Arneson, a regular at the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway, ran in the front of the pack for much of the race, and wound up with a second-place finish.
3. Larry Bolster Jr., Sparta: Bolster, who won the North Country Contractors Sportsman Division track championship Thursday night, made a strong run after starting 13th. Bolster came on strong in the second half of the race, and nearly took second away from Arneson.
FAST FACT: West Salem’s Jimmy Gilster, who made a strong push for the North Country Contractors Sportsman track championship Thursday night before settling for second, was running in second place from Laps 4-9, but his car never seemed the same after a restart and he faded in the last third of the race.
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