Beginning with over 40 sportsman entries, Thursday's qualifying ended with the open division, Run All Your Stuff (RAYS), and a new track record.  Nearly 50 Thunderstox joined in the preliminaries, then the evening's features were led off with Dan Linnehan leading the sportsman field all the way.  Behind him quick-timer Jes Tenner progressed about seven positions, and Lucas Korish gained nearly a dozen spots to finish just out of the top five.  The Double-O race began with two dozen adventurers alternating the quarter-mile and five-eighths ovals.  The trick is in merging, for both share the front stretch during a frenzied run.  The RAYS entries ended with excitement when the second-place car spun before the checkered flag. 

  Thursday's Thunderstox tangled at the start and needed a second caution soon after.  The use of lane choice for double-file restarts may have made the difference for Jamie Dummer, who won from the fifth row.  The Enduro swarm began with 13 entries getting a head start before over 60 more caught up to them on the tiny track.  By the end we had seen a couple wheels exit, several flat tires, and many stalled cars facing heavy traffic.  Before 10:30 the races were complete, and fans gathered in the main pavilion for the first of several after-race parties.  We learned  that ASA Late Model Series point leader, Stephen Leicht, had been auditioning with a certain NASCAR team, and a scout would be here to watch him.  The 18-year old talent may be from North Carolina, but is racing from a Wisconsin race shop under the tutelage of renowned crew chief Howie Lettow.

  Friday arrived with temps in the 40's for 144 new competitors.  The ASA Late Models were without J. Herbst, who became the proud father of a daughter this day, and Zach Taylor, who met the wall in practice.  The Central Wisconsin (CW) late model brought for Dick Trickle's visit turned out to have problems, so was also scratched.   The ASA group had at least half a dozen teens in the ranks, but Eddie Hoffman was quickest in a borrowed car.  The area sportsman field had 60 entries, many of whom converted their Friday cars, and Corey Jankowski set a new track record.  The CW field neared 50 cars, with Jacob Ryan earning a new record.  Seven preliminaries were run before the ASA 100-lap event took the arena for over an hour.  Leicht led the 26-car field all the way through seven cautions, then Charlie Menard took over to the checkered flag.  Second-generation racer Bryan Reffner ended up in the wall and third-generation Tyler Sauter spun to clump the field for the final five circuits. 

  Eight more preliminaries set Friday's final features, led off by the sportsman field of 28.  Jimmy Gilster took charge from the pole as Jankowski wended his way from the ninth row to the front.  With no yellow flags to regroup the field, Jankowski reached the front with five circuits  to spare, reveling in his win by making a reverse victory lap in front of his fans.  The CW late models ended the evening with Menard taking the caution-free contest, claiming, "We were pretty lucky starting in the front row in both these races".  Menard never takes credit for his driving.  Trent Snyder represented Minnesota as the runner-up in a very strong field.  Just after 11:00 the crowd attended the Dick Trickle autograph building with karoake, the live band in the main pavilion, the bonfires, and more.  We chatted with NASCAR Weekly Series Division champ, Kevin Nuttleman, who opted to forgo his usual Oktoberfest attire to represent his status this year.

  Saturday morning's news of the sudden passing of Mid-American Series owner Gary Vercauteren shocked the race family at LaCrosse, and much scrambling had to be done in his absence.  This was the day two of  Vercauteren's series would be running, and it was going to be very emotional for all.  Forging ahead with the full program, over 125 new entries were qualified through the afternoon.  Holzhausen's son Skylar sang the anthem to open the race program one day before making his late model race debut.   The ARTGO reunion brought 60 entries as late models from several tracks came to race.  Many entered two divisions, some racing in three to close their race year.  

  Saturday's first feature was the 200-lap NASCAR Midwest contest.  Only one caution flag came early in the contest, forcing many to pit for fuel under green-flag racing.  Knowing no one could make the distance without a pit stop, we began getting quite nervous as leader Tim Schendel kept going way past the halfway point.  Luck was on his side with only 36 laps remaining when a car sat on the track to draw the yellow flag.  A good pit stop got Schendel returned quickly, with Eddie Hoffman, Justin Diercks and Erik Darnell the only others on the lead lap.  Steve Carlson's hopes for the points title were dashed at qualifying time when his car's trailing arm broke and he was fielded at the rear of the 22-car contest.  "My year is done", Carlson later told me, forgoing the expensive trip to California for the series shootout.    Schendel notched his second win of this event, declaring, "Winning at Oktoberfest with my friends and my family here", is something special. 

  Saturday's Mid-American features began with a moment of silence to honor their founder as the full house joined in sending their prayers to Vercauteren's family.   The truck division saw a spirited battle between Charlie Cottam and Mark Storlie, swapping the lead several times before the end.  Cottam's win was cheerfully accepted while Storlie spun donuts as the year's truck champion.  The Mid-Am stock cars ended with  "Speedy" Peter Hernandez burning donuts in the first to commemorate his win, while Bill Prietzel was more conservative to his car as the repeat champion.   Both found the season ending with a bittersweet note at the loss of their founding father, not knowing if there will be a future for them.  Saturday's biggest winner was racer John Towner, who took home over $3,000 in the track's 50/50 charity jackpot, and his wife took home the second-place cash.  Just before 10:00 there was way too much time for revelry, and Saturday turned into Sunday morning. 

  Sunday's sun hid while cars and crews gathered for the morning fan session.   More new entries arrived in the Big 8 and modified fields, swelling the total to just over 560 entries in 15 categories.  John and Sue McKarns hosted the best party ever with the ARTGO reunion, bringing the series originator, Art Frigo to the stage.   Frigo told of Trickle and Tom Reffner's prowess at winning, at one point tied for the most feature wins at, I believe 57, in one season.  The ARTGO promoter then brought Michigan powerhouses Bob Senneker, Mike Eddy, and Butch Miller to try to beat the Wisconsin racers.  Still Trickle and Reffner continued their winning streak, told Frigo, so he followed up with a 16-year old hot shoe from Arkansas and an 18-year old from Missouri.  But Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace couldn't do the job, either.  We are glad Frigo told this tale, for much of the audience and most of the racers were not around to see racing's heyday nor what made the legends.  Such is their loss.

  It was great to see "Jumping" Jimmy Back at the reunion after his health problems, but were sorry Rich Somers was not feeling up to the trip.  Tom Carlson was there as a retiree, but brother Jim told me of his plans to collect his retirement fund while still having fun racing.  The sole racer to participate in every Oktoberfest still has no plans to retire, as Don "Thunder" Turner told this columnist he's still having fun.  By the way, this high school teacher doesn't use his real name, but I won't disclose the truth.   Time was short, the first race at noon, and the rest of the day was filled with racing.  Preliminary races were run, the feature fields completed.
  The 100-lap ARTGO contest opened with 27 starters, but  on the opening circuit   the caution came our as returning veteran Jim Weber and Saturday night's winner Schendel went amiss, both done for the day.  Before the halfway point five incidents slowed the pace, leaving a dozen fewer finishing the contest.  Steve Holzhausen   took charge just past lap 50, claiming, "I really wasn't waiting (to take the lead).  That's as fast as I could go", adding that he was more concerned with running out of fuel.  "I think God's on my side", added Holzhausen, "Maybe I should hang it up".  Or not.  Holzhausen has a sense of humor, and may enjoy racing with his son.

  The LaCrosse late model field used point standings for their lineup, with the invert coming after champion Kevin  Nuttleman spun the wheel for the maximum of 16.    This put Menard in the second row, which merely delayed the forward progress a bit as Menard did the triple for the second year in a row.  "Starting up front really helped", stated Menard truthfully, adding, "We finished three for four -- what a way to finish the weekend".   Mark Lamoreaux, Andy Burgess, and Nuttleman made up a lot of ground from deep in the field to the front at the end of 50 circuits, which was slowed by five cautions.

  The modified field had four of the nine entries bearing the number 1.  One of the "one's" was just completed by Roy Aitchinson, and he was nervous since he had never gotten to test or practice before the contest began.   The number one ending up in winner's circle was that of  Minnesotan Richard Snyder and owned by another number one, Steve Johanneck.  One was bound to win, after all.

  The Big 8 Series is new this year, competing at four different tracks and crowning the first champion after the Oktoberfest finale.  Mike Beyer ended as the only double winner of the season  "We started with a win at Rockford, and we finished with a win", stated Beyer, who couldn't garner enough points to beat Jon Reynolds Jr.   So ended the five-day extravaganza, true to all promises.   John and Sue McKarns would delay their trip home in order to attend Vercauteren's funeral.  Rest in peace, Gary.  You left too soon.