West Salem, WI- A new division has been added to the Sunday afternoon October 6 portion of the 50th anniversary Oktoberfest Race Weekend taking place at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway October 3-6, 2019. The first ever Gandrud Chevrolet Cratetoberfest Challenge will award two brand new Chevrolet Performance CT350 ‘602 Crate’ engines to competitors in this new division which will be contested by drivers utilizing the popular 602 engine combination.
“This is something that Chris Slack from Gandrud and I have been talking about for quite a while. Gandrud has supported local short track racing for over a dozen years in many ways, it is great to be able to have them be a part of Championship Sunday at Fest.” Stated Oktoberfest co-promoter Gregg McKarns. “With two engines up for grabs, in addition to winning at Fest, it should create a bunch of excitement.”
The Cratetoberfest Challenge will be contested on the 5/8 mile paved oval with the winner receiving $1,000 and a new Chevrolet Performance CT350 602 Crate Engine from Gandrud Chevrolet. Additionally, any driver starting the 25 lap feature event will be eligible for the Bowtie Bonus, which will award a second new 602 Crate Engine with the Bowtie Bonus winner being drawn in victory lane Sunday afternoon, October 6. Each engine is valued at just under $4,000.
A complete set of rules will be released in the Oktoberfest Race Weekend Competitors Guide in August. A quick overview of the rule package is below:
The Cratetoberfest Challenge is open to any race vehicle with a sealed 602 Chevrolet Crate Engine, max Holley 650 cfm Carb, max $210 shocks (one per corner), min 7.25” clutch (add 25 lbs for 5.5” clutch), Hoosier D-800 or G60-15 tires (up to two new, two used must be 5/32”) on max 8″ steel racing wheels, minimum 2700 lbs, max left side weight 60%, max spoiler 5″ tall by 66″ wide, must meet regionally accepted safety standards, including but not limited to roll cage, fire suppression and driver safety gear. Heat race line-ups will be determined by a draw with heat race performance determining the feature starting order.
Championship Sunday of the 50th Oktoberfest Race Weekend will feature the ARCA Midwest Tour Super Late Models in the Oktoberfest 200, Weekly Late Model Winners in the JMcK 63 and the Upper Midwest Vintage Series in addition to the Gandrud Chevrolet Cratetoberfest Challenge. All told 19 divisions will battle for 50th anniversary Oktoberfest glory over four days, October 3-6, 2019. For additional information including Camper Village information, visit www.oktoberfestraceweekend.com or call 608-786-1525.