By: Paul Reichert
July 13, 2019
A warm summer night welcomed the race fans back to LaCrosse Speedway for the annual Fan Photo and Autograph Night. The racing was challenging for many drivers thanks to the hot and slick racing surface. Nick Panitzke made his way from the middle of the field to take the lead with five laps to go to capture his fifth feature win of 2019.
Jason Stark (Sparta, WI) took the lead at the start of the Lebakken’s Rent-to-Own 25 lap NASCAR Late Model feature. Yellow flew on lap four when Nick Clements and Mike Ehde (Prairie du Chien, WI) tangled in turn three and found the wall. Stark went right back to work on the restart and slowly pulled away from the field. Jerimy Wagner (Onalaska, WI) stayed within a few car lengths of the leader, waiting for his chance to pounce on the race lead. Nick Panitzke (Lonsdale, MN) and Steve Carlson (West Salem, WI) worked their way from mid-pack to run fourth and fifth at the halfway mark. With six laps to go, Panitzke and Carlson worked their way under Wagner to move up to second and third. A lap later, Panitzke and Carlson moved to the outside to drive around Stark and take over the top two spots. Panitzke would maintain a two car length lead over Carlson down the stretch to capture win number five. After the race, Panitzke admitted “We were trying something a little different tonight. That’s why it took me a little longer to get to the front.”
Jeff Thompson’s huge lead in the Sportsmen feature went away thanks to a late race caution for a tangle between Brian Hesselberg (Bangor, WI) and Jesse Green (Eau Claire, WI). Thompson (West Salem, WI) would pull away from the field in a four-lap shootout to claim his first feature win this season.
In the Hobby Stock feature, Kaleb Hardy drove around Jason Bolster on the outside with four laps to go to score the win and build up his point lead even more.
Jake Schomers continued his impressive first season in the Street Stock division. Schomers used the outside lane to get around Johnathan Burbach halfway through the Street Stock feature and captured his third win of the year.
The Upper Midwest Vintage Racing Series gave us an exciting feature race while taking us back in time. Former Late Model track champ Todd Korish, driving Dick Trickle’s Coors Light Camaro, shot past Larry Bolster with six laps to go to claim his first win at LaCrosse since 2011.
The Street Stocks competed in the Double Spin to Win novelty race. Jonathan Burbach did the best job of racing in the ‘spin cycle’ to claim the win.
Action continues next Friday, July 19 with a special fairtime edition of the Friday Night Street Drags. Practice takes place at 6:30, and the bracket racing starts at 7:30. Then on Saturday, July 20, the Late Models will compete in twin 20 lap features as part of the big fairtime show. The Sportsmen, Hobby Stocks and Hornets will also be in action. Gates open at 6:00, qualifying starts at 6:15 and racing kicks off at 7:30.
For more information about LaCrosse Speedway or the 2019 schedule of events, please call the office at 608-786-1525 or visit lacrossespeedway.com. LaCrosse Speedway is proud to be a NASCAR Hometrack, part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
RESULTS
Tobacco Outlet Plus Grocery NASCAR Late Models
Feature: 1. NIck Panitzke, 2. Steve Carlson, 3. Jason Stark, 4. Jerimy Wagner, 5. Steve Bachman
6-for-6 Dash: 1. Nick Clements, 2. S. Carlson, 3. Mike Carlson
Heat 1: 1. Stark, 2. Wagner, 3. Brent Kirchner
Heat 2: 1. Jeff Partington, 2. Carter Christenson, 3. Justin Mullikin
Mountain Dew AMP Game Fuel Sportsmen
Feature: 1. Jeff Thompson, 2. Tom Luethe, 3. Chris Weber, 4. Sam Niles, 5. Jack Litshiem
Dash: 1. Luethe, 2. Weber, 3. Thompson
Heat: 1. Niles, 2. Jesse Green, 3. Litshiem
Auto Value Hobby Stocks
Feature: 1. Kaleb Hardy, 2. Jason Bolster, 3. Tom Farra, 4. Brandon Gallagher, 5. Taylor Dobbs
Dash: 1. Schott, 2. Hardy, 3. Adam Moore
Heat: 1. Farra, 2. Bolster, 3. Taylor Dobbs
Auto Value Street Stocks
Feature: 1. Jake Schomers, 2. Jonathan Burbach, 3. Chris Larson, 4. John Clauson, 5. Keith Larson
Heat 1: 1. K. Larson, 2. Zach Liebsch, 3. Scott Pataska
Heat 2: 1. Burbach, 2. Schomers, 3. Clayton Haessig
Upper Midwest Vintage Racing Series
Feature: 1. Todd Korish, 2. Larry Bolster, 3. JIm Kulseth, 4. Greg Cottone, 5. Justin Jessup
Heat 1: 1. Dan Navrestad, 2. Jessup, 3., Dan Linnehan
Heat 2: 1. Kulseth, 2. Korish, 3. Bolster
Double Spin to Win Novelty Race: 1. Jonathan Burbach, 2. Zach Liebsch, 3. Clayton Haessig