By: Paul Reichert
September 14, 2026

Now that the 35th annual Night of Destruction has had its hard hitting night in the spotlight, the preparations have begun in earnest for the 57th edition of the Oktoberfest Race Weekend coming up in less than one month. Our hard working staff at the LaCrosse Speedway is getting ready for Oktoberfest to make sure that everything is well stocked, all the necessary signs are posted in their appropriate places, and that everything goes off seamlessly and smoothly without any hitches or hangups. The drivers also are hard at work fine tuning their race cars to prepare for one last battle in 2026 and capture an Oktoberfest Race Weekend championship banner. A select few drivers have other championships to fight for during the racing action on October 8 and 9. The NASCAR Late Models, NASCAR Sportsmen, NASCAR Hornets and Street Stocks are the last four divisions to settle their weekly track championships, and their thrilling battles that will not be settled until the checkered flag falls on their last features of the season.

Jimmy Bjorkman has two-thirds of the championship triple in the Skyline Fireworks NASCAR Hornet division with track and Dash championships. The only title that has eluded him is the Chase Championship. Bjorkman is a part of the final four drivers that will settle the Chase on Thursday of Oktoberfest. Bjorkman is going after his third title in seven years. Thanks to scoring two victories on the year, Bjorkman maintains a 29 point advantage over Joey Johnson III and a 51 point margin over Brandon Olson in the race for the track title. Despite a slow start, Johnson has been a constant threat for the victory each race night. The same can be said for Olson, who claimed this year’s Dash Championship. All three drivers make up the majority of the division’s Chase Championship with a first timer joining the action. A second straight championship will not happen for Shane Kohlmeier, but brother Ben will fight for a title as the last competitor in the Chase Championship. The driver that scores the highest finish in their last feature of the year on October 8 will be forever known as the Hornet Chase champion.

Three years ago, Hornet driver Ben Thurk scored the championship triple—track, Chase and Dash—in the same year. Charles Vian, Jr. looks to turn that impressive feat in the AB Seed and Consulting NASCAR Sportsmen class this year. Thanks to two wins and countless top five runs, Vian, Jr. locked up the 2026 Dash Championship. He is one of the three remaining drivers to settle the Chase title. A 44 point lead separates Vian, Jr. from Mark Challet in the race for the season points crown. Being a veteran of racing at the LaCrosse Speedway, Challet has shown he is a consistent front runner here and will not stop fighting for a championship until the last checkered flag. We also have a newcomer to the Sportsmen Chase finale as Jacob Lodermeier and his Chevy Silverado pick-up truck prepare for battle. Lodermeier became the family’s newest feature winner with career win #1 taking place on the 4th of July. Will Vian, Jr. capture the first championship triple in three years? Can Challet return to championship glory at LaCrosse? Will Lodermeier give truck fans their first Chase crown ever? Join us on October 8 to watch the exciting finish to the Sportsmen season.

Once again, the Kwik Trip NASCAR Late Models will run a pair of 22-lap features on Thursday of Oktoberfest and a pair of 20-lap main events on Friday to settle three championships after all is said and done. Skylar Holzhausen and Jacob Goede are at the forefront of two of those title races, and potentially all three. Only seven miniscule points separate these two goliaths in their fight over the track championship for a fourth consecutive year. Both drivers are very much alive and kicking in the battle for the Chase Championship. Steve Bachman and Tom Luethe have climbed the ladder of divisions at LaCrosse over the years to be worthy competitors in the NASCAR Late Models and two more drivers that will be looking to add to their resume a Chase Championship. If you are looking to root for the old guard of racing, look no further than the Carlson brothers. Steve has had his best season in a while with three feature wins, while a strong and consistent season for Tom has helped both drivers stay in the Chase. The lowest finisher out of the remaining six in each feature Thursday plus the lowest finisher in the first feature on Friday will give us our final three that will fight for the Chase in the second feature Friday to conclude the season. The championship all six of these drivers and the rest of the NASCAR Late Model field will be going after is the Nuttleman Grain Cleaning Festmaster champion. The driver with the best overall finish out of the four features run during Oktoberfest will capture this new yet prestigious championship. If you think winning all fours features is impossible to accomplish, look at what Goede did three years ago. He won both Friday features, won Thursday’s first feature and ran eighth in the second Thursday feature.

One of the best entry level classes at the LaCrosse Speedway is the Auto Value Street Stocks. With large fields in action every time they hit the track, their feature races can get very competitive and chaotic. Thanks to a pair of feature triumphs this year, Zach Liebsch maintains a 39 point lead over Rob Stanfield. 2024 champion Steven Brasda would need a major miracle to become a two-time champion as he looks up an 81 point deficit. Will Zach bring home another LaCrosse points championship to Liebsch Brothers Racing? Can Stanfield overcome this sizable points difference to prove why he is the ‘King of the Quarter-Mile’?

There will be a lot more than all four days of racing at the 57th annual Oktoberfest Race Weekend to check out and enjoy. Be a part of events like the Cornhole Tournament, the Pet Parade, the Golf Cart Parade, the Memorabilia Show, the Sunday morning Pancake breakfast, and the much anticipated book signing with Mark Martin and his autobiography “Never Lift”. For more information about the LaCrosse Speedway or the 2026 schedule of events, you can check out our web sites at lacrossespeedway.com or oktoberfestraceweekend.com. You can also give the track office a ring at 608-786-1525. LaCrosse Speedway is proud to be a NASCAR Regional race track, part of the NASCAR Local Racing Series powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts.