(West Salem, WI) The 2017 Season is now off and running, and as we head into week two, fans can expect to see great racing all season long. This Saturday Night, Whelen Engineering presents the action and excitement of local stock car racing, featuring all the stars and cars of the NASCAR Whelen All American Series!
Five great divisions of action will unfold, including the Tobacco Outlet Plus NASCAR Late Models, Dean’s Satellite Sportsmen, Auto Value Thunderstox and Subway Restaurants Outlawz. Plus, joining us for the first time this year will be the Auto Value Street Stocks on the action packed quarter mile track.
Gates open at 6:00, Qualifying at 6:05, Box Car Racing at 7:00 and the first race takes the green flag at 7:30. General Admission is $12.50, Students age 12-17 are 6.50 and kids age 6-11 are $3. Children age 5 & under are always Free.
BIGGEST LATE MODEL FIELD IN YEARS LAST WEEK
Last Saturday’s Late Model field was the largest contingent of cars that the fans saw race in nearly a decade, for a weekly racing show. 30 Cars timed in for qualifying and that led to having a “B-Feature” on the schedule. The largest Late Model field in the State of Wisconsin for a weekly racing show featured not only Steve Carlson and Ty Majeski, but also many with lots of racing experience, including Tomah’s Corey Jankowski, Nick Panitzke of Lonsdale, Minnesota and Jacob Goede, of New Germany, Minnesota. All Three have years of Super Late Model experience in the upper midwest, and it was Panitzke and Jankowski with top fives at the feature finish, while Goede was fast qualifier.
Accolades of the night would have to go to Tony Leis, an experienced Sportsmen driver, but with little Late Model experience. Tony raised a few eyebrows when he started third, and finished third, only to get passed by two of the best, Carlson and Majeski, and briefly by Panitzke. Those who know him closely were not surprised, however, as Tony is a great “Wheel-man.” His talent, combined with a former track champion’s car – (it used to be #82, piloted by J. Herbst for years), proved that he will be one to be reckoned with in 2017.
SPORTSMEN ACTION APLENTY
There was plenty of action in last week’s Dean’s Satellite Sportsmen feature. Sixteen cars started the feature, and after several cautions, it was “Ka-Chow” Randy Humfeld in victory lane, winning his first feature in nearly 5 years – the last being in 2012, a year that he took the championship.
Finishing second and looking to be tough this year was Adam Oxborough, of New Prague, Minnesota. Oxborough enjoys racing on the LaCrosse track, and plans to run the full season and contend for the Sportsmen title.
Additional drivers that look to give Humfeld a run for his money this season include Jeff Thompson, whom has a fast car, but got caught up in the same incident that Steve Bachman did. Bachman battled back from the spin to finish in the third spot last week. Expect Bachman to be a contender as well when the season heads into Oktoberfest this Fall.
Will we see another new face in victory lane this week? Only way to find out is by being at the track when the checkered flag falls Saturday Night!
BOX CAR RACING SATURDAY NIGHT
Bring out the kids early to the track, for the Box Car Races! Kids (& Parents) – get a cardboard box, cut holes out for arms, legs and head to stick out, and then paint it, decorate it, or number it to look like the race car of their choice! Bring running shoes and your box racer on Saturday night,check in at the back of the race tower before 7:00 and then meet us on the track after qualifying! It’s a fun race for the kids…be there!
For more information about LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway or the 2017 season, please visit lacrossespeedway.com or call the office at 608-786-1525.
LaCrosse Speedway is a sanctioned track of the 2017 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, and a NASCAR HomeTrack.