By: Paul Reichert
September 5, 2026

Enduro racing and demolition derbies are a huge part of America, just as baseball and hot dogs and apple pie. To mark the year-long celebration of America’s 250th birthday, we at the LaCrosse Speedway put on our very exciting and action packed enduro race. The Big Cheese Enduro continues the traditional America racing competitions we have run like demolition derbies, tractor pulls and even snowmobile races. It would be an action packed 200 laps of enduro racing that went without a red flag for the first time in the event’s history. Luke Geisler looked like he would win back-to-back runnings until a mechanical issue temporarily sidelined with 68 laps left. Kyle Ranzenberger charged to the front with just 22 laps to go to become the newest ‘big cheese’ of the ‘action track’ quarter-mile.

64 cars started off on their 200 lap journey of chaos and calamity. Defending and two-time winner Luke Geisler led the early laps of the race as different groups of cars various laps down were released into competition. Janesa Janzen got wicked loose in turn four on lap three in front of the field, but managed to keep control of his race car and avoid any contact with other drivers. Addison Botcher lost control in turn three on lap seven but managed to take it to the infield and waited to rejoin. Jack Barta clipped the tires in turn two on lap 11 and came to a stop at the end of the back straight. Janzen also slowed down the back straight and stopped across from Barta. Fortunately the jam trucks were able to push them out of harm’s way. Greg Fair collided with Hunter Thompson’s car going backwards down the back straight on lap 15. Fair was able to get into the infield, but major front end damage brought his night to a quick end. Parker Thompson lost control in turn three on lap 21 and collected Robert Fort, Jr. Botcher began to cause problems as she was slowing down the front straight on lap 28 in her very first race ever. Joshua Johnson got sideways in turn four on lap 34 and collided with Tayton Zimmerman. Both managed to straighten things out and continue on their merry way. Mechanical gremlins brought former Hobby Stock champion to a stop in turn three on lap 38, but as he was pushed by the jam truck the smoke began to billow from his race car. Jason Schloegel looped his truck in front of the pack bearing down on him on the front straight on lap 42. He drove backwards as the field avoided him before he finally turned his race vehicle around and got back in the competition. Flat tires became a problem as we reached the 50 laps completed point of the enduro. Botcher suffered a flat right front, then Tristan Drazkowski had to deal with a flat left rear. Cole Scholze got loose in turn four on lap 53 and was hit in his left rear tire but managed to continue to race. Geisler lost the lead after 16 laps, but was able to power around Zimmerman to take command of the race on lap 63. As the jam truck was dealing with another disabled vehicle, Landon Oitzman tried to squeeze in between them and the wall coming out of turn two on lap 71. Oitzman did not get very far as he collided with one of the loose tractor tires. Frank O’Bar lost control in turn four on lap 79 and needed the jam truck to assist him as he steering was shot to pemmican thanks to colliding with another vehicle. Brandon Reissel made hard contact first with another driver and then the back straight wall, resulting in suspension damage and halted his race after 92 laps. Drazkowski began to overheat as he parked it away from the field in turn four on lap 94. Zimmerman used the outside lane to shoot past Geisler to claim the number one position four laps from halfway. The yellow flag was displayed at lap 105 to signal it was time for the 10 minute break for the teams to work on the race vehicles.

We began the second half of the 200 lap Big Cheese Enduro with 43 drivers ready to battle it out for the victory. The second half began with the same chaos that started the race as Paul Servais got turned in turn four. Travis Stingl lost control in turn four on lap 113, but managed to avoid the field as he got to the infield before getting back on track. Tayton Zimmerman was finding openings in between cars to make daring moves in traffic and began to open up an advantage over Luke Geisler. Mitch Hanson got turned around in turn four on lap 122 and found himself in a precarious position backed into a tractor tire. Luckily he got an opening to right the ship and steer himself back into the action. Zimmerman spun trying to avoid Hunter Peterson on the front straight on lap 126, but avoided any serious contact and was able to maintain the lead. Geisler suddenly pulled into the pits with a mechanical issue on lap 132 and that gave Zimmerman an even larger advantage at the two-thirds mark of the race. Geisler returned from his time in the pits with less than 60 laps remaining and began his run to an improbable comeback. Isaiah Reinhart, Jack Davis and Geisler tangled coming out of turn two on lap 149 but all were able to straighten themselves out and resume racing. Zimmerman began to slow and headed for the pits as Addison Botcher became the new leader with less than 40 laps left to run. With a smaller field still on the track as the race reached the home stretch, Botcher was making veteran moves to stay ahead of her competition even though this was her first race of any kind ever. Suddenly a new face emerged from the pack as Kyle Ranzenberger shot around the outside of Botcher to take charge of the race with only 22 laps left. Tanner Haney and Aiden Reisenauer collided in turn two with only 16 laps to go, but the drivers righted themselves and were ready to finish this grueling enduro. There would be no red flags at all during the entire 200 laps as Ranzenberger would be the big cheese of the LaCrosse Speedway as the newest winner of the Big Cheese Enduro.

Get ready for a wild night of mayhem, crashing and trashing at the LaCrosse Speedway next Saturday, September 12. The 35th annual Night of Destruction presented by Western Technical College will leave the fans screaming and cheering for more with a lot of intense on-track action. Among the action the fans will see include a second Trailer Race of Destruction, the Magdatude jet car burning down a couple of vehicles and monster trucks will be pulverizing vehicles to pemmican. We will have a variety of competitions like the Steel Wall Crash, the Burnout Contest, the Rollover Contest and more. The Six Shooters and Mini-Vans will also be in action for one last time in 2026 as they settle their point championships. Gates open at 5:30, qualifying for the Six Shooters and Mini-Vans steps on the gas at 6 and the metal mangling mayhem starts at 7.

For more information about the LaCrosse Speedway and the 2026 schedule of events, call the track office at 608-786-1525 or visit our website at lacrossespeedway.com. LaCrosse Speedway is proud to be a NASCAR Regional race track, part of the NASCAR Local Racing Series powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts.

RESULTS

Big Cheese Enduro (200 laps)(Top 10): 1. Kyle Ranzenberger, 2. Jameson Peterson, 3. Luke Geisler, 4. Ashton Kirchner, 5. Jordan Becker, 6. Monty Odegard, 7. Travis Stingl, 8. Zach Liebsch, 9. Jaxson Happel, 10. Brad Hansen

BONUSES

Lap 50 Leader–Luke Geisler, Lap 100 Leader–Tayton Zimmerman ($100 each)

Highest Finishing Female–Addyson Botcher; Highest Finishing SUV–Addyson Botcher; Highest Finishing Driver Under 18–Braydon Vian; Highest Finishing Driver Over 55–Dave Nelson; Highest Finishing Truck–Jason Schlogel; Highest Finishing Mini-Van–Kyle Ranzenberger ($50 Each)

Beauty Contest–Christian Ticher; Ugly Contest–Bob Fort, Jr. ($75 each)