By: Kevin Ramsell
WEST SALEM, WI (Thursday, October 01, 2009) – This week…20 divisions which includes six late model divisions, over 500 cars, over 1,000 campers, and over 1,300 laps of racing will fall upon La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway for the 40th Annual Oktoberfest Race Weekend in West Salem, WI. The annual event will bring competitors and racers together for four days of racing, fun and fellowship on October 8-9-10-11, 2009.

For many, Oktoberfest will begin on Monday, October 5 at noon when the Camper Village officially opens. “One of the unique things about Oktoberfest is our Camper Village,” Dave Noelke, Camper Village Mayor said. “This really adds to the character of this great Midwest racing event. Many first time visitors to Oktoberfest are just amazed with the number of campers that stay within the fairgrounds.”

Mayor Dave and his crew have been busy marking off the sites in preparation for the parade of motorhomes and campers that will start arriving on Monday.

La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway will be open for practice this Saturday, October 3 from 11 am to 3 pm and Wednesday, October 7 from 5 pm to 7:30 pm.

Tim Schendel talks about the state of SLM Racing.

By Jordan Kuehne
LOVES PARK, Ill. (Sunday, October 4th, 2009) -- Josh Nelms was down and out with 100 laps to go in the Budweiser 200, but with a few great adjustments and a lot of determination, the Chicagoland driver found himself wearing the wreath today at the 44th annual National Short Track Championships at the Rockford Speedway. Nelms etched his name in the history books with a late race pass, using the low line to push past the venerable Jeff Kendall with 21 laps remaining and hitting his marks the rest of the way to lay claim to the title of 2009 National Short Track Champion. Kendall, a six-time Dells Raceway Park track champion, led the opening 179 laps of the event before Nelms' daring maneuver, and had to hold off a hard-charging 'Fast' Eddie Hoffman for the bridesmaid's position. Lowell Bennett had a solid run to take home fourth while Jon Reynolds Jr. battled through adversity to collect a top five, finishing fifth. In the Mid-American Stock Car Series, Jeremy Spoonmore made it back-to-back at the National Short Track Championships, proving last year's victory was no fluke with a dominating title defense in the Mtn Dew 75. In the RoadRunners, veteran racer Sonny Schoffen went wire-to-wire to claim the O'Reilly Auto Parts 44, holding off Ricky Nielsen for the victory.

By Jordan Kuehne

Breaking News
The MIS Banquet will be January 23, 2010 at The Heights in Verona, Wisconsin. Please check our website or future E-News editions for more details.
If you have any questions during the off season please contact Dave Grueneberg at 608.513.2278.

Fall Classic Falls to the Elements

For the fans, the race teams, and MIS management it certainly wasn't the way anyone wanted to see the 2009 racing season end at Madison International Speedway. But after nearly a month without any significant rain, Mother Nature decided to return to southern Wisconsin this week and force the cancellation of the third annual Fall Classic.

The precipitation began on Tuesday when the speedway received over three inches of rain. "We have places at the track where it doesn't seem to dry very quickly," said MIS General Manager Dave Grueneberg. "I had the pump out again in turn three taking care of the ponding on the low side of the track, but the outer pits were a problem." An on-going issue in turn one once again created a challenge for Grueneberg. "Water gets under the track when it has rained hard. It seeps up through the track and makes racing conditions dangerous."

Dan Lewis Photo - danlewisphoto.netBy Mary Horneck
Friday & Saturday, September 25-26, 2009 – Chilton, Wisconsin Scheduled as a two-day race program, the 10th Annual Chilton Fall Invitational hit the track fast on Friday night with the first four of nine divisions completing their qualifying heat races before the rain front down poured on the Chilton track. When the work to put the track back in running order was not successful, the remaining heat races were rescheduled for Saturday. The new schedule for the Saturday program then included 16 additional heat races before the B-Mains.

By Ed Reichert
Menomonie WI, Sept. 26 – A. J. Diemel, continuing his domination of area Late Model racing that started last week at the WISSOTA 100, powered past early leader Nick Anvelink and ran away with the thirteenth edition of the Punky Manor Challenge of Champions Saturday night at the Red Cedar Speedway. Other winners included Dave Cain, Shawn Huse and Shane Halopka.

After rain washed out the preliminaries on Friday night, the entire program was run on Saturday, with the qualifying events contested on Saturday afternoon and the feature races run in the evening.

Anvelink won the dash which gave him the pole position for the fourty lap Late Modle headliner with Ashley Anderson to his outside. Anvelink took the early lead but Diemel was quickly on the move after starting in the second row. He drove past Brent Larson and then Anderson and closed on leader Anvelink. While the majority of the field were riding the low line, Diemel was able to move up to the middle groove and he powered past Anvelink through turn two to take over the lead.

Loves Park, IL- The fiercest rivalry in the Midwest short track racing scene will be on display October 3 and 4 during the 44th annual National Short Track Championship at Rockford Speedway. Chicagoland Champions Brett Sontag and Eddie Hoffman have both filed entries for the Super Late Model portion of ‘One Great Racing Weekend’.

Sontag and Hoffman have been involved in hotly contested battles this summer at Grundy County Speedway, bringing the Morris, IL faithful to their feet numerous times amidst a sea of cheers and boos. Now the rivalry travels north to Rockford Speedway for an event both drivers were in contention to win last season. Sontag impressed all in attendance as he charged on the inside twice to pressure the lead pack before mechanical woes sent him out of the race. Hoffman, a three time NSTC Champion was involved in an opening lap incident and battled through the field to finish in the runner-up position to Minnesota’s Josh Vadnais.

By: Kevin Ramsell
WEST SALEM, WI (Wednesday, September 23, 2009) – Oktoberfest Race Weekend officials have announced that two of the popular Super Late Model events at the 40th Annual Oktoberfest Race Weekend will be competing on the Hoosier 3035 & 3045 racing tire. “The Futures” and the “Dick Trickle 99” will both be competing using these tires.

“The Hoosier 3035 and the Hoosier 3045 tire are the most common used by the Super Late Models,” Mike Panure, Technical Director for “The Futures” and the “Dick Trickle 99” said. “The tires will be available at the race track from an authorized Hoosier dealer.”

“The Futures” is a 25-lap feature event on Thursday, October 8th and is open to Super Late Model drivers under the age 30 or open to any driver who has NEVER competed in the championship Oktoberfest 100, NASCAR AutoZone Oktoberfest Race, ARTGO Oktoberfest, etc and who has never competed in any of NASCAR’s Top Three Series.

By: Kevin Ramsell
WEST SALEM, WI (Tuesday, September 22, 2009) – With the 19 divisions competing over the four days at the 40th Annual Oktoberfest Race Weekend at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway in West Salem, WI, six of those will decide their 2009 Champion. Two champions will be crowned on opening night, three on Saturday night and one on Sunday afternoon.

The La Crosse Speedway’s North Country Contractors Sportsmen will come into the opening night of action with six drivers within 100 points for the championship. Jes Tenner of Melrose, WI has a 24-point lead over Rick Schermerhorn of Westby, WI. Randy Humfeld of Chaseburg, WI is only 38 points behind the leader with John Olson of Sparta, WI in fourth sitting 77 points back. Jimmy Glister of West Salem, WI is in fifth, 91 points back with Dan Glister also from West Salem in sixth only 97 points behind Tenner. The Sportsmen championship will be decided in a 20-lap feature on Thursday night, October 8th.