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 AUTO RACING FACTS, OBSERVANCES and OPINIONS
 October 2011
By Dale P. Danielski
Octoberfest racing weekend 10/6-9/11 at La Crosse Fairgrounds, West Salem, WI. is near and with that in mind we’ll open some discussion pertaining to the event.
Of course having been to too many of these to count we like to go back in time and pick out some highlights and in some cases lowlights of the events held. This year is the 42nd Annual event so there have been plenty of both!
We’ve mentioned more than once in the past that the first ever event was held in 1970. The track having been paved in July of that year from the dirt surface it was since opening in 1957 didn’t take long for folks to take a liking to, as speeds steadily increased and full fields of cars participated at the track. The scheduling of the event was due in part to other tracks hosting season ending specials such as the nationally renowned National Short Track Championships held at Rockford Speedway in Rockford, IL. Why not run something of that nature here in Wisconsin was the thought process so promoter Larry Wehrs did. We know Tom Reffner captured that first 200 lap feature event but it’s interesting to note some of the others that participated on the day. Finishing behind Reffner that day were Rich Somers, John Mc Namara, Bill Mueller, Denny Sobkowiak, Kato Theissen, Buck Linhart, John Scott, Everett Fox and Harold Mueller. The Feature field consisted of 33 cars and some top drivers of the time including Jim Sauter, Jim Back and Marv Marzofka didn’t fare too well placing a ways down in the final finishing order. It wasn’t indicative of how fast they were as they all battled in the front, but wrecks and mechanical issues resulted in the poor finishes. Interesting to note is that racing was held on Friday to kick things off for the weekend with Dick Trickle capturing the Feature event that night. The Trickle name was nowhere to be found however in the Sunday 200 lap Feature results and we are curious in this corner as to why. Reffner with the win pocketed $1,000 plus $341 in lap money of the posted purse of $8,000. Each driver starting the Feature earned a minimum of $100. One pit stop for the race was mandatory with crews being allowed to add fuel. A total of 65 race cars participated with the event being open to 1955-1970 American made cars with the exception of pony cars. A pit fee of $5 was required with advanced grandstand seating available for $3. Preliminary events were held prior to the 200 lapper with Ron Backburg defeating Alan Ward, Don Dhein, Dick Bently and Bob Bowen in the first consolation race while George Kopecky outran Sonny Immerfall, Ray Slaback, Denny Clark and Curt Iverson in the 2nd. Marv Marzofka was the fast qualifier on the day. A couple other drivers probably wished they hadn’t showed up for the race as Louie Vetrone hit the wall and was taken to the hospital with possible cracked ribs. Loren Iverson was another who smacked the wall and was taken to the hospital, but he was reportedly only shaken up after the accident. When all was said and done it was reported 4,000 fans attended the event. Certainly that would indicate the event got off to an auspicious start and consequently why it is still being held, this year of course being the 42nd Annual.
Looking at some statistical information from past ‘Fests and in general at the track we find the fastest time record in qualifying in what is now known as a Super Late Model occurred on October 9th, 2009. On that day Chris Weinkauf circled the 5/8 mile oval in 18.840 seconds to hold the standard for that type of race car. The CWRA sanctioning group which raced at the track for many years finds Dick Trickle as its track record holder at 19:537. That mark was set 6/22/89. In Midwest Truck racing it is Terry Marzofka with track record honors at 20:810 set 10/10/98. Now days with so many divisions of racing participating there is plenty of history to delve into. This is just the tip of the iceberg as to what has happened through the years and maybe in future columns we can touch upon a bit more.
In our last effort we mentioned Jerry “Scratch” Daniels appearing at ‘Fest for the 2011 edition of the event. In a photo here he poses with left, Doug Wolfgang and center Jerry Richert, Sr. 1962 Knoxville, Iowa Nationals winning car owner Ted Ready. Just the mention of these folks puts Daniels in select company and it’s no wonder he is a Knoxville Raceway Hall of Fame inductee. You’ll be able to see Daniels along with Ernie Tuff and his 1932 Ford Coupe that “Scratch” last drove at the Champions Reunion held in the Hospitality Chalet from 11am-2pm October 9th, 2011 as part of this year’s Oktoberfest race weekend. Thanks to Stan Meissner for the photo.
To see how ‘Fest has grown this year’s event is 4 days and will consist of over 600 laps of Feature racing in 15 Divisions with somewhere around 500 race cars competing. La Crosse Fairgrounds track division Championships are yet to be determined at ‘Fest and it will be interesting to see if J. Herbst in NASCAR Late Models, Dan Gilster in Sportsman and Andy Moore in Thunderstox can hold their leads. As a special treat this year, Fred Nielsen who was car owner for Joe Shear and other notables for many years will make his Grand appearance at the Champions Reunion. You’ll just have to be there to see what I mean by “Grand”. Nielsen will also have Shear autograph cards for fans that attend the event. Of course we would be remiss if we didn’t mention that Shear is the only 5 time winner of Oktoberfest and the only driver to win it 3 consecutive years. The ‘Fest weekend will also have a title sponsor this year as Livewire Energy chews have come on board to sponsor the event in 2011 and 2012. The quick energy boost Livewire provides will be the perfect tonic for the weary, sleep deprived gathering that makes up the bulk of ‘Fest attendees!
Here and there…Marshfield Motor Speedway, Marshfield, WI., held their Shootout weekend here recently with Mark Eswein and Travis Sauter taking 50 lap Feature wins. The first half century race was particularly competitive with Eswein, Chris Weinkauf and Steve Holzhausen racing nose to tail and side by side for more than half the event!... In the quote of the column department Don “Thunder” Turner was racing his Super Late Model in the Shootout event and was surprised to find a dash race named in his honor. The Don “Thunder” Turner #7 Dash featuring the day’s top qualifiers was held in honor of Turners’ over 40 years racing. “Racing today was the first I knew of it. Maybe they were thinking I died or something!” Turner’s heart was definitely beating as he placed 13th and 11th in the two Feature events respectively…Turner incidentally has also raced in every Oktoberfest race event held, all 41 of them!...Very sorry to hear of the passing of Bob Schmelzer here recently. Bob was a fixture at many tracks through the years working for various groups at events. Bob even did some promoting of his own in the ‘70s at the Columbus 151 Speedway of Columbus, WI. I always looked forward to conversing with Bob on any number of topics at various events through the years. He’d come across as being a tough even gruff sort but once you got past that crusty exterior you found a guy that was really helpful and dedicated to the sport. It just won’t be the same at the pit gate from here on in but we’ll continue to appreciate the great memories, starting with ‘Fest this year…It had been many years since I attended the Punky Manor Memorial held annually at the Red Cedar Speedway of Menomonie, WI., so it was fun to get back there for the Saturday portion of the event September 24th. Five divisions of racing were on the night’s card culminating in the big 40 lap Late Model Feature. The 3/8 mile clay oval is really racy and drivers here tonight didn’t disappoint with some very competitive racing. When all was said and done it was area resident Jimmy Mars taking the win after battling Lance Matthees for a number of laps. Jake Redetzke was 3rd followed by A.J Diemel and Mike Prochnow. In looking at some of these last names I remember when their cousins, uncles and fathers were racing. Generation to generation, racing truly is a family sport. I’m amazed at what the Modifieds these days are turning for lap speeds. Buzzy Adams ( Of course I remember watching his dad Dave race and win years ago.) was bad fast in his taking the Modified Feature win in convincing fashion here during the Manor race. Mars hopped in the 428 modified but was no match for Adams placing 2nd. Shawn Huse used a very late race pass to take the win in the Midwest Modified feature which ended up being the most exciting of the night. George Richards won the Pure stock feature in a race that was yellow flag plagued and drastically shortened. It’s too bad as the event was shaping up to be a dandy with no less than 4 cars battling in front…In closing, many thanks to Jim Cleveland who has done a ton of research on past asphalt racing in the state of which the early info on Oktoberfest for this column was obtained…
Photos. Jerry “Scratch” Daniels in select company. Joe Shear the only 5 time winner of Oktoberfest in his Fred Nielsen Camaro of 1979. Marshfield Shootout Feature winners Mark Eswein and Travis Sauter. Don “Thunder” Turner #7.
Any drivers that are still interested in attending the Champions Reunion during Oktoberfest you have time to sign up. If you are a past series or track champion in any division and haven’t raced in the last three years you are eligible. If you are a previous ‘Fest feature winner in any division you are also welcome to attend. State your intentions by contacting Dale P. Danielski at Starmaker Multimedia 967 10th Ave N Ste A, Onalaska, WI 54650 608-783-5827 or at dale@starmakermultimedia.com We also have a Facebook page titled Champions Reunion III that you may respond to or go to www.starmakermultimedi.com for information.

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AUTO RACING FACTS, OBSERVANCES and OPINIONS
By Dale P. Danielski
September 1, 2011
Having been to so many different race tracks through the years it’s always interesting to have a look at some that held events in the past but were shuttered for whatever reason. Most leave very little or no sign they even existed but with some you can see a bit of what they once were and the action that took place.
We found one such track here recently as the Cannon River Speedway which shut down in the late 1970s, located just outside Morristown, MN., has left a bit of it’s past behind. Unless you knew exactly where the track was you’d be hard pressed to find it as it is tucked away through woods off highway 60. It today is actually part of the Maiden Rock West campground. The track originally was listed as a 3/8 mile Tri-Oval and in my nosing around you can still make out that configuration. The corners were supposedly banked 17 degrees and there’s still a fair amount of that you can see on each end. It’s always fun to imagine what racing might have been like at a long gone track and here they aren’t totally forgetting about it as a number of newspaper clippings and posters are displayed at the campground. How cool it would have been to watch Larry Behrens, Mert Williams, Dave Noble and the numerous others mentioned in the literature racing here on a hot summer night.
Looking back further in time in racing it is going to be a lot of fun welcoming top notch sprint car driver Jerry “Scratch” Daniels to the Champions Reunion October 9th as part of the 42nd Annual Livewire Oktoberfest racing action at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway, West Salem, WI. Jerry was a 1st rate driver in his day and because of his success was inducted into the Knoxville Iowa Raceway Hall of Fame. Daniels actually raced and won at the Fairgrounds in West Salem in the 1960s when it was still a dirt track. “Scratch” even raced for Ernie Tuff who is also going to be at the Reunion along with his 1932 Ford 3 window coupe race car.
Daniels who was no stranger racing elsewhere throughout the Midwest actually began his career in 1955 at the tender young age of just 15! He began racing the ultra fast Sprint cars in 1961 and proceeded to carve out a great career in them racing for a number of top car owners who provided competitive equipment. Before the Sprint cars Daniels got latched up with Ernie Tuff where they raced Tuff’s Fords at a number of area tracks including the North La Crosse Speedbowl.  According to Daniels, “ Jerry (Richert, another great race driver and who Daniels was good friends with.) said call Ernie, he’s looking for a driver to race his car. I did, and that’s how we met. I drove for him in 1958-’59, and we did really well. The car I raced at North La Crosse was unbelievable! It was easy to win with that car.” And because of it the two traveled to other tracks. “We could make $800 on a weekend racing. That was good money back then. As a driver I got 40% of that so it was a $320 payday! I enjoyed racing for Ernie, that guy was a mechanical genius!”
As with all drivers back in the day there is always a story or two behind given nicknames. According to Daniels the name came from some friends and his brother who was also a pretty fair driver.. “My brother actually had the nickname “Itch” which he got when we were at a beer party and underage when the cops came sending everyone including us running through a field to get away. When we got home my brother was itching himself all over from something in that field. His nickname was now “Itch”. One day we all got together and heard an old country music song that was talking about itching and scratching. So us being brothers and one already nicknamed “Itch”, I became “Scratch”.  
Of course racing isn’t always as glamorous as it seems and after racing all over the country and dealing with his brother being severely injured in a racing accident in Huron, ND., the two decided to quit. “They didn’t know if he was going to live or die it was so bad. He did survive but I was getting tired of all the travel and being away from family anyway so it seemed like a good time to quit. Maybe if I’d have been a contracted driver racing for someone else I’d have stayed with it, but since I wasn’t it was time to quit.”
In addition, just walking away after competing in the rough and tumble 1950s and ‘60s days of racing like Daniels did is a victory in itself! Daniels has lived to tell about it and certainly there will be many more stories shared when he and Ernie Tuff and up to 75 other drivers get together for Champions Reunion III during Oktoberfest October 9th.
Here and there…There is still a form of competition going on at Cannon River Speedway as it is part of a Disc Golf course. According to Maiden Rock West campground ownership it is a very challenging course and one and all are invited over to conquer it!.. It was one of the most competitive feature races to date at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway here August 20th as Steve Carlson and J. Herbst duked it out for the win. The two raced side by side for numerous laps with neither giving an inch before Herbst was finally able to eke out a close win. Carlson finished 2nd and was followed by Jerimy Wagner, Nick Clements and Matt Henderson. It was also great to see Albert Locy race to a career best 10th place in that same race. The team has shown steady improvement on a very limited budget and all that effort paid off tonight…The ASA Midwest Tour saw another new winner grace victory lane in 2011 as Nathan Haseleu took the 125 lap main event win at Raceway Park of Shakopee, MN., here August 21st. Following Haseleu who also won this event last year were Chris Wimmer, Fast qualifier Nick Panitzke, Andrew Morrissey, Michael Bilderback, Jacob Goede, Steve Carlson, Skylar Holzhausen, Griffin McGrath and Nick Murgic…Ross Kenseth was very conspicuously absent from this event due to college orientation?...We had auto golf and the pool jump here recently in novelty type events at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway and Late Model drivers were the major players in both. Matt Henderson used a car to hit a golf ball, which was actually more like a beach ball, placed on top of a cone closest to the pin on a golf green constructed in the infield of the track. As you might have guessed this is no easy task but Henderson did it better than the other drivers in the very unique competition and won the top prize! In the August 27th night of racing at the track Todd Korish attempted to drive a street car via a ramp over two swimming pools filled with water. He skimmed over the top of the first and for the most part drove through the second one sending water flying everywhere. Rather than take a second shot at clearing them, he decided to drive the car without the ramp right through what was left of both pools sending what was left of the water again flying! There is never a loss for excitement generating events here at the track and these two definitely had folks wondering what might happen next!...Brent Kirchner took the NASCAR Late Model Feature win August 27th holding off a persistent Brad Powell in the process. For Kirchner it was main event win number 4 here and if not for a couple too many feature race altercations he could well be in the driver’s seat for the track championship. As it now stands it will be a battle between J. Herbst and Korish who are first and second separated by just 25 points with two point’s races remaining…Also on this night Tom Luethe took his first career feature win in the Thunderstox division feature grabbing the lead with less than a lap left in the race! Quote of the column comes from Steve Carlson after a close finish with J. Herbst at La Crosse Fairgrounds. “I had a 10th place car and with the cone, I like the cone, we got 2nd.” Of course Carlson who was mired deep in the pack was talking about being able to move all the way up to 2nd on a race restart on the outside of J. Herbst due to the double file “construction cone” restarts…Back in history on August 21st, 1970 it was #61 Jim Back winning the 30 lap Feature race at La Crosse Interstate Speedway. Tom Reffner #88, Jim Sauter #5 and Roy Schmidtke #76 followed. 20 lap Semi Feature honors went to #1 Pete Mahlum followed by #9 Tom Schaller, #58 Buck Linhart and #60 Ralph Bakewell. Heat race victors were Linhart, Mahlum and Sauter with Jim Back posting the fastest time.
Photos. A view of the Cannon River Speedway as it looks today. Nate Haseleu at speed here used his extensive experience racing at the short oval Jefferson, WI., Speedway to win here at the ¼ mile Raceway Park track. J. Herbst won the feature at La Crosse Fairgrounds August 20th.
Questions, comments, opinions and other information welcome at Starmaker Multimedia 967 10th Ave N Ste A, Onalaska, WI 54650 608-783-5827 or at dale@starmakermultimedia.com

AUTO RACING FACTS, OBSERVANCES and OPINIONS
August 18, 2011
By Dale P. Danielski
It’s been rather slim pickings in the race chasing category lately but we have made some observances none the less.
The ASA Midwest Tour has certainly been a competitive one in 2011 at least in terms of numerous main event winners. The year began with Ross Kenseth looking like he was going to make a shambles of the points battle taking the first two Tour wins, but since then others seem to have caught up with the young upstart. Kenseth does currently have three wins but Tim Schendel, Mark Mackesy, Jason Weinkauf, Skylar Holzhausen, Jeff Choquette, and Jon Eilen have also grabbed victories. What’s certainly somewhat odd is that multiple series champion Steve Carlson has not won yet nor has Andrew Morrissey who is leading the point standings with 3 races to go. Perennial racing up front drivers Nate Haseleu and Chris Wimmer havn’t graced victory lane in 2011 yet either. Is the younger set making a power and supremacy move in the series? That will definitely be determined with some extremely tough to win at venues coming up to end the season. The first of those is at Raceway Park, Shakopee, MN., August 21 which is a super difficult to navigate, reasonably flat ¼ mile bull ring. A lot can be lost as well as gained racing in this event. New this year is the National Short Track Champions October 2 at Rockford Speedway, Rockford, IL., which carries ASA Midwest Tour sanction for the first time. Anyone that has been around racing even in the slightest knows about Rockford, one of the toughest tracks to race on in the entire U.S. More than likely this event will humble some that feel they have a handle on things while others will emerge out of the dust and smoke with a good finish or even a win here. And the season all culminates with one of the longest running, tradition rich, Annual events going today, Oktoberfest October 6-9 at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway of West Salem, WI. Anything can happen and usually does at the ‘Fest and when all is said and done the ASA Midwest Tour, 2011 Champion will be crowned. Hard to believe the season is fast winding down but there is plenty of action to be observed heading down the stretch. The ASA Midwest Tour will certainly be providing a good share of it.
Here and there…It had to feel awfully good for Jonathan Eilen to be standing in victory lane at Hawkeye Downs Speedway, Cedar Rapids, Iowa after his ASA Midwest Tour victory August 12. This was the same event and track that after a hard lick with the wall sent Eilen to the hospital and into extensive rehab for a broken back! Eilen didn’t let the crash deter him as he came back in impressive fashion to win the 100 lap headliner here tonight…Mike Carlson picked up his first NASCAR Late Model Feature win of 2011 at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway August 6th and he did it by fighting off Dad Steve at the finish. On a race restart Dad lined up outside of Mike and most in attendance at that point figured it was all over for the youngster. Not so as Mike pulled away and Steve was forced to settle for 2nd place money. Dad was however the first to congratulate his son on a job “Well done” after the race…Speaking of the younger set group of drivers, we find relative newcomers Matt Henderson, 5th, Mike Carlson 6th, Cole Howland, 7th, Nick Clements, 9th and Jes Tenner 10th in current NASCAR Late Model point standings at Lax Fairgrounds with barely a handful of races left in the season. Just outside the top ten is top rookie contender, Michael Sauter in 11th. It could be some of that changing of the guard in racing is taking place here as well…August 13th at Ye Olde Lax Speedway found a full moon lighting up the night sky. It apparently had an effect on drivers tonight as well as numerous cautions spiced up things in all divisions of racing. Steve Carlson wasn’t concerned about the moon as he used it as a beacon to lead the way in the 25 lap NASCAR Late Model Feature. Todd Korish gave it a good run but wound up a close 2nd. The Korish finish once again tightened up the points battle as J. Herbst who placed 6th tonight leads Korish by just 19 points. It’s beginning to look like it could be a two car race to the track championship as Shawn Pfaff and Brent Kirchner have lost some ground on the two with just four points races left…With Bill Niles still out with back problems Kevin Nuttleman piloted car 54 in tonight’s program. No Fairy Tale ending here though as Nuttleman finished 12th in the main event but still remains the all time feature winner at the track with 106 wins…The Inglett clan was out in full force in the grandstands this past Saturday at Lax and they were loud! They had good reason to be as their favorite driver Matt Inglett held off Jimmy Gilster for the 15 lap Sportsman Feature…The thriving metropolis of Leon, WI., was well represented tonight as Dan Linnehan who lives there won the Outlawz feature event. Linnehan’s racing appearances have been minimal but he looked in top form tonight! Although Dustin Bagstad has been suspended from competition in the Thunderstox Division for now, he still sure did a great job singing the National Anthem at the track tonight.    
Back in history, during the week of August 11-14, 1970 at La Crosse Interstate Speedway, West Salem, WI., Jim Sauter was on a bit of a hot streak. Sauter captured the 30 lap feature event at the track on August 11, followed by Marv Marzofka, George Thornton, Everett Fox and Ed Nichols. Sauter followed that win up with another 30 lap victory on the 14th . Interesting to note that both Jim Back who was leading and Dick Trickle in 2nd fell out of that race on the 29th lap leaving Sauter all alone in 1st! And, since we are in the midst of a slow column day. a bit more history. On August 6th, 1971 Don James #76 from Bloomington, MN., captured the 20 lap Feature event at La Crosse Interstate. He was followed by Lyle Nabbefeldt #55s and Jim Back #61. Semi-Feature honors went to Buck Linhart #58 with Dale Pennel #2 and Dale Walworth #83 in pursuit. 1st heat winner was #6 Ed Nichols the 2nd went to #40 John Scott with the 3rd to #15 Rich Somers. James also won the fast dash. Quote of the column, “It just figures the only place it’s raining in the area is right over the race track.” That from Dale P. Danielski who with his wife who doesn’t catch that many races these days were just heading out the door for action at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, WI. only to find the event had moments before been canceled due to a storm cell right over the race track!    
Photos. #50 Mike Carlson at speed at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway. Jim Sauter Nova that he raced to a 4th place feature finish on the day at Wisconsin International, Kaukauna, WI. in 1973. Interesting to note he had to change the number to #51 instead of his normal #5. Who could possibly with that number have had precedent over Sauter’s established number 5? #76 Don James one of the Minnesota travelers that raced the Wisconsin circuit in the 1970s.
Questions, comments, opinions and other information welcome at Starmaker Multimedia 967 10th Ave N Ste A, Onalaska, WI 54650 608-783-5827 or at dale@starmakermultimedia.com

AUTO RACING FACTS, OBSERVANCES and OPINIONS
By Dale P. Danielski
August 4, 2011
Although I couldn’t attend the event this past week at State Park Speedway, Wausau, WI. the scheduling of it brought back many memories of the man and racer the Memorial race is named after; Larry Detjens.
The majority of Detjens’ career took place in the 1970s until sadly in 1981 he was killed in a racing accident. Detjens packed a lot of racing and success into a short period of time but it’s still a terrible shame his life was cut so short.
Larry began racing in the Wausau area in the Hobbystock division but it wasn’t long thereafter however that he was piloting a Dodge Coronet in Late Model competition. What immediately set Detjens apart from most of the others was the appearance of his race car. Purple in color with extreme detail in both the painting and lettering of it. It was something folks weren’t used to seeing as cars racing 4-6 days a week would get pretty beat up looking. This also was in the days of all paint, no vinyl for lettering or wraps. Most amazing, was Larry kept his cars looking that way the entire season! We later learned that Larry was the owner of Detjens Body Shop in Wausau, WI., and we realized where the work was being done and the race car maintained. It certainly couldn’t have been too bad for his business either!
Almost as unique as the race cars themselves in those days were the haulers drivers brought them in on. Of course enclosed trailers hadn’t even been thought about yet so the open variety was the way to go in many cases. Larry at one point did have a trailer of that type but what was really cool was what he used to pull it. The best way I can describe it is a mini wrecker! A Dodge pick-up of some kind which was Larry’s vehicle manufacturer preference, with 4 wheel drive and a boom and hook in the back. The unit couldn’t have had a wheel base of more than 90 inches and when it was packed up for racing the front end was practically off the ground! There was no mistaking it was Larry showing up at the race track as in addition to the aforementioned the cool wrecker thing was bright yellow to boot! With fuel prices being low I guess burning up a bit more with a 4x4 unit traveling all around the State wasn’t a concern either.
Something else that set Detjens apart from others and certainly his finest attribute, was how well he handled pressure under fire. No matter how bad things seemed to be going Larry was able better than nearly everyone to keep it all in perspective. He’d say, “When things are going bad, that’s when you build character.” Tom Reffner vouched for Detjens’ even disposition. “When all of us racers would be getting down in the mouth about other drivers or things going on Larry would just be the same Larry.” Speaking of disposition, I can remember a certain racer and his crew banging away at trying to get a shock removed from the mounting on a race car and getting madder by the minute. Larry walked by and said, “Wait a minute and in short order he returned with the proper tool to do the job. Added to that he helped with a couple set up tips to make the car better and said, “If you ever need any other help just ask.” That driver was me and I never forgot that day at the Wausau track.
Larry was never the most prolific winner of feature events but he was a master when it came to the long distance race. He had a way of pacing himself and hiding on the track until it was time to go. At that point he’d use all the reserve he still had in the car and win going away from competitors who had nothing left for the end. His smooth calculating style resulted in big paying wins in the Nashville 500, at the Minnesota Fair as well as in California, Florida, Nevada, Missouri, Illinois and of course Wisconsin where he took numerous 50 and 100 lap wins.
It’s ironic and sad that while in the midst of his winningest season and the chance to move into NASCAR racing his life ended. With 22 Feature wins heading into August in his Packerland Packing Dennis Frings Chassis Camaro his next scheduled event was at the Wisconsin International Raceway of Kaukauna for an ARTGO event. Forgotten by many is the fact that a disagreement had taken place and Detjens was back in a Bemco Camaro for the event. Without a lot of time in the car he didn’t qualify as well as he had been, lining up on the front row for the first 50 lap feature. Setting a torrid pace at the outset Larry and Alan Kulwicki raced side by side for 14 laps with neither giving an inch. Kulwicki thought he was far enough inside Detjens at that point with the two making contact which sent Detjen’s car into the inside guard rail on the backstretch. The wreck looked reasonably harmless but it wasn’t, as the end of the guard rail went right through the side of Detjens car inflicting fatal internal injuries to the driver. Having been taken to an area hospital, by 9:25 pm that night it was announced Larry Detjens had died.
It was one of the few times during that period in racing that I remained in the pit area for an entire race program, usually opting to sit in the grandstands for the feature finals. On this occasion I wish I hadn’t, as I was in the immediate area where the incident took place and witnessed it very plainly.
It took a long time for many to forgive Kulwicki for what they saw as over aggressive driving especially so early in the race in going for the lead and causing the contact between the two. Some never have. Somehow I don’t think Larry Detjens would have felt that way even though at just 37 years of age his racing career which was actually really just about to begin and now his life had ended. With George Gillett involvement, discussion had taken place that Detjens was headed to NASCAR’s top division for the next season. Most of us had caught wind of at least something happening for Detjens and were extremely excited knowing his long race prowess would prove him successful at that level. Furthermore is the fact NASCAR was really just starting to become the media monster and money making machine it is today and having someone from our neck of the woods do well would have greatly served the Midwest in showing it had quality talent in racing. It just wasn’t to be.
 But gladly, Larry Detjens’ memory lives on in the event held at State Park Speedway fittingly near his home town and now owned and operated by the Wimmer family including father Ron and racing sons Scott and Chris. And maybe after all, even in death, Detjens positive, optimistic disposition and success so many years ago has paved the way for others in racing in the Midwest. Scott Wimmer has tasted success at the top levels of NASCAR and Chris is carving out a nice career of his own. Their uncle Larry Detjens sure would have been proud.  
Here and there…Steve Carlson who hasn’t shown his age racing but must have had a bout of it in his daily life was unable to compete here recently at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway due to back issues. He lent the car he normally drives to Tim Schendel who placed 3rd and 2nd respectively in the two 20 lap NASCAR Features on the night. Not to be outdone in his return he won the 25 lap feature July 23rd…15 year old Michael Sauter, son of Jay has had his ups and downs at the speedway this year, but things were definitely on the upside here July 16th as he captured his first ever NASCAR Late Model win taking the first preliminary event on the night…Dustin Bagstad definitely had a different approach in the Novelty Outhouse race held at the speedway. Instead of hopping out of his car and quickly heading over to grab a sheet of toilet paper as is required for the event he went around to the other side of his race car and picked up a newspaper! Taking it in with him to the outhouse it took track announcer Dan Deicher after a fair amount of time had elapsed, sneaking a peak inside to get him out of the John! It must have been some good La Crosse Tribune reading keeping Bagstad detained. He definitely didn’t win the event with the effort where speed is a necessity…NASCAR Late Model competitor Albert Locy has battled an electrical problem nearly all season. A distributor pick up failed for a 3rd time which really has the team searching… J.Herbst solidified his NASCAR Late Model points lead with his 4th Feature win here Saturday night. Herbst can thank NASCAR driver Kenny Schrader who was a guest at the speedway on the night for assisting as he drew the invert number that put J. on the pole for the race!...Shawn Pfaff stayed close in 2nd  in the points race even though he was forced to use a backup car here tonight...With a little extra money on the line in the Darius Pettibone 20 lap Sportsman feature tonight everyone was definitely more racey. Cars were loose and sideways for much of the race and in most cases amazingly great saves were made before necessitating a caution flag! What was all the fuss about? $1,000 to win the race that’s what. Jimmy Gilster ran a smart race and very happily took home the grand with a late race pass of Jamie Dummer…Jordan Myers was a happy guy tonight as the rookie driver took home his first ever Thunderstox feature win… And in racing history, on August 26th, 1971 it was season championship night at State Park Speedway where Dick Trickle won the 50 lap feature event followed by Tom Reffner, Larry Detjens, Marv Marzofka and Bill Wirtz. The 25 lap Semi-feature winner was Dick Bentley, followed by Chuck Cherek and Terry Semrow. Heat race winners were Sonny Immerfall, Bentley and Trickle with the Trophy Dash going to Marlin Walbeck. Fast Qualifier was Jim Back at 14:97 around the ¼ mile recently repaved track. Over $4,000 was offered in purse pay-out with $500 going to Trickle for his Feature win. An “overflow” crowd attended the event the last of the 1971 season at the track…   
Photos. #25 Larry Detjens in his Packerland Packing Frings Camaro at the Milwaukee Mile in 1981.Photo from the past. Detjens in 1973 with his Dodge Challenger being towed by the mini-wrecker. Chris Wimmer nephew to Larry Detjens at Speed at State Park Speedway this year.
Questions, comments, opinions and other information welcome at Starmaker Multimedia 967 10th Ave N Ste A, Onalaska, WI 54650 608-783-5827 or at dale@starmakermultimedia.com

AUTO RACING FACTS, OBSERVANCES and OPINIONS
July 21
By Dale P. Danielski
No one really asked me, but…
Why were there only 27 cars for the big $10,000 to win ASA Midwest Tour race at Elko Speedway, Elko, MN. July 8-9? I would have thought a number of outsiders would have taken a shot at a payday we seldom see in asphalt short track racing. As it turns out if you showed up you were in the show and guaranteed the $1,100 starting money. Skylar Holzhausen was glad he made it as he took home the 250 lap win and a cool $10,000. It’s reported his hometown of Bangor, WI., is still rockin’…How did things get so out of hand at tracks that everyone is selling their own tires and spending thousands of dollars on impound buildings to insure no one can cheat? What happened to being able to use tires you raced at other tracks, same compound and all, so traveling at least once in awhile could take place? No wonder fields continue to dwindle at speedways hosting the Super Late Model Division, who can afford that!…If NASCAR decides to have a competition yellow at 30 laps of a race as they did at Kentucky recently do fans get a % of their ticket purchased back? After all that’s only fair since they weren’t really racing up to that point and the yellow flag was not due to an incident, weather, or of course the now you see it now you don’t infamous debris…The worst thing a dirt track can do is run its top billed attraction last when the track is worn out and one groove. Many spend 45 minutes to an hour farming the track which sometimes helps, then run four support division features before the main again wearing it out. Most do it this way and the only thing I can figure is they are trying to sell more hotdogs and beer, because obviously this is not what fans come to see, right?…La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway, West Salem, WI., ran their normal full program of racing here on a recent Saturday night which included driver intros and a novelty event in 2 hours and 25 minutes. They do have full fields of cars in 3-5 divisions as well. They also draw between 2,000-3,000 fans on a weekly basis. This is what fans come to see, continuous racing, right?...In the what’s in a name category pertaining to creating fan interest, why would you list a racing division as limited? Limited Sprints. Limited Late Models. How exciting is that! If I’m looking to attend an event those titles aren’t doing much to entice me to the show. Same with B Mods or Economy Mods. That’s down the list in the alphabet from A Mod so it can’t be too good, right? Micro anything. Micro as in microscopic? That means I won’t be able to see it without the use of special equipment? Mini anything isn’t much better unless it’s mini-donuts which I really enjoy! Perception people, create excitement with your racing divisions. Might as well say slow cars going in a circle if you’re going to go this type of division naming route…Apparently the dirt World is suffering through tire softening issues as well. One of Wisconsin’s favorites, Jimmy Mars was questioned for that after a recent $30,000 win. Was even reportedly subjected to a lie detector test on the issue. A lie detector test, is that legal? I think we’ve definitely crossed the reason and sanity line here, but where there’s that much money it was bound to happen I guess. Maybe it’s time to put a claim on tires and let the racers have at it as NASCAR has done. Wait a minute, have at it isn’t working in NASCAR so it probably won’t work here either!..Speaking of NASCAR is it just me or has the value of the Nationwide Series been totally diminished? What little identity it had is gone especially with Kyle Busch or other Cup drivers winning everything…It took me a long time to find the various track results I was looking for here recently on the internet. Talk about labor intensive. Some of what I found was dated from 2 years ago! It was always so nice to find it all in a racing publication(s)…Conservative, Liberal, Tea Party, Protest Candidate, Transparency, enough already of the titles and terms. How about compromise, compromise and compromise some more for a better Country representing the people that voted you in. Not sure where that came from in a racing column…OK, so what deems this scribe the knowledgeable or even expert on all these topics. Well, no one really asked me, but… 
Here and there…With two 20 lap Features contested at La Crosse Fairgrounds July 16th during the Fair the points battle at La Crosse Fairgrounds changed once again. J. Herbst is now back in front just barely, after winning one of the 20 lap events. It was also his 3rd of the year here. Brent Kirchner got himself back in the hunt with his 3rd win in the second 20 lapper…Good to see long time competitor Tim Nelson get a hard earned 3rd place finish in the 2nd 20 while relative newcomer Jes Tenner scored a career best with a 5th place finish in that race…Some ex-racers have a hard time staying away from the racetrack. Kevin Nuttleman could be found manning a 50/50 booth here during Fair week racing… Nick Clements got it right this time. The Rookie NASCAR Late Model driver at La Crosse Fairgrounds won the Feature July 9th at the track and was legal. A ride height issue negated a good finish in an earlier event but that wasn’t going to happen again!...Good to see Caledonia, MN., Sportsman driver Rob Mason pick up the feature win here at Lax July 9th. Mason who has numerous dirt tracks in close proximity to where he lives instead has chosen paved racing. It paid off with a big win here tonight…Ralph Cottone who picked up a win in a Sportsman race recently has announced this will be his last year racing. Ralph has been at it a long time but of course we have heard drivers say these things before!
Quote of the column. “My parents weren’t here to see me win they’re in Alaska, that stinks, so now I’ll just have to do it again.” Nick Clements comment after winning the feature at La Crosse Fairgrounds.
Back on this date in 1971 it was Marv Marzofka, Nekoosa, WI., winning the 20 lap Feature at La Crosse Interstate Speedway of West Salem, WI. The #91 of Marzofka was followed by #99 Larry Behrens and #57 Larry Anderson. The Semi-Feature winner was #13 Don Grant with heat wins going to #36 Fred Beckler, #8 Lyle Nabbefeldt and Anderson. Trophy Dash winner was Rich Somers.
Photos. Nick Clements in his NASCAR Late Model #08 racing in 2011. Nick Clements racing in the Sportsman Division in 2008. #70 Jerry Smith pavement car in 1973. Smith was one driver that fared quite well crossing over and racing on pavement although the wins on dirt surfaces in North Eastern Wisconsin occurred more frequently. Known as “Medina” Smith for his hometown of Medina, WI., to differentiate between another racing Smith, Jerry (J.J.) Smith also from that area.
Questions, comments, opinions and other information welcome at Starmaker Multimedia 967 10th Ave N Ste A, Onalaska, WI 54650 608-783-5827 or at dale@starmakermultimedia.com

Title Text.

AUTO RACING FACTS, OBSERVANCES and OPINIONS
By Dale P. Danielski
 July 7 2011
Heading into the ASA Midwest Tour event at State Park Speedway here June 24th a name you probably wouldn’t have put on the list as a true threat to win was Mark Mackesy. A consistent finisher and a win here and there at area tracks through the years is pretty much what Mackesy has been all about. Racing on a limited budget and at fewer events than most would also keep his name off that special event winners list. But that’s why you contest the races and also why fans attend, because you just never know.
Mark Mackesy did indeed win the ASA Tour event 150 lap Feature on Flip Merwin Memorial night at the track and after he pulled into victory lane the applause was deafening with just about every soul in the jam packed grandstand cracking a smile over what was a huge upset win.
The Mackesy name has been involved for many years in racing with Father Bob racing in the 1960s through the ‘80s and Mom Barb a big part of it through the Women Concerned for Racing group. They’ve taken their racing seriously but more importantly have enjoyed the journey as much as the successes along the way. That has definitely rubbed off on Mark as he is one of the most happy go lucky guys on race night at the track. And again because of that attitude no one showed their displeasure at his winning this, the biggest victory of his career.
Mackesy didn’t fall into the win with a bizarre happening or bad luck by others either. Qualifying 5th among the 30 racers in attendance, Mackesy drew the 8th spot for the 150 lap main. Not dropping back like a rock as some may have predicted, Mackesy actually made rapid progress forward! With race long leader Bryan Reffner the last car in his sites Mackesy bided his time finally making his move with 30 laps or so left with an inside pass for the lead. From there on there was no catching the Wausau, WI. driver as he cruised to the huge win. Some you may have predicted to win did fill out the top 10 with Andrew Morrissey, Jacob Goede, Ross Kenseth, Reffner, Nate Haseleu, Jon Eilen, Tim Sauter, Ben Pettis and Griffin McGrath following in that order. However, on this day it was a win for the little guy, the racer that has done his time and finally breaks through for a career win. Mark Mackesy was that guy on this night!
With Mackesy taking a huge win it was like lightening striking twice as Jason Weinkauf came through with a career win in the ASA Midwest Tour event at the Marshfield Motor Speedway, Marshfield, WI. here July 2nd. Again as with the Mackesy win there was nothing cheap or lucky about the victory as Weinkauf took the lead on lap 14 and had rather comfortable sailing the rest of the way. Interesting to note that Weinkauf almost didn’t even compete in the event as the car he was supposed to drive had engine trouble and wasn’t going to be ready in time. Race team owner Jay VanderGeest solved that problem by offering the car he normally drives. The combination worked and the rest is history as they say. Nick Murgic made the 100 lap feature finish here at Marshfield reasonably close but ended up 2nd. He was followed by Tim Schendel, Andrew Morrissey, Travis Sauter, fast qualifier Jacob Goede, Jonathan Eilen, Skylar Holzhausen, Matt Tift and Steve Carlson. Here and there…Some days you’re right on it and some you’d just as soon have stayed home. Bryan Reffner and Collin Reffner comfortably qualified into the show at Wausau and raced competitively while at Marshfield neither one made it into the feature…Steve Holzhausen and Eugene Gregorich Jr made their ASA Midwest Tour 2011 debuts at Marshfield with mixed results. Holzhausen set 3rd fastest time but fell out of the feature with mechanical issues. Gregorich Jr. also got in the 100 lapper but was none too pleased with his race car. “I don’t get scared going into a corner but with this car I am because I don’t know what it’s going to do!” Gregorich Jr., pulled out of the event after completing 78 laps…Neil Knoblock who made an appearance at Marshfield for the event stated that his previous notes didn’t help much this time around. “I’ve been fast here and believe me I have good notes on the set up here. But with these tires were running it didn’t help at all, everything is changed.” Knoblock made the feature but was a non factor in the event…Jon Eilen had fast time honors on the night at State Park Speedway as he bested the 30 car field around the ¼ mile oval in 13:834 seconds…Jacob Goede completed an amazing feature run in 3rd place moving all the way up from 18th…Another area racer had a good run at Wausau as Ben Pettis in the Redline Motorsports entry placed 9th in the main event…In asking Mackesy if racing at State Park Speedway, his home track would offer any advantage he replied, “Maybe a little, but these guys are catching up fast.” Upon further inquiry of any advantage Mackesy stated, “But we’re ready though, we’ve got a cooler full of beer and we’ll have some fun!”…In discussing why fans these days seem to get more into dirt racing events than asphalt Michael Bilderback had some thoughts. “Dirt racing always has more grooves and paved racing seems a little boring compared to that. I also think shorter races might be a little more exciting for the fans. There’s no reason we need to run 150 laps at a track like this. (State Park Speedway.) Give us a 50 lap race and let us have at it.” Bilderback as it turns out wished the race here was shorter as he fell out of the main event with just 37 laps left while in 3rd position!...With the big $10,000 to win Feature event pay-day coming up in the ASA Tour race at Elko, MN., Speedway July 8-9th some observers are wondering what potential outside of the rules equipment might be tried to win the event. Discussion has taken place that softening of tires and traction control devices already exist in paved Super Late Model racing creating huge advantages. As one person stated if you can’t find it is it legal? Maybe if these types of things can’t be found they should be made legal which in turn may very well create cost effectiveness and allow everyone to utilize them. Just what would the negative consequences be at that point?...Brent Kirchner has turned things around at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway as he raced to his second consecutive 25 lap NASCAR Late Model Feature win here June 25th…Harley Jankowski who has looked very good racing in the Late Model Division at Lax Fairgrounds this year received the best news recently that he possibly could. A Kidney donor emerged providing a match for the young driver and he’ll at last be able to live a reasonably normal life again. The transplant took place here a week or so ago which will put Jankowski out of competition for the rest of the season. A small price to pay in getting back to normalcy… Got talking some old times in racing with Tom Reffner who was at State Park Speedway helping son Bryan and grandson Collin at the ASA Tour event there. Tom mentioned one trip where they raced in at least 4 States and one other Country during a stretch of 9 races in 9 days! According to Tom, “I got thinking about that one day and wondered, did we really do that? According to Tom the money was good at the time and it was quite common to be on the road racing for days on end. Trips to Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Canada and back to Wisconsin all within a week or so weren’t unusual. Best of all for them, most of the time the Wisconsin bunch ended up bringing back the majority of the loot when they went on such adventures!...Car owner for Chris and Jason Weinkauf and racer himself, Jay VanDerGeest could be found at the controls checking out a 277B Cat loader while at State Park for the ASA show. When asked if that’s how he got to the track his answer, “Absolutely, it’s faster than my race car was here two weeks ago!”… There was one open trailer with a Super Late Model on it at the ASA show at Wausau. The car being hauled in on it just happened to end up in victory lane after 150 laps of racing as Mark Mackesy pulled the upset win...The most mild mannered, unassuming driver picked up a big win here at Lax Fairgrounds June 25th in the Thunderstox Feature. As a matter of fact if you saw him on the street you’d never guess he likes making left turns and going really fast at the track We’re talking about Dustin Bagstad son of former racer Jeff and relation to regular Late Model competitor Tony. There was nothing unassuming or mild however about his super exciting last turn of the last lap pass for the win here Saturday night!...Quote of the column comes from Tom Reffner. “We could have put a kill switch in the car, it would have taken 5 minutes. We didn’t the throttle hung up and I went right off the end into the trees. Everybody said you could see the trees shaking where the car went in. Wrecked a car that night.” Reffner was describing his throttle sticking and going off turn one at State Park Speedway in 1984 with his brand new race car. That was back when trees lined 2/3 of the track, long before walls were put up.             
Photos. Bob Mackesy puts his car #12 through its paces at State Park Speedway in 1984.  Mark Mackesy #12 back when we both had hair takes a win in 1989 at the Golden Sands Speedway, Plover, WI. Jason Weinkauf battling Steve Holzhausen in the #23 that Jay VanDerGeest couldn’t find the speed in at an earlier event.
Questions, comments, opinions and other information welcome at Starmaker Multimedia 967 10th Ave N Ste A, Onalaska, WI 54650 608-783-5827 or at dale@starmakermultimedia.com

AUTO RACING FACTS, OBSERVANCES and OPINIONS
June 23 2011
By Dale P. Danielski
Success stories in racing are few and far between compared to normal every day occupations and that’s why it’s nice to be able to report on one now and then. Dan Navrestad of DCA Racing & Fabrication, La Crosse, WI., is one such success story.
Having grown up on a farm in Westby, WI., Navrestad was exposed to the tough farm life early on. He realized to make life easier he’d have to learn how things mechanical worked and how to fix them. “I enjoyed building things and I learned that while working on the farm. You couldn’t afford to have someone else doing that maintenance for you so we’d work with what we had and cobble things, as they say together, to keep going.” As it turns out that experience really paid off and eventually I became a mechanic in La Crosse.”
“I bought tools from George Roders, a supplier in the area who was involved in racing and that’s where it all started. It was a great opportunity for me meeting George as he encouraged me to try things knowing I could do it. I did prove to myself I could build and fabricate things and at that time I just took it and ran with it.”
After working on Roders’ racing equipment which consisted of drag and road racing cars for a year and a half Navrestad met stock car driver Mike Belling. “After helping Mike for a couple years and meeting a lot of nice people I decided to give it a try myself, that was in 1984. I had a lot of fun racing and I think I was a decent driver, but still being interested in building things I decided I was a better fabricator than driver so I started my own business. Plus, at that time, which was 1989 I had gotten married and there just wasn’t time to do all that racing like I had. That’s when DCA Racing & Fabrication was born.”
“Having met so many people in racing and driving myself it just made sense that I would conduct business with that crowd. The fact I did drive really helped me to understand the racers needs and without that knowledge there is no way I would have been as successful.”
Again with financially successful longevity in the sport of racing no easy feat how has Dan Navrestad maintained. “The big thing is not to go too far in debt. I was fortunate, I already had a lot of tools and equipment before I started in business and that’s the key, not going so far in debt you have nothing left to operate off of. That’s especially the case in the racing business with margins on parts and labor so small.”
Of course with changes in race cars and trends in the sport unpredictable, adapting to what’s out there and taking advantage of opportunities are also key elements to remaining solvent. “The sport is getting so expensive it’s tough for guys to compete. It’s especially tough for the young guys to get interested knowing in some cases just to get on the track with a car is going to cost them $10,000 or more. I’ve worked with the stock car group for the most part but I’m seeing an upswing in business in drag racing. I think it’s due to consistent rules coast to coast and the fact it’s more affordable. Being more diversified and working on road course cars and hot rods has helped keep me going too.”
And just where does Dan Navrestad of DCA Racing & Fabrication envision himself a year, 5, or even 10 years down the road? “For 22 years I’ve been making a living on other people’s toys. If you asked me 20 years ago if I’d thought this was possible I’d have said it couldn’t happen. I’ll keep doing this as long as I’m able. Eventually I’d like to cut back to 3-4 days a week. I know I’ll always be building something though, maybe one of these days I’ll be able to build a toy for me instead of for everyone else!”
I’ve likened success and longevity in racing to farming or being a rock star. It’s high risk and the day could come at any time when your career in it is over. That’s why its great to see when someone does make it work. Dan Navrestad of DCA Racing & Fabrication is one such success story we can continue to talk about.
Here and there…Brad Powell made his NASCAR Late Model debut June 11 at
La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway, West Salem, WI., and promptly set fast time of 19:727. That’s just short of a 100 mile per hour average around the big 5/8 mile paved oval…One more lap. That’s what Todd Korish was hoping for as Late Model feature leader Troy Rave nursed his car home with a sick engine. Rave held off Korish for his first ever NASCAR Late Model Feature win at Lax Fairgrounds. Matt Henderson, Powell and J. Herbst followed…Quote of the column. “I could smell oil and all of a sudden I was catching him. I just didn’t catch him fast enough!” That from Todd Korish who with 2 laps left in the race was behind Troy Rave’s ailing race car by 10 car lengths but closed to within one at the finish of the June 11th feature at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway.In Racing History, on July 17th 1960 the Griffith Park Speedway, the first paved track built in the area of Wisconsin Rapids, WI held its first ever stock car race with Jere O’Day taking the 25 lap feature win. Finishing 2nd was Don Ruder with Ken Pancratz placing 3rd. other winners were O’Day in the Semi-Feature, John Moquin in the 1st heat, Augie Winkleman in the 2nd, and Ruder in the 3rd. O’Day also set the fast time for the event. The facility in 1960 was reportedly built for $20,000. Sam Bartus initiated the effort leasing land from John Murgatroyd. Gerald Richter served as Manager of the Speedway…
Photos. The late Rich Somers always had some of the best looking equipment on the race track. This Ford from Rich’s earlier days of racing is an example. (Bob Bergeron photo) Troy Rave drove this Brent Kirchner back up car #81 to his first ever NASCAR Late Model Feature win June 11 at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway.
Questions, comments, opinions and other information welcome at Starmaker Multimedia 967 10th Ave N Ste A, Onalaska, WI 54650 608-783-5827 or at dale@starmakermultimedia.com

AUTO RACING FACTS, OBSERVANCES and OPINIONS
By Dale P. Danielski
June 9 2011
Compared to some race tracks, the Golden Sands Speedway of Plover, WI., has had a pretty long life. I know we’ve talked about this facility before, but when built it was so unique it’s worth venturing back in time once again, especially since we were able to pay a visit here recently.
Originally built, owned and promoted by Sam Bartus in 1967, the track has weathered more than a few storms and is still an active weekly operation today. The current ownership regime is the Basseuner family and we had the opportunity to visit with them and catch their season opening show on a recent Friday night.
Looking back through the years, most tracks were quite primitive in their construction. Bare necessities and not much more to entertain the paying customer. That was enough then, but certainly today fans are looking for more in the way of creature comforts. The Basseuner's after purchasing the speed plant saw to it that updated and more modern amenities would be in place before any racing action took place. True to their word, the place is definitely spiffed up and still holding exciting racing action every summer now over 40 years later.
Having grown up in that part of the State and putting much sweat equity in the place myself, I’ve always thought the high banked, 1/3 mile paved oval featured nearly the perfect lay-out for a short track. Originally advertised as a 3/10ths mile in length with 12 foot banks in the corners and 7 foot on the straight a ways, I guess it just depends on exactly where it was measured in determining the exact size. All I know after watching hundreds of events there, is it was always one of the most exciting places to view a race.
At one point the track even featured 3 groove passing all the way around, although today’s featured brand discourages that. The 3 wide racing deal back in the day actually came as a result of a time or two, too often, of the front row starting drivers “Making it look good” by racing each other side by side for nearly the entire length of the Feature event. With the checkered flag ready to wave, they’d miraculously find a burst of power and really start racing, showing what they truly had in the car in the process and making a mad dash to the line to see who would win. Of course this tactic left those in the rear, who had qualified the fastest that day frustrated for their inability to move from the back to the front. Being that the speed of the front row guys was probably a half second slower than what the fast guys in the back could do, Marv Marzofka one day said, the heck with this inventing the new third groove and passing the entire field in 5 laps! According to Marv, “You really had to trust the guys in the 2nd groove to stay in their lane, but if they did you could win from out there since you were going so much faster than they were.” Marzofka as stated was the first to accomplish the feat, but soon others caught on as Tom Reffner, Mike Miller and Dick Trickle all won while 3rd grooving. Of course now that these guys realized they could do this the front row side by side dogging ploy was no longer viable and it pretty much ceased.
2011 found Golden Sands Speedway opening on May 20th and we witnessed just shy of 50 racing machines in three divisions, Super Late Model, Pure Stock and Cruiser participating. Third generation driver Colin Reffner proved early he would be the one to watch as he set a blistering fast time pace of 11:948 in Super Late Model qualifying. Reffner has a new chassis this year and is racing for Gary and Elaine Kawleski with father Baird Reffner overseeing the operation. After opening the program in grand fashion a feature win was unfortunately not to be for young Reffner as electrical problems put them out while running 4th in the 75 lap main. Jeremy Lepak had no such trouble and cruised to a relatively easy win over Jeff Weinfurter, Tim Sauter, Ted Reichenberger and Darren Jackson.
There are still some familiar names racing at the track these days as long time competitors Kirby Kurth and Rene Scheinoha race in the tracks top division. Kurth who is back after a several year hiatus admits things have definitely changed. “These kids today have no fear at all racing. They really get out and go!”
Other names from past years of racing here are also prevalent today at the facility although a generation or two later, as drivers with the names Lepak, Marzofka, Sauter, Weinfurter are all competing. A number of folks that used to race here with names like Bohmsoch, Nitzke, Rossier, T. Reffner, can also be found observing or working on cars and it’s always fun to catch up on things with them.
A day at what was the home track for many years is always a good day. Hopefully we can make a return trip in the near future.
Here and there… According to Baird Reffner, once all the bugs are worked out of their new race car, son Colin is going to be a force to reckon with. “We have one bad to the bone race car. Starting now this car will be a bullet!”…La Crosse Fairgrounds, Speedway, West Salem, WI., got another show in the books here Saturday night with Brent Kirchner who has had nothing but problems so far this year getting the 25 lap NASCAR Late Model win. Kirchner avoided the numerous wrecks and spins that took many of the top contenders out of the race and held off Shawn Pfaff at the stripe for his first win of 2011. Nick Clements, Matt Henderson and Harley Jankowski rounded out the top 5…Jankowski in a rare occurrence raced in three divisions Saturday, NASCAR Late Model, Thunderstox and Outlawz. He did well in each even pulling off a win in the Thunderstox Feature…The highly competitive brothers Gilster have been on top of their games at Lax Fairgrounds in the Sportsman Division this year. They lined up side by side at the front of the field on a restart in the feature here Saturday with Dan sneaking ahead of brother Jimmy and eventually taking the 15 lap win. Jimmy who has also won this year settled for 3rd…  If you think eating a hotdog and consuming a drink faster than anyone else is easy just ask the majority of racers who tried it at the speedway Saturday. I think some are still sitting at the table trying to finish! Rusty Winchel had little trouble though and he convincingly won the novelty event…Quote of the column comes from Kirby Kurth, “I’m going to have to put a slow moving vehicle sign on the back of my race car so some of these guys don’t run over me.”…In thinking who has promoted racing at Golden Sands we can recollect Bartus, Paul Kaczrowski, Jere O’Day/Dean Spohn, Ralph Jacobson and Terry Preuser as the only ones. There were others that did some one off shows but basically a pretty short list for over a over 40 years of racing operation…Looking back in time on Thursday May 25th 1967, it was Dick Trickle winning the 25 lap Late Model Feature race along with setting fast time of 13:66 seconds and capturing the 4th heat race in the Golden Sands Speedway Grand Opening event. Other winners on the night included Willie Reinwand 1st heat and consolation, Del Kemnetz 2nd heat and Lyle Nabbefeldt 3rd heat and semi-feature winner while racing the famous Chicken Coupe. Adults attending the event paid $1.50 to get in with those under the age of 12 being admitted for $.50…
Photos. I have to thank colleague and friend in racing the late Bob Bergeron for the photos of early Golden Sands Speedway action featuring #20 Ed “Gunner” Walkush, #55 Mike Brown, #67 Larry Rezin, #91 Marv Marzofka, #61 Jim Back, and #2 Dave Marcis. Photo. Jeremy Lepak on his way to the 75 lap season opening Feature win at Golden Sands Speedway.
Questions, comments, opinions and other information welcome at Starmaker Multimedia 967 10th Ave N Ste A, Onalaska, WI 54650 608-783-5827 or at dale@starmakermultimedia.com

AUTO RACING FACTS, OBSERVANCES and OPINIONS
May 26 2011
By Dale P. Danielski
Talking about the weather is common in striking up a conversation. But when it’s bad weather, like it’s been here for a number of race events we’ve tried to attend it’s like, “Enough already, I don’t want to hear it anymore!” But of course if it would get to being even close to normal for this time of year we wouldn’t be now would we.
The two ASA Midwest Tour events held thus far have certainly been affected adversely by the weather. The nice sunny skies we’ve witnessed at both shows have unfortunately been accompanied by 30 mile an hour winds! That was the case here at Wisconsin International Raceway Sunday afternoon May 15th for the running of the Dixieland 100 on it’s new, earlier scheduled date. The show did however go on.
Highlight of the day was seeing Tim Schendel finally get a win in the feature event after 11 years of trying! With a fast car and a good starting spot, all Schendel had to do was drive it to the front which he did about half-way through the main. Skylar Holzhausen appeared to have things well in hand but a broken brake line ended his day and opened the door for Schendel’s momentous win. Ross Kenseth had a fast car also but he was no match for Schendel crossing the finish line 2nd after 100 laps 20 car lengths behind. The suddenly invigorated Andrew Morrissey placed 3rd right on Kenseth’s bumper. Nate Haseleu, Nick Panitzke, Jacob Goede, Jeff Van Oudenhoven, Steve Carlson, Travis Sauter and Chris Wimmer rounded out the top 10 finishers.
An 8th place finish for Carlson is not usually noteworthy, but it is in this case as Steve was the 2nd slowest qualifier on the day and forced to use a provisional starting position in the feature for the first time ever in this series! Certainly Carlson will iron out the bugs on his new car and score wins and podium finishes down the road.
Morrissey’s 3rd place finish was on the heels of his setting quick qualifying time on the day of the 34 racing machines on hand. His increased speed and consistency have also found him 2nd in points only three behind that other fast and consistent racer Kenseth heading into the next event June 4th at Grundy County Speedway in Morris, Ill.
Chris Marek and Bobby Wilberg are each batting 1,000 as they picked up their second ASA Tour wins in the Sportsman and Truck Divisions respectively. Both have also been getting the work done in very convincing fashion as well. Is it time to post a bounty to beat them?
Here and there…Interesting to note that besides Carlson Jon Eilen Bryan Reffner and Wimmer all failed to make the race on time. Unlike Carlson, the three did get in via the last chance race however…Frank Kreyer was at the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway on a recent Saturday (The show was rained out of course) shaking down one of the 6 cars he will have at his disposal in 2011. Yes, you read that right, 6 race cars to tackle the 2011 season. Kreyer has teamed up with Wes Coon and a number of different drivers will be competing at various events throughout Wisconsin as well as in some CRA sanctioned events. According to Frank who will contest the entire campaign at Wisconsin International Raceway it was time to incorporate their ideas into the race cars starting from the ground floor. “We just decided rather than constantly changing things we thought would work better on other builders chassis’ we’d do our own. It was a busy winter for sure in the shop getting everything ready!”…As mentioned earlier, La Crosse Fairgrounds was rained out for the second time in four tries. Qualifying was in the books when the monsoon rains and wind hit…Todd Korish although not happy was at least glad the show didn’t go on…he blew his engine in hot laps!...With all the big rigs getting teams from race to race it was interesting to see what Tommy Pecaro used to get to WIR for the ASA race. Can you guess? No you can’t as it was a 1986 Chevrolet ½ ton pick-up truck with a topper for protection and an open trailer. He didn’t make the feature event but he made it to the show like everyone else did, and probably spent a lot less on fuel!...Sad to hear of the passing of Rich Somers. Somers got his career started in the late ‘50s and raced for over 30 years. Rich had health problems for awhile, but remained busy restoring his original Thunder Pony Mustang, his favorite and winningest car. Unfortunately his calling came before he could finish that project. It is hoped that someone will step in and complete the restoration and we’ll be able to enjoy seeing its appearance at numerous venues down the road. Somers was 71…Quote of the column from Steve Carlson after his poor qualifying effort at WIR, “I’ve definitely dug myself a hole haven’t I.”…
Photos. Speaking of haulers they were pretty unique back in the day. How about this one of famed car owner in Wisconsin’s Fox Valley, Crooks Schultz. We know on this day in 1974 Bobby Wawak drove the Camaro at WIR to a win in the 3rd heat race.   Tim Schendel on his way to breaking an 11 year victory drought at WIR in the Dixieland 100 held there May 15th.
Questions, comments, opinions and other information welcome at Starmaker Multimedia 967 10th Ave N Ste A, Onalaska, WI 54650 608-783-5827 or at dale@starmakermultimedia.com

Title Text.

AUTO RACING FACTS, OBSERVANCES and OPINIONS
 May 12th 2011
By Dale P. Danielski
 Everyone was looking at each other, shaking their heads and asking, “What is going on here!” They were talking about the opening laps of the season kick off ASA Midwest Tour Joe Shear Classic race at Madison International Speedway, Oregon, WI., Sunday, May 1st. It was one of those days for race drivers. Everyone was so anxious to get to the front in the 136 lap main event they were running all over each other to get there. The race was scheduled for 136 laps and no less than 10 cars had substantial damage by the 10th lap! It’s always been said you can’t win the race, or of course the season championship on the first lap of the first event, but then again on more than a few occasions many have tried! Worst case scenario as today was another one of those days.
All the early carnage made little difference to Ross Kenseth as he started up front and pretty much raced there throughout the feature. Content to run behind Michael Bilderback for much of the event, when it was time to go, Kenseth went passing Bilderback for the lead leaving the rest of the field behind…way behind. Bilderback ended a very good day in 2nd and was followed by Andrew Morrissey, Jacob Goede, Nathan Haseleu, Griffin McGrath, Chris Wimmer, Tim Schendel, Bryan Reffner and Nick Murgic.
Chris Marek got his year off to a good start, by winning the companion ASA Sportsman Feature while Bobby Wilberg took the ASA Truck main. Scott Hansen made his return to racing in that event and placed a respectable 3rd in the main. Even though we spotted snow on several ski runs in the Baraboo, WI., area on our way down to MIS, it was time to get winter behind us and go racing which is exactly what happened here in the ASA Midwest Tour opener. Hopefully drivers will be a bit less anxious for race two on the schedule may 15th at Wisconsin International Raceway, Kaukauna, WI.
Here and there…Bryan Reffner who started the ASA Tour year by setting fast time at MIS complained of tire issues. “Same old thing trying to keep stagger in the tires. We went out with plenty and came back in with ½ inch.”…Jeff Storm had a rather embarrassing moment while leading in the odd dash at MIS. “I thought the spotter said one to go so I slowed down. Before I realized there were two laps left and got back on the gas it was too late…finished 2nd.”…Some folks were blaming the new to the series double file restarts on all the early feature wrecks at MIS. I think it was more of a case of driving too hard to get to the front on cool tires which were taking longer to get heat in them due to the cold temperatures…With Steve Holzhausen  still laid up with a foot injury, car owner Pete Kempf is thinking about racing the car in the ASA Tour event at Wisconsin International Raceway, Kaukauna, WI., May 15th. “I’ve got about 8 hours left to finish it, so since Steve can’t I think I’ll drive it at Kaukauna.” The car Kempf is finishing up is one previously owned by Mark Eswein which Pete purchased last year after his other car was wrecked when Holzhausen had the throttle stick hitting the wall and totally demolishing the machine at Dells Raceway Park…Great weather greeted fans for night two of competition at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway here Saturday night with J. Herbst taking the NASCAR Late Model Feature. He had all he could handle but did manage to hold off the night’s fast qualifier Todd Korish for the win…With a couple 2nd place finished Korish finds himself leading the division’s point standings and has definitely established himself as a season long contender…2010 NASCAR Late Model Champion at La Crosse Fairgrounds Shawn Pfaff did more snowmobiling this winter to stay in racing shape. “A lot of guys don’t do anything in the off season. I snowmobiled more this year and I think it helped as far as hand eye coordination.” Apparently it has as Pfaff has avoided all the early season skirmishes and finds himself in the hunt for the championship…Cole Scholze is a rookie driver in the NASCAR Late Model division and notes things are quite different racing that type of car. “It’s a lot different than driving a Thunderstock or Sportsman car. These cars are a lot faster and they stick and go where you point them!”…In asking Tony Bagstad what was left of his Late Model car after severely damaging it a couple weeks back at La Crosse his reply was, “The seat. Actually I could fix it, I can fix anything. Could maybe even have done it in a week, but it would really have been a long week.” In discussing the wreck, Bagstad indicated he was reaching for reverse gear in the car after the initial contact as there was minimal damage. However, that thought changed when Mike Carlson came shooting into the middle of the pile up inflicting the majority of the damage to both cars…Quote of the column comes from the president of the ASA Midwest Tour Tim Olson. “I got on the radio to the spotters and said will you please tell your driver there are 127 laps still left in the race!” Of course Tim was pleading his case at the MIS opener where so many struggled to keep their cars going in a counterclockwise direction.   
Photos. Ross Kenseth at speed on his way to the win in the ASA Midwest Tour event at MIS. A young driver on his way up as father to Ross, Matt takes a win in a sportsman division race at Golden Sands Speedway, Plover, WI in 1989.
Questions, comments, opinions and other information welcome at Starmaker Multimedia 967 10th Ave N Ste A, Onalaska, WI 54650 608-783-5827 or at dale@starmakermultimedia.com

AUTO RACING FACTS, OBSERVANCES and OPINIONS
By Dale P. Danielski
April 28 2011
With winter grudgingly departing it was great to see a track beat the weather here Saturday night as La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway, West Salem, WI., opened its 2011 season with a full slate of racing.
Tough times and economy be damned as an excellent four division field pushing 80 was on hand to do battle in front of an anxious to see some racing crowd of nearly 2,000. When all was said and done it was a familiar face in victory lane after the top billed event of the night, the NASCAR Late Model Feature, as Steve Carlson got off to a quick start taking the main.
Although a perennial winner graced victory circle the night was not without plenty of action, excitement and drama.  After an early caution period took out contenders Mike Carlson, Tony Bagstad and Adam Degenhardt, Carlson as usual, took the opportunity to move up from 12th in the field via the outside on the double file restart to near the front of the pack. Shortly thereafter he was in front never to be headed. Todd Korish fought gamely but was never able to pose a real threat and wound up 2nd at the finish. He was followed by NASCAR Late Model Rookie Nick Clements, Matt Henderson and defending LM champion Shawn Pfaff, or maybe not. In post race tech inspection Clements was found in violation of the ride height rule and disqualified which moved everyone up a spot. That put J. Herbst in 5th with Skylar Holzhausen, Bill Niles, Harley Jankowski, Cole Scholze and Jerimy Wagner following. The Herbst finish was noteworthy in that he had to come from the back of the pack twice having been involved in on track incidents. Holzhausen was forced to do the same on one occasion but still moved through the field to finish 6th. Brent Kirchner who is expected to contend for the title this year wasn’t so lucky as he was involved in an early caution which meant he had to restart the race at the rear. He decided he didn’t want to start in that position and wouldn’t go there at which point he was black flagged. Not heeding that warning he was consequently disqualified! Did we say action and drama here tonight!
It appeared after watching the NASCAR Late Model Feature and all its carnage the Sportsmen Division drivers decided to take a bit more cautious approach for their 15 lap main. Brothers Gilster were the show, battling each other much of the way before Jimmy was able to eke out a close win over Dan in a relatively incident free race.
Another familiar face was in victory lane in the Thunderstox division as Adam Moore captured the 15 lap headline event. The new Outlawz division made its debut with John Olson taking the top attraction.
All the aforementioned with a bunch of fun added,  best describes the opening night of racing at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway. Now if Mother Nature will only cooperate and let us move into Spring-like weather we know there is more of the same to come.
Race night notes…Michael Sauter son of Jay made his debut racing a NASCAR Late Model here tonight. At just 15 years of age, Sauter already has a fair amount of experience racing. According to Dad they began his racing in Karting. “We raced locally for a couple years before competing with the IKF. Having done very well with that it was decided to get into car racing. We thought about starting out in one of the lower divisions of racing but it seems you can develop a lot of bad habits doing that so we decided to get right into the NASCAR Late Model Division. We first thought of racing two cars out here in the division with me driving the other car but it just seemed like it would be too much work. Plus I wanted to help my son get started and heading in the right direction.” With Chad Wehrs providing the equipment, the team did just that with Michael, after an earlier spin, battling back to place 12th in the Feature event. With the Sauter bloodline you have to believe the kid has got a future in racing…One rabbit was very lucky Saturday and probably did make it to Easter Sunday. Seen running next to the wall between turns three and four during hot laps track workers helped the animal to freedom...for now anyway…The gopher however was not so lucky this week as the J. Herbst machine made short work of him…The cars of Mike Carlson and Tony Bagstad suffered by far the most damage after the evenings racing with both needing to be hauled away via Flatbed trucks…Quote of the column this time around comes from Skylar Holzhausen who will be racing on a near regular basis in a team car to J. Herbst at the track in 2011. “J. has a good feel for his race car. Our styles are real close which helps us in setting up the cars. I think we’ve got something here.” Both cars and drivers were extremely fast but being in the right place at the wrong time hurt both their performances…Here and there…Things should start heating up in area racing as a number of dirt tracks including weather plagued Mississippi Thunder Speedway of Fountain City, WI., and Deer Creek Speedway, of Racing, MN., are set to get rolling by the time you read this. The ASA Midwest Tour will also get their season started at Madison International Speedway of Oregon, WI., April 30 and May 1st…
Pic from the past. Jay Sauter who has had a pretty fair racing career of his own in his car, vintage 1983. Photo. 15 year old Michael Sauter, son of Jay, made his debut in the NASCAR Late Model Division at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway.
Questions, comments, opinions and other information welcome at Starmaker Multimedia 967 10th Ave N Ste A, Onalaska, WI 54650 608-783-5827 or at dale@starmakermultimedia.com

 

AUTO RACING FACTS, OBSERVANCES and OPINIONS

By Dale P. Danielski
April 2011
A number of Series and track schedules for 2011 are out so hopefully a mild spring will allow for racing here in the Upper Midwest in short order.
Several tracks in our vicinity are looking at April openers with the Deer Creek Speedway just south of Rochester, MN shooting for the 2nd with a 6th-10th special scheduled for the following week of the month. That’s pretty ambitious considering our finicky weather here but they’ve done it for many years and are usually quite successful. Maybe instead of successful the word used should be lucky as you never know what you will get weather-wise this time of the year. It seems it’s either a home run or a total wash or snow-out with these early season events. Deer Creek has taken it a step further than most by scheduling a high dollar special event this time of year which is normally something reserved for later in the season when weather is more predictable. Again it’s a feast or famine type scenario as you can get a ton of cars and people who are anxious to get things going early on, or you can spend a bunch of money on advertising and facility preparation only to need additional funding to advertise a rain date down the road! The Queensland family of promoters is very equipped to handle just about everything thrown at them and you don’t get voted as promoter of the year as the family did by Racing Promotion Monthly for 2010 without taking a few risks along the way. We’ll see if it pays off for them to start off 2011.
In the immediate area La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway, West Salem, WI., will kick things off with media and practice day April 16th. A program of NASCAR Late Models, Sportsmen and Thunderstox  race cars will officially get the season underway the following Saturday, April 23. Much discussion is currently taking place of a night those divisions won’t be racing at the track as June 18th will see a SMASH-O-RAMA event instead of the normal three Divisions of racing. It will be interesting to see how the week off plays into those chasing championships during the year.
And with so many race tracks facing noise, dust, congestion and potential closure issues it’s nice to be able to report of a track re-opening. The Excalibur Speedway of Tomah, WI., will again be holding racing events on Friday nights in 2011. Dave Thompson, owner of the facility has brought on Greg Oliver to operate the track this season. If that name sounds familiar it should as Oliver is the flagman at La Crosse Fairgrounds and also for the Big 8 Series of racing. Opening day for the 3/8 mile paved oval will be Sunday, May 15 where a 200 lap 4 cylinder Enduro will take place. The following Friday, May 20th regular weekly racing gets started with Sportsman, Thunderstocks and Bumble Bee Divisions competing. Oliver hopes driver participation is in the form of established divisions of racing in the area and expects to draw competitors from the La Crosse, Wisconsin Dells and Marshfield areas. According to Oliver, “If we can get 45 cars in all divisions each week and 300 people in the stands to start out I’d be ecstatic!” We wish the best for the track which hasn’t operated in 10 years and hope to attend a number of events there.
Mississippi Thunder Speedway will have at it for another season of racing as the 3/8 mile clay oval near Fountain City, WI., will open Friday night, April 22nd. Bob Timm and his crew always have something special going on with a number of big events again on tap for 2011.
The ASA Midwest Tour schedule features a number of traditional and very prestigious events for 2011. The Joe Shear Classic gets things started at Madison International Speedway, Oregon, WI., April 30th-May 1st, 2011. The Rockford Speedway is opting to go with ASA Tour sanction this year for its 46th Annual National Short Track Championship event October 2nd. Other notables include the Annual Dixieland race moved up to May 14-15 at Wisconsin International Raceway, Kaukauna, WI., from its normal August date. The Wayne Carter Classic takes place at Grundy County Speedway, Morris, IL., June 3rd, while the Iowa Speedway of Newton, Iowa is back on the schedule for 2011 with a 150 lap event on the 7/8 mile super speedway August 5th. Rounding out the impressive schedule are dates at Illiana Speedway, Schereville, IN., June 18th, State Park Speedway, Wausau, WI., June 23rd, Marshfield Motor Speedway, Marshfield, WI., July 2nd, Hawkeye Downs Speedway, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, August 12th, Raceway Park, Shakopee, MN., August 21st, Norway Speedway, Norway, MI., September 4th, and the huge season ender at La Crosse Fairgrounds for the 42nd Annual Oktoberfest October 8-9. And we would be remiss if we didn’t mention a new format for the ASA Midwest Tour event at Elko Speedway, Elko, MN. The Summer Clash 250 will take place July 8-9 at the 3/8 mile oval and the main event will feature 250 laps of feature attraction racing. And best of all, Elko which has hosted Tour events from the beginning, plans to pay the happy winner a cool $10,000! Always one to do things big, the Elko event this year certainly fits in that category.
Here and there…Steve Holzhausen who was badly injured at Dells Raceway Park, Wis. Dells, WI., in a racing accident last year and had surgery on his leg and ankle, has been informed the healing of the bones has not taken place properly and consequently he will need further surgery. As we speak the surgery should have taken place and if all goes according to plan he will be ready to go racing in 2011, albeit later than planned in the Spring…Quote of the column comes from Skylar Holzhausen, son of Steve. “I want to run the entire ASA Midwest Tour this year even if I have to spend all my own money. I need to show something this year!” Young Holzhausen will also have that opportunity at La Crosse Fairgrounds during the season as he will race Saturday nights when free in a second Terry and Michelle Herbst NASCAR Late Model…Now that National Speed Sport News has ceased publishing a paper all the more reason to read MRC! Tell me readers, what coverage or feature stories you would like to see and we’ll get it done through the Midwest Racing Connection…  
Photos from the past. Dick Trickle with his new Mustang at the Golden Sands Speedway, Plover, WI., April 1974 opener. Bob Gunn in an Ex-Trickle Mustang in 1974.
Questions, comments, opinions and other information welcome at Starmaker Multimedia 967 10th Ave N Ste A, Onalaska, WI 54650 608-783-5827 or at dale@starmakermultimedia.com

AUTO RACING FACTS, OBSERVANCES and OPINIONS
March 2011 By Dale P. Danielski

With Florida Speedweeks in the books it can’t be long before Spring arrives and we get into Upper Midwestern racing can it? In looking out my window it can as more snow piling up means the Ground Hog is back to sleep and it will be awhile before we hear the roar of racing engines in these parts. So, to keep everyone nice and cozy we’ll produce some more warm racing memories, or new experiences if you weren’t there, with events and goings on from the year 1974.
A big announcement by track promoter Phil Stewart heading into the racing season was the Elko Speedway (Now Minnesota Speedway) continuing with the NASCAR sanction but going with a dressed down “Sportsmen” type race car as its main attraction. Cutting costs was the reasoning behind the decision and many longtime Twin Cities drivers were not happy feeling their Late Model race cars were literally obsoleted over night. A minimum car weight rule of 3,300 Lbs at 9.4 pounds/cubic inch of the engine displacement were the most drastic changes in the rules. In addition a street type tire was to be utilized instead of the more expensive racing skins of the past along with the mandatory use of mufflers. It proved to be too much for many of the area star drivers to take and they began traveling to Wisconsin to race where less restriction applied. And being selfish in Wisconsin, we welcomed the Minnesota contingent as field’s swelled to huge numbers everywhere we followed paved racing. Some that crossed the border to do battle included Larry Behrens, Don James, Mike Miller, Bob Jusola, Jim Derhaag, Bob Arbuckle, Bruce Sparrman, Bill Oas and Jon Chrest.
 Interesting to note that while embroiled in argument with Stewart the Minnesota Stock Car Racing Association which had for members most of the top pavement drivers racing in the area, was looking to purchase the track in Shakopee, MN which they had also been regular competitors at for many years. If that, with advice from consultants wasn’t feasible, the group was looking at having a track near Centuria, WI., paved and possibly racing there. None of it however came to fruition and most was forgotten when in a shocking to the racing community development, Stewart at just 37 years of age, suddenly died of a cerebral hemorrhage just a week later. Only one event in 8 tries had been contested under the new rules and now many were wondering if there would be a racing season at all. Mercifully it was arranged to continue racing in Elko and the season once again commenced with a late May event. The driver line up there was looking quite different now that most of the veterans were running elsewhere and names like Dewey Gustafson, Mike Demars, Ted Kitzman, Mark Lamoreaux and rookie to the top billed division, Jim Weber were showing up in victory lane. It was however, one of the regular star drivers that stayed home, John Boegeman having one of the best seasons winning numerous main events.
In 1974 it wasn’t just Minnesota paved racing shaping up differently as the Rockford Illinois Speedway was also implementing new cost savings “Rockford Rules” for their Late Model division which meant many of the drivers that had been racing there wouldn’t be, and consequently heading over to Wisconsin on a regular basis. What a treat to have Joe Shear, Dave Watson, Don Leach, Boyce Sparkman, John Knaus, (Yes, that’s the father of NASCAR crew chief Chad Knaus) Danny Bellard and numerous others crossing that border to race in the Badger State! According to flamboyant promoter Hugh Deery, “It makes sense for drivers to be racing a $3,000 car for a $3,000 purse rather than in a $15,000 car. We are putting racing back in the driver’s hands as they will be able to compete here in a car for 25% of what they used to need to be competitive.”
Actually Wisconsin didn’t totally stay put in their rules package from previous years as cars were required to race at the 8 Lbs/cubic inch standard which ended up eliminating the huge bore Big Block engines that had been regular winners in the past. Now racing with those engines would require a car to be too heavy to compete with the 350 CI or so small blocks. Wisconsin also went with a muffler rule which drew a fair amount of opposition but as it turns out was a blessing since we could now hear each other talk when cars were on the racetrack. That especially applied when Larry Detjens went by in his Hemi-Mopar which was by far the loudest of them all!
 Sadly the season barely got started when it was reported that long time racing supporter Alan “Moose” Peterson had perished in a motorcycle accident. Peterson from Black River Falls, WI., had kept many a racer going both on asphalt and dirt including Ev Fox, Lyle Nabbefeldt, Dick Trickle, Wayne Kittelson, Jere O’Day, Harold Mueller, Gary Kneisley, Tom Nesbitt and Marv Marzofka. Peterson, who also did some dirt racing himself was just 38 at the time of his passing.
Looking at the circuit for many of the Wisconsin group in 1974, you had Wednesday racing at Columbus 151 Speedway of Columbus, WI., Thursday at State Park Speedway, Wausau, WI., Friday at Capital Super Speedway, Oregon, WI., and La Crosse Interstate Speedway, West Salem, WI., Saturday at Dells Motor Speedway, Wis. Dells, WI., and Sunday night racing at Golden Sands Speedway of Plover, WI. Of course Tuesday and Sunday afternoon also found much in the way of Special event racing.
In the meantime, the latest promotional group, Tri-R promotions of Oak Forest, IL., had come up with a very ambitious schedule of open competition racing for top Late Model drivers announcing a 10 race series of events featuring $125,000 in purse pay-out money. The group had scheduled four events in 1973 but upped the ante for competitors considerably with its 1974 version.
With all the money on the line Tri-R events regularly attracted the Wisconsin and Illinois gang of racers but also such Michigan stars as Bob Senneker and Butch Miller which was special for us following the sport as we rarely had an opportunity to see those guys in action. They ended up taking their share of the loot home with them too when all was said and done.
Early season action found Larry Detjens in his still really loud but cool nonetheless 1974 Dodge Challenger taking the win at Wisconsin International Raceway, Kaukauna, WI., in the Spring Opener 50, besting a record field of 63 entries. Dick Trickle meanwhile captured the overall win in the Tri-R Prairie State 150 event at Capital Super Speedway in his 1970 Mustang taking one of the three 50 lap feature events.  
With all the uproar going on about drastic rule changes folks should have been looking back in time where they would have seen that this type of action is not all that unusual. If you take a look through the years racing has always gone through phases to make the sport less costly. Taking a step or two backward periodically to move forward has been commonplace. The controversial Rockford Rules move by the Deery’s may have cost a bit in the short term as virtual no names Jerry Lewis, Marv Palmer, John Luther, Gene Sisk and Rich Blakely made the headlines, but by sticking to their guns the track persevered and eventually ended up with very good car counts and successful weekly race programs. Minnesota National Speedway finished out their year with set rules intact and also saw car counts increase and a number of the previous stars come back to race there.
Along those lines, we’ve seen some tracks refuse to let technology and racing revolution dictate what classes of cars and rules they’ll mandate. Many stayed with the same rules for many, many years. One such track in 1974 was the Door County Speedway of Sturgeon Bay, WI. The coupe division was still competing with Ray LeMieux, 1932 Plymouth, Dale Peterson, Straight 8 Buick Coupe along with Irv Ettien and Terry Cochart in 1930 something coupes! Now that’s maintaining the status quo!          
Also of note during this time period, for certain in Wisconsin anyway, was the simplicity of identifying race cars and divisions of racing. You had the top billed Late Models, our favorite, and the start up, entry level Hobby stocks which we had a number of friends competing in and were also fond of. Unknown to most, Vic Getzloff who went on to become Dick Trickle’s race car hauler driver, sometimes pit man and full time body guard, drove in this division in the 1970s. In one particular program at Golden Sands Speedway as described by jack of all trades and publicist Kenley Snyder, Getzloff was in a hurry to get to the front in the feature race. In Snyder’s words, “A bizarre incident occurred in the hobby stock feature as Vic Getzloff knocked out six cars in the 3rd turn of the first lap. Getzloff assumed that the cars in front of him would take the high groove and attempted to pass on the inside. Unfortunately, all the cars stayed glued to the inside and Getzloff plowed into the pack.” As you may have guessed, Getzloff was one heck of a body guard through the years for Trickle!
The multiple feature event race program format was becoming more popular at this time and Tri-R Promotions held their second event of 1974 at the Baer Field Speedway in Ft. Wayne, IN., utilizing it. Called the Memorial Day 200, the event featured two 100 lap mains. Ohio hot shoe Tony Diano won one with area star Joe Wallace capturing the 2nd.  Talent for this show was at a premium as the aforementioned along with Larry Moore, Dave Watson, Moose Myers, Bob Senneker, Larry Detjens, Butch Miller, Bobby Wawak, Jim Bickerstaff, and Dick Trickle were a partial list of those competing! The following week La Crosse Interstate Speedway held a Tri-R event with three 50 lap features. Senneker, Trickle and Shear were the 50 lap victors with Shear getting the overall win. The next Tri-R event held at Capital Super Speedway included four 50 lap mains! Trickle, Shear, Terry Bivins and Conrad Morgan took home wins in those. Trickle banked over $1,000 for his days work which was tops for the event.
The next Tri-R event on the schedule was to take place at a track undergoing a huge change. The Slinger Speedway which had hosted the highly popular Modifieds on its dirt surface for over 20 years was going to be paved and as a special attraction run Late Models. Now a ¼ mile high banked asphalt track the Tri-R promoted event was the first Mega-Special to be held there. What a special it was, with drivers representing 5 States appearing in hopes of capturing the 198 lap feature. The race was actually run in two 99 lap segments with Joe Shear winning the first and placing 4th in the 2nd for the overall win. Dick Trickle won the 2nd 99 and Bob Senneker set the tone early for the event by setting fast time at 12:564 seconds, a record. Even more impressive was the fact Senneker hadn’t even taken a hot lap before qualifying! The Late Model event proved very popular and although Modifieds were the top billed class there through July, the writing was on the wall and the LM’s became the star attraction the rest of the season.  
One of the more significant events during the year was the Lyle Nabbefeldt Memorial race held at Dells Motor Speedway. Dick Trickle won the 100 lap feature race in honor of fallen star in a1973 racing incident, Nabbefeldt. As deemed by the family, the first driver that could win the event three years in a row would be able to keep the traveling trophy. Although extremely coveted, no one was ever able to accomplish that fete, two in a row being the closest several drivers ever got.
Three is better than one was the theme as Tri-R promotions appeared at Capital Super Speedway for the Badger 150. Three separate drivers appeared in victory lane in the 50 lap events Butch Miller, Joe Shear and Johnny Reimer, with Miller getting the overall win.  Tri-R ventured into Ovid, Michigan for the Great Lakes 100 and of course Michigan drivers being on their home turf did best with Bob Senneker taking the rain shortened 100 lap main.
Tri-R had put on some pretty impressive shows with great fields of cars up to this point but the announced North American Short Track Championship, September 4-8 really got the attention of drivers and fans alike. It consisted of 5 days of racing at 4 race tracks in Wisconsin. The near week long tour was set to start at Columbus 151 Speedway, move to State Park Speedway, than Capital Super Speedway before wrapping up at Wisconsin International Raceway the last two days. The purse for the event was advertised at $40,000. Although the event didn’t draw all the heavy hitters that were entered, it did attract an excellent field. Joe Shear who was finishing off a fantastic season of racing captured the 50 lap finale of the first night at Columbus. Following Shear were Tom Maier, new track record holder Tony Diano, Bob Senneker, John Ziegler, Terry Bivins, Tom Jones, Dave Watson, Tom Musgrave and Mike Miller. Stop two found Dick Trickle getting back on track taking the overall win at State Park Speedway. Individual 50 lap wins went to Trickle, Tom Reffner and Trickle again in the finale. Three different drivers graced victory lane for the Capital Super Speedway stop with Tony Diano, Tom Reffner and Joe Shear taking 50 lap wins. Shear was the most consistent and claimed overall win honors. The Tour finale was set to take place on the weekend of September 7-8 but rain threw a wrench into the plan and it was pushed ahead to September 15th. The wait proved worthwhile for Tom Reffner as he placed 2nd in the first 104 lap feature and won the 2nd to take overall honors in the finale at Wisconsin International Raceway and the North American Short Track Championship. John Reimer won the first 104 lap feature.
The multiple feature format wasn’t just a flash in the pan either, as it would be utilized for years to come by many groups. Little did we know at the time but John
Mc Karns and Art Frigo would form the ARTGO Series the next year and use that format in more of their events than not.
In other 1974 happenings…
The year produced the famous Ralph Starr promoted race at the Rolla, MO., Speedway that no one got paid for! An advertised $29,000 purse produced an unbelievable field at the ultra-fast ½ mile oval, including Tom Maier, (Who won the 300 lap race) Mike Miller, Dick Trickle, Cale Yarborough, Joe Wallace, Terry Bivens, Ed Howe, Pete Hamilton and over 60 others. The event was held with over 4,000 fans at $10 a head attending, but when all the drivers went to get paid, Ralph Starr was nowhere to be found having run off with the purse money! Years previous, cutting purses or not paying drivers at all did happen more than it should have at speedways everywhere, but now in what was considered modern era racing it was unheard of. Rumor had some of the pay eventually finding its way to drivers but never the amount that was advertised…
Port Edwards, WI., driver Dave Field went on a tear racing in Wisconsin in June of 1974. Field who hadn’t raced in sometime had his 1968 Mustang convertible running flawlessly taking 7 feature wins in a 4 week period. Field brought the same car out in 1975 with a new body on it but it just wasn’t the same. He never did win another feature and disappeared from the racing scene shortly thereafter…Neil Callahan who had raced mainly at the Tomahawk Speedway emerged as a major threat during the season racing to double digit feature wins. Callahan continued to race and win at Tomahawk but he also found himself in victory lane at State Park Speedway and Golden Sands Speedway…Joe Shear won the prestigious National Short Track Championship at Rockford, which saw a newcomer introduced to Late Model Racing. None other than Rusty Wallace competed on the day hitting just about everything in sight! Fans felt so sorry for Wallace and the bad luck he was having they voted his mangled car best appearing!...When Joe Shear wasn’t racing his own equipment he’d hop into other cars at Jefferson, WI., Speedway. He wound up winning features there in Al Dahlmeyer and John Knaus’s cars…We didn’t get to a whole lot of dirt track events during the year, but it was hard not to notice the year Leon Plank had winning 26 main events mostly in Northwestern Wisconsin. Plank did however on occasion venture across the State and ended up grabbing a bunch of money from tracks and racers on that side of the State…
All in all 1974 was a pretty fair year in racing. Although an energy crunch with fuel not being available, or priced extremely high, was forecast (It never really did materialize though the Daytona 500 was shortened to 450 miles just to make it look good.) promoters kept pricing in line again allowing fans to get to almost as many races as they wanted. Rules changes made the news, but all in all it was pretty much great, exciting racing as usual in our World. Here and there…Excalibur Speedway near Tomah, WI., is set to reopen this year after 10 years of inactivity. Many of the old pros of racing competed here back in the ‘60s when it was known as Tomah Sparta Speedway. It was also called Bill’s Track and Trail Speedway at one time before becoming Excalibur. Friday night racing throughout the summer will occur with a couple ASA Midwest Tour sanctioned events Trucks and and Sportsmen the special events for the season… Speaking of the ASA Tour a very ambitious 2011 season of racing is on tap with some very tradition rich event dates scheduled…This editions Quote of the Column, “Racing into the future by appreciating the past”. By Dale P. Danielski and the theme for Yesteryears Racing Reunions held for 5 years at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway. Popular here as well with all the positive feedback we receive form these history columns!
Photos. #26 Dave Field 7 Feature wins in 1974 in 1968 Mustang Convertible. #40 Jim Derhaag, one of the Minnesota travelers in 1974. #44 Multi-Feature winner Neil Callahan in his 1972 Bemco Nova. #53 Terry Bivins frequent Wisconsin visitor in 1974 from Shawnee Mission, KS. #84 Bob Senneker a Tri-R promotions race regular in 1974. #99 Larry Behrens in 1974. #A3 John Reimer the Caledonia Clipper in 1974. #36 Tony Diano another regular Tri-R Promotions competitor.
Questions, comments, opinions and other information welcome at Starmaker Multimedia 967 10th Ave N Ste A, Onalaska, WI 54650 608-783-5827 or at dale@starmakermultimedia.com

 AUTO RACING FACTS, OBSERVANCES and OPINIONS
February 2011
By Dale P. Danielski
The snow is piled high and although a lot is going on in the background by race organizers and competitors alike in preparation for the 2011 racing season, by popular demand, we’ll take another step back in time and highlight some of what was going on in racing, this time for the year 1973.
Most folks know of the late John McKarns as a race promoter. But in 1973 Mr. McKarns was on the media side of things informing us race followers of goings on through his Chicagoland STARS column in the Midwest Racing News.
The Midwest paper was pretty much the coverage of racing bible in its day and we all looked forward every week to receiving our copy, generally on Thursday. To continue receiving the paper on a regular basis a $4.00/year subscription was necessary. $7.00 would get you two years worth of coverage if you can believe that! Looking at some of the race event admission fees at the time, Hales Corners Speedway outside of Milwaukee, WI., (Menards is located where the track used to be) was charging $2.50 for adults with children admitted for $.50. The Brown County Fairgrounds Speedway, a popular venue for the dirt set in Depere, WI., (Fairgrounds is still there but only a small patch of the old speedway remains) charged an adult price of $2.00 with children in for $1.00. Truly amazing what racing entertainment cost then to say the least.
With the Pony Car revolution having taken hold the previous year nearly all drivers were on the small car band wagon in 1973. Some that were ready to do battle on the pavement included Dick Trickle, 1970 Ford Mustang, Marv Marzofka, 1973 Chevy Camaro, Tom Reffner 1970 Mustang, Jim Back, 1973 Camaro, Joe Shear, 1973 Camaro, John Rank, 1972 Chevy Nova, Bobby Wawak, 1973 Dodge Challenger, Jim Sauter, 1973 Camaro, John Ziegler, 1973 Mustang, Larry Detjens, 1972 Challenger, and Whitey Harris, 1973 Camaro to name some. And according to McKarns in an early season column, drivers were wasting no time getting their cars dialed in as Ray Para, Shear, Ray Young, Lee Schuler and Ed Hoffman all took main event wins away from their home tracks. Of course our upper Midwest contingent got the season rolling in quick fashion as well as Trickle took a 150 lap win at the Springfield, MO., Fairgrounds Speedway which  was worth $1,000 and amazingly held in front of a near capacity crowd of 5,000 fans! The “Tricky” one also found victory lane in major events at Rolla, and Odessa, MO., tracks.  Shear meanwhile followed up a big win in Springfield, MO., with wins at Golden Sands Speedway of Plover, WI., and at Capital Speedway of Oregon, WI. Not to be outdone, Marv Marzofka and Jim Back were off and running with victories at Dells Motor Speedway, Wis. Dells, WI., and at Golden Sands. Back’s winning day was noteworthy in that he scored a clean sweep of all the events he participated in. The feat included setting fast qualifying time, winning the fast dash, his heat race and the 30 lap Feature event! A clean sweep today in many instances is winning as little as two events. Not so back in 1973. The wins for these drivers kept adding up too as they had won more times in the first several weeks of the season than many do in a year or better.
Also significant was the racing career taking shape of New Prague, MN., driver Mike Miller. Miller scored his first career Late Model Feature victory in early May at the Minnesota National Speedway of Elko, MN. In an attempt to speed up that career even further, Miller decided to move south and become a member of the Wisconsin gang. Basing his operation out of Wisconsin Rapids, WI., Miller in short order began competing 5 or more times a week which drastically sped up his learning curve on the pavement. All the extra laps on tracks of different sizes and shapes paid off as Miller went on to win 125 main events in a career that lasted over 20 years.
With the success of the Red, White and Blue Series at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna, WI., the track decided to schedule a couple additional special events in 1973. One was the Spring Sizzler held in May that year. A gigantic crowd of 6,351 no doubt still getting over cabin fever turned out for the event that saw Joe Shear winning the 50 lap feature. Yes, it was Shear winning and not Trickle who so often took inaugural events wherever they were held. Trickle did wind up 2nd  by barely a car length with Dave Watson, Tom Reffner, Whitey Harris, John Rank, Marv Marzofka, Larry Detjens, Dan Bellard and Jim Pierson following. Shear also broke the track record in qualifying with a lap of 21:42 around the big ½ mile Tri-Oval breaking the old mark of 21:60 set by Al Moldenhauer the previous year. Another fact unknown to many is that the late Gary Vercauteran was instrumental in getting the events at WIR scheduled. The idea for the series was a good one and it continues today. The Spring Sizzler title for the opener didn’t last long however, as the Stafford, CT., Speedway had a patent on that name forcing WIR officials to later retitle it the Spring Opener 50.
Unfortunately in 1973 one of the biggest racing tragedies up to that point for the area was the death of veteran driver Lyle Nabbefeldt. Nabbefeldt had the throttle stick on his Camaro while qualifying at The Dells Speedway hitting the wall nearly straight on. The impact reportedly knocked his seat loose causing the Nekoosa, WI., driver to make contact with something in the car which killed him instantly. It was also rumored that Nabbefeldt may have had a heart attack but nothing was ever substantiated. What was fact was that one of the areas winningest and most popular drivers was now gone. His death was very difficult for the area drivers as most at some time or another had counted on Lyle for advice, assistance and even money to keep them going which he willingly offered. A big void was left but the season continued on.
Racing actually at this time was becoming much more popular. According to John McKarns in a column he wrote, racing recorded an estimated 76 million in attendance which out drew all other types of sports at the time. Horse racing was at 74 million (With pari-mutuel betting the biggest reason of course) while football was at 43 million which outdrew baseball, basketball and hockey in that order. Always staying on top of things, John’s writings definitely made people take note that racing was for real and not just a bunch of red necks driving in circles!
One of the most publicized events for 1973 was the MARC TIMES Invitational to be held at Sam’s Capital Speedway. Twin 75 feature events were advertised with $1,000 going to the winner of each. The show was also considered a Tri-R Promotion which was the precursor Series to John McKarn’s ARTGO. Drivers from six States appeared for the event but that only represented 25 cars as the sanctioning group American Racing Congress was very strict on their rules enforcement and many drivers were not willing to add hundreds of pounds of weight to be legal. Tom Reffner decided to give it a try but was required to add over 200 pounds of weight. His Mustang apparently felt good at that weight as he easily won both feature events and set fast qualifying time. You look at the 25 cars that did race and it’s a pretty impressive field. Names like Dick Trickle, Bob Senneker, Paul Weisner, Fred Bender, Terry Bivens, Jim Back, Bob Jusola, Boyce Sparkman and even M.J. McBride who took a shot at pavement racing. No slouches here they were just a little short on quantity for this particular event. Speaking of Fred Bender the Sun Prairie driver was having one of his best seasons winning at the Dells Motor Speedway, Capital, Jefferson, WI. and Columbus 151 Speedway, Columbus, WI.. Freddy was one of the most likeable guys on the circuit as well.
It was extremely difficult for an outsider to win where the Wisconsin gang was racing. Kansas visitor Terry Bivins however pulled off the feat in a special event at the Dells Motor Speedway. Rain did help Bivin’s cause shortening the event to 80 laps from a scheduled 100 and it didn’t hurt that Trickle who was leading blew his engine handing over the lead and win to Bivins. Definitely something to be said for being in the right place at the right time!  Bob Jusola one of the Minnesota travelers was racing more and more in Wisconsin and the trips paid off mid-summer as the Burnsville racer took a feature win at the same Dells track in his 1972 Chevy Nova. Like Miller Jusola eventually moved to Wisconsin. Joe Ruttman scored the biggest win for outsiders coming to the Wisconsin playground as he steered Joy Fair’s radical short wheel base Ford Maverick to the 200 lap win in the Midwest Championship at Dells Motor Speedway.
Interesting how another racer during this time was beginning to make a name for himself. Terry Baldry in his second year of racing captured a couple semi-feature wins racing in the Fox Valley. Of course we know how well he eventually did winning multiple track and series championships. Baldry is still racing and winning in the Valley today.
Again taking a peak at admission prices we see WIR charging adults $2.00 admission for their first event of the Red, White and Blue Series. Kids under 12 were free. Raceway Park of Beaver Dam, WI., (Which no longer exists) charged adults $2.50 to get in with students priced at $1.50 and kids under 12 free. The track in Plymouth, WI., was charging $2.00/adult admission with accompanied students age 12-15, $1.00. The Illiana Speedway just outside of the high roller and high income City of Chicago, IL., charged $2.50 for adult admission with teens thru the age of 17 getting in for $2.00. Children at Illiana age 6-12 had to suffer thru paying $.50 to get in.
Contrary to popular belief we did during the years get to many different dirt tracks and special events. It was awhile before we made the decision to get a taste of the dirt slingers way of racing but once we did we were nearly as hooked on that form of racing as the pavement style.
Most of the dirt racing we witnessed early on was the guys competing in North Eastern Wisconsin. Actually what got us to an event was the rumor that Dick Trickle, Tom Reffner and Tom Jones were going to be racing at the Seymour Speedway of Seymour, WI., after competing at Kaukauna that afternoon. Perhaps after a couple beers to build up their courage we did get to see Trickle and Jones at the track while maybe Reffner had one extra brew and thought better to head home instead. Not certain how Trickle did on this day but as time went by he became quite good on dirt surfaces winning a number of feature races. It didn’t always matter how well he ran either as promoters were paying the crowd attracting Trickle big bucks just to show up! I do remember how Tom Jones fared as the Camaro driver drove to two wins on the night beating a number of dirt regulars in the process. Even more impressive was the fact he did it with the same tires on his car that he had raced on the pavement earlier in the day! You definitely won’t ever see that happen again as nobody crosses over surface to surface with the same car anymore.
 Of course the dirt guys had their stars too and they could definitely get it done in exciting fashion as we found out. In 1973 many of this contingent had also picked up on the Pony Car explosion. Top drivers in those cars included Roger Paul, 1973 Chevy Nova, J.J Smith, 1970 Ford Mustang, Jerry Smith, 1973 Camaro, Jim Jahnke, 1969 Chevy Camaro, Dave Conger, 1969 Camaro, and a very young Pete Parker, 1967 Nova. The big cars hadn’t become totally obsolete yet however and hotshots Roger “The Bear” Regeth, 1972 Chevelle, M.J McBride, 1972 Ford Torino, Russ Peterson, 1971 Torino, Doug Larson, 1972 Chevelle and Bob Bennett, 1972 Chevelle took more than their share of wins.
Speaking of more than their share, Roger Paul, The “Flying” Farmer went on a tear in mid-summer of the year winning main events at Shawano, Seymour, again at Shawano and in Depere. Four wins in four nights of racing against the best the area had to offer, now that would make even the best paved racer proud!
As we mentioned earlier drivers don’t cross over at all anymore in terms of racing the same equipment on both surfaces. Harold Mueller a Western Wisconsin dirt track star who raced anywhere and everywhere did however utilize the same car in 1973 to race on both types of tracks. Beginning the year in his 1973 Chevy Laguna on the Central Wisconsin paved circuit, Mueller proceeded to frustrate nearly everyone he raced against with his foot to the floor, sideways through the corner “Style”. Most he competed against called it something other than that and weren’t too happy with Harold as they were used to clean, side by side racing with little or no contact. After awhile Harold realized he really didn’t belong racing straight into the corner and put the car with some adjustments back on the dirt. He went on to a bunch of big wins that year and never made another attempt racing on black top. Not to diminish from Mueller and what he did racing but he was way more suited for dirt than pavement. And the man could definitely handle a race car as his impressive number of wins through the years indicates.
Unbeknownst to many was the fact that Dick Trickle wrecked the Mustang he started the season with and was forced to build another one. There certainly wasn’t any drop off in performance with the second car and that fact came through loud and clear when he won the Badger Monza 150 at Capital Speedway. With three 50 lap features on the racing slate Trickle took the overall win by winning all three in convincing fashion! Having witnessed the event first hand I recall the closest anyone got to Trickle once he was in the lead was 10 car lengths. A thorough trouncing of the field it was.
Hard not to be impressed with the 1970s era of racing and the ’73 season had to be ranked right up there with the best of ‘em. The fact it was reasonable to travel then with gas prices less than a buck, and food practically a non-issue price wise you could make yourself very mobile and hit your favorite race event almost whenever you wanted. Still hard to fathom what it cost to get into these shows. Even special events offering anywhere from $5,000-$12,000 purses were reasonable to get into. The Dells track had a special event scheduled with a $6,000 purse. Adult admission, $3.50 with children 6-12 $.50. Unbelievable. Of course in my case if I could get in free all the better. Being a bit small in stature I’d get the under 12 free price wherever I went. I guess around the age of 17 tracks thought that a bit suspicious and finally I was forced to pay a buck or two to catch the racing. Of course a press pass or two later and back to free admittance, all I had to do was cover the events. The rest is history.
And here again, I’m glad we could give one and all a glimpse back in time of racing and how it used to be. We’ll bring you more special features when time and space allow. Here and there…Harold Mueller ended up winning 16 dirt features during the year after racing the first two months of the season on asphalt…Roger Paul captured 25 main event wins in 1973 racing in North Eastern Wisconsin…Dick Trickle followed up his record breaking 67 win season in 1972 with 47 feature wins in 1973.
Photos. One of two #99 Mustangs Dick Trickle raced in 1973. Mike Miller campaigned this 1970 Mustang #18 during the 1973 season. Fred Bender #56 was in double digits for feature wins in this Chevy Camaro in 1973. Terry Bivins #53 one of the few outsiders to score a Feature win in Wisconsin in 1973. #4 Bob Jusola another Minnesota driver scoring a win in Wisconsin. The #55s 1969 Camaro that Lyle Nabbefeldt sadly took his last ride in. Joe Ruttman #1 captured a huge win in the 200 lap Midwest Championship Feature at Dells Motor Speedway in 1973.
Questions, comments, opinions and other information welcome at Starmaker Multimedia 967 10th Ave N Ste A, Onalaska, WI 54650 608-783-5827 or at dale@starmakermultimedia.com

Auto Racing Facts, Observances

 December 2010
By Dale P. Danielski
With the off season of racing here and things quieted down a bit we’ll take the time now to do a little Retro-Racing.
One of the most significant changes in short track racing occurred in 1972 when the Pony cars or smaller sporty type cars officially arrived on the scene. Due to national trends in short track racing the most influential group in this part of the country, the Central Wisconsin Racing Association decided via it’s mostly driver membership voting power to allow 108 inch wheel base race cars and eliminate the big 18 inch or wider steam roller tires. An 11 inch maximum tire width was decided on mounted on a 10 inch rim and Ford Mustangs, Dodge Challengers and Chevy Camaros would now be the norm rather than exception at Wisconsin tracks. With the rule changes Central Wisconsin’s favorite drivers immediately began constructing new race cars for the upcoming season. Dick Trickle would be in a 1970 Mustang, Marv Marzofka planned to campaign a 1972 Moose Peterson backed Chevrolet Camaro, while Tom Reffner was putting together a 1967 Mustang. Others going the small car route were Lyle Nabbefeldt, 1968 Camaro, Jim Sauter 1972 Camaro and Jim Back, 1968 Mustang. Although the smaller wheelbase appeared to be the way to go many opted to take a wait and see attitude by sticking with the longer wheelbase cars they’d been racing successfully for years. Some of the hold outs included Rich Somers, 1969 Ford Torino, Tom Jensen, 1971 Torino, Bill Wirtz, 1972 Chevelle and National Short Track Champion from the previous year at Rockford Speedway Bill Retallick in a specially built Bobby Allison Chassis, Chevelle. John Rank a Milwaukee area Modified racer in previous years was set to hit the stock car scene in an immaculately prepared 1972 Camaro. Of Course Rank and Son was a very successful auto dealership in the South Eastern part of the State and most believed financing for his racing effort would make John a huge threat on the paved stock car circuit.
Of course who better to take advantage of the new car specifications then Trickle who was trying to better his 56 Feature wins of 1971. He already had 12 wins by Mid-May. Statewide tracks with the same rules again enabled drivers to race as much as they wanted during the season. A typical week found racers at North La Crosse Speedway on Wednesday, State Park Speedway of Wausau on Thursday, Capital Speedway of Oregon on Friday, Wis. Dells Motor Speedway Saturday and Golden Sands Speedway Plover, WI on Sunday. Sunday afternoons also found special events held at various tracks including Wisconsin International Raceway of Kaukauna, WI., while Tuesday night found an occasional big event held as well. Tracks in Columbus, Jefferson and West Salem, WI., also held weekly shows for the stock car group as did Rockford Speedway where Joe Shear began the season in a full sized Chevelle but soon switched over to a 1972 Camaro where he was in short order dominating. During one stretch in late May and early June Shear won 7 features in 8 tries.  Wisconsin favorite Dave Marcis who was establishing himself racing in NASCAR came back home to Wisconsin and made a huge impact with a shorter wheelbase car in 1972 as the Wausau native teamed up with Dave Deppe to race in the USAC sanctioned race in Kaukauna in May. The 200 lap event found Marcis in his blue Chevy Nova number 37 racing to the win against the established veterans of the series in their full sized cars which did not go over very well at all. USAC did everything it could to find something wrong with the car including tearing down the engine in a dirty dusty area of the pits. Everything was legal and the win stood however further establishing a stranglehold for the little cars racing in 1972. Popularity was never higher for the drivers racing in the State as fans were flocking to tracks everywhere to watch them compete. With IMCA, USAC and NASCAR considered the big league attractions the short track stars and their pony cars were stealing their thunder as exciting racing was happening at paved track venues everywhere. That fact was made even clearer  with the cancellation of a 250 lap USAC stock car race scheduled for August in Kaukauna. With few of the Wisconsin drivers having cars to compete in the race as rules were much different than what they raced under at the short tracks the main attraction of the event was lost. USAC still had star power with Ramo Stott, Butch Hartman, Verlin Eaker, Jack Bowsher and the open wheel guys like Foyt, Unser and McCluskey dropping in on occasion to race the stock cars, but the area now had its own top status with the short track guys. And with all the racing in this part of the Country and a chance at making some decent money most racers weren’t even considering heading South to NASCAR which at the time was no where near as financially desirable as it is today. Not that the best from the Midwest couldn’t compete in the South they chose not to as it meant more sacrifice than they were willing to take to fit in.
Action continued to heat up heading into summer with Trickle at 18 wins and Marv Marzofka up to 10 Main event victories. The two were taking much of the spotlight but others such as Larry Detjens in his 1971 Dodge Challenger and Throttle Stomping Lyle Nabbefeldt were also winning. Detjens scored a 100 lap win at Golden Sands Speedway while Nabbefeldt did the same in a special holiday event in late May. Long time racer and many feature event winner at Jefferson Speedway Dick Duerst decided if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em as he debuted a Dodge Challenger in Mid-June at that track winning the main event.  Not to be outdone John Ziegler was racing a Mustang in competition mostly in the Southern part of the State taking checkered flag after checkered flag at the Columbus 151 Speedway and a big win in the red, white and blue painted car at Capital Speedway which was drawing all the top drivers from every corner of the State. Interesting to note at this time that some drivers weren’t going the way of the new pony cars as Bryce Spoehr, ’37 Pontiac, Pappy Diemel and Ron Van Roy ’32 Fords, were racing and winning at tracks in Wisconsin’s Fox Valley with their older versions of pony cars, Coupes!
Across the border Illinois hot shoe Ed Hoffman hopped on the Pony Car bandwagon campaigning a radical Camaro Convertible to numerous wins at Illiana and Grundy County Speedways. Meanwhile across that other border in Minnesota the Wisconsin guys were still having their way with the Gopher State contingent as Tom Reffner in his ‘Stang took the Uncola 100 at Elko Speedway. Shear in his Camaro placed 2nd with Minnesota drivers putting up a good fight in their full size cars placing 3rd and 4th in the form of Dick Giles, ’67 Fairlane and Dan Prziborowski, ’67 Chevelle. The writing was definitely on the wall by this time for the big cars though and as of July 30th Trickle and Marzofka had roared to 44 and 17 Feature wins respectively. Almost everyone else was left literally just hoping for a top five finish as the dynamic duo continued to dominate action. Rich Bickle gave hope to the big car set winning a number of Features at Jefferson in his full size Ford but the day was near for all to be racing 108 inch wheel based cars. Even Bickle recognized that fact debuting a 1970 Mustang at Jefferson late in the season with a feature win.
Of course the Pony Car set knew they were on to a good thing as Trickle proved racing to the 300 lap win at I-70 Speedway of Odessa, MO. Trickle pocketed $4,645 in the process further hammering home the point of not needing the form of racing USAC offered.
Another really unique promotion going on at the time was the Late Model versus Milwaukee Stock Car Racing Association Modifieds challenge races. Capital and Golden Sands promoter Sam Bartus came up with the idea and events were held at those tracks along with Wis. Dells and others. The events pitted the Milwaukee Modified stock car guys in their smaller cubic inch engine but much lighter cars against the heavier full bodied mostly big block engined Late Model stock car group. The superior handling stock cars usually won out over the feather weight and faster on the straight a ways Mod set but what a cool concept nonetheless. How cool it was to see John Reimer, Ron Marish, Whitey Harris, Don Schuppel, Dick Duston, Fuzzy Fassbender, Aaron Solsrud, Jim Sullivan, Willie Goedon, Roger Otto, Bob Robel and up to 15 others go head to head on a regular basis against Dick Trickle, Joe Shear, John Ziegler, Dave Watson, Tom Reffner, Fred Bender, Jim  Back,  Marv Marzofka, John Rank and so many others for bragging rights.  
With the season winding down the small car group with all its success was practically salivating in anticipation of the season ending high dollar event promotions. One such race was the 1st Annual Midwest Championship to be held at Dells Motor Speedway September 9-10. The event boasted of a $16,000 total purse pay-out with $2,500 going to the main event winner. Winning the race wasn’t going to be easy either as it featured 200 laps of tough racing on the small 1/3 mile Dells oval. Added incentive to attract drivers to the event was a $500 offering by promoter Howard Johnson to anyone outside the area that could win the 200 lap race. Attract drivers it did as Michigan hot shoes Ed Howe and Tom Maier entered along with Missouri star Larry Phillips. All told over 100 race cars were on hand for the event representing seven states. Big event; Big money. That meant Dick Trickle would be at the top of his game which he was, winning the 200 lap race for his 64th main event victory of the season. With the year Trickle and Marv Marzofka had it was only fitting they would finish 1-2 in the 200. Trickle also captured the 2nd Annual Old Style 200 later at Elko Speedway putting Wisconsin up 3-1 over the Minnesota contingent in the challenge races held there in 1971 and ’72. Bill Oas did finally break the ice in his Big Car by scoring a win for Minnesota against the pony cars with his victory in the Uncola Rematch in 1972. As is quite well documented Trickle and Marzofka scored 67 and 32 main event wins respectively during the 1972 racing season. The Pony Car ushered in the latest revolution in short track stock car racing as lightweight cars with big horsepower engines became a necessity if you wanted to win or even compete. The domination displayed by a handful of drivers in their areas that took a chance on constructing their version of the cars will probably never be duplicated. The 67 feature win mark set in a single season of racing certainly seems out of reach.
We offer this quote of the column for our latest writing effort. “You CAN get the black flag for driving like an a******”. Everyone listened as the black flag was not given during the race. That quote from a person remaining anonymous!
The pony car revolution, Lyle Nabbefeldt #55s and Dave Marcis #37. Sticking with the full size machines in 1972 was #0 Bill Wirtz, and #25 Bill Oas. Whitey Harris raced this modified #A3 in the 1970s for Fred Nielsen, while he also raced a Pony Car late Model Camaro also #A3.
Questions, comments, opinions and other information welcome at Starmaker Multimedia 967 10th Ave N Ste A, Onalaska, WI 54650 608-783-5827 or at dale@starmakermultimedia.com

AUTO RACING FACTS, OBSERVANCES and OPINIONS
November 2010
By Dale P. Danielski
I think if I planned on racing at the Annual Oktoberfest event at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway I’d make my car number 36. Why? Joe Shear was #36 and is the only 5 time winner. Dan Fredrickson is a three time winner having taken the last 3 out of four top billed events and guess what his number is? Number 36!
Maybe there is nothing to it but that number has sure had great success through the years at ‘Fest. In this years race it was practically a run away as Fredrickson took the lead early in the 100 lap feature and cruised to a pretty easy win. Even a caution on lap 75 failed to tighten things up as Fredrickson went about his business and crossed under the checkered flag with a comfortable margin.
For others it’s championship winning time at Oktoberfest as numerous of those are determined at the event every year. Steve Carlson added another to his long list as he became the 2010 ASA Midwest Tour Champion holding off Chris Wimmer in the final standings. The NASCAR Late Model track Championship was also settled during the weekend with Shawn Pfaff claiming the title by a scant one point over defending titlist J. Herbst. A late race pass for position in the feature by Kevin Nuttleman, the cagey veteran Champion himself, over J. Herbst ended up being the determining factor. That along with Pfaff’s 4th place finish in the 40 lapper was just enough to give the Sparta, WI., driver the title. For Pfaff who was bound and determined to win it this year after a late 2009 season car flipping wreck it was a great relief. For Herbst it was where did I lose that one point!
With all the great racing that goes on at this event you might be surprised to know that some folks don’t even head into the grandstands to watch! For those people it’s one big party in the Camping City which is the Fairgrounds for a week in October. Of course much goes on besides the racing and having had the chance to witness some of it this year I dare say it was almost as entertaining as the racing. Of particular interest was the pet costume parade. Meant for the pets which range from dogs to cats to ferrets to who knows what all, it’s the pet owners and how they dress that really steals the show. A Wizard of Oz characters depiction, a bee costume worn by an owner with her dog as the hive. Those were the two big winners by the way but all the others in the show deserve credit also. It had the large gathering witnessing it, yours truly included laughing most of the time. Of course it doesn’t hurt to have a guy with the name of Dick Trickle on hand to help with the judging either.
So much to do so much to see, that is the Annual Oktoberfest Racing weekend. The 2011 version is set for October 6-9. You really should make plans to attend.
With weather conditions October 30 almost balmy we decided to make the trip over to Columbus 151 Speedway for Matt Rowe’s Impact Survival Series season finale 300 lap Enduro. Competitors apparently thought the same as 92 strong arrived to start the event on the ¼ mile paved oval. To participate in ISS you need a mostly stock 4 cylinder car. According to long time Late Model competitor Kirby Kurth who was racing today a roll cage for $300 and another couple hundred bucks and you can be on the race track. With a $500 investment the winners share for the 300 of $1,200 looked pretty darned good too! Matt Rowe definitely lays down the law in a very colorful way as to how he wants things to go in the Series. It’s entertainment for the fans first before a racing event for drivers and you better listen or find yourself on the trailer and headed home early if you don’t. One aspect of the show is if your car stalls on the track and sits for two laps the red flag comes out and you are allowed to get out. The car however stays right where you left it or crashed it in most cases. “Where they die they lie” is the rule according to Rowe. This definitely makes for drivers taking some interesting lines around the race track as an oval now becomes an obstacle course. All in all things went quite smooth on this day and after 300 rounds of the Columbus oval it was Frank Calabrese taking the win and as it turned out the 2010 season championship. Of the 92 cars starting 39 managed to make it to the finish many of course much worse for wear. In talking to some of the teams the approach to this type of competition is very different than your normal short track fare. The majority really are out here just to have fun. And what is the key to winning. Keeping the car running. It’s not about speed it’s about having fewer problems than the others and finishing…Some well known racers were on hand for this event including Jerry and Eddie Muenster, Davey Pennel and Harley Jankowski…Kirby Kurth was on the scene with a two car team his and one that his wife Cheri drove. Both finished in the top 20 on the day…The great Pumpkin driven car didn’t fare too well. After “Dying” on the race track and having to “Lie” the car was finally able to be moved at the 1/2 way break. Upon heading to the pits with it he drove smack into a head on collision with a car that was heading out on to the track! Frustrated at that point Punky drove the car off in the woods behind the pit area and walked…or sort of rolled away…We’ve witnessed some tardy racers in our day but the participant that showed up at 3:30 for a 2pm start race to compete today takes the Halloween candy. He was allowed to start but the rest of the field had 235 laps on him by that time! Making the story wilder, after about 5 laps he pulled into the pits for lengthy repairs…Pretty cool to see a car with a sponsor listed from Brantwood, Wisconsin. Brantwood is the town (population of about 3 according to some) where the driver resided that gave me my first ever fast ride in a stock car. That was in 1968 or so and we’re still involved in the sport today…  Matt Rowe is shooting for 5-7 ISS events in 2011. Hopefully the Series is endorsed by large fields of cars as was the case today. Seems like a great way to have fun racing without all the huge expense. Here and there…The Oktoberfest Racing weekend is mostly attended by in the know fans rather than casual observers. Therefore they understand much of the racing lingo. But for those that don’t can you imagine what they think with verbiage used such as…She’s too tight going in…It’s really loose coming out…Adjust the bar a little…We’re a bit better on the high side…Side bite is OK but we need more forward bite…With a slide job I can get around…I don’t think we have enough stagger…it’s pushing in the center probably need to get up on the cushion…My lord, who and what are we describing here!!! No wonder folks new to the sport get that bewildered look on their face, at least initially. Hopefully they begin to understand if we can keep them around long enough…32 Champions were in attendance for the Champions Reunion at ‘Fest on Sunday. With that turnout it’s been decided to do it again in 2011. If you are a Champion of any kind any series any division any track and haven’t raced in three years you are invited…Sparta, WI., Late Model driver Davey Pennel finished 3rd in the final vote among 12 drivers having a shot at an ARCA race ride this past year at Rockingham North Carolina Speedway through the Richard Petty Driver Search program. Top honors went to Ryan Wilson of nearby Randleman, NC, but according to Davey’s dad Dean, the $15,000 investment and experience were worth it. “We learned so much while we were down there. It really helped us as when we came back we were able to qualify 3rd at Oktoberfest in the Big 8 Division”. As for 2011 plans Pennel is going for the Dells Raceway Park Championship which they came so close to winning this year…The Sauter jinx at Oktoberfest returned after taking a year off as defending ASA Tour winner Travis Sauter blew an engine while practicing and backed into the wall ending his racing weekend prematurely… Looks like we will have another young driver trying to make his mark in Super Late Model Racing in 2011. Gary Kawleski a racer in Central Wisconsin awhile back has purchased a car and will be putting Colin Reffner in it. The team plans to race in a number of special events including with the ASA Midwest Tour if things go well. Reffner of course did some Super Late Model racing this year but a more full time effort will take place in 2011. And that arrangement leads us to the quote of the column by Gary Kawleski. “Dick Trickle and Tom Reffner will serve as mentors for Colin and the team so I think we’ll run pretty good”…Looks like the ASA Midwest Tour will be expanding a bit in 2011. Newton, Iowa is back on the schedule and it appears the Milwaukee Mile, State Park Speedway in Wausau and the Grundy County Speedway of Morris, IL., will be in the fold this year as well…So just what was the significance of the date 10/10/10 which occurred during Oktoberfest racing weekend? Absolutely nothing near as we can tell as our computer is still operating, the date on our VCR changed, (Yes, still have one of those) and the sun is still coming up in the east in the morning! Photo ISS Weekend Warriors ready to race at Columbus 151 Speedway.  Photo from the past Dick Trickle in his Pabst powered race car, 1985. Trickle won both the ASA and ARTGO titles that year.
Questions, comments, opinions and other information welcome at Starmaker Multimedia 967 10th Ave N Ste A, Onalaska, WI 54650 608-783-5827 or at dale@starmakermultimedia.com

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Auto Racing Facts Observances and opinions
October 2010

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Auto Racing Facts Observances and opinions

Auto Racing Facts Observances and Opinions

Auto Racing Facts Observances and Opinions

AUTO RACING FACTS, OBSERVANCES and OPINIONS
By Dale P. Danielski
July 22, 2010
The Red, White and Blue State Championship Series has held a great amount of prestige for stock car racers for many years and much to our delight is still going strong today being held at the same venue as always the ½ mile paved Wisconsin International Raceway of Kaukauna. We had a chance to catch the “White” race there this past Thursday but more on that after we give you a bit of a RWB history lesson.
The first RWB Series began in 1972 and boasted of an $18,260 total purse pay-out for the 3 events. Feature event lengths for the three races were scheduled to be 50, 75 and 100 laps respectively. The series aimed to pit North Eastern Wisconsin drivers, many who raced almost exclusively on dirt tracks in the area, against Central Wisconsin’s best along with those competing in the southern part of the state. It did just that as the “Red” race opener saw 52 cars sign in to do battle representing Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota. To no one’s surprise, Dick Trickle raced to the 50 lap main event win edging John Rank at the checkered flag. Marv Marzofka, Joe Shear, Tom Reffner, Bob Wawak, Jim Sauter, John Ziegler, Steve Arndt and Dave Watson rounded out the top 10 finishers. 7,832 sun baked fans watched the event which officially ushered in the “Pony Car” revolution as Camaros, Mustangs, and Challengers with shorter wheel bases were becoming the preferred choice of race car over the full sized machines that circled tracks for so many years. It also marked the beginning of the end of the United States Auto Club stock car events at the track as rules, expense and lack of local driver participation forced the hand of promoters into choosing a more weekly racer friendly series of events. The new concept definitely worked and the rest is history as they say. And, by the way, for Trickle on the day it was already his 28th feature event win of the 1972 season. He as is well documented would go on to victory 67 times in main event competition during the year which established a record that remains today.
Steve Holzhausen was on the trailing edge of the heyday of racing in the 1970s and ‘80s as many of us call it, but he carved out his own winning niche in the sport during the next era of short track racing in the Midwest. Having won at the local level, in ARTGO and ASA, one championship Holzhausen has wanted to win, was the Red, White and Blue State Championship Series. After capturing the 75 lap White race here tonight he is in good position to do just that. Holzhausen after setting 2nd fast time on the evening, bided his time in the feature finally taking the top spot from Terry Baldry on the 57th lap and holding off Tim Rothe who made a late race charge for the victory. The win for Holzhausen was no cakewalk however as some heavy hitters were on hand in attempts of taking home the top prize. Ross Kenseth, Bryan Reffner and Eugene Gregorich Jr., to name a few but it was Bangor, Wisconsin native Holzhausen thwarting all attempts in the end. Having been a number of years since we last visited the WIR track for a RWB race it’s good to see there is still a nice mix of competitors from different parts of the state competing. The series does not appear to have lost it’s following either as over 3,000 fans were on hand to view the action. As was the case years ago, they don’t leave either until the last checkered flag is waved as the grandstands were plenty full right up to the end of the Figure 8 race, the last event of the night. There’s good reason for that as action is aplenty during that race with cars scattering all over and some getting a piece of each other at the intersection. An attraction many years ago and still one today. The figure 8 event wasn’t the only attraction though as Limited Late Models, Super Stocks, Sport Trucks and 4 cylinder cars were also all competing on the night’s card. Actually, there was plenty to see and no shortage of excitement in all divisions. All in all a very enjoyable Thursday night at WIR. It’s great to see that racing here in the Fox Valley is alive and well and that the Red White and Blue Championship Series is still a very popular venue.
On our way to Kaukauna, we caught up to Jim Randerson of RanderCar Chassis at his shop which is little more than a stones throw from WIR. Jim is still at it after purchasing the business in 1991 from well known builder of the day Mike Randerson. According to Jim, he got into the business because, “I liked racing ever since I was a kid. I chose racing over joining the Boy Scouts as that just wasn’t it for me if you know what I mean!” As for the state of short track racing today; “The good old days aren’t coming back. But I believe that short track racing is in the beginning stages of making a comeback. NASCAR tempted the young guys with a chance to make it big in racing with them, but it got so expensive and so many didn’t make it, that I think you’re seeing people get involved again at the short track level in a division they can afford to have fun again. It’s a family thing for them again instead of a waiting game to see if they get noticed for a driver development deal and can move on into the top tiers of NASCAR racing.” And according to Randerson he sees drivers getting into the sport at the lower levels like in 4 cylinder divisions. “The thrill of going fast and winning is still there but the new drivers getting into the sport aren’t necessarily looking at it as a step to reach the top. It’s not guys (And girls) spending their last hard earned penny on the race car instead of putting shoes on their kids to get noticed and move up to NASCAR or some other big money division. They’re doing it because they enjoy it. It’s a family outing for them. And, if they get a chance and get better they can perpetuate it into moving into other divisions of racing. The good thing about it is once they get involved they bring a following of co-workers, family and friends out to the race track to watch them which is good for the sport.” Of course myself and Jim Randerson being of age to remember racing in days gone by recall how huge the following was at tracks 5-6 days of the week for the statewide contingent of racers. “Back in those days fans followed the racers from here. They really didn’t have that much interest in NASCAR then since it wasn’t nearly the attraction it is today. The drivers they followed were from the garage down the road, that’s why they went to the races, to watch their local heroes compete. I really think we are getting back to that kind of racing at the short track level.” Certainly there is no shame for a driver to race and reach goals and be content with accomplishments achieved at this level. In Randerson’s words, “Don’t you think when Terry Baldry looks behind after all is said and done and sees 11 championships that he won’t be proud? You bet he will!” Cool stuff from someone who’s nearly as old as me and still gets a thrill at the local short track!
Here and there…Steve Holzhausen leads the RWB point standings going into the Blue race August 19th with 145 and is closely followed by Terry Baldry, 133, and Lowell Bennett with 121…The 1972 “White” race 75 lap feature resulted in another win for Trickle as he bested Jim Sauter, Marv Marzofka, Joe Shear, Tom Reffner, Jim Back, Lyle Nabbefeldt, Rich Davis, Lee Schuler and Rich Somers. The “Patriotic Polack” Denny Sobkowiak of La Crosse, WI., distinguished himself on the day by rolling over his red, white and blue 1971 Plymouth Roadrunner…Joe Shear finally stopped Trickle’s streak as he won the “Blue” Race besting Trickle and the other 41 drivers entered during the day. Top finishers in the 100 lap feature were Shear, Trickle, Larry Detjens, Tom Reffner, Jim Sauter, Jim Back, Marlin Walbeck, Rich Davis, Larry Behrens and John Scott. With his 2nd place finish Trickle became the first ever RWB champion with 2,440 points. Shear was 2nd in the standings with 2,110. Interesting that the point totals represented the dollars won at the events. Whatever your winnings were those were your points for the event. That system to determine a champion was used for many years and was kind of neat as we all then knew how much money the racer was earning…With rain everywhere the show still went on! La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway although with much program juggling got their entire show in this past Saturday which included two 20 lap Features for the NASCAR Late Models. Mike Koenecke picked up his first feature win in over 10 years as he captured the 1st 20 lap main. Division point leader Shawn Pfaff won the nightcap, but even with the victory his 3rd this season, he is just 16 points ahead of defending track champion J. Herbst…What appeared was going to be a dominating win for Steve Carlson ended up being a disappointing loss as Nathan Haseleu passed Carlson with just a handful of laps left to win the 125 lap feature in the ASA Midwest Tour program at Raceway Park of Shakopee, MN., here Sunday. Carlson who led the entire race up to that point hung on for 2nd with Thor Anderson in his best Series finish to date coming in 3rd…In the quote of the column department when asked by an ASA Tour official when he was going to quit Steve Carlson replied, “I’ll quit when I go slow. Right now I’m still fast!”…
Photos. Steve Holzhausen in one of two Pete Kempf owned cars he’s racing in 2010. Dick Trickle in 1972 with his 427 cubic inch engine 1970 Ford Mustang. Nate Haseleu takes the lead and eventual win in the ASA Midwest Tour race at Raceway Park, Shakopee, MN.  Questions, comments, opinions and other information welcome at Starmaker Multimedia 967 10th Ave N Ste A, Onalaska, WI 54650 608-783-5827, or dale@starmakermultimedia.com.

Auto Racing facts Observances and Opinions

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May 27, 2010

#9 Mark Kraus raced to the Feature win and a nice pay check at Marshfield Motor Speedway May 15th, 2010

Kraus puts his race car through its paces in the year 2000 at Marshfield

May 13, 2010

Shawn Pfaff and his 2010 La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway winning ride

Joe Shear Midwest Championship Overall winner at the Dells Motor Speedway, 1974.

April 29, 2010

Steve Carlson #66 races to another win at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway

In 1974 the Spring Opener 50 was held at Wisconsin International of Kaukauna, WI. Larry Detjens took his Dodge Challenger to the win that day