By: Ashley Iwanski and Kevin Ramsell
Chris Weinkauf has tried for years to get a big win at the Oktoberfest Race Weekend. Tonight he finally breaks through to win the third annual Dick Trickle “99” on the second day of the 40th annual event.

By: Ashley Iwanski and Kevin Ramsell
(West Salem, WI – October 8, 2009) The air was cool but the racing was hot for the first night of the 40th Annual Oktoberfest Race Weekend at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway. Multiple divisions were out racing including the La Crosse Sportsmen and Thunderstox divisions who were racing for a championship.

By: Kevin Ramsell
WEST SALEM, WI (Wednesday, October 07, 2009) – The 40th Annual Oktoberfest Race Weekend at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway in West Salem, WI will start this Thursday, October 8 and will go through Sunday, October 11. This is already looking like a great event is shaping up for this year.

By: Kevin Ramsell
BURLINGTON, WI (Monday, October 05, 2009) – Fresh off his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win over a week ago at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Johnny Sauter is hoping to keep his winning streak alive as he will be competing at the 40th Annual Oktoberfest Race Weekend that starts this Thursday at the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway in West Salem, WI.

Sauter will be competing in the American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment’s 100-lap event and is also planning on competing in the Dick Trickle “99” on Friday night.

“I’m really pumped up about it,” Sauter said as he was taking a break from a test session in Sandusky, OH. “No member of the Sauter family has ever won at Oktoberfest and I think its time to change that. I would like to be that one to get that first win.”

Joey Saldana drives his #9 Kasey Kahne Racing World of Outlaws Sprint Car during a test session on Sunday, Oct. 4, that included World of Outlaws and Pennsylvania-based teams. (World of Outlaws photo)CONCORD, N.C. — Oct. 5, 2009 — The World Racing Group announced today it has entered into a multiyear agreement with The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company to be the Official Tire supplier to the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series.

Beginning with the 2010 Florida DIRTcar Nationals in February, World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series competitors will be required to race with Goodyears on the left rear and right rear wheel positions.

“Goodyear recognizes Sprint Car racing as one of the elite forms of motorsports,” said Justin Fantozzi, Goodyear’s Marketing Manager of Global Race Tires. “We have a strong history with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. Our tires have carried drivers to 19 championships in the 30-year history of ‘The Greatest Show on Dirt.’ We look forward to building on that tradition in 2010.”

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

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

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

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

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

By Jordan Kuehne

Love’s Park, Ill. (October 4, 2009) – It’s safe to say Jeremy Spoonmore has been enjoying his 2009 Mid-American Stock Car Series campaign. The Somonauk, Ill. veteran won his second consecutive National Short Track Championships feature event at Rockford Speedway Sunday afternoon by capturing the MTN Dew 75. Spoonmore has yet to finish outside of the top five and has notched two wins in a handful of appearances this season.

“I would have never guessed. After the first one, I thought that would be great. But this one was even better,” Spoonmore said.

In the 2008 event, Spoonmore swiped the lead in the 75-lap feature by utilizing the inside lane on lap nine. One year later, the lead belonged to Spoonmore by lap ten after three laps of side-by-side action with pole-sitter Mike Beyer.

Lyle Nowak moved from his 19th starting spot to finish second, Bill Prietzel finished third, Mark Pluer was fourth and Justin Neisius rounded out the top five.

“The car stuck on the bottom and it just got better and better,” Spoonmore said. “I knew I was going to have to go [there] quick like last year.”

VINTON, Iowa (Oct. 2) – A division-best 28 feature wins and bonus points from three local track titles paved the way for Dylan Smith’s first national IMCA Modified championship.

The Osceola, Neb., driver edged Garner’s Jeremy Mills by five points for the title. Mills won 25 features and was the only driver in the division with four track crowns to his credit this season.

Smith’s banner season also included the championship in the ButlerBuilt Central Region and Boone County Raceway, I-80 Speedway and US 30 Speedway crowns.

Also capturing national titles were Dustin Smith of Lake City in the Sunoco Stock Cars, Neil Stevens of Bing ham Lake, Minn., in the KSE Racing Products Sprint Cars, Jesse Sobbing of Glenwood in the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods, Garrett Rech of Davey, Neb., in the Mach-1 Sport Compacts and John McNeil of Denton, Texas, in the GM Performance Crate Models.

Shannon Anderson of Atlantic and Keith White of Little River Academy, Texas, defended their titles in the Sunoco Hobby Stock and Southwest Racing Specialties Southern SportMod divisions, respectively.