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Menard Wins ASALMS Oktoberfest 100
2004 LaCrosse Late Model and NASCAR Midwest Regional Champion, Charlie Menard
wins the ASA Late Model Series Oktoberfest 100 at LaCrosse (WI) Fairgrounds
Speedway.
By Matt Prieur-ASA Late Model Series
(West Salem, Wisconsin 10/07/05): The ASA Late Model Series Presented by GM
Performance Parts have completed race number 13 of 14 on the 2005 schedule, .
The site was the LaCrosse (WI) Fairgrounds Speedway in West Salem, Wisconsin
for day two of the 36th annual Oktoberfest Weekend.
With a front row the caliber of Charlie Menard and Stephen Leicht, the jam
packed grandstands were in for a treat. When all was said and done, Menard,
the C.O.O. of the nationally known Menard’s Home Improvements chain of
stores, made the hometown fans proud as the driver from near-by Eau Claire,
Wisconsin, survived a lengthy battle with the current ASA Late Model Series
points leader, Leicht, to take home the Oktoberfest 100, his first career ASA
Late Model Series victory in only his second start.
A star studded 26-car field took chief starter, Tom Powell’s green flag to
begin the Oktoberfest 100, the highlight of day two of the 36th annual
Oktoberfest Weekend at the 5/8s mile semi-banked paved oval in West Salem,
Wisconsin. Menard and Leicht would take the green flag as the stellar front
row and it would be Leicht who would beat out Menard to the first corner to
take the early lead.
Leicht would set sail for the opening laps while the field behind him settled
into a rhythm. The first of nine cautions flew on lap 11 when Pat Bourdow
Memorial Rookie of the Year title contender, Kris Stump spun in turn two
collecting Jason Tyler and Brett Piontek in the process. Stump was done for
the evening. On the restart, Leicht would pull ahead slightly while Menard had
his hands full with fellow Wisconsin pilot, Chad Wood.
Two more cautions for spins flew and then on lap 42, the most serious incident
of the night occurred when another Pat Bourdow Memorial Rookie pilot, Ryan
Carlson slammed the front stretch at the opening underneath the flag stand and
came to rest in turn one, all done for the evening. He was ok.
On the next restart, Leicht would once again try to pull away but had a mirror
full of Menard. As the laps wound down, Menard began figuring out the line
that Leicht was running and began to apply heavy pressure to the 18-year-old
from Asheville, North Carolina. Menard’s hard work finally paid off as on
lap 73, Menard slid by coming out of turn four to take the lead for the first
time.
Leicht’s handling began to go away and he dropped back in a hurry. Wood
would get by the ASA Late Model Series Points Leader, as would 16-year-old
Landon Cassill. Wood and Cassill would get involved in a battle of their own
while Menard would pull away from the pack. Two late cautions slowed things
down, but each time Menard would pull away from Wood and Cassill.
Menard would lead the final 27 laps as the Eau Claire, Wisconsin pilot, the
2004 NASCAR Midwest Regional Champion as well as the 2004 LaCrosse Speedway
Late Model Track Champion would go on to win his first ever ASA Late Model
Series event. Menard began the 36th edition of Oktoberfest much like last
season when he won three features in three different divisions over the course
of one of the biggest and tradition laden end of the season events in the
country.
Wood settled for second after a last minute battle with Cassill, who tied a
career high with a third place showing! Motive Gear Fast Qualifier, Eddie
Hoffman, in his first career ASA Late Model Series start would finish fourth
over Peter Cozzolino, who would post his best finish of the season in fifth.
Leicht would slide back to sixth while Travis Dassow, 16-year-old Jesse Smith,
his best career finish of eighth! Tony Rosebrugh and Jack Smith completed the
top 10.
Earlier in the evening, Hoffman was the fastest of 40 cars on hand as the
Wheaton, Illinois veteran won his first Motive Gear Pole Award in his first
start with a lap measured at 19.594 which measures out to 100.069 MPH. In the
25-lap GM Performance Parts Shootout, Jesse Saunders won his second GMPP
Shootout of the season over Brent Downey, Jim Ross, Pete Moore, and Jason
Miller, the top five. Mark Hartline, who finished sixth, was crowned the 2005
GM Performance Parts Shootout Points Champion
The 2005 season for the ASA Late Model Series Presented by GM
Performance Parts will close out the year on Saturday October 29th for the
conclusion of the 40th annual National Short Track Championships at the
Rockford (IL) Speedway in Loves Park, Illinois. Current ASA Late Model Series
Points Leader, Stephen Leicht and Rockford’s own hometown favorite, Ryan
Carlson will lead the field to the green flag to close out the 2005 season.
Leicht merely needs to take the green flag and the 18-year-old, one of the
“Young Lions of the ASA Late Model Series” will clinch the 2005 ASA Late
Model Series Championship!
For more information about the remaining 2005 season as well as the
approaching 2006 season with the ASA Late Model Challenge Series, the ASA Late
Model Series Northern and Southern Divisions; check out their websites at www.asalatemodelsnorth.com
and www.asalatemodelssouth.com
You can also call the ASALM Series home offices at 1 (800) 385-2503 or log
onto the main website at: www.asalatemodels.com
Oktoberfest 100 UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Pos. Start Car
#/Driver
Laps
1.
1 13 Charlie
Menard
100
2.
5 2 Chad
Wood
100
3.
3 7 Landon Cassill
100
4.
6 80 Eddie
Hoffman
100
5.
9 11 Peter Cozzolino
100
6.
2 89 Stephen Leicht
100
7.
4 92 Travis Dassow
100
8.
14 81 Jesse
Smith
100
9.
23 55 Tony Rosebrugh
100
10.
21 28 Jack
Smith
100
11.
26 88 Mike Satkowiak
100
12.
20 6 Jason Dietsch
100
13.
22 93 Doug
True
100
14.
13 29 Brian
Campbell
100
15.
17 115 Kyle Hinrichs
100
16.
11 84 Brett Piontek
99
17.
24 98 Nick Mahlik
97
18.
8 01 Travis Sauter
95
19.
15 97 Jason
Tyler
94
20.
10 187 Bryan Reffner
90
21.
18 40 Nick
Hammer
90
22.
19 15 Doug Mahlik
73
23.
25 3 Bill
Tomlinson
72
24.
12 90 Keeton
Hanks
44
25.
7 32 Ryan
Carlson
42
26.
16 23 Kris
Stump
11
Lap Leaders: 13 Charlie Menard-Pole, 89 Stephen Leicht 1-72, 13 Menard 73-100.
Cautions 9.
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