News :: Oktoberfest Race Weekend

FREDRICKSON WINS THE RACE AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP AT OKTOBERFEST

By: Kevin Ramsell
WEST SALEM, WI (Sunday, October 05, 2008) – Dan Fredrickson was on a mission and it showed as drove to his second consecutive American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment Oktoberfest 100 feature event. The win secured the 2008 ASAMT Championship for the veteran short track star.

“It was kind of like last year, a good car, got to the front and just ride around checking on the guy in second,” Fredrickcson stated in victory lane. “We are happy with how it went, just couldn’t believe how much better it got as the race went on. I am just really with my car.”

Jason Weinkauf and Steve Carlson let the field of 30 cars to the start of the main event. Carlson would get the jump over Weinkauf as Tom White’s green flag flew. Dan Fredrickson quickly jumped to the second position.

With ten laps completed, Carlson and Fredrickson broke away from Weinkauf. Fredrickson stayed glued the back bumper of Carlson, peaking to the inside lap after lap.

Twelve laps into the event, Fredrickson went to the inside of Carlson going into turn one and would take over the top spot. With the two battling for the lead, this allowed the remainder of the top five to join the battle with Weinkauf in third, Cameron Datson in fourth and Nathan Haseleu in fifth.

“I want to get to the front and here is why, riding around in second or third and something breaks, you broke while you are in third and nobody talks about it,” Fredrickson explained. “If you get to the lead and something happens people will know and they knew you had a possibility of winning the race.”

The first caution flew lap 20 when Jeff Storm spun in turn two. He was able to re-join the field at the back of the pack.

On the re-start Fredrickson stretched out to a five-car length lead over Carlson. That stretched to a ten-car length lead with 30 laps completed.

Tim Schendel appeared to have engine trouble on lap 34 as he was slow coming down the front stretch. He pulled it into the pits but later return.

The second caution flew on lap 38 when Andy Hanson spun on the backstretch. He was able to re-join the field.

Fredrickson continued a healthy lead over Carlson after the re-start and was looking strong to secure the championship.

Behind the leader, Haseleu would move in the fourth position on lap 42, as he would get past Datson for the position.

Haseleu would then chase down Weinkauf on lap 46 and would move to the inside of him on lap 47 to take over the third spot.

At the halfway mark, Fredrickson continued to lead with Carlson in second and Haseleu in third. But, the biggest mover of the race so far was Travis Sauter as he moved up 11th after starting 25th. Sauter was looking at securing the Lefthander Chassis Hard Charger award.

Haseleu continued his move to the front as he got past Carlson for second on lap 73.

The Oktoberfest competition yellow came on the track with 25 laps to go allowing the field to gather up for a shootout to the finish. This would give Haseleu a great opportunity to see if he has anything for Fredrickson.

Fredrickson got a great re-start over Haseleu on the re-start and was out to five-car length lead with 24 laps to go.

Travis Sauter continued his great run as he was up to sixth with 20 laps to go. Sauter would jump up to fifth by getting by Weinkauf with 15 laps to go.

With 10 laps to go, Fredrickson was in cruise control not only to the win but also to the ASAMT Championship. Behind him, Sauter was looking to overtake Dotson for fourth. Sauter would get the position with seven laps to go.

Behind Sauter, Steve Holzhausen would get by Dotson and enter the top-five with five laps to go.

With three laps to go, Sauter would get by Carlson and move in the third position. A lap later, Holzhausen would move Carlson back one more spot as he moved into fourth.

But at the checkers, it was Fredrickson picking up his third ASAMT win of the year and the 2008 Championship.

“I felt we could do it all year,” Fredrickson stated on winning the championship. “The racing in the middle of the summer where we did so many weeks in a row, we had bad luck at all of those that was getting me down. I knew we could still do it, but was frustrating for me and my team. But, my guys worked hard and my sponsors helped me out for us to come back and win at Oktoberfest and the championship.”

Haseleu ended his season on a high note after a rough start the 2008 season, “The way we ran in the last two races and the other events here at Oktoberfest, I am happy with it, and we will build on it,” Haseleu stated. “Fredrickson was good and Sauter and Holzhausen were coming so we still have some work to do with it, but I am pretty happy with it.”

Sauter had a rough start his Oktoberfest Race Weekend, but he was able to make it up with a third place finish, “The car is just awesome, I think I could have won it if we had more time,” a smiling Sauter stated in victory lane. “Third from where we started and the weekend started, I couldn’t be happier with how it ended.”

Unofficially, with Reuvers 11th place finish in the Oktoberfest 100, Fredrickson won the championship by 102 points. Tim Schendel finished third, 211 points behind the champion, and Chris Wimmer was fourth, 244 points back.

Andrew Morrissey was fifth, 290 points back with Jamie Iverson in sixth, 292 points back. Travis Sauter finished seventh only 294 points back. Nathan Haseleu was eighth, 306 back. Jonathan Eilen was ninth, 311 points back. Blake Horstman rounded out the top-ten, 411 points back.

In earlier action, Frank Kreyer won the 6-for-6 dash and made the decision to take the Ultimate Challenge for an additional $5,000. Kreyer started 30th in the feature event.

Andy Hanson and Mark Kraus finished first and second in the first last chance race. Matt Kocourek and Travis Sauter were first and second in the second last chance race. All four earned a starting spot in the feature event.

The 2008 American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment Championship Banquet will be held on Saturday, January 24, 2009 at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI.

Oktoberfest 100 Feature Finish
1 - 36 - Dan Fredrickson (TS) - Elko, MN
2 - 87 - Nathan Haseleu - Marshall, WI
3 - 5 - Travis Sauter (TS) - Necedah, WI
4 - 197 - Steve Holzhausen - Bangor, WI
5 - 66 - Steve Carlson - West Salem, WI
6 - 2D - Cameron Datson - Sparta, WI
7 - 76W - Jason Weinkauf - Merrill, WI
8 - 39 - Andrew Morrissey (TS) - DeForest, WI
9 - 72 - Jacob Goede - New Germany, MN
10 - 22 - Russ Blakeley (TS) - Whitewater, WI
11 - 41 - Donny Reuvers (TS) - Dundas, MN
12 - 9c - Kyle Calmes (TS) - Freedom, WI
13 - 99 - Frank Kreyer - Pardeeville, WI
14 - 175 - Blake Horstman - Bangor, WI
15 - 12 - Nick Murgic (R) - Rosemount, MN
16 - 75W - Chris Weinkauf - Merrill, WI
17 - 15 - Brett Moffit - Ames, IA
18 - 40L - Jeremy Lepak - Wausau, WI
19 - 77 - Jonathan Eilen (TS) - Hampton, MN
20 - 155 - Nick Neville - Mackinaw, IL
21 - 52 - Chris Wimmer (TS) - Wasau, WI
22 - 21 - Tim Schendel (TS) - Sparta, WI
23 - 9k - Mark Kraus - Stratford, WI
24 - 11 - Josh Vadnais - White Bear Lake, MN
25 - 97 - Jamie Iverson (TS) - Escanaba, MI
26 - 97 - Jamie Iverson (TS) - Escanaba, MI
27 - 43 - Matt Kocourek (R) - Franklin, WI
28 - 94 - Paul Paine - Mound, MN
29 - 55 - Rich Loch (TS) - Muskego, WI
30 - 08H - Andy Hanson - Ramsey, MN

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