La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway facts for kids
 Turn 1
|
|
| Location | Town of Hamilton, near West Salem, Wisconsin, United States |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1957 |
| Former names | La Crosse Interstate Speedway |
| Major events | Oktoberfest (ASA Midwest Tour, Mid American Stock Car Series) |
| 5/8 mile outer | |
| Surface | asphalt |
| Length | 0.625 mi (1 km) |
| 1/4 mile inner | |
| Surface | asphalt |
| Length | 0.25 mi (0.40 km) |
| Website | http://www.lacrossespeedway.com/ |
The La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway is a cool racetrack in West Salem, Wisconsin. It's an oval track with a special design. The main track is 5/8 of a mile long. There's also a smaller, inner track that's 1/4 of a mile.
The track has "banking" in its corners. This means the turns are tilted, like a ramp. The tilt helps cars go faster around the bends. It goes from 5 degrees at the bottom to 11 degrees at the top. The speedway was built at the fairgrounds for La Crosse County.
Today, the speedway hosts big annual races. These include events from the ARCA Midwest Tour and the Mid American Stock Car Series. It also has weekly stock car races. These races are part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. This track was the first NASCAR-approved track in Wisconsin.
Contents
History of the Race Track
The La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway first opened in 1957. Back then, it was a half-mile dirt track. It was part of the new La Crosse Interstate Fairgrounds. The track used to host one big event each year. This event was run by the International Motor Contest Association (IMCA).
Famous drivers raced here in the early days. Some of these drivers included Parnelli Jones and Johnny Rutherford. These races continued until 1966.
Track Gets Paved
In 1970, the track got a big upgrade. It was paved with asphalt and became a half-mile track. A new grandstand was also built at this time. For many years, the main races featured "Late Models." These are special types of stock cars.
In 1989, La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway made history. It became the first track in Wisconsin to join the NASCAR Winston Racing Series. This is NASCAR's program for local weekly races. Many talented drivers have raced here. Some have even won regional or state championships. Steve Carlson won a national championship in 2007. He was the first driver from Wisconsin to do so.
Weekly Racing Fun
The La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway has exciting weekly races. These races happen on Saturday nights. They are officially approved by NASCAR.
The main race category is the NASCAR late models. But there are many other types of cars too. These include Sportsman, Hobby Stocks, and Hornets. They also have fun events like Mini-Van races. Since 2008, the track has also hosted "Friday Night Street Drags." These are drag races for regular cars.
Special Events to See
The speedway hosts several special events each year. These events are very popular with fans. They often include unique and exciting shows.
Eve of Destruction
One popular event is the "Eve of Destruction." It happens on the first Saturday after Labor Day. This event is full of wild action.
- Trailer Race: Cars race while pulling trailers. The last car with its trailer still attached wins!
- Jet Car: A special car with a jet engine puts on a fiery show.
- Monster Trucks: Huge trucks crush cars and perform amazing stunts.
- Motorcycle Stunt Riders: Riders perform daring tricks.
A similar event called "Smash-O-Rama" takes place in June.
Oktoberfest Race Weekend
The biggest event of the year is the Oktoberfest Race Weekend. It's the grand finale of the racing season. This event usually happens the weekend after La Crosse's Oktoberfest party. It started as a two-day event in 1970. Now, it's a huge four-day festival of racing. It runs from Thursday through Sunday.
Many different racing series come to Oktoberfest. These include the Mid American Stock Car Series and the ARCA Midwest Tour.
Dick Trickle 99 Race
A highlight of Oktoberfest is the Dick Trickle 99 race. This race is named after a famous driver, Dick Trickle. It's a 99-lap race for "super late models." The race is split into three parts, each 33 laps long. Drivers earn points based on how they finish in each part. The driver with the lowest total score wins the event. The number 99 comes from Dick Trickle's car number.
Some recent winners of the Dick Trickle 99 include:
- 2019 Nick Murgic
- 2018 Johnny Sauter
- 2016 Dan Fredrickson
- 2015 Ty Majeski
- 2013 Erik Darnell
Main Event Race
The main race of the Oktoberfest weekend has changed over the years. Different racing groups have been in charge of it. Since 2007, the ARCA Midwest Tour has hosted the main event.
Joe Shear is the only driver to win the main event five times. Travis Sauter and Dan Fredrickson are close behind with four wins each.
Here are some of the recent winners of the main event:
- 2019 Ty Majeski
- 2018 Andrew Morrissey
- 2017 Johnny Sauter
- 2016 Ty Majeski
- 2015 Dan Fredrickson
- 2014 Travis Sauter
- 2013 Nathan Haseleu
- 2012 Travis Sauter
- 2011 Travis Sauter
- 2010 Dan Fredrickson
- 2009 Travis Sauter
- 2008 Dan Fredrickson
- 2007 Dan Fredrickson
Images for kids
-
Sign during Oktoberfest
-
Ticket booth
-
Steve Carlson's 2009 late model
-
Super Late Models in Turn 4 starting the 2013 Dick Trickle 99
-
Scoring tower
