RGeeProductions
10-06-2008, 11:47 PM
Oktoberfest 2008 enjoyed a beautiful fall weekend, with a pit area jam-packed with competitors from all over the region looking for one last win on the year. All of the 2008 Champions were honored in a special ceremony before the Sunday afternoon feature events, with Larry Gelinas accepting the honors as NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Champion. Other drivers honored were Eddie Witkum, Jr., Mac Tools Small Block Super Champion, Wayne Helliwell, Jr., Prime Storage Late Model Sportsman Champion, Jim Russell, Planet Aid Hobby Stock Champion, Ricky Porter, Roadrunner Champion, and Chris Harding, Ironman Champion.
The True Value Modifieds were the headline attraction at Oktoberfest ’08, and it was former weekly Small Block Super competitor Jon McKennedy taking down the win after starting the race deep in the field. Ed Dachenhausen, Kirk Alexander, and Les Hinckley all led the race at one time or another, but in the late laps, it turned out to be a two-car shootout between leader Jimmy Kuhn and McKennedy. McKennedy found room underneath Kuhn after a late-race restart, and made the pass cleanly to motor on to victory. Kuhn settled for runner-up honors over former Lee USA winner Hinckley .
In the Small Block Supers, Eddie Witkum once again dominated the action, but this time he did it handling the driving duties for Dave Bouchard. Bouchard has had such notables as 2005 Champ Mike Ordway, Jr., and ISMA regular Jamie Timmons in the cockpit this season, but this was the team’s first trip to victory lane in ‘08. Butch Valley, Jr. continued to impress with a strong second place run, with David Duggan getting his best finish of the year in the third spot. Jim Lowrey, Jr. and Larry Herring of Lone Tree, Iowa rounded out the top five.
Bryan Kruczek held off a tough Charlie Rousseau to maintain the early lead in the Late Model main, but J.R. Baril and Larry Gelinas moved in quickly to join the fray. In a three-wide move down the backstretch, Baril made his move past Kruczek to the point, but he wasn’t there too long before losing the spot to Ryan Vanasse, who went on to score the win, his first Oktoberfest victory. Baril edged out 2008 champ Gelinas to take the second spot, with Rousseau, Kruczek, Ricky Wolf, Gerry Degasparre, Jr., Ben Lynch, Bill Bernard, and Todd “The Hammer” Henshaw finishing up the top ten.
Nick Boivin jumped out to the early lead in the Late Model Sportsman main, with Bobby Melvin and Scott Zilinski in hot pursuit for the first ten laps. “Piranha” Pete Evans was on the outside and on the move, but that ended in a hurry when he found big trouble. Melvin and Evans got together on the back straightaway, with Evans climbing the wall and sliding to a stop driver’s side down. The Piranha climbed out uninjured, but he was definitely done for the day. When action resumed, Zilinski took command of the event, and he went the distance to post the win. Boivin took second, with 2007 Oktoberfest winner Dan Eaton, Melvin, Michele Fushpanski, Christopher Turbush, Bobby Chartier, John Vullo, David Koenig, and Richard Lamotte, Jr the remainder of the top ten.
Defending race winner Ron Washburn grabbed the early lead in the Hobby Stock main, but contact on lap six sent him for a spin and out of contention. Washburn collected Eric Hoffman when he spun in front of traffic; both were done for the day. Alby Ovitt was the next Lee regular to step up, and he ran his usual outside grove to the lead. Once out front, Ovitt was good to go the rest of the way, holding the lead until the checkers to score the win. Jim Russell came on strong in the late laps to score second, with Sean Foster, Jim Shorey, Charlie Rose, Paul Newcombe, Bill Fiske, Scott Serydynski, Wade Worster, and Matt Robinson rounding out the top ten.
Ken McIlvaine broke out to the lead when the Outlaw Mini Stocks went green, but he was quickly caught and passed by Ricky Porter. Porter’s time out front was also short-lived, as Ed drake powered by to take over the top spot. Drake lost power and had to be pushed back to the pits, with ’07 Oktoberfest winner Jim Dennis taking over the point from there. Porter managed to regain the lead momentarily, but Dennis returned the favor in the late laps to take the win. Porter took second place honors, with McIlvaine, Enerson Cayer, Chris McKinstry, Scott Adams, Ashley Marshall, Eric Bourgeois, Ashley Rousseau, and Dennis Wallace finishing up the top ten.
Porter was on top of the 4-cylinder world at Oktoberfest, besides his strong second place run in the Outlaw Mini Stocks, has was the man to beat in the Roadrunners as well. Steve Nichols and Timmy Johnson swapped the lead back and forth for a couple of laps, but when Porter got to the front, it was a done deal. Porter cruised on to take the win, with Lance Barthelemy, Chris McKinstry, Johnson, Steve Nichols, Ben Brown, Robert Chats, Beth Adams, Michele Walsh, Joe Rogers the rest of the top ten.
Jamie Heath made it back-to-back Oktoberfest wins in the Ironman feature event, taking down an impressive win over Phil Knolton, Jim Carley, #9 Mark Turner, Shane Horvath, Kevin Emery, Dave Thomas, Jr., Joshua Rutherford, Raymond Dinsmore, and Crystal Brown.
Cody Gneiting took down the win in the Allison Legacy North Series, holding off Paul Tuthill and Shannon Smith to grab the win.
Lee USA Speedway
The True Value Modifieds were the headline attraction at Oktoberfest ’08, and it was former weekly Small Block Super competitor Jon McKennedy taking down the win after starting the race deep in the field. Ed Dachenhausen, Kirk Alexander, and Les Hinckley all led the race at one time or another, but in the late laps, it turned out to be a two-car shootout between leader Jimmy Kuhn and McKennedy. McKennedy found room underneath Kuhn after a late-race restart, and made the pass cleanly to motor on to victory. Kuhn settled for runner-up honors over former Lee USA winner Hinckley .
In the Small Block Supers, Eddie Witkum once again dominated the action, but this time he did it handling the driving duties for Dave Bouchard. Bouchard has had such notables as 2005 Champ Mike Ordway, Jr., and ISMA regular Jamie Timmons in the cockpit this season, but this was the team’s first trip to victory lane in ‘08. Butch Valley, Jr. continued to impress with a strong second place run, with David Duggan getting his best finish of the year in the third spot. Jim Lowrey, Jr. and Larry Herring of Lone Tree, Iowa rounded out the top five.
Bryan Kruczek held off a tough Charlie Rousseau to maintain the early lead in the Late Model main, but J.R. Baril and Larry Gelinas moved in quickly to join the fray. In a three-wide move down the backstretch, Baril made his move past Kruczek to the point, but he wasn’t there too long before losing the spot to Ryan Vanasse, who went on to score the win, his first Oktoberfest victory. Baril edged out 2008 champ Gelinas to take the second spot, with Rousseau, Kruczek, Ricky Wolf, Gerry Degasparre, Jr., Ben Lynch, Bill Bernard, and Todd “The Hammer” Henshaw finishing up the top ten.
Nick Boivin jumped out to the early lead in the Late Model Sportsman main, with Bobby Melvin and Scott Zilinski in hot pursuit for the first ten laps. “Piranha” Pete Evans was on the outside and on the move, but that ended in a hurry when he found big trouble. Melvin and Evans got together on the back straightaway, with Evans climbing the wall and sliding to a stop driver’s side down. The Piranha climbed out uninjured, but he was definitely done for the day. When action resumed, Zilinski took command of the event, and he went the distance to post the win. Boivin took second, with 2007 Oktoberfest winner Dan Eaton, Melvin, Michele Fushpanski, Christopher Turbush, Bobby Chartier, John Vullo, David Koenig, and Richard Lamotte, Jr the remainder of the top ten.
Defending race winner Ron Washburn grabbed the early lead in the Hobby Stock main, but contact on lap six sent him for a spin and out of contention. Washburn collected Eric Hoffman when he spun in front of traffic; both were done for the day. Alby Ovitt was the next Lee regular to step up, and he ran his usual outside grove to the lead. Once out front, Ovitt was good to go the rest of the way, holding the lead until the checkers to score the win. Jim Russell came on strong in the late laps to score second, with Sean Foster, Jim Shorey, Charlie Rose, Paul Newcombe, Bill Fiske, Scott Serydynski, Wade Worster, and Matt Robinson rounding out the top ten.
Ken McIlvaine broke out to the lead when the Outlaw Mini Stocks went green, but he was quickly caught and passed by Ricky Porter. Porter’s time out front was also short-lived, as Ed drake powered by to take over the top spot. Drake lost power and had to be pushed back to the pits, with ’07 Oktoberfest winner Jim Dennis taking over the point from there. Porter managed to regain the lead momentarily, but Dennis returned the favor in the late laps to take the win. Porter took second place honors, with McIlvaine, Enerson Cayer, Chris McKinstry, Scott Adams, Ashley Marshall, Eric Bourgeois, Ashley Rousseau, and Dennis Wallace finishing up the top ten.
Porter was on top of the 4-cylinder world at Oktoberfest, besides his strong second place run in the Outlaw Mini Stocks, has was the man to beat in the Roadrunners as well. Steve Nichols and Timmy Johnson swapped the lead back and forth for a couple of laps, but when Porter got to the front, it was a done deal. Porter cruised on to take the win, with Lance Barthelemy, Chris McKinstry, Johnson, Steve Nichols, Ben Brown, Robert Chats, Beth Adams, Michele Walsh, Joe Rogers the rest of the top ten.
Jamie Heath made it back-to-back Oktoberfest wins in the Ironman feature event, taking down an impressive win over Phil Knolton, Jim Carley, #9 Mark Turner, Shane Horvath, Kevin Emery, Dave Thomas, Jr., Joshua Rutherford, Raymond Dinsmore, and Crystal Brown.
Cody Gneiting took down the win in the Allison Legacy North Series, holding off Paul Tuthill and Shannon Smith to grab the win.
Lee USA Speedway