NASCAR HOME TRACKS
La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway BY KEITH WALTZ
La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway in West Salem, Wisconsin, has been entertaining race fans in the upper Midwest since 1957 when officials began hosting auto races in conjunction with the annual fair. Today, the five-eighths-mile paved oval, which hosts weekly Saturday night racing under the NASCAR banner, is one of the nation’s premier short tracks. “Our shows are designed for race fans,” said Chuck Deery,
NASCAR HISTORY
who has managed and promoted the facility since 1987. “I’m a race fan, my race director – who I rely heavily on, Jeff Garbers, – is a race fan, and we put on races the way a race fan would want to see the races run. Sometimes it makes us less than popular with some race teams in how we do things, but, ultimately, it turns into a fun event to watch, a fun event to attend and it raises the bar on a competitive level for the race teams.”
‘HOOK EVENTS’
OKTOBERFEST
LA CROSSE FAIRGROUNDS SPEEDWAY
IN ADDITION TO AN ACTION-PACKED
HIGHLIGHTED BY A 200-LAP ARCA
was the first Wisconsin short track to compete
slate of NASCAR racing, Deery likes to spice
Midwest Tour feature, the season-ending
under NASCAR sanction when it joined what is
things up.
now the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series in 1989. “Typically, our weekly shows feature four
“Your hard-core race fans want to see the
Oktoberfest weekend has been the track’s marquee event since 1970.
Late Models and the Sportsman cars, but
“It is a family reunion for race fans and
the occasional fans want to see something
competitors,” Deery said. “For Joe Race Fan
divisions – a late model stock, a sportsman,
different,” he said. “Having races that are
in the upper Midwest, or across the nation
a hobby stock and an entry level four- or
novelty events adds an element to help us
for that matter, it’s an excellent destination
six-cylinder car,” Deery said about the track’s
market the track – plus their fun.”
NASCAR schedule that starts in late April. La Crosse regular Steve Carlson earned the 2007 NASCAR National Championship.
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POLE POSITION 2021
Events such as trailer races, demolition
to get a good dose of different racing – excellent racing – socialize, have some
derbies and mini-van races often leave the
fun, and just enjoy life and the sport of
fans cheering for more.
auto racing.”
