Madison International Speedway
Official Press Release
Contact John Wells 608.225.1913
Travis Sauter Sweeps Triple Crown Challenge at MIS
Oregon, WI- (Friday, August 31, 2012)-
Travis Sauter made it look easy by winning both Super Late Model Triple Crown Challenge Series feature races tonight and giving him four straight wins at Madison International Speedway.
“I’ve got just an all star group of guys working on this car and they really have us looking like an all star team right now. Things have been going pretty well here at Madison,” said Sauter in a post race interview.
Fans were treated to an incredible fireworks show presented by ThunderCat Fireworks.
During pre-race ceremonies Father Dale Grubba interviewed Tom Reffner who recalled many of his great years racing at Madison including the 1975 season when he won sixteen races and one of his two track championships. “I have a lot of great memories of this place. This was one of the tracks I had the most success,” said Reffner.
Sauter Rolls to Victory
Travis Sauter won the first fifty lap feature for the Super Late Model Triple Crown Challenge Series.
David Byrne and Austin Luedtke brought the field of eighteen cars to the green flag. Luedtke jumped to an early lead of six car lengths over Byrne and Matt Kocourek. Byrne and Kocourek tangled on lap 3 bringing out the first caution flag as Byrne made heavy contact with the wall in turn four while Kocourek was sent to the rear of the field.
Luedtke and Jeff Storm took their positions in the front row for the re-start and raced side by side for the next two laps before Storm nudged his way by Luedtke for the lead with a front stretch pass. Storm quickly built a ten car length lead followed by Luedtke, Dale Nottestad, Nathan Haseleu, and Travis Sauter.
The pack chasing Storm was gaining ground fast and by lap 12 the lead was down to two lengths. On lap 15 Sauter took over the fourth position when he was able to get to the inside of Haseleu entering turn three. Sauter and Haseleu moved up another position when they were able to get by Nottestad on lap 17. Bad luck struck Nottestad on lap 19 when a tire went down slowing his car and bringing out the second caution flag.
With Luedtke going to the inside for the restart, Sauter chose the outside line and easily took the lead away from Storm. A stalled car trying to exit the track on lap 23 brought out the third caution flag of the race.
Sauter and Storm lined up side by side for the restart and a great side by side battle took place with each driver taking turns leading before Sauter grabbed the advantage on lap 27. Storm now was forced to deal with Haseleu who was up to challenge him for second while Sauter was building a sizeable lead which by lap 30 had grown to fifteen car lengths. Meanwhile, Andrew Morrissey, who started last, was up to fifth and beginning to work on Luedtke for fourth.
Haseleu desperately tried to get inside of Storm for second and on lap 33 the two got together with Haseleu spinning and both cars going to the back. This made the top five Sauter, Luedtke, Morrissey, Gary LaMonte, and Rich Bickle.
Morrissey elected to line up outside of Sauter for the restart, but Sauter wasted no time in regaining the lead and putting some room between himself and the field.
It was smooth sailing the rest of the way for Sauter who picked up his third straight win at MIS and second Triple Crown Challenge Series feature win. Morrissey finished in the runner-up position followed by Luedtke, Bickle, and Haseleu.
Sauter Does It Again
Travis Sauter made it two for two by picking up the win in the second fifty lap feature.
Jordan Thiel and Brandon Hill brought the field to the green flag in the second fifty lap race. Hill jumped out to a big lead as Thiel failed to get up to speed, but his lead was short-lived as Jeff Storm took over the top spot on the second lap. Rich Bickle was up to challenge Hill for second on lap 13 and two laps later found room inside of Hill to take the position. Hill quickly fell several places on the track as Matt Kocourek moved up to third followed by Nathan Haseleu and Russ Blakely.
Dale Nottestad joined the top five on lap 19 with Travis Sauter applying heavy pressure for the spot. Nottestad could only hold off Sauter for five more laps before surrendering the fifth position on lap 24.
Storm’s lead was starting to evaporate as both Bickle and Haseleu were within a car length on lap 29. On lap 30 Sauter dodged inside of Kocourek to move into the fourth position and took third from Haseleu on lap 32.
The first caution of the race came on lap 34 when Andrew Morrissey lost a wheel in turn four and bringing out the cone for the restart.
Bickle chose to start on the outside of Storm in the front row and took the lead. The driver on the move was Bobby Wilberg who had worked his way from the tail end of the field at the start to fifth.
Storm could only hold onto second place for one more lap before Sauter powered by him and started to hunt down Bickle. On lap 39 Sauter moved to the inside of Bickle going into turn one and took the lead on the backstretch.
From there Sauter opened up a twelve car length lead over Bickle who was in a dog fight with Haseleu and Wilberg.
Like the first race, Sauter cruised the rest of the way to victory lane while Bickle finished second followed by Haseleu, Wilberg, and Dale Nottestad.
Jeremy Miller set fast time with a lap of 17.792 (101.169 mph). Nathan Haseleu also turned a lap of 17.792, but since it came after Miller qualified, Miller was credited with fast time. Rounding out the top five in time were Travis Sauter (17.841), Jeff Storm (17.851), and Dale Nottestad (17.858). Unfortunately, Miller’s night ended after qualifying as mechanical issues forced him to scratch from both feature races.
50 Lap Feature #1 :1. Travis Sauter (Prairie du Sac, WI), 2. Andrew Morrissey (DeForest, WI), 3. Austin Luedtke (Adell, WI), 4. Rich Bickle (Janesville, WI), 5. Nathan Haseleu (Pardeeville, WI), 6. Frank Kreyer (Wisconsin Dells, WI), 7. Gary LaMonte (West Allis, WI), 8. Russ Blakely (Whitewater, WI), 9. Jeff Storm (Waterford, WI), 10. Matt Kocourek (Franklin, WI), 11. Brandon Hill (Genoa City, WI), 12. Jordan Thiel (Appleton, WI), 13. Chuck Garetson (Albany, WI), 14. Kelsey Bauer (Random Lake, WI), 15. Dale Nottestad (Cambridge, WI), 16. Nick Barstad (Prior Lake, MN), 17. Bobby Wilberg (Beloit, WI), 18. David Byrne (Shullsburg, WI), 19. Jeremy Miller (Rockton, IL)- DNS
50 Lap Feature #2 :1. Travis Sauter (Prairie du Sac, WI), 2. Rich Bickle (Janesville, WI), 3. Nathan Haseleu (Pardeeville, WI), 4. Bobby Wilberg (Beloit, WI), 5. Matt Kocourek (Franklin, WI), 6. Dale Nottestad (Cambridge, WI), 7. Jeff Storm (East Troy, WI), 8. Nick Barstad (Prior Lake, MN), 9. Russ Blakely (Whitewater, WI), 10. Brandon Hill (Genoa City, WI), 11. Gary LaMonte (West Allis, WI), 12. Austin Luedtke (Adell, WI), 13. Chuck Garetson (Albany, WI), 14. Kelsey Bauer (Random Lake, WI), 15. Andrew Morrissey (DeForest, WI), 16. Frank Kreyer (Wisconsin Dells, WI), 17. Jordan Thiel (Appleton, WI), 18. David Byrne (Shullsburg, WI), 19. Jeremy Miller (Rockton, IL),
Qualifying:1. Jeremy Miller (Rockton, IL), 2. Nathan Haseleu (Pardeeville, WI), 3. Travis Sauter (Prairie du Sac, WI), 4. Jeff Storm (Waterford, WI), 5. Dale Nottestad (Cambridge, WI), 6. Matt Kocourek (Franklin, WI), 7. Nick Barstad (Prior Lake, MN), 8. Austin Luedtke (Adell, WI), 9. David Byrne (Shullsburg, WI), 10. Gary LaMonte (West Allis, WI), 11. Jordan Thiel (Appleton, WI), 12. Bobby Wilberg (Beloit, WI), 13. Brandon Hill (Genoa City, WI), 14. Rich Bickle (Janesville, WI), 15. Russ Blakely (Whitewater, WI), 16. Andrew Morrissey (DeForest, WI), 17. Frank Kreyer (Wisconsin Dells, WI), 18. Chuck Garetson (Albany, WI), 19. Kelsey Bauer (Random Lake, WI),
Super Late Model Triple Crown Challenge Point Standings
1. (289)Nathan Haseleu (Pardeeville, WI), 2. (239)Rich Bickle (Janesville, WI), 3. (206)Jeremy Miller (Rockton, IL), 4. (203)Bobby Wilberg (Beloit, WI), 5. (196)Travis Sauter (Prairie du Sac, WI), 6. (186)Gary LaMonte (West Allis, WI), 7. (167)Frank Kreyer (Wisconsin Dells, WI), 8. (146)Jeff Storm (East Troy, WI), 9. (142)Andrew Morrissey (DeForest, WI), 10. (139)Austin Luedtke (Adell, WI), 11. (129)Kelsey Bauer (Random Lake, WI), 12. (113)Russ Blakely (Whitewater, WI), 13. (101)Dale Nottestad (Cambridge, WI), 14. (84)Dave Feiler (Sun Prairie, WI), 15. (79)Matt Kocourek (Franklin, WI), 16. (76)Dennis Prunty (Knowles, WI), 17. (70)Jordan Thiel (Appleton, WI), 18. (61)Mike Held (West Bend, WI), 19. (60)Frank Nitzke (Berlin, WI), 20. (57)Derek Childs (Poynette, WI), 21. (54)Tanner Whitten (Congerville, IL), 22. (53)Mike Egan (Slinger, WI), 23. (48)Blake Brown (Franksville, WI), 24. (47)Landry Potter (Genoa City, WI), 25. (47)Brandon Hill (Genoa City, WI), 26. (45)Nick Barstad (Prior Lake, MN), 27. (41)Chuck Garetson (Albany, WI), 28. (39)Jeremy Schulz (Winthrop Harbor, IL), 29. (37)Kyle Brinkmann (Elkhorn, WI), 30. (36)David Byrne (Shullsburg, WI), 31. (35)Tim Lampman (Oak Creek, WI), 32. (29)Don Wickstrum (Monroe, WI),
The top twenty-four in points automatically will receive a starting position in the Race of Champions in September.
Racing continues on Sunday, September 23rd with the MIS Fall Classic featuring the Super Late Model Triple Crown Challenge Race of Champions plus other support divisions. Pit gates open at 10:00 AM, practice at 11:00 AM, qualifying at 1:00 PM with racing to follow. For more information please check the track website at madisoninternationalspeedway.com.