West Salem, WI- Former Oktoberfest winners, accounting for 28 of the 55 Oktoberfest wins are expected to be in attendance for this weekend’s 56th annual Oktoberfest Race Weekend at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway October 2-5, 2025.
1984 Bryan Reffner- Bryan Reffner will be in attendance Thursday Night as the short track racing community pays tribute to his father Tom Reffner, The Blue Knight. Tom Reffner won the inaugural Oktoberfest in 1970 and again in 1975 and 1983. Four 22-lap Features will be contested in honor of the Reffner family Thursday Night; The Knights and The Futures for Super Late Models and a pair of NASCAR Late Model events. Bryan’s nephew Colin will be competing in the Midwest Truck Series event on Saturday.
1985 John Ziegler- Known as the ‘Knight Stalker’, John Ziegler continues to have a presence at Oktoberfest, long after winning the 1985 edition. His grandson, Zack Riddle will be racing in the Big 8 Series Championship event on Saturday Night with Ziegler cheering on. For good reason, Riddle has twice won the Big 8 Oktoberfest, in 2012 and again in 2023.
*RACING* 1986 Rich Bickle, Jr- Rich Bickle, Jr will again be taking to the track during Oktoberfest. As he has done in recent years, he will pilot a Dick Trickle tribute car on Sunday afternoon of Fest. Bickle has remained ultra-competitive throughout the years at LaCrosse. His final start in a Super Late Model saw him charge to the front in the late goings, finishing fourth. Since taking to the wheel of the Vintage racer, he has finished second and third in the Upper Midwest Vintage Racing Series feature.
1990 Scott Hansen- Sunday morning will feature the Champions’ Reunion in the Turn 1 Hospitality Chalet. Hansen will be one of many former racers sharing stories from days gone by from 11-2pm. Any Championship winning racer from any tour, series or track that has not competed in the last three years is invited to attend, including Oktoberfest main event winners. Nearly 70 champion drivers attended last year. For more info contact dale@starmakermultimedia.com. Fans are invited to attend at no additional charge beyond their grandstand admission.
1991, 1992 Tom Carlson- Tom Carlson continues to win at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway, having won a Sportsmen feature this year in his 602 Outlaw car. While it remains to be seen whether or not his car will be repaired following a vicious wreck on Labor Day Weekend, the two-time Fest Winner is expected to be around the grounds.
*RACING* 2000 Steve Carlson- The former ARTGO Challenge Series, NASCAR Midwest and ASA Midwest Champion has again become a fixture of Weekly Racing at LaCrosse Fairgrounds. Racing his familiar #66 weekly, Carlson claimed the NASCAR National Title in 2007. He will be competing in four NASCAR Late Model events during Fest, alongside his son Mike.
2006 Steve Holzhausen- Steve Holzhausen followed up his 2006 Fest triumph with a win in the inaugural Dick Trickle 99 in 2007, a win celebrated in victory lane with Trickle, a two-time Fest Champ. Steve will spend Fest helping son Skylar chase his third consecutive track title. The Holzhausen family will also debut their new Super Late Model this weekend.
2007, 2008, 2010, 2015 Dan Fredrickson- Dan Fredrickson has four Oktoberfest Championships and is a four-time Trickle 99 Winner. Now his attention has turned to his son Ty. Ty won both the Futures and Trickle 99 events last year and now looks to add his name alongside his Dad’s on the hood of the Fest Mobile. The youngster has won two of the last three ASA Midwest Tour events leading into Fest.
2009, 2011, 2012, 2014 Travis Sauter- One of the potent combinations in Super Late Model racing won four out of six Oktoberfests. Travis Sauter was tough to beat. He continues to be tough to beat, now as the crew chief for two-time and defending ASA Midwest Tour Champion Gabe Sommers whom won the 2023 Fest under Sauter’s tutelage.
*RACING* 2013 Nathan Haseleu- The 2007 ASA Midwest Tour Champion will be competing in Sunday’s Upper Midwest Vintage Series feature, part of the final day of Oktoberfest. Nathan Haseleu has entered his family’s restored Late Model, formerly raced by his dad Tim at Jefferson and Columbus 151 Speedway.
*RACING* 2016, 2019, 2020, 2024 Ty Majeski- Ty Majeski will head back to LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway to chase his fifth Oktoberfest 200 win and second in a row on Sunday. The 2024 NASCAR Truck Champion will be racing in Charlotte Friday before turning his attention to Fest. Oktoberfest has been kind to Majeski, with countless NASCAR Late Model, Big 8 Series and Dick Trickle 99 wins to compliment his Sunday successes.
2017 Johnny Sauter- He has been a threat to win just about every time his #5 Super Late Model was on track at LaCrosse. Now Johnny Sauter, a former NASCAR Truck Series Champion has turned the reigns over to his son Penn. Penn has had an impressive Rookie campaign with strong showings at tracks throughout the Midwest.
*RACING* 2018, 2022 Andrew Morrissey- Morrissey is amongst the favorites for any of the three Super Late Model events he is entered into this weekend. Twice a winner on Sunday, Morrissey ran runner-up a season ago where he was also presented the ‘Faster than a Speeding Bullet’ award for having set fast time for Sunday’s 200-lap Championship Feature.
*RACING* 2021 Casey Johnson- Just three points separate Casey Johnson from Gabe Sommers. Johnson, who has won three times in ASA Midwest Tour action this summer is hoping a fourth will secure his fourth Tour title. Johnson will have a busy weekend in the pit area, helping with set-ups on many of the front runners in addition to his own efforts.
*RACING* 2023 Gabe Sommers- Gabe Sommers has not finished out of the top five in the Oktoberfest 200 in the last three attempts. A fifth, a win and last year a fourth place effort have greeted the two-time and defending ASA Midwest Tour Champion. He comes into Fest with a three point lead over Casey Johnson, having won the Tour’s most recent 200-lap go, the Jim Sauter Classic 200 at Dells Raceway Park Labor Day Weekend.
