GOEDE DOUBLE AT LACROSSE

The LaCrosse Speedway is home to the newest on-track rivalry between two of the biggest superstars in Late Model racing throughout the Midwest.

When he decided to start racing weekly here at LaCrosse three years ago, Jacob Goede and Skylar Holzhausen have proven time and time again the cream of short track racing has risen to the top here. After falling a little short in 2023 and 2024, Goede finally got the better of Holzhausen last year to claim his first career weekly championship here at LaCrosse. While Goede may have had an unusually slow start to his title defense this year, the second round of double features that took place tonight was just the cure to help Goede get his LaCrosse short track program back to where it usually is. Goede powered by Mike Carlson with eight laps remaining and ran off with his first feature victory of the year. Charging around Steve Bachman just past the halfway mark, Goede left Holzhausen in his wake to notch his second feature triumph of the night.

The first 20 lap Pischke Motors feature for the NASCAR Late Models saw a hard fought side-by-side battle at the start between Mike Carlson (West Salem, WI) and Steve Carlson (West Salem, WI). Mike began to make the outer groove work to his advantage as he surged past Steve to lead the pack at the end of lap two. Contact between Carter Horstman (Bangor, WI) and Adam Degenhardt (Coon Valley, WI) in turn three sent both hard into the outside wall on lap five. Jacob Goede (Carver, MN) tried to look under Adam Bendzick (New Prague, MN) to go after third right off the restart. Two laps later Goede got that golden opening to move into third place. Goede tried to power around Steve Carlson for second, but they made contact and Carlson got loose. Bendzick tried to avoid Carlson but spun coming out of turn four just before halfway. Goede began to put on a ton of pressure on Mike Carlson for the lead down the front straight, and down the back straight on lap 12 Goede surged past Carlson to take over the number one position. Steve Carlson had his hands full over the second half of the race trying to hold onto third over fast qualifier Steve Bachman. Goede was long gone as he drove away with a comfortable feature win. After the race Goede said “Realistically we have been working on getting the right balance despite using older tires. I believe we are getting closer to getting back to where we have been in the past.”

Tom Luethe (West Salem, WI) used the outside lane well in turns three and four to get ahead of Cole Howland (LaCrosse, WI) to lead 20 lap Pischke Motors NASCAR Late Model feature #2. Howland remained relentless on the inside in getting back around Leuthe to take back the top spot on lap three. Howland would have a mirror full of quick time qualifier Steve Bachman (Bangor, WI) as he desperately tried to remain in first. Robert Bradley (Bangor, WI) did a solo spin in turn two to slow the action down on lap five.

Howland was in a hornet’s nest on the restart with Bachman, Jacob Goede (Carver, MN) and Skylar Holzhausen (Bangor, WI) hot on his heels. Bachman powered underneath Howland to take charge of the race on lap eight. Goede and Holzhausen dropped Howland back to fourth on lap nine, and both drivers were making quick progress in catching Bachman. Goede was the first to go to the outer lane and moved into first on lap 11, and a lap later Bachman would surrender the runner-up place to Holzhausen. There would not be enough time for Holzhausen to challenge for the win as Goede scored the first clean sweep of a double feature night since he swept the double features on Oktoberfest Friday in 2023.

After the race Goede said “We could not ask for a better night on the track. Our racing program here at LaCrosse is coming back to where we had it.”

The NASCAR Sportsmen feature saw two-time champion Bob Fort (Fountain City, WI) powered by rookie Landon Lockington (Melrose, WI) to claim the lead position.

Kyle Wahlgren (McFarland, WI) used the outside lane to give Fort all that he could handle.  Tina Lodermeier (Rosemount, MN) powered under Walgreen to claim second on lap three, then would surge ahead of Fort to take over the lead on lap five.  Fort tangled with Mark Challet (Bangor, WI) in turn two and ran into Justin Berg (Bangor, WI) to bring out the yellow flag on lap seven.  

As Wahlgren began to lose ground to Lodermeier, Charles Vian, Jr. (Sparta, WI) began to look for a way by Wahlgren for second.  Vian, Jr. got that opening down the back straight just past halfway.  A fender rub flattened a tire and ended Berg’s night against the turn four wall with three laps to go.  The restart was waved off after Zach Oliver (Rockland, WI) and Vian, Jr. made contact in turn one that also collected Wahlgren.  Lodermeier pulled away from Oliver over the final three lap restart to claim her second feature win of the season.