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 WEST
SALEM, WI (October 6) -- Brian Hoppe was on fire on a blustery Sunday
afternoon at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway. Hoppe charged from last
place to win the Oktoberfest 250 in the NASCAR RE/MAX Challenge Series
over the weekend. The win also narrowed the distance between Hoppe and
current series point leader Steve Carlson to just 34 points heading
into the final race of the season. The win was Hoppe's fourth of the
season and ties him with Carlson for the series lead.
In just the past four seasons, the RE/MAX title has
been won by either Steve Carlson or Brian Hoppe and this year will be
no different. Carlson has won three out of the last four championships
with Hoppe winning in 1999. Last season went down to the wire with
Carlson winning the title and Hoppe claiming runner-up honors. Now
Hoppe has clawed his way back to within striking distance of the cagey
veteran with one race remaining on the NASCAR RE/MAX Challenge Series.
Twenty-eight cars started the 250-lap event on a
chilly Sunday afternoon on Wisconsin's .545-mile LaCrosse Fairgrounds
Speedway. The exciting race featured 11 lead changes among seven
different drivers before 28th starting Brian Hoppe took the race lead
for the first and final time on lap 212. Hoppe had been relegated to
starting at the end of the field after being penalized for testing at
the facility earlier in the year violating NASCAR series rules.
Hoppe won $6,550 for his first place finish. Jon
Lemke, after starting sixth, finished in second place and collected
$3,725. Rounding out the top three was 10th starting Justin Diercks.
Diercks collected $2,875 for the final podium spot.
Thirteen drivers finished the race on the lead-lap.
Steve Holzhausen and Tim Schendel wound up fourth and fifth,
respectively. Series points leader Steve Carlson finished 17th after
running out of fuel due to a problem with his fuel vent tube.
Carlson's 17th place finish combined with Hoppe's
victory sets the stage for another exciting finish to the RE/MAX
Series season. Carlson will enter the final race 34 points ahead of
Hoppe.
Hoosier Asphalt Product Manager Terry Newton traveled
to Wisconsin to watch several races held at the fairgrounds. Newton
commented, "It was an awesome race. A last-to-first finish, who
could ask for more." Newton added, "I had my heavy Hoosier
Winston Jacket ready for anything, but the weather held out well
enough to get the entire race in. It was a great weekend of racing for
all the fans, teams and drivers."
The final NASCAR RE/MAX Challenge Series race of the
season will be October 19th, at Illinois' Rockford Speedway.
Hoosier Racing Tire Corp. is proud to be the exclusive
supplier of American-made tires to the NASCAR RE/MAX Challenge Series
for the 2002 season.
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