By: Kevin Ramsell
Friday, October 4, 2007 (West Salem, WI) – Andy Burgess took advantage of knowing the home track and Jeremy Miller finally picked up his first Big 8 Series Championship. While a new young star made its debut at the Big 8 Series event for the 38th Annual Oktoberfest Race Weekend at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway.
Jason Schuler and Matt Byrne battled side-by-side in the opening lap of the 40-lap feature event. Schuler would get past the 17-year-old pilot for the lead on lap 2.
Andy Burgess moved from his third starting spot to challenge Schuler for the lead on lap 5 when he battled for the spot on the inside of Schuler. Burgess would take over the top spot on lap 7. Ryan Carlson would follow Burgess and take over second.
Caution flew on lap 12 when something broke on Dan Jung’s car and he made contact with the turn one wall. Ricky Bilderback and Chad Stevens were also involved.
Burgess continued to lead on the re-start and started to pull away from Carlson.
Behind him, the huge crowd on hand was watching 14-year-old Ross Kenseth as he made his Big 8 Series debut by starting ninth after setting fast-time earlier in the day.
Kenseth would move to eighth on lap 14 as he got on the outside of Emily Sue Steck for the position.
Bilderback would retire from the event on lap 20, this basically wrapped up the championship for Miller.
Kenseth would continue his charge towards the front as he got the crowd on its feet as he went on the outside of Skylar Holzhausen coming out of turn four. Kenseth had so much momentum that he would also get by Schuler and jumped to the sixth position.
Burgess continued to hold a ten-car length lead over Carlson up front with ten laps to go. Kenseth would catch up to Todd Oliver and pass him on the outside with seven laps to go to take over the fifth position.
Burgess would cruise to the easy victory on his home track and become the tenth different winner in ten feature events this season for the Big 8 Series. Carlson would come home second with Byrne in third.
“We had a really awesome run,” a happy Burgess stated in victory lane. “We kind of know our way around here, but I thought the Big 8 regulars would have something more for us, but I guess they didn’t. These Big 8 guys are good clean racers and that is what its all about. Not every series gives you that.”
“The best car won,” a satisfied Carlson stated after the race. “He (Burgess) definitely had a better car than we did. We were good on re-starts but on the long run he was better.”
Byrne was pleased with his third place run, “This is awesome.” The 17-year-old stated. “I didn’t know if we could do it with this crate engine with these Big 8 Limited guys, but we pulled it off.”
Kenseth would easily get past Miller going into turn one on the last lap and come home with a fourth place finish.
“Once we got going, we couldn’t stop,” a smiling Kenseth stated after the race. “Miller let me go on the last lap; I guess he was going for the championship.”
Miller was impressed with Kenseth’s run, “Me and him, we became pretty good buddies and he is also driving a Pathfinder Chassis. He is a youngster and he has a lot of talent. He was faster than us and I didn’t want to hold him up.”
Miller’s fifth place finish secured the 2007 Big 8 Series championship. “Last year, we had a motor problem at the end of the year at Lake Geneva. And I just didn’t get the job done here.” Miller stated. “We put the whole package together this year and it worked out.”
Previous Big 8 Series champions include: 2005 – Jon Reynolds Jr., 2006 – Ricky Bilderback.
Shawn Pfaff held off Gib Scharpf and Andy Burgess to win the first qualifier heat. Kris Kelly took home the second qualifier heat.
John Baumeister Jr. and Chad Stevens advanced to the feature in the first of three 10-lap qualifying races. Mike Beyer was third and Ricky Bilderback was fourth. Both will have to come through a last chance race to make the field.
Ricky Bilderback had to win the first last chance race to earn his spot into the feature. Brian Back was second. 2005 Oktoberfest Big 8 Series winner, Mike Beyer, won the second last chance race with Gary Natrop also earning a spot with his second place finish.
Dan Jung and Andy Jirik earned spots to the feature in the second qualifier race, while Bobby Wilberg and Tim Nelson earned spots from third qualifier race.
Earlier in the day, Kenseth picked up his first “Faster Than a Speeding Bullet” for his fast time of 20.515 seconds.
For more information on the Big 8 Series, please visit the track’s website at www.big8series.com.