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Moffitt Adds to His Rookie Year Racing Resume During “Oktoberfest”
by: Chuck Stowe
GRIMES, IA (Oct. 6) – Brett Moffitt’s results during 39th
Annual “Oktobefest”, hosted by the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway located in
West Salem, WI, put an explanation mark on his already impressive resume for
his rookie year in asphalt racing.
During qualifying for Thursday nights Super Late Model
“Futures” event, a new division this year featuring the Midwest’s most
talented and up and coming Super Late Model competitors mixed with seasoned
veterans, the young Moffitt set quick time for this unique event that is
only open to Super Late Model drivers who have never started in an
“Oktoberfest” main event. Moffitt’s official time was 19.195 seconds.
Moffitt’s spin of the wheel to determine the invert for the starting lineup
would put the fast qualifier starting 10th from outside the fifth row. On
lap seven, the only yellow of the twenty-five lap feature came out. Moffitt
restarted the race from his tenth place starting position moving to ninth
place by lap nine, eighth place by lap thirteen, an into fifth place by lap
eighteen. On the last lap coming out of turn four, Thor Anderson noised past
Moffitt, crossing the finish line mere inches in front him. Moffitt finished
the race with another top ten, scored officially in sixth place.
On Friday, Moffitt entered the Second Annual Dick Trickle “99.” Super Late
Model event that consisted of three 33-lap segments, modeled after the
famous “Milk Bowl” held at ThunderRoad Speedway in Barre, VT. In qualifying,
Moffitt would set his second quick time in as many days, circling the La
Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway in 19.100 seconds, .095 faster than his
qualifying time on Thursday. Starting on the pole for the first segment,
Moffitt lead the first six laps. Challenged by several short track veterans,
Moffitt would finish fourth in the first segment. With the invert, Moffitt
would start the second segment from the twentieth position. From the
restart, Moffitt moved five spots by the end, finishing fifteenth, one spot
short of the invert for the start of the third segment. In the third
segment, Moffitt would race to a tenth place finish and buy the time the
points had been tallied from all three segments the young rookie from
Grimes, Iowa finished with a total of twenty-nine points, finishing the Dick
Trickle “99” in tenth place overall.
Saturday Nights show was really what the weekend was all about for Moffitt
and the 5K Motorsports team. A good run in the ASA Late Model North Series
“Oktoberfest 100” would mean winning the North Series “Rookie of the Year”
honors and possibly moving into second place in the overall points
standings. The pressure was on, as the first year asphalt driver needed to
qualify well for the extra points and, if he could lead a lap there would be
more bonus points. A good finish in front of Jeremy Miller would mean a lock
on the “Rookie of the Year” award. A finish in front of Jesse Saunders could
mean climbing into second place in the overall ASALMS North points. Moffitt
qualified very well. As a matter of fact Moffitt’s time of 19.257 was the
time to beat through most of qualifying, until late when Wisconsin’s own
Steve Carlson circled the speedway at 19.251, a mere .006 seconds faster
than Moffitt. (On a side note, earlier in the day, during practice, Moffitt
posted a new unofficial track record by circling the semi-banked speed plant
in 19.085 seconds) With the ASA Late Model North Series invert, Moffitt
would start the 100 lap feature from sixth place, Carlson from seventh.
From the start, Carlson who’s starting spot was from the inside lane, moved
quickly into the lead. The young Moffitt was however on a mission. By lap
twenty Moffitt had moved up to the fourth, by lap 25 he had moved into third
and was positioned to make a move for second. Working the high side, on lap
forty-four Moffitt moved into second and was reeling in Carlson, who had put
a straight away on the field. By lap fifty-four, Moffitt had caught Carlson
and was on his rear bumper. On that same lap, a lap car spun in front of
Carlson who checked up and with nowhere to go, Moffitt bumped Carlson,
spinning him. ASA Late Model officials charged the lap car with the yellow,
moving Carlson back in front, with Moffitt in second for the restart. From
the lap fifty-five restart, Carlson and Moffitt stole the show. Over 5,000
fans stood on their feet for the next thirty-nine laps, fixed on the lead
cars, as the young rookie dogged the seasoned veteran racing noise to tail,
a half a lap ahead of the rest of the field. The crowd went wild when on lap
ninety-four, Moffitt who had been working the high side for the last three
or four laps, pulled to the outside of Carlson, passing him coming out of
turn four and leading lap ninety-four. Racing down the backstretch, Carlson
showed Moffitt his nose and entering turn three Carlson would past Moffitt,
regaining the lead. A yellow on lap ninety-seven and another on lap
ninety-nine would set up a shootout between the rookie and the veteran.
Restarting the race on lap ninety-nine, meant there would be a green white
checkered finish, extending the original 100 lap race to 101 laps. Carlson
would go on to win, but Brett Moffitt would challenge him right to the end,
coming up just a half a car length short when crossing the finish line.
In a column published by the La Crosse Tribune on Sunday, sports writer Jeff
Brown wrote:
“What made a crowd estimated at nearly 5,000 stick around, however, was one
of the best battles for first place in the history of the Oktoberfest Race
Weekend. Wiley veteran Steve Carlson, who folks around the La Crosse
Fairgrounds Speedway know very well, had his hands full — and then some —
with a 16-year-old whiz kid named Brett Moffitt. Remember that name. Carlson
and Moffitt were inches apart — or less — for much of the final 15 laps, and
put on a show that had the crowd on its feet. Moffitt, in fact, stole the
lead from Carlson six laps from the finish of what was slated to be a
100-lap race, but Carlson refused to give up. Carlson took the lead back on
Lap 95, and held off Moffitt for the feature victory in what was the most
hotly contested race of the 39th annual Oktoberfest Race Weekend so far”.
In Victory Lane, when asked to comment on his well deserved second place
finish Moffitt said, “To finish second to Steve in a race in Wisconsin is no
problem. I have to thank the 5K crew for giving me an excellent car
tonight”. When asked about the young Moffitt, in Victory Lane, Carlson
commented, “You need to keep an eye on that kid; he is fast now and is only
going to get faster. I am just happy to be here in Victory Lane for
“Oktoberfest” it seems like forever since we last won this event in 2000”,
concluded Carlson.
With his second place finish, Moffitt sealed the 2008 ASA Late Model North
Series “Rookie of the Year” award and while the official points have not yet
been posted, calculations by Moffitt and the 5K Motorsports team have then
believing that Moffitt will finish the season second in the overall ASA Late
Model North Series points - a rookie season Moffitt can be very proud of
considering that last year he was racing IMCA SportMods on the dirt, and in
2006 he was competing in go-karts.
While Saturday night’s event was the highlight of the weekend and the race
Moffitt had been concentrating on, his racing weekend was not yet over.
Moffitt and crew entered the ASA Midwest Tour Super Late Model event
scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Qualifying and qualifying races for the
Sunday event were actually held on Saturday afternoon. Forty-eight cars were
on hand to qualify and Moffitt’s qualifying time of 18.944 was fast time and
a new track record, early in qualifying. Three others went on to qualify
mere hundredths of a second faster than Moffitt who ended up with the fourth
fastest qualifying time. The Sunday field was set based on results of the
Saturday qualifying races. On Sunday, Moffitt started the 100 lap Super Late
Model feature from outside the tenth row, in twentieth. From the start
Moffitt could not get a handle on the car. Using yellows on lap thirty-seven
and lap seventy-five to work on the car, Moffitt would be relegated to the
rear of the field for the restarts. From the final restart on lap
seventy-five, Moffitt gave it all he had, racing hard the last twenty-five
laps, eventually ending the race in the seventeenth position.
For his efforts during the 39th Annual “Oktoberfest Weekend” including; two
fast times, one second fast time and a forth fast time, a sixth place finish
in the Super Late Model “Futures” feature, an overall tenth place Dick
Trickle “99” finish, a well deserved second place finish in the ASA Late
Model North Series “Oktoberfest 100”, and a seventeenth place finish in the
ASA Midwest Tour “Oktoberfest 100”, La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway
“Oktobefest” officials awarded Brett Moffitt the Al Schilling “Young Gun
Award” for the 2008 Oktoberfest Race Weekend. All of this will put an
explanation mark on Moffitt’s resume for his rookie season competing on the
asphalt.
For more information about Brett Moffitt or to follow his racing career, log
on to his web site at: www.brettmoffitt.com
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