Ty Majeski and his team are the toast of Oktoberfest again and closing on La Crosse racing history
WEST SALEM – Oktoberfest isn’t a home game for Ty Majeski, but it’s a lot closer than the map would indicate.
The 30-year-old from Seymour rose to prominence on the short tracks racing for La Crosse-based car owners, and the team’s shop is only a few miles from the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway. So while his five ASA Midwest Tour trophies earned at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna are big for Majeski personally, the Oktoberfest 200 trophies – his fourth earned Sunday – are at least as important.
“This is our Super Bowl,” Majeski said. “Snowball Derby is probably the biggest race we go to but the one that probably means the most to us is this race here, Oktoberfest.
“Before (crew chief) Toby (Nuttleman) and I got together, Toby had never won this race, believe it or not, and now we’ve got four of them together, which is really cool. … We always have a good car here, always a lot of fun.”
Results:2024 ASA Midwest Tour Oktoberfest 200
Andrew Morrissey, a two-time Oktoberfest winner, recovered from a crash on the fifth lap to finish second, and Michael Hinde, a first-time visitor from Florida, drove through the field after a midrace incident for third place.
Gabe Sommers finished fourth and took his second straight ASA Midwest Tour season championship comfortably after electrical issues left pursuer Levon Van Der Geest six laps down in 21st.
Majeski won for the fifth time in eight starts in the series this season. He started ninth, got to the lead in less than 60 laps and took the lead for good on the 122nd lap, beating Johnny Sauter on restart.
“Johnny had me nervous,” Majeski said. “He was really good very late in that last run, and I was like, I don’t know if we have anything for him. We made a couple minor adjustments and we thought he pushed his stuff too hard. … It was a cat and mouse game. Do you let him lead or do you ride more, I decided to keep the lead and it ended up being the right decision.”
Another caution put Sauter alongside with 20 laps to go, but Majeski pulled away and Sauter faded to eighth.
Majeski became the third four-time Oktoberfest 200 winner, following Dan Fredrickson and Travis Sauter, and is one away from tying the late Joe Shear for the all-time lead in the event that signifies the end of the super late model season in Wisconsin.
