LANSING, Minn. - Chateau Raceway powered by Miner's Outdoor & Rec hosted 3rd Annual Fall Nationals this past weekend. Two full shows featuring all six of the track's regular classes over two nights provided plenty of action as the 2008 racing season came to a close.

Drivers kept the show moving along Friday night as the heats were run off in just over an hour, and four of the seven features were run caution-free with a fifth feature being slowed by just one yellow flag. Times were also fast on the night, and while no track records were set in any class on the night, two classes did see their fastest times of the season run.

The French's Repair & Fabrication USRA Modifieds put on a nice feature race with just one caution slowing the pace.

Mark Noble of Blooming Prairie flew off the front row and stretched out a big lead at the drop of the green. However, his fuel cap flew off too and fluids were spewing out the back of his car.

The black flag was put out for Noble, but before he pulled from the track the race's only yellow flag came out. That allowed track officials to pull him over to tell him the problem and he headed to the pits to get it taken care of.

When he came back out he restarted at the back of the field and was flying around cars after the restart. Several laps later however just past halfway he coasted down the front straightaway and into the pits with transmission problems.

Todd Scharkey of Kasson inherited the lead when Noble went to the pits, but he also had 2008 track champion Mike Sorensen of Rochester on his back bumper. Scharkey was trying to use the low wide of the track to make time but Sorensen found the top line to his liking and worked his way around Scharkey on lap 11 of the 24-lap race. From there it was clear sailing as Sorensen was able to stretch out his lead and go on to claim his third feature win of the year at Chateau Racewy.

The perfect fall weather that greeted fans and drivers on Friday continued right into Saturday for night 2 of the Fall Nationals. The drivers ran a near perfect feature for the second night in a row. Just like Friday night, they had just one caution slow the action.

Tommy Myer of Blooming Prairie started on the pole and led flag to flag for his third feature win of the season.

Steve Wetzstein of West Concord worked from row 4 up to second and was up to Myer over the race's final laps but had to settle for the runner-up spot.

Sorensen came home third ahead of Scharkey and Noble.

Scharkey and Jacob Dahle of Morristown took the classes heat wins.

With the 2008 racing season now in the books the track is in the process of planning it's awards banquet. Information will be available on the track's website in the near future, then planning will begin for the annual spring car show and the 2009 racing season.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
Casey's General Stores Weekly Racing Series
Chateau Raceway, Lansing, Minn.
Friday-Saturday, Sept. 26-27, 2008

USRA MODIFIEDS

FRIDAY

Feature: 1. Mike Sorensen, Rochester; 2. Todd Scharkey, Kasson; 3. Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie; 4. Steve Wetzstein, West Concord; 5. Doug Hillson, Blooming Prairie; 6. Jacob Dahle, Morristown; 7. Josh Angst, Winona; 8. Brad Bakken, Garner, Iowa; 9. Dustin Nelson, Ogilvie; 10. Matt Madsen, Blooming Prairie; 11. Greg Jensen, Albert Lea; 12. Dave Wytaske Jr., Mapleview; 13. Dennis Hillson, Blooming Prairie; 14. Mark Noble, Blooming Prairie; 15. James Parker, Dodge Center; 16. Jeremy Misgen, Ellendale.

Heat #1: Noble, Sorensen, Dahle, Angst, Dennis Hillson, Misgen Madsen, Myer.

Heat #2: Wetzstein, Scharkey, Bakken, Doug Hillson, Nelson, Parker, Wytaske, Jensen.

SATURDAY

Feature: 1. Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie; 2. Steve Wetzstien, West Conocrd; 3. Mike Sorensen, Rochester; 4. Todd Scharkey, Kasson; 5. Mark Noble, Blooming Prairie; 6. Jacob Dahle, Morristown; 7. Greg Jensen, Albert Lea; 8. Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa; 9. Brad Bakken, Garner, Iowa; 10. Doug Hillson, Blooming Prairie; 11. Josh Angst, Winona; 12. Dennis Hillson, Blooming Prairie; 13. Dustin Nelson, Ogilvie; 14. Dave Wytaske Jr., Mapleview; 15. James Parker, Dodge Center; 16. Gary Schmidt, Rochester; 17. LeRoy Scharkey, Rochester; 18. Billy Steinberg, Kasson; 19. Matt Madsen, Blooming Prairie.

Heat #1: T. Scharkey, Sorensen, Noble, Myer, Jensen, Dennis Hillson, Wytaske, Parker, Steinberg.

Heat #2: Dahle, Wetzstein, Angst, Doug Hillson, Bakken, Gustin, Madsen, Schmidt, Nelson.