By: Kevin Ramsell
BURLINGTON, WI (Friday, October 16, 2009) – When an event like the popular Oktoberfest Race Weekend reaches a milestone like it did this year with its 40th running, you also hope to find something special to take away from it. One of those special moments came in the American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment’s Oktoberfest 100 when three famous names in racing had two generations competing in the same event.

The three famous names are Sauter, Carlson and Holzhausen. Three names that have become well known in short track racing and it was only fitting that these three compete with their sons in an American Speed Association sanctioned event as the three fathers have won in the former National Series.

It was also fitting that Oktoberfest would be the setting for this event because, just like in the stands, racing has transcended from one generation to another and the Oktoberfest crowd is one event where families get together to enjoy the sport they love.

No one really thought of this until after the last chance race on Sunday when Steve’s son Skylar won it. Coming in to the event, there was a lot of discussion about seeing Steve Holzhausen and Skylar compete in the Oktoberfest main event along with Steve and Mike Carlson. But the story grew when Tim Sauter, who was driving for Jay Vandergeest, was starting on the front row with his son Travis on the inside of the row behind him.

It was the eldest Sauter who took the lead at the start of the event. On lap 30 as he was coming off of turn four, he got the old chrome horn from his son Travis to let him know that he was ready to take over the top spot. Tim knew that Travis was going to be stronger and didn’t contest him as Travis went by his father to take the lead and eventually the win. “I knew he was fast and I told him that when you get a run on me, I was going to let you go if that opportunity came,” Tim Sauter said. “He earned it, and I let him go.” Tim would finish tenth as he was running out of fuel at the checkers.

But the fans just didn’t get to witness that as in the latter stages of the race, the three fathers were battling for second place with Tim holding off Steve Carlson and Steve Holzhausen.

Mike Carlson and Skylar Holzhausen had their own goals. Mike’s goal all season was to make the race and bring the car home in one piece. Skylar wanted to back up his recent Wisconsin Challenge Series win at Marshfield Motor Speedway with another win at Oktoberfest.

Mike achieved his goal by bringing the car home in one piece with a 16th place finish and Skylar struggled and came home 24th. But don’t let their finishes in this event make you think they had a bad weekend as Mike would win the 75-lap Enduro later that day and Skylar came home with a second place finish in the Big 8 Series feature the night before.

“It was a very good experience, I learned a whole lot,” Mike Carlson said after the race. “My goal was to bring it home in one piece.”

“The car was not that good since we unloaded on Friday and practiced,” Skylar Holzhausen said. “Thought we would have it better but these guys are strong competitors and they are hard to beat.”

At the end of the event, the top-three were on the track and it was fitting that it would be a member of each of these families. Travis would represent the Sauter family with his win while Steve Carlson was second and Steve Holzhausen was in third. For all three father/son combinations, they didn’t realize it until they were asked to come up to the stage for a photo as proud fathers stood behind their sons, with all six of them having a smile on their face.

They say a photo is worth a 1,000 words, this one can be summed up with just one…family.