Mid-Season Championships to Rodgers, Bishop, Reichley and Ross at Lake Geneva Raceway!
By Dale R. Erdmann

July 10, 1999; Lake Geneva, WI. -  It was mid-season championship time at Lake Geneva Raceway, Saturday night with ideal weather, and the large crowd came out on Bennett Enterprises night, along with WJVL 99.9 FM Radio, to see Randy Rodgers of Lake Geneva win his first feature of the season, in the 50-lap feature race for the super late models.

Randy Rodgers (#14) has been in contention for a win on several different occasions in Late Model feature action this season.  It took until tonight however for the local racer to score his first feature win of the 1999 season.

Shane Bishop of Pell Lake, who will miss at least two nights due to his marriage, next Saturday, won the 30-lap super stock feature. This win was exceptional great for the local driver as he blew the rearend in hot laps, went back to the shop, put another one in, came back, taking second in the semi-feature thus giving the former sportsman champion, a spot in the 20 car feature. Doug Reichley of Waukesha, won his first career feature in the Wisconsin Allison Legacy car series 15-lap feature and Chad Ross of Grayslake, IL. became the only out of state feature winner, in the 12-lap sport truck contest. Danny Darnell of Park City, Illinois, broke the one lap track qualifying mark, with a time of 16.005 seconds around the paved one third mile oval.

What a way to view the races!!  Lucky contestants who won the evening's bikini contest watched events take place front a hot tub in the infield!!

Mark Simonsen slipped out front of the super late model feature field, with Mike Simon, Garrett Fait, Larry Surleta, Russ Blakley and Bob Moeller close behind. On lap four, Surleta inched his way under Fait, who was using the high groove, very tight on the wall. Moeller dropped out on lap eight, just as Randy Rodgers moved under him.

Quickly Brad Durbin, who has been on a hot streak here, followed Rodgers, as did former champion Jamie Wallace. The event looked like a parade lap, with everyone trying to advance, but Simonsen was about three lengths in front at lap ten.

Mike Simon Jr, (#56) parked his ride in the winners circle after winning the Super Late Model semi-feature.  With him are lucky members of the junior fan club.

Surleta scared everyone, bouncing off the wall on lap thirteen, but continuing at the torrid pace. On lap seventeen the leader spun, bringing out the first caution. Simon led only a few feet, before Rodgers charged in front as the green was thrown. Simonsen looped it again in turn three, stopping the action one more time. Then Fait slid along the wall, coming to rest in turn one, with lots of damage to his brand new mount.

As the next green flew, Rodgers had Durbin all over him. While Kent Burkoth, Simon, Al Schill and Wallace were all within in striking distance. At the midway point, Rodgers had a three car advantage, with Durbin two cars in front of Burkoth. After and intense battle, Schill and Wallace finally got around Simon, on lap twenty five. It took Durbin almost ten more laps, before he challenged Rodgers again.

The first lapped car came on lap forty one and one lap later, Jerry Mueller spun, just as Mike Simon Jr. over corrected coming to a halt, near the other mishap . This would be the final caution of the event. Danny Darnell who had to restart the race from dead last after an earlier incident put on a late charge forward, as the last nine laps were just close racing.

With no advancement except Darnell. Rodgers crossed the line first with, Durbin, Burkoth, Darnell, Schill, Wallace, Simon and Billy Baumeister rounding out the top eight. Denny Hiffman and Tim Lynn Jr. got together as the checkered came out, with everyone missing Lynn's mount.

Before the wedding!  Shane Bishop (#17) turned in a spectacular performance in the Super Stock division, winning the feature race after transferring from the semi-feature.  Bishop will miss the next two weeks as he is getting married.

Tom Fay hopped in front of the 20 car super stock feature for just one lap, before rookie Craig Mertes slipped in front. Jeremy Tess was third, working on Fay. Only three laps were completed before Troy Weber got tagged, spinning in turn three for the first caution. Two laps later, Bert Getchell and Todd Peterson were at the wrong at the wrong time both slid into the wall, ending their night quickly and bringing out another caution.

Mertes scooted to the pits, and Tess became the leader. The green reappeared, Tim Wilson got under Fay, with Dan Huber, Mike Kooi and John Maki in a tight cluster. Once out front, Tess built up a straight-away lead over Huber and Wilson who were dicing for second. By lap fourteen Huber finally secured that second spot, with John Janssen now behind him and the run away leader.

It looked like the last ten laps would remain the same, but Janssen finally got around Huber with nine laps to go, but Tess was way out front.

Point leader Zac Deeringer now worked on Huber with Janssen not gaining on the leader, by lap twenty three. Suddenly Shane Bishop came out of nowhere, as Deeringer got around Huber with five laps to go and Tess looking like it would be a rookies dream come true, in just afew minutes.

On the very next lap however, Tess started to slow dramatically, as cars started to spin wildly, the caution came out and Tess flew into the pits with transmission problems.

Flat Out!  Shane Bishop (center car ) goes right through the traffic, here bypassing Marty Robb (#2) on his way to victory in the Super Stock feature race.

After the clean up, Janssen led the twenty sixth lap with Deeringer and Bishop dicing for second. The slickest move of the season came one lap later, as the three raced side by side, Bishop moved up the middle and into the lead. Deeringer followed right on his bumper. The crowd went wild as those last three laps were unreal. Bishop pulled off the win, as Deeringer was along side for second. Janssen took third, with Huber, John Maki, Doug Peterson, Wilson and Marty Robb under a blanket for the thrilling finish to the race. Bishop said "This one meant alot", proving to car owner Dave Pierce he picked the right driver for this car. I'll be off the next two weeks for my wedding and honey moon, so this meant even more ".

Doug Peterson (#63) has been turning in some solid performances and finds himself in the top five in the Super Stock standings.   This evening he won a heat race and finished fifth in the feature event.

Jeff Conn led only one lap of the Legacy feature before Joe McClosky made a lane change, tagging Jeff Goodwin and Tom Bauer, who both smashed into the wall hard. No one was injured but their evening was over. Doug Reichley slipped in front and led the next fourteen laps for the win, just ahead of 16 year old, quick timer Erik Darnell, Ken Wills, veteran Gary Krueger, Randy Coats and Keith Tolf .

Rookie Todd Ross won the July 2nd. Sport Truck feature, led five laps of the three deep racing in this evening's sport truck feature race, before Chad Ross got by for the win. Chad Phillips was second, fast timer Jim Olson third, with Todd Ross, RJ Ross and Curt Matson close behind, in this non stop event.

This coming weekend, Friday night weekly pro moto cross racing takes place at 8 pm. on the stadium dirt course, with 300 riders expected. On the action oval Saturday night the super late models and super stocks will have the sportsman join them on Performance Unlimited night. Also on the schedule is a roll over contest. Call (414) 248-8566 for more information. Time trials are at 6 pm. racing at 7:30 p.m. sharp. Visit our website for up to the minute information at www.racingonline.com/lgr   24 hours a day.

Lake Geneva Raceway is located on Bloomfield Road just one and a half mile southeast of downtown Lake Geneva. The track surface is a paved one third mile banked oval.

For a complete schedule of the 1999 events, send one large self addressed stamped envelope to: Lake Geneva Raceway 1015 N. Bloomfield Road , Lake Geneva, WI. 53147. If you wish to contact the track the phone number is  (414) 248-8566.

RESULTS

First 10 Lap Heat: 1.) Mueller; 2.) Simon Jr; 3.) Lynn Jr.
Second 10 Lap Heat: 1.) Blakley; 2.) Loppnow; 3.) Garrett Fait

First 10 Lap Heat: 1.) Todd Peterson; 2.) Norm Paulson; 3.) Tim White
Second 10 Lap Heat: 1.) Doug Peterson; 2.) Mike Kooi; 3.) Burt Getchell

First 10 Lap Heat: 1.)R.J. Ross; 2.) Todd Ross; 3.) Lance Ross