May 23, Lake Geneva, WI.
The best thing about Friday Night stock car racing, is the weather. For the first time this season, mild temperatures, blessed Lake Geneva Raceway which ran a special Friday Night event tonight's as part of it's Memorial Day Weekend specials. However there was a full moon present which made for some interesting racing.
For Al Schill of Franklin, WI, the best place to start the feature, was on the pole. He led the 30 lap Late Model feature, wire to wire. The win was his third feature victory of the season. This gave Schill the largest point lead of the season, now in it's fifth week of racing.
Larry Los of Darien, WI, broke the track qualifying record, with a new mark which now stands as the all-time record set by any type of car at Lake Geneva Raceway. His time of 16.198 seconds broke Tony Strupp's ARTGO Late Model record of five years ago.
Denny Norton Jr. of McHenry, IL; continued his domination of the Herb's Street Stock feature action, winning the 20 lap contest, that went non-stop again. Jeff Goodwin of Zion, IL won his second 10 lap Outlaw Rascal feature of the season and Rolf Tillman nipped two other drivers in the XLC 102.3 Sport Truck division for an exciting win.
In the Super Late Model division the entire 18 car feature field qualified within .4 second of each other. Taking the double green flag the pack was still side by side when Mark Hartline spun on lap two and brought out the first of many caution periods. When the green returned Schill drove back out front, with Brad Durbin and Chad Barker along side each other right behind the leader. The parade lap type racing, gave the crowd just what they came to see. Durbin finally secured second, within striking distance of Schill. Now Barker had Ken Burkoth alongside him, with David Ray Salentine, Jamie Wallace and Bobby Giers in a very tight cluster behind.
The action slowed again on lap eleven, with Ronnie Darnell's spin, just as Wallace had moved alongside Salentine. With the new restart procedure this season where a driver can choose the inside out outside lane when the field realigns strategy come into play. Billy Skinner Jr. had chosen the inside lane while many other scrambled to the outside, improving many positions.
Durbin was all over Schill on the restart, but the leader answered the call and held the lead. Skinner had quite a problem coming off turn four but regained control and maintained his spot behind the front duo.
Schill had about a two car length advantage as the next caution came, after Jeff Holtz running seventh, bobbled only slightly coming off turn four. Everyone behind the rookie driver, thought Holtz was going into the wall, but the Slinger Speedway Midwest Modified points leader, did a great job regaining control. However behind him, Billy Baumeister nearly stopped on a dime causing Hartline to crash into him. Both drivers escaped injury, but Baumeister's evening was over.
On this restart Skinner shot under Durbin in turn one, but determination brought Durbin back into second. Schill finally gained a three car plus lead, wishing that it was over with all those cautions. But a solo spin by Jim Kjellander stopped the race again. The fans were treated to some quick thinking strategy as the cars realigned for the next restart with nine laps remaining.
Schill blazed his way out front but the final caution appeared on lap 24. This four car melee involved Giers, Simon, Darnell and Kjellander who had all been running in the front pack.
The final six lap dash was just perfect, giving fans a reason to forget the caution plagued first 24 laps. Schill regained his momentum, with everyone behind him, trying their best to move up. At the wire Schill was two lengths in front of Skinner who nipped Durbin for second. Darnell used the restart strategy to claim fourth, with Giers fifth, Holtz sixth and Jerry Senstrup in his first visit of the season nipping Barker for seventh.
Tommy Nevoso jumped out front of the 18 car Street Stock feature, with Todd Courtright in second. The black was displayed for Courtright on lap three, with the smell of transmission fluid burning in the air. Scott Peterson was now second, with Don Radke third. Peterson took over the lead on lap three, while Zac Deeringer advanced into fourth.
Somehow Deeringer cruised through traffic and took over the lead on lap six. Landry Potter who blew an engine in hot laps, then won the semi-feature after changing an engine in the pit area was up to fifth on lap nine.
But then came Norton, within two laps, the point leader was second. Deeringer held onto the lead, until lap 12, when Norton shot inside and then out front. Like the last feature this was a tight side by side contest. At the wire, Norton was just a few car lengths out front, with Deeringer second, Potter right along side for third, Adam Regnier fourth, Radke fifth and Scott Kuxhouse sixth all finishing under a blanket.
Goodwin lead from start to finish for the open wheeled Outlaw Rascals. Chris Carlson was second, with Jim Rieger, Jeff Phillips, Jim Neeve and Joe Trkovsky all right together at the checkered. The Outlaw Rascals welcomed back Mark Higby who was seriously injured last season. Higby started racing 15 years ago and was the 1995 and 1996 series champion.
The most exciting climax came in the Sport Truck feature of 15 laps. Steve Kamin lead the first two laps before Tillman shot out front. Before long, Butch Edwards Jr. and fast timer Dan Ross were up to challenge the leader.
On lap 13, Edwards gained the top spot, but one lap later, Tillman inched out front on more time. The crowd was on their feet with the white flag being displayed by started Dave Rex Jr. It was too close to call as Edwards, then Ross swapped the lead on the final lap. At the wire Tillman slipped out front to win another event with Edwards second and Ross third. Joel Filtz wound up fourth followed by Chad Ross and Frank Caravetta rounding out the top six.
Racing takes place on May 24th with the Performance Unlimited Sportsman division and the first appearance of the season by the Mini-Modifieds, also on the program is the Herb's Street Stocks and the Wisconsin Allison Legacy Series.
On May 25th, the Midwest Enduro Stock Car Series takes to the track. Also taking place this weekend is the Chevrolet Off-Road event which will be televised by ESPN. That event will run rain or shine and takes place on both May 24th and May 25th.
Next week on May 31st, regular Saturday Night racing will return with Super Late Models, Street Stocks and Sport Trucks. Time trials will take place at 6:00 P.M. and the first race is run at 7:30 P.M. sharp. Call (414) 248-8566 for more information on any of these events.
Late
Model Division
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
HEAT ONE: 1.) Lloyd Wilkinson, 2.) Suletta, 3.) Brian
Ulrich
HEAT TWO: 1.) Joe Fischer, 2.) Senstrup, 3.) Simon
HEAT THREE: 1.) Schill, 2.) Durbin, 3.) Barker
Herb's
Street Stock Division
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
HEAT ONE: 1.) Braun, 2.) Peterson Racing Team, 3.) Tom
McAuliffe
HEAT TWO: 1.) Norton Jr., 2.) Regnier, 3.) Kuxhouse
102.3
XLC Sport Truck Division
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Outlaw
Rascals
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||