Record 118 Cars compete on Avoco Oil Night..
Al Schill Jr. takes Late Model win!

By Dale R. Erdmann

June 28, Lake Geneva, WI.

It was a wild night at Lake Geneva Raceway Saturday as a large crowd came out and a new record 118 cars jammed the pit area. Al Schill Jr. of Franklin, who won the late model championship in 1995, won his first super late model feature 30 lap event. Two drivers from McHenry, Il, won the other feature races. They were Zack Deeringer in the Herb's street stock 15 lap feature and Rick Corso, who arrived too late to time in and started last, walked away with his fourth 20 lap feature of the season in the Performance Unlimited sportsman action. The Select Performance Legend car feature was not run due to the curfew but Curt Gnatzig of Menomonee Falls was on his way to a clean sweep, taking fast time, winning the dash and the third 10 lap heat race. Tonight's program was sponsored by Avoco Oil Company out of Rockford, Il.

Mark Hartline slipped in front of the 18 car field as starter, Dave Rex Jr., waved the first double greens. The first of many caution periods came on lap 3 as Danny Darnell and Pat Echlin tangled. Only one more lap was completed when Larry Los, Ed Dunne and last weeks feature winner, Kent Burkoth, tangled. No one was injured in either incidents but Burkoth's mount received major damage. On the restart Hartline jumped way out front with Schill Jr., Eddie Hoffman and Billy Skinner Jr. in a cluster.

Los received the black flag on lap5 when his window net came down. Terry Patnode, who started in the sixth row outside, was now fifth, as the event entered lap 8. Hoffman, the current ARTGO point leader, got around Schill on lap 9 with Hartline still a few lenghts in front. From laps 11 to 20 it was non-stop tension as everyone tried to advance.

Hoffman finally got by Hartline on lap 20, with the excitement coming to a halt on lap 21, as Terry Patnode's quick change brought grease around the oval. Ronnie Darnell and Randy Rodgers were the first to spin in this mess and there would be a long delay with the lengthy clean up.

A pack of Super Late Models charge down the frontstretch. Many new drivers appeared tonight preparing for the big ARTGO show on July 5th, 1997.

Hoffman was in command of the top spot just one more lap, when someone brake checked sending veteran Pat Echlin into the wall. After spinning to the right, point leader and quick qualifier, Al Schill had no where to go but up onto Echlin's mount. Neither driver was injured, but their night was over.

Entering lap 25, Schill Jr. moved under Hoffman and into the lead, winning the event over Hartline, Skinner, Dunne, Mike Simon, Billy Baumeister and Chad Barker. Hoffman faded to 8th after breaking a shock with just 3 laps to go. A post inspection dropped Hartline to 18th being 7 pounds light at the scales.

Rick Schmidt paced the early laps of the 18 car sportsman feature, with Dave Lohse, Willy Peterson and Rick Tackman Jr. right behind him. Jerry Hansche and Tackman tangled on lap 4 bringing out the lone caution. Schmidt held the lead just one more lap before Lohse grabbed that spot. Shane Bishop slipped into second one lap later with Corso now third.

Corso was hot, taking second on lap 9. Two laps later there was a new leader. Scott Koerner wasn't going to let Corso run away and hide, pressuring the leader and even taking the lead from time to time. Donny Kachelmeier joined in on the front spot rumble on lap 15, just as Koerner moved in front.

From the back of the pack! Rick Corso arrived at the track late after competing elsewhere during the day. He came from dead last in the feature race to take the win in the Sportsman division.

One lap later Corso just couldn't handle being second retaking the lead on lap 16. The next three laps were too close to call. But on the white flag lap, Corso moved to his largest margin and then the victory over Koerner, Kachelmeier, Paul Loppnow, Bishop, and Lohse. With the win, Corso moved back in front of the point battle by just 30 points over Loppnow. The showdown will be Friday night, as the Performance Unlimited sportsman will challenge other drivers with a $500 to win feature.

Zac Deeringer won the Herb's Street Stock division feature in a race that was very close and competitive. Deeringer also had a close second place finish in the trophy dash.

Rick Jacobs held the lead in the street stock feature for the first 9 laps, before Deeringer moved in front. The race was a close competitive event that Deeringer won by just one length over point leader Denny Norton Jr, Scott Kuxhouse, Landry Potter, Dennis Carlton, and Jerry Cowan.

This coming holiday weekend, Lake Geneva Raceway will host two nights of action. On Friday night the weekly pro moto cross races take place at 8 pm on the stadium dirt course. Up to 700 riders per night have competed this season. On the paved banked oval Friday night the Mid American sportsman type cars will race, along with the Outlaw Rascals, Allison Legacy series cars and the street stocks. The mini modifieds have been added to the program. Time trials are at 6 pm; first race at 7:30 sharp. On Saturday the ARTGO stars and cars will make their first appearance since 1992. Over 60 drivers are expected plus the first appearance ever of the Midwest trucks and in separate division, the 102.3 XLC sport trucks will compete. Doug Rose and his 300 mile per hour Green Mamba jet dragster will be there both nights.

 

RESULTS

Late Model Division
30 Lap Feature Event   Semi-Feature
1. # 7 Al Schill Jr. Franklin, WI   1. #12 Billy Baumeister Janesville, WI
2. #47 Billy Skinner Jr. Pell Lake, WI   2. #48 Mike Simon Lake Villa, IL
3. #82 Ed Dunne Barrington, IL   3. #96 Mark Simonsen Crystal Lake, IL
4. #48 Mike Simon Lake Villa, IL   Trophy Dash
5. #12 Billy Baumeister Janesville, IL   1. #14 Al Schill Franklin, WI
6. #68 Chad Barker S. Milwaukee, WI   2. #41 Denny Hiffman River Forest, IL
7. #58 Ronnie Darnell Crystal Lake, IL   3. #82 Ed Dunne Barrington, IL
8. # 8 Eddie Hoffman Jr. Winchester, IL   Time Trials
9. #94 Pat Echlin Dyer, IN   1. #14 Al Schill 16.358 Seconds
10. #14 Al Schill Franklin, WI   2. #82 Ed Dunne 16.388 Seconds
        3. #41 Denny Hiffman 16.491 Seconds

HEAT ONE: 1.) Dave Timan, 2.) Joe Fischer, 3.) Paul Dygon
HEAT TWO: 1.) Dennis Vito, 2.) Simon, 3.) Hoffman
HEAT THREE: 1.) Echlin, 2) Schill, 3.) Darnell

Herb's Street Stock Division
20 Lap Feature   14 Lap Semi-Feature
1. #02 Zac Deeringer McHenry, IL   1. #76 Mike Kooi Island Lake, IL
2. #96 Denny Norton Jr. McHenry, IL   2. #04 Dennis Estes  
3. #57 Scott Kuxhouse Antioch, IL   3. #68 Burt Getchell Cary, IL
4. #77 Landry Potter Genoa City, WI   Trophy Dash
5. #18 Dennis Carlton McHenry, IL   1. #18 Dennis Carlton McHenry, IL
6. #67 Jerry Cowan Burlington, WI   2. #02 Zac Deeringer McHenry, IL
7. # 4 Rick Jacobs East Troy, WI   3. #57 Scott Kuxhouse Antioch, IL
8. #20 Don Radke Ingleside, IL   Time Trials
9. #73 Adam Regnier Richmond, IL   1. #96 Denny Norton Jr. 19.230 Seconds
10. #84 Tommy Nevoso Trevor, WI   2. #18 Dennis Carlton 19.391 Seconds
        3. #77 Landry Potter 19.661 Seconds

HEAT ONE: 1.) Tom Fay, 2.) Lyle Messinger, 3.) Tim White
HEAT TWO: 1.) Kooi, 2.) Terry Hilgendorf, 3.) Peterson Racing
HEAT THREE: 1.) Radke, 2.) Regnier, 3.) Nevoso

Performance Unlimited Mid-American/Sportsman Division
20 Lap Feature   Time Trials
1. #88 Rick Corso McHenry, IL   1. #28 Paul Loppnow 17.592 Seconds
2. #55 Scott Koerner Joliet, IL   2. #55 Scott Koerner 17.628 Seconds
3. #95 Donny Kachelmeier Waukesha, WI   3. #95 Donny Kachelmerier 17.688 Seconds
4. #28 Paul Loppnow Burlington, WI   First 10 Lap Heat
5. #17 Shane Bishop Pell Lake, WI   1. #20 Jerry Hansche Racine, WI
6. #58 David Lohse Harvard, IL   2. #58 David Lohse Harvard, IL
7. #81 Dan Robers Burlington, WI   3. #24 Rick Schmidt Burlington, WI
8. #32 Brian Baker Pell Lake, WI   Second 10 Lap Heat
9. #24 Rick Schmidt Burlington, WI   1. #95 Donny Kachelmeier Waukesha, WI
10. #20 Jerry Hansche Racine, WI   2. #55 Scott Koerner Joliet, IL
        3. #67 Rick Tackman Jr. New Berlin, WI