Kachelmeier tops Herb's Friday Night Special!!

By Dale R. Erdmann

July 4, 1997; Lake Geneva, WI.

Friday night was the first night of the 10th annual Herb's All American 100, as Donny Kachelmeier of Waukesha won his first 30 lap feature of the season, moving into he point lead in the highly competitive Performance Unlimited Sportsman division, walking away with $500 for his efforts.

Donny Kachelmeier won a final lap duel to the checkered flag to pick up his first Performance Unlimited Mid-American / Sportsman feature win of the season. Kachelmeier also took over the division point lead with the win.

Dennis Carlton from McHenry, IL won the 35 lap Street Stock feature, his third main event win of the season and taking home $200 for this special event. Eric Rosemann of Antioch, IL. kept his feature win record intact by winning the 15 lap Mini-Modified feature, while Jeff Goodwin of Zion, IL won his second straight Outlaw Rascals feature. Bobby Giers rounded out the evenings winner taking a clean sweep of the Wisconsin Allison Legacy Series events. Denny Norton Jr. of McHenry, IL broke the track qualifying mark in the Street Stock cars with a lap of 18.996 seconds, wiping out the two year old mark.

Tom McAuliffe jumped out front of the 24 car starting field of the street stock feature, with rookies Tim Muller and Adam Berge right on his bumper. The only caution of the event came on lap three, as McAuliffe had Berge run into the leader coming off turn three.

Electing to use the "special" cone restarts , where the drivers choose on the fly whether to use the inside out outside lane during the restart, this would be the only break that the large starting field would get. Muller briefly led the next lap, before Scott Kuxhouse climbed in front. Lyle Bottlemy, Jim Hughes, Troy Weber and Rick Jacobs were all over the leader. By lap ten, Kuxhouse had built up a small cushion, but out of nowhere Carlton was starting his quest foreword.

Getting some real good breaks, Carlton moved from sixth to second within a few laps and by lap 12 he was knocking on the door of the leader Kuxhouse. The pair encountered lapped traffic just as the leaders were side by side on lap 13, but one lap later is was Carlton out front.

Kuxhouse now had Landry Potter to contend with. Using lapped cars to his advantage Carlton moved out to a three car advantage by lap 20.

Norton finally got his break on lap 22, as Potter was lapping a slower car, the point leader moved inside and past the third runner after a long battle for that position. It took just three more laps for Norton to get around Kuxhouse for the runner-up slot, but there was now lapped cars and an entire straightaway between the leader Carlton and Norton.

Time ran out for any type of challenge, as Carlton easily won this one stop event. Norton was second, with Potter nipping Kuxhouse for third. Zac Deeringer got Rick Jacobs on the final lap for fifth, with Jacobs, Don Radke, and Jerry Cowan rounding out the top eight spots.

Rick Schmidt paced the Sportsman feature, with visiting driver Scotty Poritz in Dan Robers mount in second. Rick Tackman Jr. ad Joel Clossey battled for third. The pace was grueling, with no one giving an inch. Clossey moved past Tackman and Poritz taking over second on lap six, but one lap later Dave Dubnicka advanced through the field to the runner-up spot and set his sights on Schmidt.

After a brief battle there was a new leader with Dubnicka out front. Clossey however wasn't going to let the new leader get any breathing room, taking over second on lap ten. For the next ten laps it was side-by-side excitement as everyone behind the top two waited for a mistake. The first of two cautions came on lap 21, with Brian Baker's solo spin in turn three slowing the action. One lap later Tackman's radiator hose came off, spilling water all over turn one.

The final restart set up a barn burner 8 lap dash, as Dubnicka stayed in command with Kachelmeier now on his heels. With five laps to go, Kachelmeier move up to challenge for the lead. The crowd went wild as these two drivers raced side by side, with both drivers leading parts of each lap, but with Dubnicka always inching ahead at the wire. With the white flag out, Dubnicka was just inches in front, coming off turn two Kachelmeier nosed ahead but Dubnicka edged back into the lead in turn three. Then in turn four it was a dead heat, as they came to the finish Kachelmeier somehow edged ahead and take home a thrilling victory, his first in two years. Dubnicka was second, Clossey third, Shane Bishop was fourth, and fast timer Bobby Gutknecht nipped Paul Loppnow for fifth in the tightest finish of the season.

Eric Rosemann may be just a sophmore in high school, but the 17 year old Mini-Modified driver showed his elders the way around the Lake Geneva oval. Rosemann won the Mini-modified feature event in convincing style.

The mini-modifieds were not to be out done, and after a false start when Jeff Schultz couldn't get up to speed, brother Phil Schultz darted out front for the first three laps before Ken Johnson moved in front. Schultz held on to second for just two more laps, with Rosemannn already third.

Johnson and Rosemann went side by side after a brief battle with Schultz for the lead. On lap eight Rosemann secured the top spot although he never managed to move away from the field. Rosemann held on for his second win of the season. Johnson finished a close second with Roy Morrison nipping Duck Wack for third. Jeff Schultz was fifth and Lisa Heywood the only female competitor in the field taking sixth.

In the Outlaw Rascals event Jeff Goodwin took the lead from Jeff Phillips and never looked back taking the win over Phillips, Butch Torkelson, Kip Novotny, rookie Chris Carlson and Joe Trkovsky in this non-stop event.

This coming weekend, the one third mile action oval will be very busy, with Legend's Cars and Herb's Street Stocks on Friday night at 7:30 P.M. and then on Saturday Night, Super Late Models, Street Stocks, Sport Trucks and the first appearance of the Formula Indy Cars will take place with time trials at 6:00 P.M. and racing to begin at 7:30 P.M. sharp.

On the grounds, weekly Friday Night moto-cross racing takes place on the stadium dirt course. The on Saturday and Sunday to be held at NOON each day rain or shine, will e the Chevrolet Sponsored Off Road Summer Nationals, which will be filmed by ESPN. Over 300 of the world's top off road racers will compete on a specially prepared 1 1/4 mile off road dirt course.

RESULTS

6 Lap Trophy Dash : 1.) Loppnow, 2.) Dubnicka, 3.) Corso

HEAT ONE: 1.) Results Not Available
HEAT TWO: 1.) Adam Berge; 2.) Troy Weber; 3.) Tim Muller
HEAT THREE: 1.) Carlton; 2.) Jacobs; 3.) Hilgendorf

Mini-Modifieds

15 Lap Feature: 1.) Eric Rosemann, Antioch, IL; 2.) Ken Johnson, Paddock Lake; 3.) Roy Morrison, Antioch, IL; 4.) Duck Wack, Paddock Lake; 5.) Phil Schultz, Silver Lake; 6.) Lisa Heywood, Richmond, IL.
HEAT ONE: 1.) Mike Sullivan, Antioch, IL; 2.) Hermie Schultz, Silver Lake.
HEAT TWO: 1.) Joe Christenberry, Cary, IL; 2.) Rosemann
FAST QUALIFIER: Eric Rosemann, Antioch, IL ...18.290 Seconds *New Track Record*

Outlaw Rascals

12 Lap Feature: 1.) Jeff Goodwin, Zion, IL; 2.) Jeff Phillips, Fox River Grove, IL; 3.) Joe Trkovsky, Spring Grove, IL; 4.) Kip Novothy, Johnsonburg, IL; 5.) Butch Torkelson, Brisol; 6.) Chris Carlon, Zion, IL.
HEAT RACE: 1.) Rodney Long, Loves Park, IL; 2.) Goodwin
FAST QUALIFIER: Jeff Phillips, Fox River Grove, IL..17.090 Seconds *New Track Record*

Wisconsin Allison Legacy Series

12 Lap Feature: 1.) Bobby Giers; 2.) Landry Potter; 3.) Jack Kossow
HEAT RACE: 1.) Giers; 2.) Jay White; 3.) Kossow
FAST QUALIFIER: Bobby Giers, Ingleside, IL.. 19.528 Seconds