Skinner Jr. claims Late Model win,
Dubnicka is first time Lake Geneva Raceway winner!

By Dale R. Erdmann

July 19, 1997; Lake Geneva, WI.

Performance Unlimited of McHenry and Andresen Engine Development of Woodstock sponsored the 15th night of Saturday Night stock car racing at Lake Geneva Raceway. Billy Skinner Jr. of Pell Lake scored his first Super Late Model feature win back on May 10th of this season, tonight the local driver chalked up his second feature win and moved into second in points, just 505 markers off the top spot, in a very tight point battle with some nine weeks of racing left this season.

Billy Skinner Jr. moved into second place in the Super Late Model point standings. Skinner who resides nearby in Pell Lake, WI, picked up his first feature win of the 1997 season.

Denny Norton Jr. of McHenry won his seventh Herb's Street Stock feature, after winning the semi, as a non qualified car, due to a broken axle he received while completing hot laps prior to the racing program. Veteran driver David Dubnicka of Jackson won his first Performance Unlimited Mid-American Sportsman feature event.

Former Waukegan Speedway champion, Mike Simon cruised out to a small lead in the Super Late Model feature, with an extremely tight field behind him. Dennis Hiffman, Mark Simonsen and Billy Baumeister battled for the runner-up slot. Right behind these drivers was Skinner, who started seventh.

The first of only two cautions came on lap seven, as Danny Darnell spun in turn two. The track was slick all night, after some two inches of rain washed the one-third mile oval clean of any rubber, just the night before.

On the restart drivers knew the tricky inside groove would be the place to pass the closely qualified field. As the green flag flew, Simon again grabbed the lead. Simonsen was now second, with Hiffman, Skinner and Baumeister knocking on his door.

Quick timer and current point leader Al Schill was sixth at the time. Throughout the field, it was side by side racing, with Simon in command. From laps 11 through 15, Skinner chipped away at the leader, finally catching front running Simon and then pulling off a slick pass for the lead on lap 17.

Schill by now had advanced into fourth and continued moving towards the front, by lap 20 Schill had moved into second as Simon fell back in the pack. Just two more laps were in the books, before Jim Kjellander found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, as John Simon's steering box broke, sending them into a tangle in turn two. This set the stage for another 8 lap dash, for the win.

Skinner's three car advantage was gone, as Schill picked the inside groove, hoping this would pressure the leader. The remaining laps went fast, with Skinner never faltering, taking the win just in front of Schill, Simonsen, Baumeister, Mike Hartline and Hiffman.

A busy night for Denny Norton Jr. He didn't plan it that way, but to make it to the main to score his seventh Herb's Street Stock feature win of the season, he had to race the semi-feature to advance. Norton broke an axle in his car and was unable to qualify and had to advance through the semi-feature event.

The Street Stock feature got off to a rocky start with Mike Kooi and Jerry Marsh tugging for the lead. Numerous cautions would mar the usual unpredictable racing action. On lap six, Marsh got pushed up into the wall, as Greg Janutka in his first appearance of the season, got crossed up with fast timer Zac Deeringer.

Marsh escaped injury but his evening was over. On the restart Jerry Cowan, Landry Potter and Kooi diced for the lead. Potter came out on top, but two laps later, Tom Fay lost a tire in a racing incident, that again stopped the action.

Potter led just one more lap before another slow down came for an incident between Adam Regnier and rookie driver Jim Hughes. The final 10 laps of the race were non stop excitement. Potter continued to lead but had Cowan all over him looking for a way to take the top spot, all the while Norton Jr. who started the event dead last charged his way to the front. On lap 13, Norton dropped Cowan to third, with his mission to charge to the front still on course.

With just five laps to go, Norton got along side Potter for the lead, for the next two laps the lead was to close to call. By the 18th lap however Norton was out front. Norton won the event, with Potter second, Deeringer who recovered from his earlier incident took third. Regnier also recovered from his problems to nip Cowan and Kooi for fourth.

Former point leader Paul Loppnow jumped out front of the Sportsman main event, with Rick Schmidt right along side. Rick Tackman Jr., Shane Bishop and Dan Erickson were next in a race that looked like a parade lap, as the field entered lap five.

On the next round Donny Kachelmeier and Tackman tangled bringing out the caution, while fast qualifier Rick Corso who was running fourth dropped out of the event. On the restart Loppnow held back the challenges of Schmidt, before Bishop slipped around Schmidt for the runner-up spot.

It was side by side action, as now Bobby Gutknecht joined the fray at the top. On lap 12 Gutknecht barged his way into second. Just four laps later the caution appeared when Ed Kubicz spun out bringing the race to a halt. The next green brought the field extremely close together, with Loppnow barely in front of Gutknecht, Bishop and Dubnicka.

A racing incident came on lap 18, as the front pair of Loppnow and Gutknecht made contact, Loppnow spun around coming off turn four, slamming hard into the protection tire. No one was injured in the accident, but Loppnow had a right rear flat tire.

Dubnicka was the new leader for the seven lap dash to the checkered, holding up for the win just in front of Brian Baker, Bishop, Schmidt, Dave Lohse and Jerry Hansche.

5 corners Dodge will sponsor next week Saturday's racing program on July 26th. The final Saturday of July will have four divisions of racing action. The legends cars and Sportsman divisions will join the Super Late Models and Street Stocks. Time trials are slated for 6:00 P.M. and the first race takes place at 7:30 P.M. sharp.

On Sunday afternoon, July 27th the Midwest Enduro Stock Car Series, will host their mid-season championship which will get underway at 1:00 P.M. rain or shine. The event will run for 300 laps.

RESULTS

Late Model Division
30 Lap Feature Event   Trophy Dash
1. #47 Billy Skinner Jr. Pell Lake, WI   1. # 2 David Ray Salentine Muskego, WI
2. #14 Al Schill Franklin, WI   2. #47 Billy Skinner Jr. Pell Lake, WI
3. #96 Mark Simonsen Crystal Lake, IL   3. #14 Al Schill Franklin, WI
4. #12 Billy Baumeister Janesville, WI   15 Lap Semi-Feature
5. #30 Mike Hartline Lake In The Hills, IL   1. #12 Mike Strupp Slinger, WI
6. #41 Denny Hiffman River Forest, IL   2. # 4 John Simon McHenry, IL
7. # 2 David Ray Salentine Muskego, WI   3. #95 Paul Dygon Racine, WI
8. # 5 Terry Patnode Oak Creek, WI   Time Trials
9. #2F Joe Fischer Grayslake, IL   1. #14 Al Schill 16.589 Seconds
10. #68 Chad Barker So. Milwaukee, WI   2. # 2 David Ray Salentine 16.673 Seconds
        3. # 5 Terry Patnode 16.689 Seconds

HEAT ONE: 1.) Strupp; 2.) Andy Brocker; 3.) Dygon
HEAT TWO: 1.) Randy Harris; 2.) Lloyd Wilkinson; 3.) Barker
HEAT THREE: 1.) Baumeister; 2) Skinner; 3.) Shill

Herb's Street Stock Division
20 Lap Feature   15 Lap Semi-Feature
1. #96 Denny Norton Jr. McHenry, IL   1. #96 Denny Norton Jr. McHenry, IL
2. #77 Landry Potter Genoa City, WI   2. #46 Tom McAuliffe Pell Lake, WI
3. #02 Zac Deeringer McHenry, IL   3. #16 Peterson Racing Woodstock, IL
4. #73 Adam Regnier Richmond, IL   Trophy Dash
5. #67 Jerry Cowan Burlington, WI   1. #73 Adam Regnier Richmond, IL
6. #76 Mike Kooi Island Lake, IL   2. #02 Zac Deeringer McHenry, IL
7. #84 Tommy Nevoso Trevor, WI   3. #84 Tommy Nevoso Trevor, WI
8. #40 Lyle Messinger Milwaukee, WI   Time Trials
9. #68 Burt Getchell Cary, IL   1. #02 Zac Deeringer 19.706 Seconds
10. #57 Scott Kuxhouse Antioch, IL   2. #84 Tommy Nevoso 19.747 Seconds
        3. #40 Lyle Messinger 19.783 Seconds

HEAT ONE: 1.) Tim White; 2.) Aluiffe; 3.) Shane Bishop
HEAT TWO: 1.) Cowan; 2.) Getchell; 3.) Jerry Marsh
HEAT THREE: 1.) Potter; 2.) Regnier; 3.) Norton Jr.

Performance Unlimited Mid-American Sportsman
25 Lap Feature   Time Trials
1. #82 David Dubnicka Jackson, WI   1. #88 Rick Corso 17.389 Seconds
2. #32 Brian Baker Pell Lake, WI   2. #10 Bobby Gutknecht 17.464 Seconds
3. #17 Shane Bishop Pell Lake, WI   3. #17 Shane Bishop 17.683 Seconds
4. #24 Rick Schmidt Burlington, WI   First 10 Lap Heat
5. #58 David Lohse Harvard, IL   1. #41 Dan Erickson Burlington, WI
6. #20 Jerry Hansche Racine, WI   2. #32 Brian Baker Pell Lake, WI
7. # 7 Ed Kubicz Whitewater, WI   3. #78 Jim Olson McHenry, IL
8. #67 Rick Tackman Jr. New Berlin, WI   Second 10 Lap Heat
9. #78 Jim Olson McHenry, IL   1. #95 Donny Kachelmeier Waukesha, WI
10. #28 Paul Loppnow Burlington, WI   2. #10 Bobby Gutknecht Oak Creek, WI
        3. #82 David Dubnicka Jackson, WI

DASH: 1.) Dubnicka; 2.) Kachelmeier; 3.) Corso