| Kent Burkoth came back from an accident the night before at another track to score a victory in the Super Late Model division. |  |
Burkoth claims second feature win of season in Late Models at Lake Gevena!!
August 2, 1997; Lake Geneva, WI.
It was the 17th weekly Saturday night race program to be completed at Lake Geneva Raceway as the Crest Chevrolet, Oldsmobile and Cadillac of Delavan, WI, sponsored the four divisions of action. Kent Burkoth of Pell Lake survived the 30 lap Super Late Model feature, that was marred by a 25 minute session when race fans witnessed only 5 laps of racing. Landry Potter of Genoa City won his second Herb's Street Stock feature, that ran with just two caution periods. Brian Helmintoler from Itasca, IL won his second Formula Indy Racing Association Pro-division 15 lap feature, after breaking his own track qualifying record with a time of 18.090 seconds. Dennis Hilgert of Waukesha, a third year veteran to the Pro-Am group,. won his first career feature. Plus Rolf Tillman of Woodstock, IL. took a clean sweep in the 102.3 XLC Sport Truck division, chalking up his ninth feature win in ten starts this season.
| Kent Burkoth came back from an accident the night before at another track to score a victory in the Super Late Model division. | |
From his outside front row starting position, Denny Hiffman drove out front of the 18 car starting field. One lap later, Rolf Tillman who was driving two divisions, spun bringing out the first slowdown. The one lap later Al Schill, the current point leader lost power steering fluid, causing Billy Skinner Jr. and Mike Simon to tangle.
Lap five just got started when David Ray Salentine, Mark Simonsen, Jeff Holtz and the brand new mount of Jim Kjellander got together in turn one. On each restart Hiffman would move out front, with fast timer Chad Barker and Burkoth, side by side for second. Burkoth slipped in front on lap seven. Just one more lap had been completed before Skinner and Patnode tangled, slowing everyone another few minutes.
The time finally came for some real racing as Burkoth maintained a small margin ahead of Hiffman, who had Barker nipping at his heels. Visiting driver Randy Harris was right behind the lead trio. The only real contest was for second as Burkoth set sail out front. Al Shill Jr. had just gotten by Mike Hartline for fourth as the white flag flew. Schill Jr. then slowed dramatically dropping from contention.
Burkoth held off Hiffman and Barker to score the win, with Hartline just in front of Harris and Skinner with these drivers holding the top six positions. Burkoth was ready to tell the crowd about this victory. "After crashing bad at Grundy County Speedway last night, we never thought we'd win this one. I thank my crew for this win", stated a very happy Burkoth.
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Eventual winner Landry Potter (#77) gets ready to move by Bob Kiodahl (#89) on his way to the front of the Hebr's Street Stock feature. |
Jerry Rosiczewski grabbed the early lead of the Street Stock main event, with Mike Kooi and Scott Kuxhouse in a dead heat for second. Kooi got around the leader on lap three with Kuxhouse right on his tail. On lap four Kuxhouse slipped under Kooi, with Landry Potter charging into the fray. Dicing for position, Potter used everything in the book to move in front after a two lap battle for the top spot.
The first caution came as Greg Janutka spun towards the wall, with the field baring down on him. Everyone missed him, but three laps later rookie Shawn Donnelly didn't miss the wall, bringing out the final caution on lap twelve. It was a nip and tuck battle for the top 12 positions as the race restarted. Potter easily won the race in spit of a late charge by Denny Norton Jr. Norton, Adam Regnier, Kuxhouse, Lyle Messinger and Kooi took the top positions.
"I'm sure glad I was running in this division tonight. I thought I could hold back Norton, if he would have gotten in to challenge me", said Potter. Also thanking his car owner for the win. A post race inspection downed Kooi from the scoring finish, as his car had an illegal cam. This moved Tommy Nevoso to sixth as the rest of the field also moved up one position.
A lap one incident took out Bill Swinford, Chad Ross and Dan Ross, while Joel Filtz stayed out front of the XLC 102.3 Sport Truck division. Two laps later Ron Ross pressured Filtz for the lead. Ron Ross led just two laps before Tillman inched ahead on lap seven.
Tillman never pulled away from the field but picked up the win just ahead of Butch Edwards Jr. who finished barley in front of Ron Ross. Filtz held on to fourth, Mike Martinelli was fifth and James Thorndike in the first appearance of the year came home sixth.
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The Formula Indy Racing Association made a trip to Lake Geneva Raceway with their popular open wheeled cars. Brian Helmintoler dominated the evenings events and went on to score the feature win after establishing a new track record in qualifying. |
The Pro and Pro-Am drivers ran together for the Formula Indy Racing Association event, but the classes were scored separately. Jim Chapley moved in front, with Helmintoler,. Ron Morris, Jim Bass and Vern Brown next. Seven laps later Helmintoler charge in front.
Brown dropped out on lap nine, after moving up with the leader. The non stop event went to Helmintoler who said this about the raceway. "This is my favorite track and I will be looking foreword to the Fall Classic and maybe even winning another event. I had no idea that field field was so close". Helmintoler then thanked the large crowd that cheered him from the grandstands.
Next Saturday evening, August 9th, 1997; the Outlaw Rascals and the Performance Unlimited Mid-American Sportsman cars will join the Super Late Models and Street Stocks on the third mile paved oval. Time trials are at 6:00 P.M. with the first race beginning promptly at 7:30 P.M.
Racing continued through October 4th this year with events taking place every Saturday night!
Late
Model Division
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HEAT ONE: 1.) Schill Jr.; 2.) Brian Ulrich; 3.) Larry
Surletta
HEAT TWO: 1.) Danny Darnell; 2.) Simon; 3.) Billy
Baumeister
HEAT THREE: 1.) Holtz; 2) David Ray Salentine; 3.) Patnode
Herb's
Street Stock Division
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HEAT ONE: 1.) Bishop; 2.) Donnelly; 3.) Estes
HEAT TWO: 1.) Troy Weber; 2.) Kuxhouse; 3.) Potter
HEAT THREE: 1.) Regnier; 2.) Norton Jr.; 3.) Messinger
XLC
102.3 Sport Truck Division
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DASH: 1.) Tackman Jr; 2.) Bishop; 3.) Hansche
Formula Indy Racing Association
15 Lap Feature: 1.) Brian Helmintoler, Itasca, IL; 2.) Ron
Morris, Belvidere, IL; 3.) Jim Chapley, Northbrook, IL; 4.) Jim
Bass, Madison, WI; 5.) Dean Miliken, Wales, WI; 6.) Dennis
Hilgart, Waukesha, WI
First Heat: 1.) Hilgert; 2.) Dick Heath, Milwaukee,WI; 3.)
Ann Kevin, Milwaukee
Second Heat: 1.) Vern Brown, Milwaukee; 2.) Morris; 3.)
Helmintoler
Dash: 1.) Brown; 2.) Helmintoler; 3.) Morris
Fast Qualifier: Brian Helmintoler, Itasca, IL,.....18.090 Seconds *New Track Record*