Schill beats weather and opponents
on 5 Star Stock Car Bodies Night!!

By Dale R. Erdmann

August 16, 1997; Lake Geneva, WI. - Five Star Stock Car bodies of Twin Lakes, WI, sponsored the race program on Saturday Night at Lake Geneva Raceway. For the small crowd that braved the bad weather all around the area, but not at the raceway, fans witnessed a huge program with six divisions of action.

Weather was his biggest competition! Al Schill Sr. moved out front of the 30 Lap Super Late Model feature and then held his foes at bay to score his fifth feature win of the 1997 racing season at Lake Geneva Raceway in this Dodge Avenger.

The 21 car Super Late Model feature started off with Joe Fischer pacing the field, while Mark Simonsen, Danny Darnell, Jim Kjellander and Terry Patnode all followed in a tight cluster. On lap seven, Darnell spun brining the race to a halt. On the restart, Mike Simon Jr. stopped, causing another delay. When action resumed Fischer darted out front, with Larry Los and fast timer Brad Durbin taking full advantage of the restarts to move into second and third.

Billy Skinner Jr. still red hot from last weeks feature victory was alongside Durbin in fourth, but Durbin was preoccupied with Los, to worry about that challenge. Fischer was unable to hold back Los, and Los became the new leader on lap 13. Before that lap ended, Denny Hiffman, Patnode and Kjellander tangled, bringing out another caution period.

Los, in the lead on the restart now had Schill to the left and Los to the right challenging for the lead on the drop of the green, but he had no problems taking command of the top spot again.

Then on lap 16, Los and Schill were side by side for the top spot, with Durbin, Skinner and Fran Prestay joining the top five and watching the lead battle. Coming off turn four on lap 17, Los bobbled only slightly and Schill inched in front. Over the next several laps Schill pulled away while second through tenth exchanged positions every lap giving the race fans on hand some racing excitement.

On lap 24, Los and Ronnie Darnell made contact causing both to spin in front of the pack. Everyone missed them, but the melee, caused the first of three more slowdowns in the next three laps. On the next restart Patnode and Danny Darnell got together, while on the next start Skinner and Durbin collided with Durbin gently nudging the wall in front of the crowd. The final stop came when Hiffman did a solo spin.

On each restart Schill got a good jump and so it was when the green finally waved, with 4 laps to go, and the race was for second. Behind the leader, Prestay, Hartline, Kent Burkoth and Mike Simon all wanted the runner-up spot. Hartline slipped alongside Prestay for the position on lap 28 as it was a dead heat, on lap 29 Prestay edged ahead by a mere three inches for second.

Coming for the checkered, Schill easily won his fifth Super Late Model feature of the season. Hartline nipped Prestay by his nose piece for second, Prestay claimed third, while Burkoth was right there in fourth. Simon held back Chad Barker for fifth in a very close event.

The Street Stock feature was another barn burner with 18 cars taking the green flag. Chuck Coulman got out front, with Brad Moeller, Bob Miller and Tom Fay all over the leader. Scott Kuxhouse was already up to fifth by laps five behind the lead group.

Rolf Tillman has proven to be 'almost' unbeatable this season in Sport Truck feature action. Tillman has won 10 of the 11 Sport Truck feature races held this season at Lake Geneva Raceway and holds a commanding point lead in the class.

Kuxhouse sliced through the pack, and on lap eight he was beside Coulman for the lead, with Miller and Jay Potter following closely behind waiting for a mistake. With an extremely tight field, and incident occurred on lap 10, as Ryan Hughes lost a wheel, causing everyone to scatter, bringing out the first of two yellows.

The final caution came when Zac Deeringer lost a wheel, bunching up the field one more time. When the race resumed Kuxhouse led to the finish scoring his second feature win of the season, Adam Regnier made a late charge up to second, with rookie Lyle Messinger claiming third ahead of Jay Potter, fast timer Denny Norton Jr. and Landry Potter.

Brad Troxel shot out front of the 19 car starting field in the very competitive Sportsman feature, with Dan Erikson, second week driver Mike DeKeuster and Dave Lohse looking for the way to the front. Erikson crept out front on lap two, but Brian Baker had his rear bumper cover ripped off causing the first yellow at the end of lap three.

On the restart the worst incident of the night occurred. Coming for the restart, Lohse got into Erikson, with Rick Schmidt crashing hard into them also collecting Scott Koerner. No one was injured but Koerner and Schmidt were through for the evening.

On the next start rookie driver Rick Tackman Jr found himself the new leader with veteran Joe Fransisco and fast timer Joel Clossey nipping at his heels. Clossey inched alongside Tackman on lap seven and after a pair of side by side racing laps, Clossey took over as the new leader on lap nine.

The race wasn't over as the positions behind the lead group changed almost every lap. At the finish it was Clossey winning his first career victory here at Lake Geneva Raceway, with Tackman in his best performance to date finishing second, Fransisco held onto third, as Shane Bishop claimed fourth, point leader Donny Kachelmeier took fifth and Tim Schmitt in his best finish at the track claimed sixth.

In the Sport Truck feature Rolf Tillman was out front, and if there was to be a challenge for the lead from fast qualifier Butch Edwards Jr, Joel Filtz stopped that from happening. On lap 13, with Tillman out front, Edwards had to virtually stop, as Filtz came out of the pit area right in front of the second place runner. Filtz was given a week off and a disqualification for his action, all while Tillman posted his tenth sport truck feature win in 11 tries this year.

Edwards finished second, with Chad, Ron and Dan Ross next in line, while Frank Caravetta claimed the sixth spot.

With the largest field of Allison Legacy Cars ever on hand at Lake Geneva Raceway, Bobby Giers scored his third clean sweep of the division. Jack Kossow was alongside Giers at the stripe but was inches short of a win. Jeff Segal was third, Jeff Goodwin who had won two Outlaw Rascals features at the track was fourth with former street stock driver Rob Hunt claiming fifth.

Duck Wack won his heat and stayed just ahead of Rich Musgrave, Mike Van Houten, Jeff Schultz and Hermie Schultz to win his first Mini-Modified feature of the season here.

Next Saturday Night, August 23rd on the Lake Geneva Raceway action oval, the Legend Cars and Sport Trucks will join the Super Late Models and Street Stocks. Time Trials get underway at 6:00 P.M. with racing taking place at 7:30 P.M. sharp. Next Sunday the oval will come alive with River Valley Kart Club races.

Racing continues every Saturday Night through October 4th, 1997.

RESULTS

Late Model Division
30 Lap Feature Event   Trophy Dash
1. #14 Al Schill Franklin, WI   1. #19 Kent Burkoth Pell Lake, WI
2. #30 Mike Hartline Lake In The Hills, IL   2. # 9 Larry Los Darien, WI
3. #99 Fran Prestay Silver Lake, WI   3. #14 Al Schill Franklin, WI
4. #19 Kent Burkoth Pell Lake, WI   Time Trials
5. #48 Mike Simon Lake Villa, IL   1. #57 Brad Durbin 16.413 Seconds
6. #68 Chad Barker So. Milwaukee, WI   2. #19 Kent Burkoth 16.451 Seconds
7. #55 Jim Kjellander Twin Lakes, WI   3. # 9 Larry Los 16.463 Seconds
8. # 5 Terry Patnode Oak Creek, WI    
9. #57 Brad Durbin Burlington, WI        
10. #47 Billy Skinner Jr. Pell Lake, WI        
             

HEAT ONE: 1.) Simon; 2.) Prestay; 3.) Ulrich
HEAT TWO: 1.) Ronnie Darnell; 2.) Joe Fischer; 3.) Barker
HEAT THREE: 1.) Schill; 2) Hiffman; 3.) Durbin

Herb's Street Stock Division
20 Lap Feature   13 Lap Semi-Feature
1. #57 Scott Kuxhouse Antioch, IL   1. #16 Todd Peterson Woodstock, IL
2. #73 Adam Regnier Richmond, IL   2. #04 Dennis Estes Mukwonago, WI
3. #40 Lyle Messinger Milwaukee, WI   3. #22 Shawn Donnelly Mukwonago, WI
4. # 6 Jay Potter Twin Lakes, WI   Trophy Dash
5. #96 Denny Norton Jr. McHenry, IL   1. #02 Zac Deeringer McHenry, IL
6. #77 Landry Potter Genoa City, WI   2. #57 Scott Kuxhouse Antioch, IL
7. #94 Paul Miller Silver Lake, WI   3. #77 Landry Potter Genoa City, WI
8. #67 Jerry Cowan Burlington, WI   Time Trials
9. #92 Tom Fay Delavan, WI   1. #96 Denny Norton Jr. 19.344 Seconds
10. #56 Chuck Coulman Waukegan, IL   2. #57 Scott Kuxhouse 19.406 Seconds
        3. #40 Lyle Messinger 19.533 Seconds

HEAT ONE: 1.) Tim White; 2.) Peterson; 3.) Rick Jacobs
HEAT TWO: 1.) Tommy Nevoso; 2.) Coulman; 3.) Fay
HEAT THREE: 1.) Kuxhouse; 2.) Regnier; 3.) Norton Jr.

Performance Unlimited Mid-American / Sportsman Division
25 Lap Feature   Time Trials
1. #28 Joel Clossey Beloit, WI   1. #28 Joel Clossey 17.393 Seconds
2. #67 Rick Tackman Jr. New Berlin, WI   2. #17 Shane Bishop 17.460 Seconds
3. #75 Joe Fransisco Genoa City, WI   3. #55 Scott Koerner 17.465 Seconds
4. #17 Shane Bishop Pell Lake, WI   First 10 Lap Heat
5. #95 Donny Kachelmeier Waukesha, WI   1. #41 Dan Erikson Burlington, WI
6. #69 Tim Schmitt Muskego, WI   2. #58 David Lohse Harvard, IL
7. #32 Brian Baker Pell Lake, WI   3. #69 Tim Schmitt Muskego, WI
8. #41 Dan Erikson Burlington, WI   Second 10 Lap Heat
9. #20 Jerry Hansche Racine, WI   1. #32 Brian Baker Pell Lake, WI
10. # 6 Gene Hill Roscoe, IL   2. #95 Donny Kachelmeier Waukesha, WI
        3. #20 Jerry Hansche Racine, WI

6 LAP DASH: 1.) Kachelmeier; 2.) Loppnow; 3.) Fransisco

XLC 102.3 Sport Truck Division
15 Lap Feature   Time Trials
1. #14 Rolf Tillman Woodstock, IL   1. #92 Butch Edwards Jr. 19.651 Seconds
2. #92 Butch Edwards Jr. Burlington, WI   2. #14 Rolf Tillman 19.879 Seconds
3. # 4 Chad Ross Kenosha, WI   3. # 5 Dan Ross 19.891 Seconds
4. #99 Ron Ross Northbrook, IL   10 Lap Heat
5. # 5 Dan Ross Gurnee, IL   1. # 5 Dan Ross Gurnee, IL
6. # 2 Frank Caravetta Kenosha, WI   2. #14 Rolf Tillman Woodstock, IL
7. # 9s Bill Swinford Pell Lake, WI   3. #92 Butch Edwards Jr. Burlington, WI
8. # 3 James Thorndike Elkhorn, WI   4 Lap Dash
9. #10 Jim Phillips Darien, WI   1. # 5 Dan Ross Gurnee, IL
10. # 1 Donnie Swiercz McHenry, IL   2. #92 Butch Edwards Jr. Burlington, WI
        3. #14 Rolf Tillman Woodstock, IL

Allison Legacy Cars

15 Lap Feature: 1.) Bobby Giers, Ingleside, IL; 2.) Jack Kossow, Union Grove, WI; 3.) Jeff Segal, St. Francis, WI; 4.) Jeff Goodwin, Zion, IL; 5.) Rob Hunt, McHenry, IL; 6.) Jay Whyte, Union Grove, WI
Heat: 1.) Giers; 2.) Kossow; 3.) Hunt
Fast Qualifier: Bobby Giers, Ingleside, IL.........19.669 Seconds

Mini-Modifieds

15 Lap Feature: 1.) Duck Wack, Paddock Lake, WI; 2.) Rich Musgrave, Des Plaines, IL;
3.) Mike Van Houten, Gurnee, IL; 4.) Jeff Schultz, Silver Lake, WI; 5.) Hermie Schultz, Silver Lake, WI
Heat: 1.) Wack; 2.) Musgrave; 3.) Van Houten
Fast Qualifier: Rich Musgrave, Des Plaines, IL..........18.864 Seconds