September 27-28, 1997; Lake Geneva, WI. - The records fell and race fans came to enjoy Wisconsin's largest paved track program. Over 400 different drivers competed in the annual Fall Classic at Lake Geneva Raceway. The three day event which ran Friday, Saturday and Sunday established all kinds of new records. Saturday Night heat races were run and then on Sunday 8 feature races were completed by 6:30 P.M.
| # 7 Al Schill Jr. , Franklin, WI. -- FALL CLASSIC Super Late Model WINNER!! | |
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Al Schill Jr. took top honors in the 50 Lap Super Late Model feature race, during the fall classic weekend. Schill Jr. also set a new track record turining a lap of 16.141 seconds. |
The feature winners on Sunday included Al Schill Jr. the 1995 champion in the Late Model division at Lake Geneva, who bested a field of 63 Super Late Models. Schill Jr. broke the all-time one lap qualifying mark for the 1/3 mile progressively banked oval with a lap of 16.141 seconds, he then went on to win the 50 Lap feature event and collect $1,500 for his efforts.
His father Al Schill Sr. the 1997 Super Late Model champion here, brought back the car which won the Limited Late Model feature during last year's classic and won the 40 lap feature this year. Both Schill's reside in Franklin, WI.
The 35 lap Mid-American Sportsman division went to Jeff Storm of Waterford, WI, who is the point leader in the series. The debut of the Short Track Super Trucks saw Bill Preitzel of Franklin, WI wind up in victory lane after a 25 lap feature event. The 25 lap Modified feature was claimed by Fran Prestay of Silver Lake. The 30 lap Street Stock feature went to one of the regular competitors at the track, as Zac Deeringer of McHenry, IL picked up his third feature win of the season in the class. Deeringer was the runner-up in points for the Street Stocks in 1997.
The 30 lap Super Stock feature was claimed by Scott Riedner of Waunakee and Burlington's Butch Edwards Jr. the runner-up in the LGR Sport Trucks, won the 20 lap four cylinder feature event.
Because of the clear day, the 50 lap Super Late Model feature got held up due to the blinding sun. Once the sun began to set and went behind a tree line, pole sitter and 1997 Slinger Speedway Late Model kingpin Conrad Morgan grabbed the initial lead from Mike Arnold.
The spread form the fastest to the slowest feature starter was a mere .20 of a second in the 20 car field. Ken Burkoth slipped under Arnold on lap two, with Morgan already pulling away from the field. Behind Burkoth and Arnold, Chad Wood, Brad Durbin, Billy Skinner Jr. and Eddie May were all dicing for a higher position. By lap 15, Wood advanced to third, with May on his tail.
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Early in the Super Late Model main Conrad Morgan (#92), holds the lead out front of a top Lake Geneva Raceway regular Kent Burkoth (#19). Morgan took second in the 50 lap race, while Burkoth faded to seventh at the finish. |
The first of only a few caution in the event came on lap 19, as Wood spun on his own, wiping out Morgan's big lead. It took May only a few more laps to climb into second behind Morgan, but fast timer Schill Jr. was now third, and before the next caution would appear for a John Nutley spin, Schill annexed the runner-up slot.
| The lead changes! Al Schill Jr. (#7), a former Lake Geneva Raceway Late Model champion, dives under 1997 Slinger Speedway champ Conrad Morgan (#92) for the lead in the Fall Classic Super Late Model feature. Schill Jr. went on to win the event, just in front of Morgan who claimed second. |  |
On lap 26, the showdown began as Morgan and Schill Jr. ran side by side for the lead, the battle lasted two laps before Schill Jr. edged out front. Morgan now had May to contend with as Eddie Hoffman Jr. was right behind these two. Fans were also watching Tony Strupp who had worked his way though the first semi-feature and started this event in the ninth row and had moved up to seventh by lap 30.
On lap 33, Wood and David Ray Salentine flew off turn three, bringing out the final caution. When the green appeared the top eight could be covered with a blanket, but Schill Jr. held a steady rein, totally in control of the front running spot. The only car to be lapped in the event, came on lap 46, and Schill Jr. used that to his advantage to secure the win, as Morgan had to tuck in behind the leader.
Schill Jr. came acrossed the line the winner, with Morgan in second, Hoffman Jr. just edged out Strupp for third, while Durbin, Burkoth, Arnold, Jamie Wallace and John Brolick took the top nine spots.
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The Super Late Models came out in full force, with a record field of 63 cars on hand, competition was close. Here cars go two and three wide in a Semi-feature event. Brian Muick (#50) was the eventual winner of this race. |
The two 25 lap semi-features were just like the main event, with side-by-side action everywhere, Randy Harris and Brian Muick came home the winners in those events. The 20 lap consi, went to Mark Hartline who had to go home Saturday afternoon, when his engine expired. Hartline got back in time to compete in the final Super Late Model heat on Saturday night before winning the consi on Sunday.
Scotty Bleeker jumped out front of the Limited Late Model 30 lap feature, as Paul Kisow, Jason Erickson and Rick Nelson were next in line. One lap later Kisow inched out front to be the new leader, with Erickson dropping Bleeker out of second on lap three. Nelson didn't want the leader Kisow to have any breathing room and charged into second place at Erickson's expense on lap four.
Schill Sr. was starting his quest for the front, running fourth by lap six. The tight field wasn't giving an inch, as Kisow held a small lead.
Schill grabbed second on lap eight, with Fran Prestay, who was competing in four divisions today looking at Nelson's third spot.
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Two champs battle in the Limited Late Model feature. Al Schill Sr. (#14), the 1997 Super Late Model title holder at Lake Geneva Raceway, ducks under Paul Kisow (#99), the Madison International Speedway Sportsman Champ, on his way to victory. Kisow took eighth in the feature. |
On lap 11, Kisow spun while leading the event, bringing the race to a halt. Schill Sr. was the new leader, with Prestay getting around Nelson for second on the restart. The competition was close and the first car wasn't lapped until the 16th round. On lap 17, Nelson was lapping Bleeker when the slower car tagged the third place runner causing a spin. Nelson was out of the event and Schill was still the leader.
After a lengthy battle Landry Potter took third place from Nathan Haseleu and began to close in on second running Prestay.
| The Limited Late Model division, saw this years Super Late Model track champion Al Schill Sr. take top honors in the feature race. Schill's son, Al Jr. won the Super Late Model event. |  |
Schill Sr. went on to win the event, with Prestay holding back Potter, Haseleu, Erickson, Dean Schultz, Rick Coppernoll and a recovering Kisow.
Gary Wallace led the first lap of the modified feature, before 1997 Slinger Modified champion Jeff Holtz shot out front. Holtz held onto the lead until lap 20, when quick timer Prestay moved into the lead. At the finish Prestay came acrossed the wire in first ahead of Holtz, Greg Potter, Jeff Bodendorfer, Tom Herbert, Gary Wallace, Wayne Freimund and Mike Bidlack.
Craig Carlson darted out front of the Street Stock feature with visiting Ryan Finley right behind him. On lap four, rookie Shawn Donnelly tagged Warren Linnendahl, starting a chain reaction melee, that caused severe damage to the 1997 LGR Street Stock champion Denny Norton Jr, 1994 champ Phil Palsgrove, Tommy Nevoso, and Lyle Bottlemy were also involved.
The restart gave fans some great excitement as Carlson and 1993 champion Bob Moeller swapped the lead the next few laps. On lap 12, Mike Kooi broke and axle, stopping the action one more time. This was all Zac Deeringer needed as he shot out front on lap 13.
It was non-stop action the final 17 laps, as Deeringer held back the challenges of quick timer Dennis Carlton for the win. rookie Jerry Cowan was third, followed by Carlson, Adam Regnier, visiting Mark Sontag, Donnelly and Rick Jacobs.
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Zac Deeringer came out on top, in the Street Stock main event. The win was his third feature win of the 1997 season in the Street Stock Class. |
Todd Peterson led the first lap of the Super Stock contest, that produced another close event. Dave Wolf then shot out front, with Scott Reinder in second. Behind these two it was side-by-side excitement as the crowd watched Randy Breuning, Brady Liddle and Ken Olson dice for second spot. By lap eight Wolf and Riedner traded the lead back and forth before Reidner went out front on lap 13, while Wolf dropped out of the event by the 15th lap, turning second over to Liddle.
The last ten laps of the event showed everyone that Riedner was going to be a force to be reckoned with, taking the win just in front of Breuning, Kevin Brescia nipped 1997 Slinger Stinger champion Mike McCabe at the line four third, while Ron Preskar, Olson, Craig Oliver and dirt tracker Mike Watson rounded out the top eight.
In the 4 cylinder class, Joel Filtz led the first lap before hot shoe Mark English who started sixth row outside, pulled off the slickest move of the day. English used the middle of the track to get into a three deep situation and never touched anyone charging into the lead on the second go round.
Once in front, it looked like it would be an easy win for the Jefferson Speedway International car driver. With just six laps to go, English's motor started to smoke, within two laps, the smoke was too much for starter Dave Rex Jr. to ignore, and out came the black flag for the leader.
Butch Edwards Jr. who took fast time was now the leader and easily won the event over Ron Ross, Chad Ross, Mike Hoppe, Dean Schwechel, Frank Caravetta and Matt Frey.
In powder puff action, Heidi Jo, a former raceway queen won both the street stock and four cylinder events. The Super Late Model mechanics race went to Mark Reuter in Ronnie Darnell's mount.
Sponsors for this years three day event were Pierce Builders of Pell Lake, All Modes Trucking of Park City, IL. Tremonte's Barber Shop in Wauconda, IL. R&R Trucking of Summitt and Crystal Lake, IL.
Further sponsorships included Contract Glazing of Zion, IL, Speed Tech of Cary, IL.
Burlington Radiator and Glass provided all the trophies for the program. Additional sponsorships of the show were provided by Ron and Brian's Suzuki, Yamaha and Ski-Doo who's dealership is in Waukegan, IL. Artesian Water Company of Racine and Herb's Used Auto and Cycle parts of Lake Villa, IL.
Promoter Kevin Dawson and his staff would like to thank everyone for their support of the show. Next years event will be held September 25-26-27, 1998. Starting off with the Small Car World Championships on Friday Night September 25th, 1998.
The final racing event of the 1998 season will be this Saturday on October 4th, 1997, with the Annual "Run What Ya Brung" special event. The track is located just three miles southeast of downtown Lake Geneva, WI., on Bloomfield Road.
Late
Model Division
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20 LAP CONSOLATION: 1.) Hartline; 2.) Mike Martin; 3.) Tim Taylor;
4.) Russ Grossen
HEAT ONE: 1.) Greg Wichman;
2.) Dan Heying; 3.) Grossen
HEAT TWO: 1.) Smith; 2.) Brolick; 3.) Muick
HEAT THREE: 1.) Salentine;
2.) Randy Harris; 3.) Mike Simon Jr.
HEAT FOUR: 1.) Joe Fischer; 2.) Tony Strupp; 3.) Jerry
Eckhardt
HEAT FIVE: 1.) Morgan; 2.) Burkoth; Billy Skinner Jr.
Limited Late
Model Division
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6 LAP DASH: 1.) Haseleau; 2.) Potter; 3.) Nelson
Super
Stock Division
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Street
Stock Division
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HEAT ONE: 1.) Van Crey; 2. Chad McCatthy; 3.) Stephenson
HEAT TWO: 1.) Sontag; 2.) Doug Peterson; 3.) Hughs
HEAT THREE: 1.) Tom Fay;
2.) Carlson; 3.) Donnelly
HEAT FOUR: 1.) Phil Palsgrove; 2.) Denny Norton Jr.; 3.)
Cowan
Modified
Division
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4 Cylinder Division
20 Lap "Fall Classic" Feature: 1.) Butch Edwards Jr., Burlington; 2.) R. J. Ross, Northbrook, IL; 3.) Chad Ross, Kenosha; 4.) Michael Hoppe, Edgerton; 5.) Dean Schwechel, Burlington; 6.) Frank Caravetta, Kenosha; 7.) Matt Frey, Jefferson; 8.) Joel Filtz, South Milwaukee.