July 4, 1998; Lake Geneva, WI. -Eddie Hoffman Jr. of Westchester, Illinois won the 125 lap super late model feature Saturday night at Lake Geneva Raceway, before the largest crowd to attend a race show since Kevin Dawson purchased the complex in 1984. The show was the first Re/Max Challenge series event ever held here and part of the NASCAR/ARTGO touring series.
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Eddie Hoffman Jr. scored the win in the first ever appearance of the NASCAR RE/MAX Challenge Series. The tour, formed from the old ARTGO series, now runs under the NASCAR banner. Hoffman is the defending series champion and this was his first win of 1998 in the series. |
The 24 car field came down the track for starter Tom
Powell's first green, as current point leader at
the raceway , Al Schill inched in front of Mark Kraus, Billy Skinner Jr., Dave Weltmeyer,
Al Schill Jr. and Travis Kvapil. Kraus wasn't satisfied with second, first touching
the back of Schill's mount , then two laps later moving along side the leader. That move
didn't stick, as Schill moved out front , until his son then moved up to challenge his
father.
By now skinner had taken over third and was, just waiting for a mistake up front . On lap eleven Schill Jr. slipped ahead of Schill Sr. Skinner then moved under Schill Sr. for second two laps later. With an extremely tight field still looking like a pace lap.
On lap fourteen, Steve Carlson was knocking on fourth place Kraus's bumper. By lap sixteen, Hoffman was along side Carlson and on a mission to the front. The next ten laps Hoffman slowly picked off his competitors and by lap thirty Skinner who was second could feel the pressure.
It took Hoffman three more laps to get by Skinner, and begin to work on Schill Jr. It was a great side by side race for the top spot, from laps 36 through 38, before Hoffman secured the top spot on lap 39. Out of no where Jim Weber who seemed to be waiting in the shadows was up to third. Not waiting for Hoffman to build up any lead, Weber got by Carlson and Schill Jr. within two more laps.
From lap forty five to lap fifty, the margin was very tight up front. On lap fifty one the first car was lapped, with even more by lap fifty five. Hoffman drove a great race, but Weber wanted that top spot. On lap fifty seven, lapped traffic didn't move and Hoffman nearly lost the lead at that time. But two laps later, it was wide open pavement ahead of the leader and former ARTGO champion.
By lap sixty five, Hoffman, Weber, Carlson,
Skinner, Schill Jr. and Schill Sr. were the group that ruled the oval. The first caution
appeared on lap seventy one, as Brian Hoppe and Larry Middleton
Jr. tangled. Hoffman would lead just one more lap, before Weber barged his way in front on
lap seventy nine. Two laps later, Middleton again was the cause of a caution, the second
of the event, after tangling with Ron Breese Jr.
| The Lake Geneva Challenge!! Larry Middleton (#71) had a hard time finding grip on Lake Geneva's progressively banked third-mile oval. Middleton was avoided here by Al Schill Jr. (#7) and Al Schill Sr. (#14) on the high side, while Dan Mills (#24) goes low. |  |
Then on lap eighty six, Middleton did a solo spin, bringing out another caution. Each slowdown helped those drivers moving from the rear, as Jason Schuler who started 22nd, was was now up to sixth place, with a steady run forward, since the first green.
With another appearance of the green, Weber slipped out front, with Carlson and Hoffman battling for second. Somehow Skinner Jr. got around both Hoffman and Carlson, securing second on lap ninety one.
The next slowdown came on lap ninety three, as Pete Moore
spun in front of the packed house, with everyone missing him, causing the fourth slowdown
of the event. Then on lap ninety nine, the worst mix-up of the evening took some of the
top runners for a real ride. Schill Jr. and Schuler flew off turn
three's embankment, after something went wrong up front. With all caution period alps
being counted it took until lap 109 before a brief green flag came out.
Weber stalled after his mount started to miss two laps earlier. Everyone went in different directions to miss the fallen leader, with Skinner Jr. getting the worse deal from the mishap, smashing into Weber.
Hoffman was again the leader after the Weber mishap, as Schill Sr. pressured him for the final twelve laps. The win went to Hoffman , with Schill Sr,. Justin Diercks, Hoppe, Dudley Fleck, Jon Lemke, a recovering Skinner Jr. and Rod Wheeler rounding out the top eight.
Kevin Peterson won the accompanying CENEX Super Truck Series event. (See report below)
Next Saturday night one on one street drags return along with the Super Late Models, Herb's Super Stocks and Performance Unlimited Sportsmen cars in a program sponsored by Satellite Technology of McHenry, IL.
NASCAR RE/MAX Challenge Series - 125 Lap Feature Summary:
| 1. | # 8 Eddie Hoffman Jr. | Westchester, IL. |
| 2. | #14 Al Schill Sr. | Franklin, WI. |
| 3. | #84 Justin Diercks | Davenport, IA. |
| 4. | #51 Brian Hoppe | Madison, WI. |
| 5. | #14 Dudley Fleck | Stratford, WI |
| 6. | #17 Jon Lemke | Maplewood, MN. |
| 7. | #47 Billy Skinner Jr. | Pell Lake, WI. |
| 8. | # 5 Rod Wheeler | Appleton, WI. |
| 9. | #66 Steve Carlson | West Salem, WI. |
| 10. | #37 Jason Schuler | Cambridge, WI. |
| 11. | #01 Ron Breese Jr. | DeKalb, IL. |
| 12. | #30 Mark Hartline | Gilberts, IL |
By Gary Vercauteren
July 4, 1998; Lake Geneva, WI. - Kevin Peterson of Wisconsin Rapids scored his first ever victory in the CENEX Mid-American Super Truck Series winning the All-Modes Transportation 30, on Saturday night at the Lake Geneva Raceway before a near capacity crowd.
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Flying formation!! A full field of CENEX Short Track Super Trucks salutes the fans prior to the start of their 30 lap feature race. |
"We've been working awful hard at this," Peterson said of his two year stint in the truck series after winning a pair of Central Wisconsin Racing Association late model championships.
Jason Hicks appeared as if he had something for Peterson at the end of the race, but Hicks' 1998 Ford had a tire go down after he pulled up to the rear bumper of Peterson's 1998 Dodge. "His right front tire must have gone away at the end. I was pretty concerned about him for a while," Peterson stated.
The victory also marked the first ever triumph for a Dodge in the two-year history of the CENEX Super Trucks.
Hicks and series point leader Bill Prietzel both broke Peterson's one-lap track record during qualifying with Prietzel officially lowering the mark to 17.329 seconds.
Former Midwest Dirt Late Model champion Vincent Wilkinson, a rookie on asphalt, led the opening three rounds in his 1998 Chevrolet. Defending series champion Terry Marzofka dipped inside of Wilkinson and pulled away to a four truck length lead until the caution flag flew for a Scott Luetschawger spin in turn two.
Peterson moved up on Marzofka's rear bumper and tried to dip inside of Marzofka going down the backstretch on lap 14. The two leaders touched slightly and Peterson then worked the upper lane and got by Marzofka on lap 16.
Hicks also went outside of Marzofka on lap 17 for second before Luetschwager brought out another caution with a turn four spin on lap 19.
When action resumed Hicks tried to get around Peterson for the front spot, while Danny Heinritz and Prietzel tried to find a way by Marzofka in third. Heinritz and Marzofka touched going down the backstretch on lap 27 with Heinritz's 1998 Chevrolet taking a wild ride along the backstretch wall. Heinritz exited the event with front end damage to his truck.
Hicks seemed poised to give Peterson on last shot, but his truck faltered on the restart and he drifted into the field. Marzofka's determined drive netted him a second place finish, four truck lengths behind Peterson. LeRoy Pettis, a winner previously at Lake Geneva, came from the back of the pack to finish third, while Prietzel was fourth. Wilkinson had his best finish of the year with a fifth place showing and Chad Brundidge came home in sixth.
The CENEX Super Trucks head to the half-mile Marshfield Speedway Saturday night, July, 18th and State Park Speedway's quarter-mile oval in Wausau,WI. on Sunday afternoon, July 19th.
Summary:
CENEX Mid-American Super Trucks: 30 Lap Feature: 1.) Kevin Peterson, Wi. Rapids, WI; 2.) Terry Marzofka, Port Edwards, WI; 3.) LeRoy Pettis, Ringle, WI; 4.) Bill Prietzel, Franklin, WI; 5.) Vincent Wilkinson, Sandwich, IL; 6.) Chad Brundidge, Wi. Rapids, WI; 7.) Andy Fenwick, Neenah, WI; 8.) Ryan Mathews, Elkhorn, WI; 9.) Jerry Seibel, Campbellsport, WI; 10.) Darrell Basseuner, Port Edwards, WI.11.) Kenny Phillips, Sandusky, OH; 12.) Jason Hicks, Lake Geneva, WI; 13.) Scott Luetschwager, Mosinee, WI; 14.) Danny Heinritz, Green Bay, WI; 15.) Tim Showalter, Wakeman, OH; 16.) Jodi Clark, Buffalo, MN; 17.) Dean Goss, Green Bay, WI; 18.) Tom Fagin, Indianapolis, IN
Heat One: 1.)
Basseuner; 2.) Seibel