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4 In A Row For Wallace
By Dale R. Erdmann and Mellssa Bobula
Lake Geneva, WI. June 10th. With bad weather to the south the Friday
night race program at Lake Geneva Raceway went on as usual. With over 100 race
cars in the pit area, race fans got their monies worth of action. Josh Wallace
of Pell Lake won another S&P motorsports millennium 25 lap feature, that
was marred by numerous Yellow Book USA caution periods, that took nearly one
hour to run. This was Wallace’s fourth win in a row. Andy Krueger a hometown
driver from Lake Geneva won his second straight 15 lap weapons feature despite
finishing second, as the Nestles race car of Randy Schneider from Burlington
actually came across the line first. Veteran Lusia’s pizzeria mini modified
driver Glen Vernezze missed a clean sweep by taking fourth in the heat,
but took fast time and won the 15 lap feature. Bob Koch of McHenry, Illinois
was back to his winning ways by taking first place in the Double R towing
Basic International cars nearly non stop 20 lap feature. Points leader Michael
Cooter of Loves Park, IL. won his second 15 lap feature for the INEX
bandolero cars. 17 year old Ernie Schaal of Wauconda, IL. won his first
15 lap Perfection Auto Body legends car feature of the season and
Vincent Merry of Wadsworth, IL. just had to get back in his championship
race truck just missing a clean sweep, by taking fast time, second in the heat
and winning the 15 lap feature. It was Nestles night at the raceway with many
employees from the Burlington plant here tonight.
The limited millennium late model feature just got started with Joe Rusciano
out front, before Jeff Steenbergen and Carrie Dygon got together causing the
first caution period. The next caution came two laps later for a Paul
Edmundson spin. Each time Rusciano charged out front, with Paul Dygon, then
Keith Tolf second. Rob Maule spun for the next caution with just one more lap
in. Then Carrie Dygon had a fuild leak that caused a another long delay. The
next green brought out two more laps of racing before another slowdown. One
lap later Sonny Schoffen headed to the pits with problems, just a Jeff Graf
spun in turn four. Then fast timer Ralph Gentile got under Brian Ulrich’s
mount as the caution came out again. For the next fourteen laps it was all out
racing as Josh Wallace ran away from the field as second through sixth was up
for grabs until the checkered. Wallace easily won the event, with Tolf,
Ulrich, Rusciano Paul Dygon and Steenbergen under a blanket.
The legends feature was only one half lap old when a racing incident ensued
when Don Schaal squeezed Michael Bilderback into the wall, collecting quick
qualifier Curt Gnatzig, point leader Eric Lokemoen, Ernie Schaal and Tom
Palma. Before the dust settled Palma went over Ernie Schaal’s from end,
flying high into the air before nose diving to the pavement. Palma had the
wind knocked out of himself and his night was over. A complete restart brought
Kyle LaPier in front of the field, with Bilderback briefly in second, but his
bend spindle from the incident with the wall caused his mount to mishandle and
Ernie Schaal took over second. Within a few laps it was side by side racing
for the top spot. It took Schaal until lap seven to grab that top spot. LaPier
got a second wind and took the lead back on lap eight, but Schaal wasn’t
going to be denied. The race was far from over as Lokemoen challenged the
leaders every move. Then the white flag came out, with Lokemoen just in front.
Into turn one it was a dead heat, coming off turn two, Schaal crept ahead by
less an inch. Coming through three and into four it was too close to call, as
Schaal pulled in front at the wire for the thrilling win. Lokemoen was
second, with LaPier right behind them in third, Gnatzig was fourth and
Bilderback managed a fifth place despite the ill handling car.
The mini modified feature brought guest driver Duck Wack out front in Ken
Johnson’s car. A slight bobble by the leader was all Glen Vernezze needed to
move out front and never look back for the win. The race behind him was good,
as Mike Van Houten came in second, with Wack just ahead of Chris Thomazin and
Bill Trusky for another close race.
Michael Cooter raced out front of the bandolero feature with Kyle Palma right
on his rear bumper. Lap four last weeks feature winner Collin Laursen broke a
tie rod and spun in turn four for the first of two caution periods. On the
restart Cooter had all he could do as Palma and then fast quailifier Branden
Allen slipped into second. Then Steve Erickson got too wide flying off the
turn between three and four, causing his control arm to break. Cooter
regained the lead as the green reappeared and came home the winner, just in
front of Allen, Palma, Vince Heywood in his best finish for the rookie driver
in the former championship car. Kyle Justis was fifth just inches behind
him.
Kevin Hill moved in front of the BIC feature, with Leo Bujak, Jack Rabey
and Brit Bromann in his first appearance of the year all right there. By lap
ten Dan Giannotti in his first night out gained second. Within two laps it was
a three way battle for the lead, as Bob Koch joined these two. With just five
laps to go, Koch gained the lead and went home to win the race ahead of
Giannotti, Steve Doherty last weeks clean sweeper, Bromann hung on to fourth
and fast timer Lenny Adams fifth.
Next Friday night time trials begin at 6pm. with racing at 7:30 sharp.
There will be six divisions racing.
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