Prestay in wire to wire win at Lake Geneva Raceway!
By Dale Erdmann

July 8, 2000; Lake Geneva, WI. - It was summer race weather, as Adams Steel Service and WJVL Radio sponsored Saturday nights race program at Lake Geneva Raceway. Fran Prestay of Silver Lake scored his first super late model 30 lap feature of the year, starting on the pole and easily running away with the victory. Jerry Cowan of Burlington won his second 25 lap super stock feature of the season. James Olson of Woodstock, Illinois won his second sport truck feature in a row, as did Gary Kreuger of Edgerton in the Wisconsin Allison Legacy Series.

Fran Prestay (#99) earned his first Super Late Model feature victory of the season at Lake Geneva Raceway leading the contest wire to wire.

The super late model feature was just three laps old when someone got out of square, as Kent Burkoth, Shane Bishop, Brad Durbin, Denny Hiffman and Joe Fischer all received damage, scrambling to the pits for some quick repairs. Everyone answered the call for green flag racing, as Fran Prestay walked away from the field.

The race was for second, as Brian Ulrich stayed just in front of Russ Blakley, Landry Potter, Jeff Storm and Jamie Wallace. It was quite an event behind the leader, with Potter and Storm trying to move up. Blakley grabbed second on lap ten, with Potter to his inside. Within two laps, Jamie Wallace joined the ruckus, with Blakley now clearly in second.

Mike Vogt Jr. spun on lap eighteen, stopping the action. Underway, Prestay again moved away from the field, as Potter and Storm got under Blakley. Storm began to work on Potter   for the runner-up spot, dipping to his inside, but Potter would walk away from him on the straightaways. Finally with five laps to go, the field came the closest they would on the leader. Then as the white flag was displayed, Bob Moeller got caught on the rumble strip, after spinning onto the infield. A challenge for that top spot would never materialize, as Prestay won the contest. Potter held onto second, with Storm, Wallace, Ulrich, Blakley, a recovered Burkoth, who non takes over the point lead, with a five point advantage and Bishop along side of him at the finish.

Jerry Cowan (#67) avoided accidents and fended off rivals to earn his second Super Stock feature win of the 2000 season at Lake Geneva.

The super stock feature got off to a rocky start, as Craig Mertes, John Maki Jr. and Doug Peterson tangled in turn one. Everyone but Peterson returned, with Al Kuphal out front of the field. Rookie driver and  U.S. Navy member, Dan Tschida slipped into second, with another rookie Mike Bell knocking at the door. Bell pulled off a slick move on lap six, as Kuphal drifted out of the groove, after being pushed out of his lead.

Quickly Jerry Cowan moved through the field, taking over second on lap eight. Within two laps Bell could feel the pressure of Cowan, Greg Peterson and Kuphal who still wasn't going to settle for fourth.

Entering lap eleven, Tschida got sideways coming off turn two, Scott Scholl was collected, then multiple cars came into the melee, as Erik Engel, Jeremy Olson and Jeremy Tess, all received extensive damage, but no one was injured. After nearly a half hour delay, trying to get the cars apart and clean up the mess Cowan again lead the way in front.

A major pile-up ensued in Super Stock feature action that involved several cars. Dan Tschida (#34) spun and collected several cars.  Here Erik Engel (#31) tangles with another car stalled along the wall, while attempting to avoid Tschida.

Another caution appeared two laps later, after debris came off someone's mount, then came to rest in the middle of two lanes. As quickly as the green flew, Jeff Lorenz, the fast time qualifier, dove into second. But at lap eighteen, John Janssen slipped under Lorenz and set his sights on the leader. Those final seven laps were close, but Cowan was in command and won the race over Janssen, Lorenz, Peterson, Bell, Adam Regnier, Mike Kooi and Dave Lohse.

It was a dead heat for the lead of Wisconsin Allison Legacy series feature, as Keith Tolf and Casey Darnell battled for that top spot. Jack Kossow moved around Darnell, with Erik Darnell following his every move. By lap eight, Erik Darnell was along side Kossow, then Tolf and moved in front before the lap ended. The caution flew for Doug Reichley who spun in turn four. This wasn't what Darnell wanted to see, but the youngster showed the field he could do it. Gary Kreuger moved under Tolf and looked at the new leader, before another lap was put in the books.

Those years of experience showed as Kreuger moved in front after Darnell got wide, on lap thirteen. Not running away from the field, but still with a comfortable lead Kreuger raced home to victory. The dicing for second went down to the wire, as Ken Wills nipped Darnell for second. Kelly Bires was next, with a recovered Reichley and Tolf rounding out the top six.

The sport truck feature was led by the R.J. Ross for the first four laps, before James Olson flew by. Chad Phillips looked like he'd challenge the leader, but time ran out, with Olson right in front of Phillips, R.J. Ross, Todd Ross, Chad Ross and Vincent Merry.

This Saturday night is mid-season championship time. With the points in the super late models so close and super stocks just about the same, the tension sill be high. The sportsman cars will be here to . There sill be extended features in all divisions. Time trials begin at 6 pm. racing at 7:30 pm sharp. The program will be sponsored by Bennett Enterprises out of Round Lake Beach, IL.

RESULTS

SUPER LATE MODELS:
30 Lap Feature: 1.) Fran Prestay, Silver Lake; 2.) Landry Potter, Delavan; 3.) Jeff Storm, Waterford; 4.) Jamie Wallace, Pell Lake; 5.) Brian Ulrich, Racine; 6.) Russ Blakley, Palmyra; 7.) Kent Burkoth, Pell Lake; 8.) Shane Bishop, Pell Lake; 9.) Dennis Carlton, Grayslake, IL; 10.) Denny Hiffman, River Forest, IL
15 Lap Semi-Feature: 1.) Mike Vogt Jr., Greenfield; 2.) Bob Moeller, Johnsburg, IL; 3.) Paul Loppnow, Burlington
1st Heat: 1.) Mike Vogt Jr., Greenfield; 2.) Mike Simon, Grayslake, IL; 3.) Bob Moeller, Johnsburg, IL
2nd Heat: 1.) Bob Koidahl, Cary, IL; 2.) Fran Prestay, Silver Lake; 3.) Rick Dittman, Lake Geneva
Dash: 1.) Jeff Storm, Waterford; 2.) Brad Durbin, Lyons; 3.) Kent Burkoth, Pell Lake
Time Trials: 1.) Jamie Wallace, Pell Lake, 16.117 Seconds; 2.) Jeff Storm, Waterford, 16.152 Seconds; 3.) Brad Durbin, Lyons, 16.211 Seconds

SUPER STOCKS:
25 Lap Feature: 1.) Jerry Cowan, Burlington; 2.) John Janssen, Genoa City; 3.) Jeff Lorenz, Waukesha; 4.) Greg Peterson, Paddock Lake; 5.) Mike Bell, Waukesha; 6.) Adam Regnier, McHenry, IL; 7.) Mike Kooi, Island Lake, IL; 8.) Dave Lohse, Harvard, IL; 9.) Rick Jacobs, East Troy; 10.) Craig Mertes, Antioch, IL
15 Lap Semi-Feature: 1.) Jeremy Olson, Spring Grove, IL; 2.) Rick Jacobs, East Troy; 3.) Tom Fay, Arlington Heights, IL
1st Heat: 1.) 1.) Rick Jacobs, East Troy; 2.) Tom Fay, Arlington Heights, IL; 3.) Brian Pluess, East Troy
2nd Heat: 1.) Mike Bell, Waukesha; 2.) Greg Peterson, Paddock Lake; 3.) Doug Peterson, Antioch, IL
Dash: 1.) Jerry Cowan, Burlington; 2.) Adam Regnier, McHenry, IL; 3.) Jeff Lorenz, Waukesha
Time Trials: 1.) Jeff Lorenz, Waukesha, 19.121 Seconds; 2.) John Janssen, Genoa City, 19.151; 3.) Adam Regnier, McHenry, IL, 19.219 Seconds

SPORT TRUCKS:
15 Lap Feature: 1.) James Olson, Woodstock, Il; 2.) Chad Phillips, Woodstock, IL; 3.) R.J. Ross, Northbrook, IL; 4.) Todd Ross, Hoffman Estates, IL; 5.) Chad Ross, Grayslake, IL; 6.) Vincent Merry, Wadsworth, IL
1st Heat: 1.)  James Olson, Woodstock, IL; 2.) Chad Ross, Grayslake, IL; 3.) R.J. Ross, Northbrook, IL
Time Trials: 1.) James Olson, Woodstock, IL, 19.703 Seconds; 2.) Chad Ross, Grayslake, IL, 19.831 Seconds; 3.) Chad Phillips, Woodstock, IL, 19.905 Seconds

WISCONSIN ALLISON LEGACY SERIES:
20 Lap Feature: 1.) Gary Kreuger, Edgerton; 2.) Ken Wills, Slinger; 3.) Erik Darnell, Park City, IL; 4.) Kelly Bires, Mauston; 5.) Doug Reichley, Waukesha; 6.) Keith Tolf, Kenosha; 7.) Scott Nicoson, Ringwood, IL; 8.) Sam D' Agosting, Darien, IL
1st Heat: 1.) Doug Reichley, Waukesha; 2.) Ken Wills, Slinger; 3.) Erik Darnell, Park City, IL
Dash: 1.) Ken Wills, Slinger; 2.) Gary Kreuger, Edgerton; 3.) Kelly Bires, Mauston
Time Trials: 1.) Scott Nicoson, Ringwood, IL, 19.248 Seconds; 2.) Kelly Bires, Mauston, 19.292 Seconds; 3.) Gary Kreuger, Edgerton, 19.310 Seconds