Lange and Merry win LGR Championships! Raceway joins other tracks in Red Cross fund drive! By Dale Erdmann

September 15, 2001; Lake Geneva, WI. -  The show must go on and it did as the Lake Geneva Raceway joined Jefferson Speedway, Slinger and Hales Corners in collecting money for the American Red Cross during it’s weekly Saturday night race program.Over $2000 was raised by the race fans drivers and the raceway.The money will be presented at the Racing Round Up Radio show Monday Night in Elm Grove,Wisconsin.

The big boost came as the sportsman drivers on their championship night went throughout the grandstand with their helmets along with a 50/50 raffle and the concession stand workers drive they accomplished.The race program was season championships for two of the divisionsas Mike Lange from Milwaukee won his first championship of his career in the Central Services number 7 Performance Unlimited sportsman class in the closest point battles of the season. The 40 lap feature went to Terry Crowell of North Prairie his second win of the season.

Vincent Merry of Wadsworth, Illinois won the Sideline Motorsports sport truck feature and the championship. Fran Prestay of Burlington won the 35 lap super late model feature and another Burlington driver Jack Rubach was back on track taking the 25 lap McHenry Limo super stock feature.

Rubach also took fast time and nears the 2001 championship race with a comfortable lead in the point standings for this second year driver but other positions are up for grabs one week from tonight. Racine’s John Vaasch took fast time and won the heat of the new vintage car class for the second week in a row.

Photo Highlights

In a pre-race salute to America, all the race cars on hand took part in the parade lap, each carrying the stars and stripes. Fran Prestay (#05) won the super late model feature Saturday at Lake Geneva Raceway. Junior Fan Shane Perkins joined him in victory lane. Terry Crowell (#71) captured the Performance Unlimited Sportsman main event this evening at Lake Geneva Raceway. Jack Rubach (#46) scored a feature win this evening in the Super Stocks.  The victory helped him stretch his point lead in the division as the season nears an end. Vincent Merry (#55) captured the Sport Truck feature and locked up the 2001 title in the division.

Just behind this foursome Jocko Terrault and Jerry Freeman were in a heavy battle for fifth place.Right behind these two visiting Bobby Gutknecht and Peter Hernandez fought for their positions with extreme heat waiting for a mistake in front of them. Baker would creep up on the leader but the never get farther than his door.Rybuck got past Utphall on lap twenty one as this pair diced for positions. Five laps later Utphall regained third place just when Freeman got under Terrault.With just five laps to go Rybuck dropped out for some unknown reason. The picture remained close as Crowell nipped Baker for the first track win after being declared the winner after a DQ a few weeks ago.Utphall was right there for third with Gutknecht and Freeman under a blanket.

Rookie Jeff Way paced the super late model feature at the drop of the first green flag with Terry Patnode, Jeff Storm, Matt Kocourek and Fran Prestay hot on his trail. Patnode overhauled Way on lap three just before Kocourek and Storm got together on lap five bringing out the first caution. Eddie May and Rick Corso were at the right place at the wrong time when that happened becoming involved by default ending both their chances to finish the event.Wayne Freimund and Jamie Wallace got involved too and both pitted quickly. Only Freimund came back before the restart.

The next green gave Prestay the momentum he needed to gain the top spot as Patnode couldn’t hold onto the pavement like the new leader. Just two more laps went in the books before Kocourek got into Mark Hartland causing a spin and another caution.Under way one more time Joe Fischer quickly moved into second with Patnode Denny Hiffman and Billy Baumeister too close to call. Things didn’t change until lap eighteen when Baumeister slipped under Patnode with Kent Burkoth doing the same.

Two laps later Landry Potter joined the group and the top eight were so tight.Freimund was back in the fray on lap twenty one as he entered the top six.Prestay would hold on for his third win of the season with Fischer, Potter, Friemund the fast timer fourth, with Baumeister and Burkoth next. Hiffman would move up to fifth after the post race inspection dropped Fischer from the event after the engine heads were declared illegal.

Mike Gunderson a recent Waterford High School graduate fought with second year driver Aaron Williams for the lead at the start of the super stock feature. Scott Eggebrecht and Adam Mass were right behind these two with Sonny Schoffen and Mike Bell battling for the fifth spot. Gunderson went around on lap five as Dave Melahn clipped the disabled mount bringing out the caution. On the restart Schoffen went past Williams with Eggebrecht doing the same one lap later.Point leader Jack Rubach was making his way through the field entering the top six on lap six.

Craig Mertes followed Rubach as both started in the seventh row of this event.Williams stayed ahead of Mertes until lap twelve as Bell moved into second on lap fourteen.The leader was using a wider groove as Rubach got by Bell one lap later moving in for the challenge on lap twenty. Mertes joined Rubach one lap later just as Mike Olson and visiting Rob Hunt tangled causing a four lap dash for the win.

Schoffen wasn’t good under pressure spinning just as soon as the green came out. Quickly the race stopped and now it would be a three lap encounter.Rubach out dueled Mertes for the lead with Rob Summers coming into play before the lap ended.At the wire Rubach would win the contest as Summers got Mertes for second. Pete Olson was fourth nipping Bell at the wire in another close race.

It took Vincent Merry until the nineth lap to gain the lead with a glued together field of sport trucks. Kurt Gurtowski led the first five laps before Chad Ross runner up in points took over the front spot just three laps before Merry went home to victory.Rookie Tom Ross nipped Chad at the wire for second with Gurtowski fourth and Jamie Everett fifth.

There has been a change in the sponsorship of next weeks program as Amerigraphics Trade Tech and the Last Lap Bar and Grill will be here for the Super Late Model and McHenry Limo Super Stock championships. The BIC cars will have a points show. Time trials will be at 6 p.m. racing at 7:30 p.m. sharp. The last weekly show is October 6th. Moto cross racing is this Friday at 8pm. on the stadium dirt course.