Schill Claims $2,000 in Classic Win at LGR!! By Dale Erdmann and Gary Vercauteren

September 29-30, 2001; Lake Geneva, WI. -  It was another perfect weather weekend as the O’Doul’s October Classic went into the books with over 221 race cars on hand. With all the events over nearly 275 drivers came to compete. Al Schill of Franklin was the big winner claiming the $2000 for winning the 50 lap Central Services super late model feature. In the past two weeks, Schill, a multi time champion here and at Slinger speedway, won the last two feature races.

The Basic International championship ran along with the Pure Stock visitors. The event went down to the last lap in determining the point championship as Jeff Baum of Gurnee, Illinois won the 20 lap feature. Todd Booker and Baum went
into today's competition tied in points and by the finish Booker became the 2001 champion.

Photo Highlights

Al Schill (#14) spent the early portion of the Super Late Model main event doing battle for the lead with Joe Fischer (#2).   Schill would make the pass and go on to win the event and the $2,000 first place prize. Chris Purdy (#7) made a thrilling last lap move to top the Limited Late Model feature contest. Josh Bauer (#05) won his first career Mid-American Stock Car Series feature event this weekend at Lake Geneva Raceway during the October Classic. In the wildest accident of the weekend Mike Dekeuster (#6) got upside down during the Mid-American Stock Car feature race.  He was unhurt in the incident. Dave Melahn (#37) captured the hotly contested Street Stock main event. Jeff Baum (#34) won just about every event he ran in the stock 4 cylinder class, including the feature contest. Todd Verhagen took a sweep of the weekend in Wisconsin Sport Truck action, winning features on both Saturday Night and Sunday afternoon.

Joe Fischer shot out front of the super late model feature with Al Schill Landry Potter and Conrad Morgan in hot pursuit. By lap six it was aside by side duel at the top with Fischer and Schill.It was see/saw battle for the next three laps before Schill inched ahead. On lap twelve the first caution came out for fluid on the surface when Fischer’s radiator hose let loose. On the restart Schill now had Potter to contend with. Conrad was just ahead of Rick Corso, the 2001 millennium in a hotly contest position struggle. Starter Dave Rex Jr. waved the folded black flag at Corso when contact was made one lap later. The next go round out came the caution for a spin from Jeff Way.

On the next green Schill had all he could do to keep Potter from taking over the lead. By lap twenty Schill finally had a secure lead of three feet, but Potter now had Todd Kluever the Madison Champion and Corso working on his position. On lap twenty six Potter got around Kluever as Kent Burkoth joined the fray for second. Within three laps it’s was a three way battle for second as Schill maintained a small lead.

There was another switch of positions on lap thirty as Kluever grabbed second again. Burkoth moved into third with Potter not giving in. With just ten laps to go Schill broke out of traffic holding a eight car advantage as Potter slowed with problems. Joining the cluster for second was Matt Kocourek moving past Corso and Burkoth as the race was winding down. Kluever now had five laps of clear track ahead of him but when the checkered was shown Schill walked away with a impressive win over Kluever a hard charging Kocourek, whose time ran out for a serious challenge for the runner up spot. Burkoth, Corso Jamie Wallace, Chad Barker and Mike Monroe rounded out the top eight.

Bill Drefahl came out front of the limited late model feature with Steve Schlosser 2001 Jefferson Speedway champion Dan Chesmore, and Rick Coppernoll next. Russ Blakely had problems on lap four ending up heading to the pits for repairs. The first caution came out on lap six when Ron Benedict spun and couldn’t get started.Drefahl slipped out front on the wave of the next green.

But quickly moving in for a challenge was Chesmore who then took over the lead after a brief  battle for the top position.Then three laps later Drefahl fought his way in front one more time. Rick Corso in his millennium late model car that won the 2001 championship here scooted into second on lap eleven as Chesmore wasn’t giving up easily. One lap later Drefahl lost the lead to Corso it was a short tour in front only lasted one lap after something went wrong with the leader car.

Chesmore was ready for the fight with Drefahl for the lead as Corso headed to the pits.Chesmore took over the lead and Drefahl now had Chris Purdy 2001 the Madison limited late model champion to contend with as Rick Coppernoll moved into contention making things extremely tight up front. Purdy pulled into second on lap fourteen and set his sights on the leader.

Chesmore looked good on his first visit here but then came lap twenty seven and as Tommy Nevoso couldn’t get off the track after something went wrong coming to rest at the pit entrance bringing out the final caution and setting up for a three lap dash for the $500 for the win. It was classic finish as Chesmore held onto lead until the last turn as Purdy won the race at the wire. Chesmore was second with Drefahl, Coppernoll, Dean Schultz, Andy Weyenburg, Luke Westenberg and Jerry VanHandel completing the top eight in an excellent contest.

Even though there were eighteen pre entries, only six modifieds showed up. The feature got off to a rocky start but once underway Jeff Bodendorfer went on to win his first feature here. Andy Everts, Jeff Bodendorfer Jr., Chuck Rein and Ron Schmitt were next.

Like Saturday, the only thing that changed was it was now Sunday, as Todd Verhagen captured both feature contests for the Wisconsin Sport Trucks.  Saturday a second in his heat denied the visiting driver of a win. Sunday’s feature like Saturday went non stop as the quick qualifier won the feature and his heat for a clean sweep. Phil Ludwig took second both days as the Wisconsin mini sport trucks had two complete shows.

Dave Obermeyer led the opening lap of the super street stock feature before Ron Schmitt moved in front as Lyle Messinger worked on the leader.Right behind them was Scott Asher taking over second place on lap nine. Fast time qualifier Patrick McIntee was next as again the race was tight up front.

Asher was in front on lap fourteen as Tommy Nevoso was having an awful day blowing something on lap twenty causing the only caution of this close race. Asher held back McIntee for the big win.

The street stock feature was another great race as veteran driver Dave Melahn of Burlington outran another Burlington driver 2001 championshin Jack Rubach, who had gotten through traffic late and ran out of time for any challenge. Trevor Mock, A.J. Dunne, Rob Summers, and Paul Konieczny were next.

The Saturday night clash of champions were good as Landry Potter won the super late model event. Jerry Cowan was second, Kirby Kurth, Jeff Way, and Chad Barker. Chris Purdy won the limited Late model version of the race. Andy Weyenberg Dean Schultz and Luke Westenberg were next.

Josh Bauer, one of the young lions of the McLeodUSA Mid-Am Stock Car Series, scored his first ever series feature win at the Lake Geneva Raceway Sunday afternoon.

Bauer, driving the Cardinal Fabricating Pontiac Grand Prix, took the lead with five laps remaining to win the 40-lap main event by several car lengths ahead of Denny Norton in the Performance Unlimited Dodge Intrepid.    Scott Null, who led the first 35 laps, brought his Performance Fabrication Monte Carlo home third on the one-third mile paved oval.     Peter Hernandez was fourth in the Bill's Speed Shop Monte Carlo while fifth went to Brian Baker in the Peterson Drywall Monte Carlo and sixth was taken by Bobby Gutknecht in the Snook's Racing Engines Grand Prix.

James Swan and Bill Prietzel continued their season-long battle for the point championship with Swan finishing seventh and Prietzel ninth.   The two will be literally deadlocked going into the season championship race.

The race got off to a wild start.   Null set the pace from the outset by outracing Terry Crowell into the first turn.   On lap three Mike DeKeuster and Jerry Freeman tangled in turn three.  DeKeuster's car flipped over the front end of Freeman's machine, tearing the carburetor off in the process.  A spectacular flash fire was quickly brought under control the track's safety crew.

Null, Bauer, Crowell, Norton, and Nick Schumacher were all involved in a crazy battle for the top spot.   Null held the lead, but the other four drivers all held the second spot at some point in the race.   Bauer was pinned down on the inside with Norton running to his outside for the most of the event.     Norton bounced off the backstretch wall on lap 24 and Bauer
choose to take the high line.  By lap 34 Bauer was on the outside of Null and two laps later he squeezed into the lead coming off the fourth turn.

Art Christoffersen never gave up on the outside lane and his determination resulted in his second victory of the season in the
McLeodUSA Super Truck Series Saturday night before a big crowd at the Lake Geneva Raceway.

The Toddville, Iowa driver took his previous series win at the season opener back in April at Hawkeye Downs. Christoffersen started on the outside of the front row and led the opening circuit around the one-third mile paved oval.    Mark Eberhart, a former off road racer looking for his first series win, wedged inside of Christoffersen coming off of turn four on the second lap.       Christoffersen clung to second place until lap seven when Vince Wilkinson moved up on Eberhart's rear bumper.

Just when it looked like Christoffersen might fall back into the field, he charged back on the outside.  He retook second place from Wilkinson on lap nine and inched into the lead on the 12th circuit.    Eberhart when back ahead on laps 13 and 14, but Christoffersen went back into the top spot on the 15th round.  Christoffersen was feeling heat from Eberhart and Wilkinson in the lower lane.  Gordie Swanson and Jerry Seibel joined the fray during the final ten laps, pressuring Christoffersen on the outside.

When the checkered flag finally flew on lap 25 it was Christoffersen by inches over Eberhart.   Wilkinson, Bill Prietzel, Swanson, Seibel and Jeff Steenbergen were all right behind to round out the top seven finishers all in a bundle.

The final weekly show but not the last race program for the season will be Saturday October 6th. for the 21st. annual “Run what ya brung”.  The final race will be held October 21st with be the original Goblin 250 Midwest enduro stock Car series race.