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LGR Mourns Loss of One of Their Own,
Kocourek Picks Up Second Straight SLM Win at LGR!
By Dale Erdmann

June 29, 2002; Lake Geneva, WI. -  The start of the NASCAR weekend began under a somber note Friday at Lake Geneva Raceway. Dean Yanke a fixture at the raceway nearly 20 years passed away suddenly on Tuesday. Dean was the operations manager who always had everything ready when the drivers and staff arrived at the raceway before a program. Nearly all the drivers participated in a ceremony just before the weekly program started the dash events.

Photo Highlights
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Matt Kocourek (#43) won his third Super Late Model feature of the season and his second straight here at Lake Geneva Raceway.42801b.jpg (10225 bytes)
Zac Derringer (#02) goes outside of Lee Gibbs (#94) on his way to winning his
first sportsman main event of the year Friday at Lake Geneva Raceway.
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Chad Ross (outside) was nipped by Vincent Merry (55) at the line to win the sport truck feature Friday at LGR.
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Coming home the winner in the BIC car main event this evening was Greg Sheldon (#91).

Matt Kocourek of Racine won his second 35 lap Budweiser super late model feature in a row. Zac Deeringer of McHenry,Illinois won his first 25 lap Performance Unlimited sportsman feature of the season. Greg Sheldon of Crystal Lake,IL. won his second Anchor Towing Basic International car 15 lap feature of the season and Wadsworth,IL. driver Vincent Merry won the 15 lap sport truck feature.

Joe Fischer moved in front of the super late model feature at the drop of the double green flags with Al Schill, Ron Stoehr Brian Ulrich and Wayne Freimund in hot pursuit. By lap seven Terry Patnode joined the fray with Schill dicing for the top spot with Fischer.

On lap eight Schill moved in front with Fischer feeling more pressure as Ulrich was now under him.Two laps later Fischer was dropped to third then one lap later to fourth as Patnode became part of this cluster.The see saw battle for second was great with Patnode finally getting the upper hand on lap twenty one.

Schill was afew lengths ahead before the challenge began on lap twenty six. Jerry Freeman was now third and Matt Kocourek next.It might have remained that way until the race ended but on lap thirty one promising new comer Dan Mecum spun and out came the only caution. On the restart Schill stayed in front one more lap before Kocourek moved on the outside of the leader and in front with the white flag out. Quickly Erik Darnell charged forward and coming down for the checkered Kocourek was the winner by inches over Ulrich as Darnell nipped Schill for third and Patnode got fifth. Suddenly cars went everywhere after something happened after the checkered. Denny Hiffman and Rick Corso got the worse out of that racing incident but no one was injured.

Rick Rowlett paced the field of the sportsman feature with Lee Gibbs next.Just like that Gibbs forged in front with Gary LaMonte next as Zac Deeringer.There was a lot of movement at and near the top with Deeringer winning the battle of the fitest.Erik Pierce came out of no where and by lap ten it was close at the top with Deeringer, Pierce Gibbs, LaMonte and now Terry Crowell too close to call.

On lap twelve rookie Adam Beige spun bringing out the only caution of the event. On the restart Deeringer maintained his lead but he could not shake Pierce. LaMonte had just moved into third on lap fifteen but before the lap was completed into the pits he went for some unknown reason. Point leader James Swan who started in the eighth row inside was steady working his way forward taking third with just five laps to go and that’s the way it would stay for those final five laps as Deeringer took the win over Pierce, Swan, Crowell and last weeks feature winner Jeremy Bloomberg.

It took Greg Sheldon eleven laps to get to the front after passing second place finisher Brian Bottlemy with the new point leader Bob Koch next. John Edwards was fourth and Randy Schneider completed the top five in a close contest in the BIC car main event.

Friday night July 5th. the super mini cups come back for their second appearance of the season. The regular five divisions will be here too.Time trials are at 6pm. racing at 7:30pm.

SUMMARY OF EVENTS LAKE GENEVA RACEWAY, LAKE GENEVA, WI. --  June 28, 2002
Super Late Model Feature            
1    43    Matt Kocourek    Racine, WI
2    23    Brian Ulrich (t)    Racine, WI
3    7    Erik Darnell    Park City, IL
4    14    Al Schill    Franklin, WI
5    5    Terry Patnode    ,
6    61    Jerry Freeman    Richmond, IL
7    63    Jason Hicks    Lake Geneva, WI
8    5    Fran Prestay    Waterford, WI
9    2    Joe Fischer    Mchenry, IL
10    41    Denny Hiffman    River Forest, IL
           
Super Late Model Semi Feature           
1    28    Paul Loppnow    Burlington, WI
2    7    Erik Darnell    Park City, IL
3    56    Mike Simon Jr    Ingleside, IL
4    48    Mike Simon Sr    Grayslake, IL
5    25    Jeff Lorenz    Waukesha, WI
6    24o    Jim Olson    Woodstock, IL
7    4    Don Collins    ,
8    55    Vincent Merry (t)    Wadsworth, IL
9    77    Dave Martinson    Waukegan, IL
10    36m    Jeff Menolascino    Walworth, WI
           
Super Late Model Heat #1           
1    56    Mike Simon Jr    Ingleside, IL
2    48    Mike Simon Sr    Grayslake, IL
3    55    Vincent Merry (t)    Wadsworth, IL
4    77    Dave Martinson    Waukegan, IL
5    36m    Jeff Menolascino    Walworth, WI
6    68    Chad Barker    Hubertus, WI
7    33    Jim Bennett    Round Lake Beach, IL
           
Super Late Model Heat #2           
1    7    Erik Darnell    Park City, IL
2    25    Jeff Lorenz    Waukesha, WI
3    7a    Jamie Artelt    Waukegan, IL
4    2    Joe Fischer    Mchenry, IL
5    28    Paul Loppnow    Burlington, WI
6    4    Don Collins    ,
7    11    Dan Mecum    Marengo, IL
8    8    Ron Stoehr    Waukesha, WI
           
Super Late Model Heat #3            
1    14    Al Schill    Franklin, WI
2    47    Billy Skinner Jr (t)    Pell Lake, WI
3    23    Brian Ulrich (t)    Racine, WI
4    5    Fran Prestay    Waterford, WI
5    44    Wayne Freimund    West Allis, WI
6    67    Jerry Cowan    Burlington, WI
7    3    Chuck Duncan    Milwaukee, WI
8    5    Terry Patnode    ,
           
Super Late Model Time Trials           
1    88    Rick Corso (t)    McHenry, IL
2    43    Matt Kocourek    Racine, WI
3    87    Jamie Wallace    Pell Lake, WI
4    63    Jason Hicks    Lake Geneva, WI
5    41    Denny Hiffman    River Forest, IL
6    61    Jerry Freeman    Richmond, IL
7    5    Fran Prestay    Waterford, WI
8    5    Terry Patnode    ,
9    47    Billy Skinner Jr (t)    Pell Lake, WI
10    3    Chuck Duncan    Milwaukee, WI
           
Super Late Model Dash            
1    63    Jason Hicks    Lake Geneva, WI
2    43    Matt Kocourek    Racine, WI
3    61    Jerry Freeman    Richmond, IL
4    87    Jamie Wallace    Pell Lake, WI
5    88    Rick Corso (t)    McHenry, IL
6    41    Denny Hiffman    River Forest, IL

Sportsman Feature           
1    2    Zac Derringer    Wonder Lake, IL
2    54    Erik Pierce    Lake In The Hills, IL
3    97    James Swan    Lake Geneva, WI
4    71    Terry Crowell    North Prairie, WI
5    18    Jeremy Bloomberg    Hampshire, IL
6    4    Nick Schumacher    Germantown, WI
7    7    Mike Lange    Milwaukee, WI
8    96    Dennis Norton Jr    Wonder Lake, IL
9    32    Brian Baker    Springfield, WI
10    47    Kenny Joosten    Wonder Lake, IL
           
Sportsman Heat #1           
1    18    Jeremy Bloomberg    Hampshire, IL
2    47    Kenny Joosten    Wonder Lake, IL
3    94    Lee Gibbs    Lake Geneva, WI
4    16    Rick Rowlett    Marengo, IL
5    2    Zac Derringer    Wonder Lake, IL
6    54    Erik Pierce    Lake In The Hills, IL
7    63    Gary Lamonte    West Allis, WI
8    33    Jeff Peterson    Lombard, IL
9    5n    Gary Norton    Hebron, IL
10    45    Adam Beige    East Troy, WI
           
Sportsman Time Trials           
1    97    James Swan    Lake Geneva, WI
2    4    Nick Schumacher    Germantown, WI
3    71    Terry Crowell    North Prairie, WI
4    7    Mike Lange    Milwaukee, WI
5    96    Dennis Norton Jr    Wonder Lake, IL
6    32    Brian Baker    Springfield, WI
7    54    Erik Pierce    Lake In The Hills, IL
8    47    Kenny Joosten    Wonder Lake, IL
9    2    Zac Derringer    Wonder Lake, IL
10    18    Jeremy Bloomberg    Hampshire, IL
           
Sportsman Dash           
1    96    Dennis Norton Jr    Wonder Lake, IL
2    71    Terry Crowell    North Prairie, WI
3    32    Brian Baker    Springfield, WI
4    97    James Swan    Lake Geneva, WI
5    7    Mike Lange    Milwaukee, WI
6    4    Nick Schumacher    Germantown, WI

 Bic Feature            
1    91    Greg Sheldon    Crystal Lake, IL
2    5    Brian Bottlemy    McHenry, IL
3    3    Bob Koch    McHenry, IL
4    19    John Da Duke Edwards    Crystal Lake, IL
5    33    Dan Giannotti    Bristol, WI
6    43    Jeff Bremer    Park City, IL
7    55    Vladi Vladimirov    Racine, WI
8    6er    Eric Betts    Elkhorn, WI
9    27    Nick Kalteis    Lake Villa, IL
222    23    Randy Schneider    Burlington, WI
           
Bic Semi Feature #1           
1    17m    Mike Ryszkiewicz    Muskego, WI
2    82    Nathan Matz    Burlington, WI
3    68f    a Fogel    ,
4    1    Kevin Weiss    Mc Henry, IL
5    9    Matt Bushnell    Fox River Grove, IL
6    113    Marty Butler    Lake Villa, IL
7    44    Nathan Pangburn    Waukegan, IL
8    73    Jousha Brisbois    Salem, WI
9    8    T-Bone Fell    Fontana, WI
10    50    Jeff Slinger    Mc Henry, IL
           
Bic Semi Feature #2           
1    27    Nick Kalteis    Lake Villa, IL
2    15    Brian Lagray    McHenry, IL
3    2    Lenny Adams    Mc Henry, IL
4    2bc    Andrew Johnson    Winthrop Harbor, IL
5    888    Ern Fell (t)    Fontana, WI
6    77    Ruben Davila    N Riverside, IL
7    120    Bic 120    ,
8    7    Le Roy Brown    Beloit, WI
9    89    Joel Cameron    Delavan, WI
10    33m    Tim Moun    Kenosha, WI
           
Bic Semi Feature #3           
1    28    Dale Gustum    Round Lake Beach, IL
2    22b    Chris Bline    Slinger, WI
3    8r    James Raderschadt    Lake Geneva, WI
4    93    Kurt Krumm    Pleasant Praire, WI
5    37s    Mike Stratton    Beloit, WI
6    58    Steve Richtel    Bristol, WI
7    12    Louie Kenney    Elkhorn, WI
8    69m    Chris Blake    Milwaukee, WI
9    39c    Dan Clemenz    Waukegan, IL
10    717    Michael Ford    Mc Henry, IL
           
Bic Heat #1           
1    68f    a Fogel    ,
2    17m    Mike Ryszkiewicz    Muskego, WI
3    1    Kevin Weiss    Mc Henry, IL
3    9    Matt Bushnell    Fox River Grove, IL
5    77    Ruben Davila    N Riverside, IL
6    44    Nathan Pangburn    Waukegan, IL
7    73    Jousha Brisbois    Salem, WI
8    29    Russell Gest    Elkhorn, WI
9    50    Jeff Slinger    Mc Henry, IL
10    47x    Bic 47x    ,
           
Bic Heat #2           
1    113    Marty Butler    Lake Villa, IL
2    2    Lenny Adams    Mc Henry, IL
3    120    Bic 120    ,
4    97    Reid Kahrs Jr    Milwaukee, WI
5    68    Jason Tibbs    Spring Grove, IL
6    33m    Tim Moun    Kenosha, WI
7    7    Le Roy Brown    Beloit, WI
8    14    Al Barry    Whitewater, WI
9    888    Ern Fell (t)    Fontana, WI
10    2T    George Thuelus Jr    Waterford, WI
           
Bic Heat #3           
1    69m    Chris Blake    Milwaukee, WI
2    8r    James Raderschadt    Lake Geneva, WI
3    717    Michael Ford    Mc Henry, IL
4    2bc    Andrew Johnson    Winthrop Harbor, IL
6    15    Brian Lagray    McHenry, IL
7    93    Kurt Krumm    Pleasant Praire, WI
8    58    Steve Richtel    Bristol, WI
9    37s    Mike Stratton    Beloit, WI
10    89    Joel Cameron    Delavan, WI
           
Bic Heat #4           
1    27    Nick Kalteis    Lake Villa, IL
2    15c    Dave Cheney    Winthrop Herbor, IL
3    33    Dan Giannotti    Bristol, WI
4    76    Rob Hunt    Cyrstal Lake, IL
5    5    Brian Bottlemy    McHenry, IL
6    222    Randy DeGrave    Elkhorn, WI
7    55    Vladi Vladimirov    Racine, WI
8    6er    Eric Betts    Elkhorn, WI
9    28s    Chris Scala    Fox River Grove, IL
10    39c    Dan Clemenz    Waukegan, IL
           
Bic Time Trials           
1    3    Bob Koch    McHenry, IL
2    34    Jeff Baum    Gurnee, IL
3    91    Greg Sheldon    Crystal Lake, IL
4    43    Jeff Bremer    Park City, IL
5    11k    Kevin Oliver    Pell Lake, WI
6    23    Randy Schneider    Burlington, WI
7    33    Dan Giannotti    Bristol, WI
8    76    Rob Hunt    Cyrstal Lake, IL
9    19    John Da Duke Edwards    Crystal Lake, IL
10    12k    Wally Kroncke    Kenosha, WI
           
Bic Dash           
1    91    Greg Sheldon    Crystal Lake, IL
2    3    Bob Koch    McHenry, IL
3    23    Randy Schneider    Burlington, WI
4    34    Jeff Baum    Gurnee, IL
5    43    Jeff Bremer    Park City, IL
6    11k    Kevin Oliver    Pell Lake, WI