Cowan and Paulsen in First Ever Wins at LGR! By Dale Erdmann

July 20, 2002; Lake Geneva, WI. -  An early mist of rain didn’t stop the Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts Stores of Burlington and Lake Geneva to present the Saturday night Race program at Lake Geneva Raceway. Jerry Cowan a second year driver from  Burlington won his first career feature in the Budweiser number 67 super late model 35 lap feature in the wire to wire victory. Norm Paulsen of Beach Park, Illinois won his first ever feature by actually finishing second in the McHenry Limousine super stock 25 lap feature race and Nick”Hollywood”Schumacher of Germantown won his second feature of the season in the Performance Unlimited sportsman 20 lap feature.

It was a stroll down memory lane as the one on one competition went down to the final run with Dave Lohse from Alden,IL. and Chris Pulera of Burlington. Lohse went two for two in the popular contest held only once a season. These two drivers
of the last decade have battled each other on many occasion.

Photo Highlights

Jerry Cowan (#67) repels the challenges of Jamie Wallace (#87) on his way to his first super late model feature win at Lake Geneva Raceway Saturday. Jason Hicks (#63) was turned around in a super late model heat race creating a multi-car pile-up Saturday at LGR. Nick Schumacher (#4) passes Denny Norton (#96) for the lead in the sportsman feature Saturday at Lake Geneva. Schumacher went on to win the event. Norm Paulsen (#1) won the super stock headliner at Lake Geneva Raceway.  The win was the first of his career in feature action at the track.

It took three tries to start the super late model main event as the two polesitters couldn’t stay together. Final a double green that lasted and Jerry Cowan moved out front of the twenty car field with Jerry Lorenz and Terry Patnode side by side for second. For the next seventeen laps it looked like a parade lap with the exception of the leader all by himself. On that go round Billy Skinner made contact with Mike Monroe causing a spin and a halt to a great race. On the restart Cowan charged back in front with Patnode and Lorenz again putting on a show for the next position. Dicing back and forth until lap twenty two when Lorenz spun in turn three but everyone missed him.

On the restart Jamie Wallace was now along side Patnode with Al Schill, Matt Kocourek and Jerry Freeman next and Cowan out front. Again it was hard to advance with this grueling pace. With only afew laps to go Wallace challenged the leader but Cowan was set up to a tee and he gave everyone extra room to race but no one could get by. From time to time
Wallace would get along side and even inch ahead but at the wire it was Cowan. At the checkered Cowan was clearly the winner with Wallace, Schill, Freeman, Kocourek, and a recovered Skinner in the tightest finish of the season in second through tenth.

The only caution came on the starting lap of the super stock feature as John Curcio and Jack Rubach got together after one lap was just completed. Adam Maas and Mike Bell dueled for the lead.Each led a lap before Bell continued in front for the next four laps. Then quick Pete Olson moved in front with Norm Paulsen right on his bumper by lap twelve. Before long Dan Huber John Maki Jr. and Jeremy Tess joined the fray and things got even hotter.Within five more laps Bob Moeller last weeks feature winner Rob Summers and quick timer Scott Eggebrecht worked their way into the thick of things.

John Janssen and a recovered Rubach were not going to be left behind as Olson was now four lengths ahead with five more laps to go.At the finish Olson was clearly the winner even thou Paulsen cut the lead nearly in half at the checkered. Huber was right on Paulsen’s tail with Tess Moeller and Eggebrecht rounding out the top six. A post race inspection dropped Olson from the finish as his engine pumped too much compression. This moved Janssen into six in another thrilling contest and Paulsen was declared the winner.

Kevin King slipped in front of the sportsman feature from his outside pole starting berth. Within five laps Nick Schumacher was along side the leader and quick moved in front at the end of that round.Two restarts never fazed the leader winning the race over Denny Norton Jr., Brian Baker, point leader James Swan, Kenny Joosten, and Zac Deeringer.

This coming Saturday night Five Star Stock car Bodies will sponsor the night. The super late model feature will have a $1000 to win a special 50 lap feature. A racers party after the program will include a band.Time trials begin at 5:45pm. first race at 7pm. sharp.