V. Olson Heating / 5-Star Race Car Bodies Features to Burkoth, Rubach and Pierce! By Dale Erdmann

July 27, 2002; Lake Geneva, WI. -  Olsen Heating and Air Conditioning Company out of Salem and Lake Villa, Illinois along with 5 Star Race Car Bodies out of Twin Lakes sponsored Saturday nights race program at Lake Geneva Raceway. Kent Burkoth of Pell Lake team driver with Brian Ulrich this season won his first feature of the season in the 49 lap Budweiser super late model feature. The win was worth over $1100 even though it was cut short by one lap due to an accident on the last lap. Defending track champion Jack Rubach from Burlington won his first feature of the season in the 25 lap McHenry Limousine super stock class. Rookie driver Erik Pierce started fifth row inside and won his first career 20 lap feature in the Performance Unlimited sportsman division.

Photo Highlights

Kent Burkoth (#23) driving a car owned by Brian Ulrich captured top honors this evening in the Super Late Model main event at Lake Geneva Raceway. Current Super Stock point leader Jack Rubach (#46) garnered a feature win this evening at lake Geneva Raceway. Erik Pierce (#54) goes inside of Lee Gibbs on his way to his first Sportsman feature win of of the season. Gibbs placed eighth in the event.

Jason Hicks a second generation driver paced the field of the super late model race with Joe Fischer, Mike DeKeuster, Jeff Storm and Kent Burkoth all over the leader. Lenny Nowasell in his first appearance of the season and Scott Poritz got together bringing out the first of many caution flags on lap eight. No one was injured but both drivers night was over. Before another lap could be completed Hicks and Storm made contact down the back stretch causing everyone to jack up. Eddie May and Billy Baumeister received the worst from that incident after both went onto the wall at high speeds. Again no one was injured but only May returned before the next green. This was some 14 minutes into the event only on lap eight.

Finally under way Hicks again charged out front with Storm losing his grip of second to Burkoth and within two laps the positions changed. But then Storm could not settle for   second as these two diced and see/saw battle for second. Fischer spun on lap nineteen and out came the caution.While running mid pack Jerry Freeman ducked into the pits to find out his smoking problem. Just as soon as he arrived there the car started on fire. This was quickly comsumed by the safety crew.

Hicks forged his way in front one more time with Burkoth, Storm, Jamie Wallace, DeKeuster and Terry Patnode in a tight cluster. Ten laps later Wallace moved past Storm with now last weeks feature winner Jerry Cowan and point leader Matt Kocourek next both got by Storm before the next caution on lap forty one for a spun Rick Corso. As the green reappeared Burkoth out ran Hicks for the lead. Wallace followed Burkoth with Hicks not giving an inch without a battle. Kocourek got by Cowan on lap forty four as the field remained close. The next few laps Hicks and Kocourek went back and forth for that third place as Wallace worked on the leader.

It was going to be another great finish until the white flag came out just as the last few cars passed under the flag contact was made between Patnode and DeKeuster. This caused DeKeuster to spin and out came the final caution. According to the rules if all cars were under a completed last lap the race is over if a caution comes out and scorers go off that white flag lap minus the involved cars. Burkoth won the race with Wallace along side him Kocourek nipped Hicks with Cowan next and Storm sixth.

The super stock feature brought Tom Roney in front of the twenty car field with Tom Boyd, Craig Mertes, Dave Melahn and John Curico all right there. While moving up Dan Huber spun off the track in turn four but not on the track.No caution ensued and before Huber could get back on the surface he was a lap down. Just then Mike Gunderson and Sonny Schoffen made contact causing Gunderson to smash hard into the wall. The race stopped and no one was injured but Gunderson’s mount received heavy damage. Schoffen was sent to the pits for his involvement.

Then on the restart things got rocky and within two laps Curico slamed hard into the wall as John Maki Jr. became involved. Curico’s car was badly damaged but no one was injured in that melee. Each restart Roney looked like he was on a rail out front. This time Melahn was up to challenge with Bob Moeller, Jack Rubach, Rob Summers and Boyd in a tight formation.

Moeller crept up on Melahn on lap thirteen with everyone looking for any mistakes. First Moeller got by Melahn and challenged the leader. Nothing seemed to faze the front runner but on lap twenty Rubach moved around Moeller. Roney hung on two more laps before the lead changed hands. Before long it was all over with Rubach picking up the win. Moeller was second Scott Eggebrecht, John Janssen, Summers and Melahn under a blanket.

Only one caution would appear in the sportsman contest as Gary Norton out ran former dirt track driver Dave Thomas in his first night out to the corner. Two laps later these two were involved in a racing incident that brought out the only caution. Suddenly Kevin King moved in front with Lee Gibbs. Erik Pierce. Zac Deeringer looking for that front spot.

It took Pierce eight laps to move into second with Gary LaMonte and first nighter Steve Campbell next. King looked very impressive in front now in his second season here.Pierce tried everything in the book to get in front but until there was four laps to go it was still too close to call. Then Pierce inched his way into the lead winning the race by a slim margin over James
Swan who nipped LaMonte at the wire. Kenny Joosten, Deeringer and Campbell rounded out the top six in a great event.

This coming Saturday night Lakes Area Rental will sponsor the junior fan club coin grab. Woodward Transportation of Racine and Jim Adams Auto Body of McHenry,IL. will also sponsor the races.Time trials begin at 5:45pm and first race at 7pm.