Randy Rodgers "No Bull" Victor at Lake Geneva Raceway!  By Dale Erdmann

April 20, 2002; Lake Geneva, WI. - It was a cold windy night at Lake Geneva Raceway Saturday night as Five Star race car bodies sponsored the first round of the "no bull triple crown" series the race sponsor was DK utility contractors services from Lyons. Elkhorn driver Randy Rodgers won the event surviving some tough competition for the 50 lap feature that took it’s toll on race cars. Twenty started and just thirteen were still running at the finish. The McHenry Limousine super stock feature for 25 laps went to third year driver Craig Mertes of Antioch,Illinois in his first career win. Mertes had been plagued by mechanical problems the first two weeks not even finishing a feature. James Swan of Lake Geneva made it three in a row by winning the 25 lap Performance Unlimited Sportsman feature.

Photo Highlights

Randy Rodgers (#14) in victory lane after his win in the 50-lap super late model feature at Lake Geneva Saturday. Early leader Erik Darnell (#7) went wide and left the door open to eventual 50-lap late model feature winner Randy Rodgers (#14) Saturday night at Lake Geneva Raceway.  Jeff Lorenz (#25) scored his first super late model win as he grabbed top honors in the fast heat at Geneva Saturday. Safety workers work to free Jeff Storm (#25) following a wild crash in the super late model feature. Storm suffered some minor bumps and bruises, but was otherwise not reportedly injured. Three-for-three! James Swan (#97) won his third straight sportsman feature. Mike Lange (#7) ripped up his sportsman car in heat race action Saturday at LGR, but returned to place fourth in the feature race. Craig Mertes (#42) won a super stock heat race and the super stock feature at Lake Geneva Saturday. It was his first ever feature feature victory.

Last weeks feature winner Rick Corso marched in front of the super late model feature field with Chuck Duncan and Al Schill dicing for second.Just three laps were in the books as Fran Prestay and Jerry Freeman tangled bringing out the first caution. Schill moved in front as the green came back out with Corso, Erik Darnell and Duncan in a tight cluster. Just behind this group Bob Koidahl, Jamie Wallace and Jason Hicks were looking for a way to move up.

Darnell was on the move and was just about to challenge Schill when Duncan mount went flat coming off turn two with everyone scattering Koidahl spun out of control as the caution appeared. Duncan’s great night was over as Schill had Darnell now on his outside when the race got under way. They raced side by side for the next ten laps before Darnell crept in front. Two laps later Wallace inched ahead of Schill with Randy Rodgers now next. The top four were so tight any mistake would put everyone out of this awesome event.

Corso running fifth could now feel the heat as Kent Burkoth was again in the Brian Ulrich mount and along side of him. Three laps later Burkoth moved past Corso and Schill with Darnell about two lengths ahead of Wallace.With this event so close something was going to happen and it did on lap thirty eight as Joe Fischer running ninth lost it coming off turn four as he just tagged Jeff Storm in the right front tire. Storm at full throttle blew the tire and went hard into the wall collecting Chad Barker and Matt Kocourek. Storm escaped serious injury but was shaken and his brand new mount destroyed.

After finally getting Storm out of his car the crowd cheered finding out he was okay and the long clean up began.When the action began Darnell went wide in turn four and that was what Rodgers needed to take control of the last eleven laps out race. Darnell nearly caught the leader on lap forty seven but Rodgers would take the slim victory over Darnell, Wallace, Burkoth, Schill, and Corso in an extremely close race.

Tom Fay slipped in front of the super stock feature with Craig Mertes, Mike Kooi second year driver Ken Eisbrenner and 2001 rookie driver Trevor Mock in tight formation. Pete Olson and Aaron Willms tangled on lap five with the first of only two cautions in this race. Back under green Fay walked out front one more time with Mike Bell and Mertes in a see saw battle for second. Three laps later Mertes wrestled second from Bell and then Fay to take over the lead as things got very tight at the top.

Mertes gained about one length but Fay wasn’t satisfied with second as the former leader would try to challenge in the corners but the leader would gain some pavement on the straight aways.Within two laps Fay would now have Mock and Paul Konieczny to contend with.Norm Paulsen joined the fray one lap later as Mock had problems dropping off the solid pace as lap eighteen began.

Konieczny slipped under Fay and set his sights on the leader with five laps to go. The last thing Mertes wanted to see would be another caution but that happened with four laps to go as fast qualifier Jack Rubach and Paulsen tangled in turn two but everyone missed him. Mertes small lead was now gone and the four lap dash would have the chilled to the bone crowd going wild and the conclusion would be dramatic. Mertes won the event with Konieczny right at his side Scott Scholl was third with Rob Summers, Jeremy Tess and Fay in a tight formation for a thrilling finish. After a post race inspection Konieczny and Scholl were dropped from the finish. This moved Mock and John Janssen in his first appearance of the season into the top six.

The sportsman feature brought John Senerchia into the lead as the double greens appeared.Kevin King and Jocko Terrault diced for second with Bobby Gutknecht and defending champion Mike Lange next. On lap four Gutknecht and Brian Baker
got by King and Terrault just before a lap six melee halted the action twice before one more lap could be completed. Ken Joosten Terrault and Terry Crowell were the drivers involved.Before one more lap could be recorded Nick ”Hollywood” Schumacher and Zac Deeringer got together.

The next nineteen laps were all out racing as Gutknecht moved in front of Senerchia with Baker in hot pursuit. It took James Swan until the white flag appeared to catch Baker and then the leader and cruise to a comfortable win over Gutknecht, Baker, Lange, Denny Norton Jr. and a recovered Deeringer.

This coming Saturday night April 27th. the Planet Pages Mid American series points events join the the super late models and super stocks. Because another race track will not be running there mid American style cars that night a larger than normal field of cars are expected. Time trials begin at 5:45 pm first race at 7 pm sharp. Regular admission prices will be in effect. Our website address is www.lakegenevaraceway.com and track phone number 262-248-8566.

The Planet Pages Mid-Am Stock Car series is headed to Lake Geneva Raceway Saturday night, April 27.    The touring series drivers from Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin will be challenged by the local Mid-Am sportsman division drivers who use the same rules for weekly events at Lake Geneva's 1/3-mile paved oval.

Practice begins at 4:40 p.m. followed by time trials at 5:45 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m.    Late models and super stocks will also be included on the three-division card.

Some of the leading entries include hometown driver James Swan, winner of three weekly features in-a-row at Lake Geneva Raceway.   Swan, the 2001 touring series champion, will square off against last year's spring series feature winner Peter Hernandez of Mokena, IL, 2000 series champion Bill Prietzel of Franklin, WI, last year's Road America Mid-Am winner Rod Brewe of Kaukauna, WI; Fall Classic winner Josh Bauer of Random Lake, WI; consistent top five series runner Bobby Gutknecht of Oak Creek, WI; and former USAC stock car front runner Herb Shannon of Bartonville, IL.

Leading series rookie contenders expected are Scott Ascher of Sussex, WI; Joe Hulverson of Marquette, MI; Rick Wawak of Villa Park, IL; Nick Lachowitz of Markham, IL; J.J. Meyer of Cedar Rapids, IA; Michael Marden of Monee, IL; John Fischer of Burlington, WI; Jeremy Spoomore of Somonauk, IL; Rusty Dungey of Bloomington, IL; Thomas Garbacz of Schaumburg, IL; Shawn Utphall of Racine, WI; and Ron Weyer of Hubertus, WI.

The Planet Pages Mid-Am cars will compete in heat races, a last chance event and a 35-lap feature.