Corso, Janssen and Thomas Score Wins at LGR! By Dale Erdmann

August 24, 2002; Lake Geneva, WI. - Rick Corso of McHenry, Illinois won the 35 lap Budweiser super late model feature at Lake Geneva Raceway Saturday night. The win was his third of the season but came one week late because if it would have been last week Corso would have won the no bull series. The event was marred by a horrifying crash on lap ten of the feature as Mike Simon Jr. rode the wall flipped over and then bursted in flames but with the help of the safety crew escaped major injuries but was shaken and sore after the incident. His race car received some extensive damage.

John Janssen of Burlington the 1998 champion won his second feature of the season in the McHenry Limousine super stock 25 lap feature and Dave Thomas of Milwaukee only in his second week of racing here won the 30 lap Performance Unlimited sportsman feature. Thomas is a former dirt racer and drove the 2001 championship car formerly owned by Mike Lange to the win. There were two heats of trailer races and the largest crowd of the season came out on an ideal night for weather and racing.

Photo Highlights

Rick Corso (#88) won his third Super Late Model victory of the 2002 season at Lake Geneva Raceway. Mike Simon Jr. (#56) took a wild wide and then had his car burst into flames.   A quick response by the track safety crew known as the "A-Team", put out the fire and helped Simon from the car uninjured. Dave Thomas (#19) won his first career Mid-American Sportsman feature race in just his second week of racing here at Lake Geneva Raceway. John Janssen (#43) put his sharp looking Super Stock in the winner's circle after taking the feature contest.

The super late model feature wasn’t even one lap old when the old brake check trick  scattered the field causing a complete restart. Second week driver Lyle Messinger darted out front of the field when real racing began with Mike Simon Jr,. Fran Prestay, and Rick Corso in a tight cluster. Prestay crept into second on lap five but four laps later his mount stopped in turn three with a small electrical fire that was put out quickly as the caution was displayed.

On the restart Messinger lost power coming off turn two but then came to life and continued into three when the problem started again. This time everyone tried to miss the fallen former leader this is when the incident happened a car ended up going into the rear of Simon Jr.’s mount causing it to go onto the back strightaway wall flipping then coming to a rest on it’s wheels and brusting into flames. The safety crew quick got Simon out of his car and put out the fire.

On the restart Messinger lost the lead to Corso with Al Schill and Matt Kocourek who are in a point battle for the 2002 championship running next. Lap fourteen  Messinger spun and the race came to a halt. On the restart Jerry Freeman got past Schill and the leader could feel the pressure. Right behind Kocourek, Jerry Cowan was knocking on his door and Joe Fischer was along side him. The tight group stayed this way as now fast timer Jason Hicks joined the circle. Numerous times Freeman dove into the corners to get past Corso but the leader was in firm command of that top spot.

Then Cowan would do the same to Kocourek and at one time their positions changed. On lap thirty one Messinger spun one more time and this set up a four dash barn burner of a finish. The only changes came after Corso cruised across the line in front. Schill nipped Freeman for the runner up spot with Kocourek fourth Cowan fifth and Denny Hiffman sixth. The finish left the point lead to Kocourek but only twenty points ahead of Schill.

It took John Janssen just two laps to gain the lead after rookie Ken Eisbrenner led the first lap of the super stock feature. Jack Clark and then Rob Summers the point leader challenged the leader from time to time but Janssen was in charge of the field. Jack Rubach the defending champion was running right behind Summers after Clark faded to sixth on lap ten. Scott Eggebrecht scooted into fifth on the same lap as this event went non stop.

The race went to Janssen followed by Summers, quick qualifier Bob Moeller, who nipped Rubach with Eggebrecht and Adam Mass sixth in this very close event.

The Planet Pages 2001 champion and 2002 sportsman champion James Swan took the challenge to start one lap down on the pole of the feature for the sportsman cars. Dave Thomas moved in front of the field as the green flag was displayed with Erik Pierce and Lee Gibbs fighting for second. Nick Schumacher and Kevin King got together on lap five and Swan now started in the back of the eighteen car feature. Thomas agin held the top spot with Terry Crowell and Pierce battling for second. John Fischer joined the group up front as things got tight  by lap fourteen again.

Those twenty five laps of non stop action went fast with Thomas the winner Pierce was second with Crowell, Jocko Terrault, Brian Baker and Swan completing the top six in another great feature.

This coming Saturday night the Midwest Enduro stock car series will sponsor the night. An extra $1000 will go to the winner of the overall finish in the Twin 25 lap features for the super stock cars. The Midwest Enduro series show is here on Monday September 2nd. At 1pm.

There will be three days of racing this weekend along with moto cross racing Friday on the stadium dirt course at 8 pm.