Swan Wins Another Feature at LGR! By Dale Erdmann

September 14, 2002; Lake Geneva, WI. - A large crowd came out on Saturday night at Lake Geneva Raceway as James Swan of Lake Geneva won his seventh feature of the season on the season championship for the Performance Unlimited sportsman division. Swan had already been declared the 2002 champion three weeks ago but the battle for second place went right down to the checkered flag between Zac Deeringer and Kenny Joosten.

Photo Highlights

Former Legend Car champion Jeff Way (#68) captured his first career Super Late Model feature victory here at Lake Geneva Raceway. This mid-race scuffle in the super late model feature saw Rick Corso (#88) drive over the car of Dan Mecum (#11) as Matt Kocourek (#43) and Vincent Merry (#55) take evasive action. No one was injured in the incident. James Swan (#97) won his seventh sportsman feature of the year at LGR Saturday. He was joined in victory lane by Junior Fan Michael Weiler. Rookie Sonny Schoffen (#75) won his third McHenry Limousine super stock feature this season here at Lake Geneva Raceway.

Joosten finished one position ahead of Deeringer in the 30 lap feature but had problems qualifying only taking nineth in time to Deeringer’s third place which wasn’t enough with his heat win and Deeringer’s second in the dash. So Deeringer received runner up  honors, Joosten was third just twenty five points behind. Swan started the season as the 2001 McLeodUSA Mid American champion but without a budget things did not look good for the hometown driver who races the Mark Crandall owned race car. But after  his impressive first month and a lot of hard work the sponsors came on board and now came the championship.

Jeff Way of Waterford won his first career Budweiser super late model feature for 35 laps leading all but two laps of the event.Way is the 2000 legends champion. Rookie Sonny Schoffen of Crystal Lake, Illinois won his third McHenry Limousine super stock feature for 25 laps. Patti’s Wagon a local vendor here put up $100 for the super late model win and $50 each for the super stocks and sportsman. Josh Gibbs to the delight of the crowd won the first bi annual school bus race.

Rookie Barry Krueger paced the sportsman feature for the first lap before Jocko Terrault slipped in front .Lap seven the caution was displayed for Kenny Joosten Lee Gibbs and Zac Deeringer tangle. Everyone restarted as Baker was now all over Terrault for the lead. Two laps later Baker had rookie Eric Pierce challenging his position as the field remained tight. Second place was a see saw battle with Pierce finally taking control on lap fifteen with the leader comfortably out front.

With ten laps to go James Swan worked his way into third and then second on lap twenty four.Baker headed to the pits one lap later with unknown problems as Terrault was looking for his first career victory .The next two laps Terrault and Swan raced side by side but with just three laps to go the Swan inched ahead for the win just afew laps later. Terrault was second with Pierce Denny Norton Jr. and Nick Schumacher fifth.

Mike Bell darted ahead of the field in the super stock feature with Tom Fay Sonny Schoffen and Trevor Mock next. On lap four while running mid pack Scott Eggbrecht lost an axle and out came the caution flag. On the restart Bell crept in front with Scott Scholl ahead of Schoffen for second and Mike Gunderson right along side this cluster.

It was a great show for second as these drivers along with point leader Rob Summers joining the group on lap ten. It was close action for the next ten laps with Schoffen trying to get the upper hand then doing so on lap twenty just as Gunderson got by Scholl.Just as the white flag was to be displayed defending track champion Jack Rubach had something let loose then coming to a stop backwards in turn two and out came the second and final caution of this close race.

The two lap dash came across the line with Schoffen then Gunderson as Scholl nipped Bell for third with Bob Moeller taking fifth in this under a blanket finish.

The super late model main event wasn’t even under way as Billy Baumeister and Lyle Messinger got together and their night was over. As the green flag came out Jeff Way jumped in front but rookie Dan Mecum wasn’t going to let him get away with anything. Mecum got around Way for the next two laps before the lead went back to Way. Terry Patnode was right on the runner ups tail with Jerry Cowan, Denny Hiffman, and Jason Hicks next.

Between laps thirteen and sixteen things got ugly first Hicks and Patnode tangled while racing for third place causing a caution. Then just as Cowan got past Hiffman for second he spun stopping the action again. Then on the next green Mecum coming off turn two got wide then corrected and placed his race car where Rick Corso was going to go and this created a bad crash. Corso ended up going over Mecum’s left side door opening and cars went everywhere. No one was injured but Mecum’s night was over. Corso came back before the next green as Way continued to lead this race that took eight cars out of the event.

Hiffman worked on Way from time to time but another caution came as semi winner Vincent Merry spun on lap twenty and then twenty five causing the race to stop.

Fischer had just inched ahead of Hiffman for second as behind the leader things were close.On the next green Schill out ran Fischer and Hiffman with point leader Matt Kocourek now fifth .The final five laps were tight but Way showed the crowd he could run with the pack taking his first win ever. Schill was second in the feature and in points gaining some for the 2002 championship which will be decided next Saturday night. Hiffman was third with Kocourek fourth and a recovered Corso fifth.

Saturday night September 21st. the super late models the super stocks and the sport trucks will have their championship races.The Basic International cars will make a rare appearance but not hold their championship that night. Time trials begin at 5:45 pm. racing at 7pm. sharp.Weekly racing continues through October 5th. as the season will end October 19th. with the Midwest Enduro race that day.