Johnson and Gnatzig Win Season Titles During Small Car World Championships! By Dale Erdmann

September 27, 2002; Lake Geneva, WI. -  It was a great night for stock car racing and the annual small car world championships had a special added attraction this year.It was the Herb’s mini modified and Perfection Auto Body championship night Friday at Lake Geneva Raceway. ”Dr.Tooth” Ken Johnson of Paddock Lake went into the program afew points ahead of Jeff Schultz. After setting fast time winning his heat and taking third place to race winner Phil Schultz of Silver Lake, Ken Johnson won his third LGR title in three years.

Photo Highlights

Bryan Cataldi (#7) won the Legends feature Friday at Lake Geneva Raceway's Small Car World Championships. The Friday night Super Mini-Cup main went to Brian Baldayga (#4). Chris Quam (#4) proved uncatchable in the 4 Cylinder this evening taking a sweep of the division. Phil Schultz (#74) was out front of the Mini-Modified main event when the checkered flag fell. Ross Kenseth (#17), son of Matt Kenseth was a go kart feature winner at LGR. Chad Davidson (#76) captured top honors during the Allison Legacy Series main event.

In the legend division the battle for the championship was just as close and with a third in time second his his heat and tenth in the feature race won by Bryan Cataldi of Rockford,Illinois Curt Gnatzig of Hartford won his first crown for 2002 season.

Other features went to Chad Davidson in the Great Lakes Allison legacy cars Bruce Kahlhamer of Wild Rose in the Formula Indy cars broke the weekends qualifying mark and division record time of 15.988 seconds around the third mile oval and out ran everyone in the 20 lap feature. Chris Bedore won the Outlaw Rascal feature for 15 laps Brian Baldyga won the super mini cups feature that ran 15 laps.

LGR millennium late model driver Jacob Humphrey of Lake Geneva won the Burris circle track go kart feature in the medium class Brian Freiberg won the champ class feature Ross Kenseth son of Matt Kenseth won the junior one class feature and Adam Carlson won the junior three feature.

Jefferson Speedway International driver Chris Quam take a clean sweep of the 4 cylinder division as the Stoughton resident came home the winner.

Joe Marinello moved in front of the mini modified feature for just one lap before Bill Trusky shot by with Phil Schultz, Hermie Schultz and Joe Miller following him. for the next four laps it was a dicing see saw battle for the top spot as Phil Schultz and Trusky put on a show for the crowd. On lap seven Schultz secured the front spot but the race wasn’t going to end there.

Quickly Father Hermie moved in to challenge his son for the lead. By lap eleven Ken Johnson joined the fight for the top. No one gave an inch of pavement but with three laps to go Hermie Schultz and Johnson bumped together coing down to the wire as the crowd went wild. Both continued but were never again a determining factor as Phil Schultz won his second feature of the season his brother Jeff’s car. Hermie took second Johnson third with Trusky next and 2002 IMCA Modified Wilmot Speedway champion Scott Kuxhouse fifth in this close race.

Bryan Cataldi led every lap of the legends feature after taking fast time tonight. Behind him arch rivals Clayton Kruse and Curt Gnatzig raced so hard together they crashed on lap nine. Gnatzig’s night was over but both drivers were uninjured as Kruse returned before the only restart of the feature. Cataldi held back many challenges to win his first feature of the year with Larry Will, Lyle Kuklinski, Herman Grenig and Nick O’Dell for another exciting race.

Brian Baldyga took the lead on lap five and held off numerous challenges by Ken Jones who dogged the winner until the checkered. Tim Toussaint, Tom Schmerbach and Joe Bechtold completed the top five in the 15 lap super mini cup feature.

In the wild Rascal Outlaw feature for 20 laps Rob Pollack led the first three laps before dropping out just as the first caution came for a fan on the fence. Chris Bedore became the new leader and led until lap ten when 2002 champion Dave Colletti tangled with the leader sending both to the back on the restart.

Rookie Mitch McGowan was now the leader with fast timer Mark Findley knocking at the door. Within three laps Bedore was back near the front and with five laps to go he was putting pressure on the leader who dropped out with unknown problems. Bedore held the line and even with Colletti at his rear the second year driver came home the winner. McGowan was third with Butch Torkelson and Dale Olson next.

The Formula Indy cars ran both classes together with fast timer Bruce Kahlhamer off the pole leading every lap of the event for the win with only second place Mark Curtis and third place Henry Storm rounding out the top five were Scott Miller and Vern Brown.

It seemed to take for ever to get the laps in on the Great Lakes Allison legacy series 20 lap feature but after sometime the last 8 laps were close as Chad Davidson who is in a point battle with Keith Tolf won the event. Tolf took second as the points stay close Bill Hobson was third with Brad Kossow a Union Grove High student fourth and Mark Hayes fifth.

It took Chris Quam eight laps to get to the front of the 4 cylinder feature for the 20 lap contest. Once in front it wasn’t a run away as Mark English took second to the winner Quam right behind them was Scott Hoeft ,Tom Graves a Rockford Speedway regular and defending sport truck champion Vincent Merry fifth.