Corso Big Winner In No Bull Series at LGR! By Dale R. Erdmann

June 7, 2003; Lake Geneva, WI. -  It took along time to get here but finally spring has come to Southeastern Wisconsin, The Saturday night race program was 5 Star race car bodies “no bull”series event number two.The show was sponsored by Quality Tire/American car care center in Spring Grove,Illinois. Rick Corso of McHenry,IL. walked off with the $1000 prize for winning the 50 lap feature race for the Budweiser super late models and a $100 gift certificate from Quality Tire went to each feature winner. Point leader Sonny Schoffen of Crystal Lake,IL. won his second McHenry Limousine super stock 25 lap feature after taking fast time,the race went non stop. While Chris Koleno of McHenry, IL. won the Anchor Towing 15 lap Basic International car feature.

Photo Highlights

Rick Corso (88) goes around Jerry Freeman (61) to collect $1,000 by winning the 50-lap Super Late Model feature Saturday at Lake Geneva Raceway. Sonny Schoffen (#75) does battle with John Janssen (#43) and Norm Paulsen (#1) on the way to collecting top money in the super stock main at LGR Saturday. Chris Koleno in victory lane after winning the BIC feature. Junior Fan Brandon Reber joined him in victory lane.

Joe Fischer slipped in front of the field at the drop of the double greens in the super late model feature.With visiting 2002 Dells rookie of the year Travis Dassow right along side. Last weeks feature winner Jerry Cowan cruised inside Dassow and Fischer now two drivers challenging his top spot. Right behind this cluster was Al Schill, Jason Hicks and Billy Skinner Jr. Cowan moved inside Fischer as Dassow waited for a mistake at the top.

The lead changed on lap six, with tight formation throughout the field. Dassow tried Fischer on lap seven with Skinner right there. On lap nine Dassow had just got under Fischer when he spun in turn three bringing the race to a halt.The leader was up for the call as Skinner drew close to challenge.I t was a see/saw battle as the lead, second and third changed many times until Skinner spun on lap fifteen.

The next green saw Cowan march out front with Fischer at his side, these two raced into turn three and four with the crowd going wild as they raced side by side.Just one more lap was completed as Rick Corso joined the fight up front. The next caution came on lap twenty just after Corso took second.Dassow bumped into the wall and flattened his right front tire with the impact while running twelfth position.It looked like only light damage to his mount,but the new comer never returned when the next green flew.

Cowan drove in front with Corso, Jerry Freeman, point leader Jamie Wallace and Schill all over the leader. Cowan was up to every challenge as now Wayne Freimund trying to get past sixth place Fischer with just twenty laps to go. Freeman grabbed second on lap thirty one but Corso roared back two laps later. They diced for second until the next caution came out as Skinner and fast qualifier Denny Hiffman tangled on lap thirty four.

Cowan again kept his competition at bay as Freeman and Corso resumed their fight for runner up. Just as Wallace got by Schill with nine laps to go, Hicks spun in turn two with everyone missing him, but the caution was out for the final time.

On the restart Cowan used a conservative pace before the green appeared, this gave Corso just what he needed and as the green came out there was a new leader.

The last battle was Wallace, Schill and Freeman.When the race was over Corso picked up the win with Cowan second, Freeman nipped Schill for third as Wallace held back a hard charging Freimund in a too close to call second through eighth.

In front of the crowd Corso said” thanks to the sponsors on his race car, the nights sponsor for the $100 certificate and all the fans for being there”. When asked about the final restart,Corso added ,”I knew Jerry(Cowan) could only protect one lane and I took the chance and it paid off”.

Last weeks feature winner Mike Gunderson jumped in front of the super stock feature with Norm Paulsen glued to his inside. Right there was Adam Mass, John Janssen and Brad Norgard as this still looked like a parade lap after nine laps were in. On lap ten Paulsen inched ahead by a bumper cover but on the next go round Gunderson came right back in front. This was shaping up to a carbon copy copy of the last feature. Each lap Gunderson and Paulsen would diced back and forth for that spot at the top.

It looked like Gunderson would pull off the win until lap fifteen when his left rear tire went down after the grueling battle with Paulsen when the stem got cut and the former leader retired to the pits for the remainder of the event. There was a shuffle at the top with Paulsen still the leader. Sonny Schoffen came inside Janssen but could not gain any momentum. Janssen forged his way in front on lap nineteen.

Schoffen and Paulsen never gave an inch as the runner up spot was very important to both drivers. Somehow Schoffen was able to shake Paulsen as now Bob Moeller and Jack Rubach joined the ruckus at the top.With just three laps to go Schoffen clawed his way to the top and went on to win by just a few feet over Janssen, Moeller Rubach, Paulsen and Mass in this close exciting contest.

The BIC feature was wild as first Mike Gesselle led the first seven laps with Chris Koleno right at his bumper Quickly Dan Hunt pulled off a slick move and became the new leader. The only caution came on lap eleven when Viadi Viadimirov and Bob Koch tangled slowing the action. On the restart Hunt held back Koleno until the final turn and nipped him at the wire for another great  feature.

Saturday night June 14th. will be the second Midwest sportsman series events as Avoco Oil company sponsors the races. The super late models and super stocks will also be on the same card. Time trials begin at 5:45 pm. with racing at 7 sharp.
There will be no increase in spectator admission prices.