Fischer Ends Long Drought at LGR! By Dale R. Erdmann

June 21, 2003; Lake Geneva, WI. - It was another nice weather evening at Lake Geneva Raceway Saturday night.Joe Fischer of McHenry,IL. ended his three year winless streak by winning the Lynch Motors 35 lap feature for the Budweiser super late models. Point leader Sonny Schoffen of Crystal Lake,IL. won his second 25 lap feature race for the McHenry Limousine super stocks and Ken Smart of Hartford won his first career Yellow Pages Mid American 40 lap feature.

Photo Highlights

Joe Fisher (#2) races with Fran Prestay (#05) on his way to victory in the super late model feature Saturday at Lake Geneva Raceway. Sonny Schoffen (#75) and John Janssen (#43) went at it in the super stock feature Saturday at LGR. Schoffen won and Janssen placed a close second. Ken Smart (#45) won the Mid-American series race Saturday night at Lake Geneva. Kevin King wound up on his top Saturday in Mid-American Sportsman action at Lake Geneva. King was uninjured and returned to action later in the evening.

During the opening ceremonies Scott Eggebrecht carried the black flag for our friend Ron Grosskopt who left us last Saturday after a heart attack on Friday evening.

Joe Fischer jumped off into a small lead just as Rick Corso and Mark Hartline tangled bringing out the first caution of the event. With the green shown once again Fischer, Fran Prestay, visiting Chad Barker and Shane Bishop were glued together with one no giving an inch. Right behind this cluster Erik Darnell, Billy Skinner Jr. and Jamie Wallace fought hard to advance. By lap ten it the race still looked like a parade lap with Jerry Freeman now seventh.

On lap thirteen Brandon Hill spun halting the intense action.On the restart Fischer walked in front with Prestay at his inside trying to move in front.Fast qualifier Matt Kocourek who had taken the Post Net challenge starting sixteenth in the field was now up to seventh. Behind Prestay, Skinner, Darnell and Freeman were having a decision about third place. On lap twenty five, Jason Hicks turned his mount and out came the caution.

Fischer was again ready for any challenge as the next green was displayed,but now Freeman was looking at Prestay’s spot as time was running out. The top tweleve were just too close to call but as the field came into turn four Vincent Merry and Dan Mecum fighting for the same spot got really close to the wall scaring everyone behind them.

With five laps to go Hill spun backwards into the wall bringing the race to another halt. As the race restarted Hartline lost liquid all over turn four and only one lap was recorded before the next stop.

On the next green Fischer now had Wallace at his side, with Prestay, Kocourek and Freeman so close. Two laps later Prestay and Kocourek made contact. This ended their hopes for victory and the PostNet challenge money was safe for one more week. The green white checkered situation would produce one great finish as Fischer held on for the win with Wallace, Freeman, Darnell, Skinner and Wayne Freimund rounding out the top six in a great race. During a trackside interview Fischer said,” I thought I’d never see another win after having so many problems lately”.

Mike Olson paced the field of the super stock feature with Tom Roney, Ken Eisbrenner, Adam Mass and Mike Gunderson all over the leader. Roney crept into the lead on lap six, with everyone still side by side. Gunderson quickly followed as Olson faded to fourth when John Janssen moved by. On lap ten fast timer Sonny Schoffen and Norm Paulsen joined the tussle,as Mass fell to seventh.

Before that lap was completed the was a new leader as Gunderson moved in front. Janssen followed as Roney wasn’t giving up easy. Now Jack Rubach, Rob Summers and Scott Eggebrecht were in the mix. Then came lap sixteen, the first caution in three weeks would appear for a Summers, Rubach and Roney get together after the close competition caused this situation.

With the green back out Gunderson couldn’t hold onto the surface as Janssen and Schoffen raced by. Paulsen was now knocking at Gunderson’s door with  Eggebrecht right there waiting for a mistake. Craig Mertes joined the fray with this finish shaping up into a barn burner. Janssen and Schoffen raced side by side as they never touched creating a beautiful picture as the fans went wild. Schoffen inched slightly ahead on lap twenty two but four laps later was the deciding finish as Schoffen nipped Janssen for the win. Gunderson was third, with Eggebrecht, Paulsen and Mass under a blanket with the checkered flag displayed.

This coming Saturday night International Trucks and Engines presents the NASCAR traveling elite show with a 150 lap feature race in the memory of Al Schill Jr.for the super late model visitors. The super stocks will be the added division with everything start at 5:45 with time trials and racing at 7pm.