Van Houten and Reitz Score Clean Sweeps at LGR! By Dale R. Erdmann

August 2, 2003; Lake Geneva, WI. - With 70 % chance of rain and without a cloud in the sky race fans were treated to a great night of racing action Friday night at Lake Geneva Raceway. Mike VanHouten of Cary,Illinois who started racing back in 1997 was a driver on a mission tonight as the Herb’s mini modified driver took fast time, won the dash and survived some close calls with lapped cars, to win the 15 lap feature, which marks a clean sweep of the action. Wally Reitz of Plainfield,IL. did the same feat in the open wheel Formula Indy cars. Curt Gnatzig of Hartford won the 20 lap Perfection Auto Body legends feature .Jacob Humphrey of Lake Geneva won another 20 lap feature race for the S&P motorsports millennium late models, after taking fast time.

Back from his successful trip down south, Michael Bilderbeck of South Beloit,IL. took fast time and finished just in front to win another feature race for the Bandolero cars. Keith Tolf of Kenosha won the 15 lap feature race for the Great Lakes Allison series Legacy cars and Racine’s Viadi Viadimirov won the Anchor Towing Basic International Car feature for 15 laps. 

Photo Highlights

Mike VanHouton (#24) scored a clean sweep in the mini-modifieds at Lake Geneva Raceway Friday Night! Chad Ross captured top honors this evening in the Sport Truck main event. The Allison Legacy Series cars trade a little paint during this get together in their feature race.. Vladi Vladimirov (#55) works traffic on his way to winning the BIC feature Friday at LGR.

Andy Krueger in his first appearance of the season led lap one of the mini modified before Glen Vernezze charged in front as Hermie Schultz while running fourth spun but the race continued without a caution. Phil Schultz quickly moved in on the leader but by lap six Mike VanHouten had moved into third and one lap later there was a new leader. One would think that VanHouten would run away with the win, but lapped cars nearly took the leader out of the race on laps nine, eleven, thirteen and fourteen. But at the wire it was VanHouten who drove a brilliant race coming home the winner, Phil Schultz was just behind him in second. Chris Marinello was third, with Vernezze, rookie Curt Thomazin and Ken Johnson completing the top six.

The legacy feature couldn’t get a lap in before fast qualifier 15 year old Matt Byrne made contact with Sarah Schaub and Terry McDeMott causing a complete restart. Both Schaub and DeMott received medical attention complaining of injuries. They were both treated at the raceway and released. Brad Kossow made one more lap before a control arm broke while running second. Keith Tolf led each lap and came home the winner, Matt Byrne ran out of time for any serious challenge. Mark Hayes was third as Colin Tolanc, Mike Connley and Steven Brocks followed.

Rob Neumiller led the first two laps of the sport truck feature before eventual winner Chad Ross took over the non stop event.Tom Ross was second, fast timer Vincent Merry was third with Neumiller fourth, Tom Benedeth fifth and Steve Johnson sixth.

Michael Bilderback charged out front of the Banolero feature with Bobby Yankee second and Michael Cooter third. On lap six Yankee spun bringing out the caution. On the restart Bilderback had all he could do to keep Cooter behind him as the race finished that way. Brian Herberlin was third.

The formula indy feature was a Wally Reitz and Vern Brown veteran vs.veteran show. As they diced back and forth for the entire race. Brown may have led only lap five, but Reitz never had a chance to breath. Dan Fort was next as Jim Bass and Grant Greenfield were the only cars not lapped,finishing fourth and fifth.

Rookie Earl Counter paced the field in the millennium late model feature with Jeff Goodwin at his side. Monty Coffman worked on the leader on the inside but retired to the pits on lap five with problems. Goodwin inched ahead of Counter on lap eight with Mike Lange third, Mark Hartland and Jacob Humphrey were next.

The first stop came on lap fifteen when Brad Norgard in the Kenny Joosten mount stalled. As the green reappeared Jacob Humphrey out raced Goodwin to the corner and became the new leader. Five laps later Humphrey won the race over Goodwin, Lange, Brian Ulrich, Counter and Hartline in another close event.

The legends feature ran non stop with Chris Helgerson leading the first four laps. Rob Duffek and Herman Greinig tussled for second when Joe Scala jumped in front on lap five. The field was close as Curt Gnatzig came along side the leader on lap eight. They raced side by side with Gnatzig taking the lead one lap later. Point leader Steve Licht was trying everything to get into a challenging position, one time nearly going too wide in turn three. Gnatzig won the race just ahead of Licht, Scala, Lyle
Kuklinski, Greinig and Duffek in another close contest.

It took Viadi Viadimirov five laps to grab the lead in the BIC feature, after the race was led by Jayme Payne and Randy Schneider. The only caution came with three laps dwindling his lead to a few feet. Viadimirov was just ahead of Marty Butler, Schneider, Rob Hunt, Dan Clemenz and Nathan Matz.

This coming Friday night the legends are off to the north woods but the Central States super mini cups will be here as R.A. Adams Enterprises of McHenry,IL.

Presents the weekly program. Also Mike Babicz from the “lets go racing” radio show and announcer at Wilmot speedway will race Bill Trusky’s other mini- modified car. Time trials begin at 6pm. racing at 7:30 sharp.