LaMonte Champion, Miller Wins Race, Darnell Wins Clash!

LaMonte Champion, Miller Wins Race, Darnell Wins Clash!
By Dale R. Erdmann, Natasha Fabian and Kim Straube

September 28, 2003; Lake Geneva, WI. - It was a cold afternoon and evening at Lake Geneva Raceway Saturday on day number one of the 13th. annual O’Doul’s Fall Classic. 225 race cars were on hand giving the die hard race fans an excellent race program that braved the temperatures in the 40’s and a stinging northwest wind blowing right into their faces.

The rained out Performance unlimited sportsman championship was also today and Rockton, Illinois driver Jeremy Miller won the 20 lap feature just in front of the new 2003 champion Gary LaMonte of West Allis who won his first crown. Last week at Rockford, Miller won the new for 2003 “super eight” series for the Midwest sportsman championship series. The Budweiser super late models brought 55 race cars from three states with Wisconsin Challenge series 2003 champion Erik Darnell of Beach Park,IL. winning the clash of champions race that was a fast and furious event.

Photo Highlights

Raceway veteran Vaughn Gerke of South Beloit,IL. took a clean sweep in the Grand national vintage taking fast time, winning the heat and the 20 lap feature. Kaukauna’s Scott Baker had a great day in the Wisconsin mini sport trucks, taking fast time, winning his heat and winning the 20 lap feature with a late charge, for a clean sweep.

Time trials were held with Tim Rothe of Appleton taking fast time in the super late models ,James Swan in the Yellow pages Mid American series, Rookie Michael Kruschke of Muskego in the limited late models, the Burlington Glass street stocks Jack Rubach of Burlington and the Anchor towing pure stock 4 cylinders Randy Schneider of Burlington.

The sportsman championship bonus feature for the chilled to the bone race fans went non stop as Bob Hacker grab the lead with Kenny Joosten, James Swan, Gary LaMonte and Jeremy Miller all over the leader. Swan worked on the leader starting the next go round. By lap four there was a new leader, but Miller wasn’t going to let Swan out of sight moving along side Hacker, then into second on lap eight. Miller drove a smooth race pulling inside Swan two laps later. LaMonte didn’t let Miller move too far away from him as the lead changed hands on lap twelve.

It took LaMonte two more laps to get around Swan as the top six were very close. Miller and LaMonte made a great show out of the remainder of the race finishing bumper to bumper. Hacker was right behind them, with Denny Norton Jr. along side
for fourth, Jeremy Bloomberg was under Norton in fifth and Joosten next for a excellent climax to their season. LaMonte and Miller praised each other in a track side interview after the eevent.

In the super late model clash Landry Potter paced the field with Chad Barker, Erik Darnell, Jamie Wallace and Bill Shavlik next. Joe Fischer and Donavan Morgan got together bringing out the caution flag. The next green brought the same cars into the front, with Wallace on the move, taking the lead on lap four.

The lead was short lived as Darnell charged his way forward and into the lead on lap seven. A late caution as Don Collins and John Nutley got together on lap fourteen didn’t stop Darnell even thou his lead was gone. Darnell went on to win with Corso not giving the leader any break, with Wallace third, Jeff Way fourth, Dovavan Morgan recovering for fifth and Russ Blakley sixth.

Summary for Saturday September 27th. 2003: Lake Geneva Raceway

Super Late Models:
20 lap clash of champions feature.1) Erik Darnell Beach Park,IL. 2) Rick Corso McHnery,IL. 3) Jamie Wallace Pell Lake 4) Jeff Way Waterford 5) Donavan Morgan Oconomowoc 6) Russ Blakley Palmara
Heat Race #1 1) Rob Czerwinski Joliet,IL. 2) Billy Skinner Jr. Pell Lake 3) Len Nowesell Grays Lake,IL. 4) Jerry Freeman Lyons
Heat Race # 2 1) Dave Teske Sussex 2) Jamie Artelt Waukegan,IL. 3) Dennis Punty Lomira 4) Matt Kocourek Racine
Heat Race #3 1) Jeff Way Waterford 2) Jason Hicks Lake Geneva 3) Jamie Wallace Pell Lake 4) Gregg Haese Two Rivers
Heat Race #4 1) Shawn Witcher Lafayette,IN. 2) Tim Lynn Milwaukee 3) Mike McCabe New Berlin 4) Andy Everets Menomonee Falls
Heat Race #5 1) Chuck Rein Las Vegas,NV. 2) Larry Los Darien 3) Mike Egan Slinger 4) Bill Shavlik West Bend
Dash 1) Erik Darnell Beach Park,IL. 2) Eddie May Crystal Lake,IL. 3) Rick Corso McHenry,IL. 4) Tim Rothe Appleton
Fast Time Tim Rothe Appleton

Performance Unlimited Limited Late Models
Heat Race #1 1) Aaron Falbe Beaver Dam 2) Joel Knaack Menasha 3) Bart Reinen Jefferson 4) Kurt Brown Hubertus
Heat Race #2 1) Earl Counter Geneva,IL. 2) Kenny Joosten Wonder Lake,IL. 3) Shawn Conley Huntley,IL. 4) Jeff Steenbergen Waupaun
Dash 1) Mark Hartline Gilberts,IL. 2) Shane Radtke Watertown 3) Jeff Goodwin Kenosha 4) Jacob Humphrey Lake Geneva
Fast Time Mike Kruschke

Burlington Glass Street Stocks
Heat Race #1 1) Greg Beebe Waukesha 2) Dustin Holland Pell Lake 3) Mike Hansen New Berlin 4) Paul Roscoe Mundelein,IL.
Heat Race #2 1)David Erickson Algonquin,IL. 2) Mike Gunderson Wind Lake3) Tom Fay Arlington Hights,IL. 4) John Janssen Genoa City
Heat Race #3 1) Brad Norgard Pell Lake 2) Tom Roney Ridgefield,IL. 3) Norm Paulsen Beach Park,IL. 4) Rob Summers Lake Geneva
Fast Time Jack Rubach Burlington

Midwest Modifieds
Heat race #1 1) Dale Prunty Allenton 2) Chuck Rein LasVegas,NV. 3) Brian Holtz Muskego 4) Paul Wagner Iron Ridge
Fast Time Dale Prunty

Wisconsin mini sport trucks
Heat Race #1 1) Nate Ortlieb Chilton 2) Dan Vixmer Fond du Lac 3) Jason VanHandel Freedom 4) Rick Jalosynski Fond du Lac
Heat Race #2 1) Scott Baker Kaukauna 2) John Wurzer Appleton 3) Scott Bushman Freedom 4) Chris Wurzer Appleton
Feature #1 20 laps 1)Scott Baker 2)Jason VanHandel 3)Dan Hansen Chilton 4)Nate Ortlieb 5)Scott Bushman 6)John Wurzer
Fast Time Scott Baker

Grand National Vintage
Feature Race 20 laps 1)Vaughn Gerke South Beloit,IL. 2)Mark Freund McHenry,IL. 3)Adam Redman Crystal Lake,IL. 4)Michael McCormick Kaukauna 5)Tim Hackbarth Freedom 6)Kenny Gilbert Union Grove
Heat Race #1 1)Vaughn Gerke 2)Mark Freund 3)Dave Johnson 4)Adam Redman
Fast Time Vaughn Gerke

Anchor Towing Pure stock 4 cylinders
Heat Race #1 1)Reid Kahrs West Allis 2)John Edwards Crystal Lake,IL. 3)Mike Yoder West Allis 4)Leo Bujak Spring Grove,IL
Heat Race #2 1)Andy Portzen Burlington 2)Chris Koleno McHenry,IL. 3)Al Klausen Twin Lakes 4)Josh Brisbois Salem
Heat Race #3 1)Dan Hunt Crystal Lake,IL. 2)Scott Norton Wonder Lake,IL. 3)Randy Schneider Burlington 4)Vladi Vladmirov Racine
Fast Time Randy Schneider

LGR sportsman championship
Heat race #1 1) Jeremy Bloomberg Hamphire,IL. 2)Denny Norton Jr.McHenry,IL. 3)Gary Norton Hebron,IL. 4)Erik Pierce McHenry,IL.
Feature race 20 laps 1)Jeremy Miller Rockton,IL. 2)Gary LaMonte West Allis 3)Bob Hacker Loves Park,IL. 4)Denny Norton Jr. McHenry,IL. 5)Jeremy Bloomberg Hamphire,IL. 6)Kenny Joosten Wonder Lake,IL.