Potter, Sapp and Swan Win During Big Chill at LGR! By Dale R. Erdmann

April 10, 2004; Lake Geneva, WI. So much for globe warming as race fans sat through bitter cold temperatures during the second Saturday night of stock car racing at Lake Geneva Raceway. Landry Potter out of Genoa City won the second   Jim Olson Collision Centers super late model 35 lap feature race. Potter a former champion in two divisions here led every lap of the race.

Shane Sapp of Crystal Lake,Illinois won his first career feature win in the non stop 25 lap main event for the McHenry Limousine super stock cars. James Swan of Lake Geneva won his second 24 lap Performance Unlimited sportsman feature and Racine’s Viadi Vladimirov won the first 20 lap Anchor Towing Basic International feature. 

Photo Highlights

Landry Potter (#17)) in Lake Geneva Raceway¹s victory lane Saturday after winning the super late model feature. 17-year-old Jacob Humphrey (63 outside) dices with fast qualifier Jason Hicks (63) on his way to placing second in the LGR super late model main event Saturday. James Swan (97) zips under Jamie Dorsey (43) on his way to collecting sportsman class feature win number two at Lake Geneva Saturday. In the process of winning the super stock feature Saturday at Lake Geneva, Shane Sapp (outside) passed Adam Regnier (73) and early leader Dan Huber (44).  Viadi Vladimirov was best in the BIC feature event Saturday at OGeneva. This four-wide action is typical of the BIC cars at LGR.

The Al Schill Jr. memorial dash sponsored by Barker’s Reconditioning went to 17 year old Jacob Humphrey of Lake Geneva.Humphrey the 2003 millennium late model champion had a great night in his second try in the super late models. Jacob timed second and finished second in the feature.The Chuck’s Storage of Pell Lake super stock dash went to Wind Lake’s Mike Gunderson and the Richter’s Sentry Food stores sportsman dash went to Swan.

Landry Potter slipped in front of the field from his second row starting berth at the drop of the green flag in the Super Late Model main event. Vincent Merry held onto second just one lap before Baumeister moved in on the leader, never letting the leader gain any distrance. On lap ten the first Yellow pages USA caution appeared after an incident in turn four. As the green came back out Baumeister dove under Potter but the leader forged his way back in front before the lap was completed.

Jacob Humphrey joined the fray up front after getting past Merry on lap thirteen with fast qualifier Jason Hicks next. The field was very tight at the midway point with Joe Fischer and Mike Meyerhoffer putting on a show for sixth. On lap eighteen James Olson bobbled half way through the turn as Rick Corso and Russ Blakley spun to avoid the melee. This caused another caution.

One more lap was recorded new comer Steve Vaughn spun causing the next slowdown. As the cone came out Potter choose the outside and Humphrey inside. This set up one wild restart as the young driver moved along side the leader and briefly led the lap before Potter regained the top spot. Fischer got under Baumeister, with Hicks trying everything to move up.

Lap twenty seven brought out another caution when Jeff Menolascino spun. Then one lap later Larry Los and Merry made contact. Los had his right front go down during the altercation, as Merry flew off the track from the impact and the final caution was thrown.

Potter had all he could do when the green came out to hold onto the lead as Humphrey, Fischer, Baumeister and Hicks were within striking distrance. Potter won the event with Humphrey, Fischer, Baumeister, Meyerhoffer and Randy Rodgers rounded out the top six. Hicks had something go wrong but managed to finish ninth. The race gave the chilled to the bone crowd the second week in a row that the top ten finishers were so close in what would be called a very cold night.

Dan Huber paced the field in the super stock feature with Dave Edwards, Shane Sapp, Adam Regnier and Mike Bell all over each other trying to advance. Sapp took over second on lap three, but Regnier in his first night out wasn’t going to let anyone stop his run as his mount was hooked up taking the second spot on lap nine.

Huber was about five cars ahead of the field entering lap ten.Now Tom Roney climbed into fourth on lap eleven with John Janssen and Mike Gunderson dueling for the next spot, as the field tightened up midway through the event.

Huber got wide one lap later with Regnier and Sapp closing in on the leader. Sapp moved past Regnier one lap later. Then Huber got real wise coming off  turn four and Sapp grabbed the lead and went on to win the event. Before that happened Gunderson slipped under Huber and tried everything but time ran out for what could have been a real screamer win. Huber settled for third with Rob Summers Bob Moeller and fast timer Jack Rubach under a blanket for the exciting climax.

Sapp drove a excellent race for the second year driver.A post race inspection Dropped Huber from the finish, after having a compression issue. This moved Janssen into sixth.

Jamie Dorsey took over the lead at the drop of the green flag in the Performance Unlimited Sportsman contest, a position that the former MidAmerican driver held until lap nine when James Swan moved by. Bobby Giers challenged Dorsey until the change at the top. There was a shuffle of the top six with Denny Norton Jr. moving into third on lap ten.

The only caution came on lap sixteen, when Giers and Dorsey made contact. This stoppage gave Jeremy Bloomberg who had fast time for the first time in his career his first opportunity to give the leader a serious challenge.But right behind the top two was Norton Jr. and defending Mid American champion Bill Prietzel fresh from second place finish in a points race last Sunday.

Seven laps later the checkered would fly as the early season point leader Swan would win the race. Bloomberg was second, Norton third, with Prietzel, Kenny Joostenand Erik Pierce very close for another good race.

It took Viadi Vladimirov just five laps to charge to the front of the field and take the win over Marty Butler and quick qualifier Todd Miller.

This coming Saturday night the first ever Spring Fling will take place for the millennium late model cars, as the Jefferson and Columbus late models have been invited to participate in a $750 to win the feature show. The super late models, super stocks and the sportsman will also be on the same card. There will be no increase in the spectator admission prices and children under 8 are still free.

Time trials begin at 5:45 pm. with the first race at 7 sharp.

SUMMARY OF EVENTS Lake Geneva Raceway April 10th,  2004:   Results Not Available