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Lake Geneva Raceway presents
Round and Around by Fay Hendricks
Upcoming Events at Lake Geneva Raceway:

This week: Over 300 Race Cars! Friday, Sept. 30, Small Car Championship. Saturday, Oct. 1 and Sunday, Oct. 2 Fall Classic Stock Car Racing.

Coming up: Saturday, October 8, Midwest Enduro Goblin 250. Sunday, October 16, District 16 Motocross. End of season.
Round and Around:  By Fay Hendricks
The following is a column written by Fay Hendricks for The Checkered Flag Racing News. This race publication began in 1968 and ceased operations as of July 13, 2005. The wife of 7-time sportsman and mini stock champion Jim Hendricks, Fay has been writing since 1981. As a way to allow readers to continue following the travels of Fay Hendricks around several venues, Lake Geneva Raceway owner-promoter Kevin Dawson has decided to offer the columns here. We hope you enjoy the reading.
September 28, 2005  - Rockford Speedway's 40th annual National Short Track Championships is not the same celebration it used to be. We remember when this tiny track across the Illinois border was the scene of much merriment. Our short tracks saw Wisconsin’s Dick Trickle, Jim Sauter, Joe Shear, Ted Musgrave, Tom Reffner, and a host of other top-notch racers battle, and beat, the best in the country. Mark Martin had moved to the Badger State for a couple years before his next move to NASCAR. Rusty Wallace moved through USAC’s late model division, then area ASA and ARTGO racing to hone his craft, and Bobby Allison regularly flew to our short tracks to play with the best in the business. This guaranteed a good race every time, no matter who won.

Even more memorable was what transpired after the races, where adult beverage flowed and amiable racers partied with their fans. At Rockford's end-of-the year party, people came early and brought their own fun. Our personal rule used to be to make sure we got to bed before the sun came up. The legendary "Billboard Gang" was so dubbed for their choice of locale for the whole week, constantly posting their own message atop the old billboard. Sofas and chairs adorn some bonfires, ending up in the flames on the final day. We began bowling here, bringing balls and pins that met the same fate as the living room furniture. One year an upright baby grand was aboard an open trailer, still playable when it entered the grounds. When it was sacrificed, the owner wept. It seems the piano was his wife‘s favorite, and his buddies convinced him it needed to come to Rockford. The acreage is now an overnight parking area, bonfires must be contained, and the revelers of yore are now grandparents. An

Thursday's practice at Rockford ended with a race program for the early birds, some of whom arrive on Monday. Qualifying for the track's Roadrunners and Winged Women on Wheels (WWoW) was followed by a pair of features. The Super Cups began with a dozen entries, led all the way by Erik Gehrke. "It was all about starting position", stated Gehrke, adding, "I got lucky. I've been sitting off a month while these guys have been racing. I'm pretty glad". The Hornet Swarm finished off the program with a 58-lap contest in honor of Rockford's 58th year in operation. Five leaders took turns at the point, reducing the 27 starters to 8 at the final flag. Matt Moore was one of several who made the trip from northwest Wisconsin, claiming "I just kept my cool and kept going". Just after 10:30, the first 73 cars were done.

Friday's qualifying opened with Jon Reynolds, Jr. setting a new record in the Big 8 Series, Jeremy Wolff topping the Grand National division, and B. J. Sparkman quickest in the American Short Trackers (AST). Another attempt was given the Roadrunners and WWoW, putting 83 entries into the books. Rockford's matriarch, Jody Deery, greeted the audience with a letter of proclamation from the mayor recognizing auto racing as the oldest professional sport in the area. The evening's qualifying heats led to the features, with the roll of the die setting the inversion at 13 cars. The WWoW main ended with Wanda Dobbs declaring, "Racing is a blast, guys. That $100 bounty they put on my head made me want it even more".

Friday’s AST 40-lap contest opened with a car into the wall, then a multi-car incident before halfway involved six mounts. Quick-timer Sparkman was one of the six, restarting at the back of the pack on lap 18, but nine circuits later he took the lead away from Dave Wagner. "I was going sideways and hitting stuff", Sparkman recalled of the crash, thanking his crew and showing why he won the track championship.

The Big 8 race began with Noel Ramge getting drawn for the final slot in the 25-car field. Just four circuits were posted when six mounts got tangled, followed by another half-dozen a couple laps later. Jason Schuler stayed ahead of Matt Berger's inner-groove charges all the way to lap 46 of the 58-lap race, but just as Berger made the pass another multi-car incident reset the field from the previously-completed lap. At the restart Berger and Schuler came together, Berger's fender dragging on the track. Receiving the black flag for this failed to get Berger off the track, after which his car was no longer scored, according to the rules. Just as the field was about to get the green flag Berger had rubbed off the offending piece on the back wall, but too late. Tim Noble then fended off Rockford's five-time champion, Ricky Bilderback, to the end of the 58-lap race, winning the biggest event of his life. "I gotta thank Ricky Bilderback", panted Noble, "He's a heck of a racer. He raced

Friday's Midwest Mod field was sparse, reducing the 40 circuits to 25 and ending with Iowa's Shawn Stinger taking the win. The Grand National 40 saw leader Bob Hansberry lose a wheel after contact with challenger Kyle Taylor, after which Matt Lundberg took over to the end. "We had a great car the whole night", claimed Lundberg, I was just waiting for them to screw up, and they did".

The Roadrunners closed Friday's show with only one yellow banner, reducing the 30 entries by four. Charlie Frisch was the fourth different leader, lapping most of the field while fending off track champion David Lignell. Thanking his cousin for the use of his car, Frisch closed the night of nearly 120 competitors. Parties included live music in the pavilion or anywhere around the grounds.

Saturday began sunny and warm, but afternoon rain stalled a full program. By supper time the track was again dry and five of the seven divisiona qualified. The Northern Series, mostly Rockford regulars, were topped by Bilderback before all but a few made a run in the Big 8 Series as well. Jeremy Miller was quickest in Mid-American (MA) Stock Cars before switching to the CRA limited late model field. Bill Prietzel still doubles in both MA cars and trucks, which had Donnie Woller fastest. The CRA field saw Brian Johnson Jr. set a new track record before the ASA Late Models ended with 18-year old Stephen Leicht taking quick time. We counted at least six teens in the ASA field, a sign of the times as 15-year old Chase Austin is one of this year’s Jack Roush candidates. ASA's Jack Smith qualified Rick turner's CRA entry for the delayed driver, and Bill Tomlinson's hard wall hit gave him a ride to the hospital to check his leg pain. Bilderback and Ryan Carlson tripled by also competing

A shortened program of qualifying races were followed with Saturday's features. The area sportsman and hobby stock cars had no track time before their main events. The sportsman contest led off with seven cautions, including a wheel making a solo lap and a car on its roof. It only took three laps for Corey Jankowski to take the led to the end, however. "I was hungry", stated the winner, "They got chicken al fredo back there". Jankowski added, "I've been working all week to come down here", a trip of several hours.

Saturday’s Northern Series 150 began with 26 hopefuls, but ended with only 15 survivors after nine cautions. One incident saw 7-time Rockford champ Bobby Wilberg in the wall after a tangle with long-time rival Bilderback. At the end Ryan Carlson delivered donuts with glee. "All my fans in turn one, you're here every time. You should come down here for the picture", said Carlson, adding, "Jon Reynolds ran me clean the whole time", praising his friend and part-time crew member. Carlson's win came despite a heavily steaming car at the mandatory 10-minute fuel break.

The final field of the 160 Saturday entries was the hobby stocks, finishing their 40-lap affair just before 1 AM. "The car ain't too bad", claimed Jimmy Robinson from winner‘s circle, adding, "It was a long day out there". Indeed, it was. By this time we had seen 350 entries race countless laps around Rockford‘s concrete walls, with drivers from nearly a dozen states. Not to be denied, many basked in the glow of campfires into the wee hours.

When Sunday morning’s rain arrived, a meeting of the diverse sanctions was held when it was evident there would be no end to the wet stuff. The remaining four fields would be returning to Rockford for their features on Saturday, October 29, for a trick or a treat. The MA Trucks and Stock Cars, ASA and CRA late models will then fun another 475 circuits to put four more names in the records for Rockford’s 40th National Short Track Championships.

Thanks to Rockford’s Gregg McKarns and Kevin Ramsell for the shelter and information, we kept our papers dry for the duration. We also enjoyed another reunion with “Mr. and Mrs. ARTGO”, John and Sue McKarns,, who made their way north while another hurricane swept through their Florida neighborhood. The senior McKarns is still promoting, telling of the addition of Dick Trickle to the ARTGO Reunion at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway in two weeks. This is traditionally the all-out farewell party at the end of Wisconsin’s race season, the festive spirit high in the northwest. But first we will join the 3-day Fall Classic at Lake Geneva Raceway this coming weekend. There will be more stories then.

 
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