Freimund, Jensen, Merry, Janssen and Petska Final Winners as LGR Says Goodbye! By Dale R. Erdmann

October 28, 2006;  Lake Geneva, WI. -  It wasn’t easy, but the Lake Geneva Raceway officially closed for the 2006 season. Not for the winter, not for a break, but forever. This was the last public race program, something everyone in attendance wished it would never have come, but it did. Since June of 1966 weekly racing was provided to many race fans each year, until tonight. The longest reining Promoter Kevin Dawson was on hand and thanked everyone for coming and
thank you for the support they gave them, for the past 23 years.

Photo Highlights

After 44-years of racing action at LGR, it was fitting that car #44 would win the final Stock Car race ever at the track. Wayne Freimund secured the win in his winged Super Late Model. Dr. Tooth, Ken Johnson was the winner of an "A" class heat. Jason Jensen (#21) leads Ryan Gutknecht (#01) and Ken Eisbrenner (#87) on his way to winning the "B" class feature. LGR Super Late Model competitor, Vincent Merry, raced his Sport Truck to the "C" class feature victory. The final LGR Mini-Mod feature ever was won by Nick Petska. Tom Homan was the victor of the "C" class heat race.

The winners of the first “run what ya brung” night, in five years was a great
success. There were super stocks, dirt modifieds, super late models mini modifieds and even East Wisconsin sprint cars. The A class feature winner was Wayne Freimund of Elkhorn in a super late model. The B class winner was Jason Jansen of Kenosha, a dirt modified driver, claiming his first career feature. Wadsworth, Illinois’s Vincent Merry, a sport truck driver, with a multi championship record here, won the C class feature winner. The vintage race cars were here too, with Burlington’s John Janssen the winner in the close contest and Nick Petska of Spring Grove winning the mini modified feature. The ever popular trailer race went to Kenosha’s B.G. Wood a veteran dirt driver.

The A class feature started off with some three deep excitement as Joe DeCubellis, Bobby Parker and Larry Surleta battling for the lead. After Parker settled into the lead, as Dan Church took over on lap four. Then on lap six Don Collins gained the top spot, with Wayne Freimund and Landry Potter biting at the bit for a top spot. Collins and Freimund raced side by side for two laps before the lead changed. The race wasn’t over as Potter slipped into second and from time to time came along side the new leader. By lap thirteen Ken Johnson joined the frey in front, as things got very close,when a Yellow Book USA caution period came on the white flag lap, as Johnson had problems. The green, white, checkered finish was what race fans will remember, as Freimund pulled off his first win of the final season and can now say he won the final feature at LGR. A famous name here, Potter claimed second. Landry’s Father Claude was a top modified driver here, when the track opened in 1966. Dan Church was third, Larry Epright was fourth, with Billy Hafemann in an Eastern Wisconsin modified fifth and Larry Surleta completed the top six, at the end of thirty laps.

The B class feature was another great race,as Dave Edwards fresh from his run at Rockford grabbed the lead for three laps. Tom Jastrab forged his way in front on lap four with Seth Lootens, John Maki Jr. and Sonny Schoffen were now all over the leader. Maki was the fastest car in the group moving up to second within four laps. Vanghn Lesko was at the wrong place at the right time, as Dave Edwards had his radiator let loose, bringing out the caution for the first time. Maki was the leader just before the slow down and when the green it was all Maki, but then Schoffen pulled off a slick move to take over that top spot. It looked like Schoffen would take the win, but with three laps to go, the right top ball joint broke and that stopped his quest for the win. Jason Jensen who learned the paved type of racing quickly was now the leader. That’s the way it finished, as the first time looked like a pro in his win. Seth Lootens was second, with Tom Jastrab was third. Larry Epright driving double duty was fourth, with Tom Roney next and rookie Ryan Gutnecht sixth, in another thirty lap event.

The C class feature was a Vincent Merry and Roger Schultz show. Merry took the lead on lap two of the 20 lap event. Schultz the Rockford champion moved into second on lap six and chased Merry the winner all the way to the checkered, but fell short for second. Tom Homan was third, with Dale Gustum the 2005 sport  truck champion here was fourth. Fifth place went to #11 the black car, Tim Jendrjcki was sixth and famous columnist Charlie Spry was seventh.

The vintage cars feature was a thriller as John Janssen had more of a battle with lapped cars, but won the race just a few inches ahead of fast timer John Vassh who was second. Smokey Yunick was third, with Randy Vassh fourth, Vinnie Meegher fifth and Molly Meegher sixth, in a good close race.

It was a Nick Petska feature all the way in the mini modified feature. Second place was Jerry Giulliano the quick qualifier and a unknown driver was third.

The next official event will be the annual, but final awards banquet on Saturday night Feb.3rd. 2007.The event will be at Rumpoles banquet Halls in Twin Lakes.

An unofficial night of fun will be New Years eve at Low Places. Details will be forth coming. There could be an unofficial race that night.

Well, after 36 years of writing the stories for Lake Geneva Raceway, all good things must come to an end. I don’t know who said that statement. Because it’s just not true. The years at LGR have been great. The fans, the drivers and all the
media people, that I’ve met, have made this all worth it .I hope we can find a new location and give these drivers a place to race.

Right now, the small car weekly show may be back by next season. Just watch this website for more information. Until then have a blessed thanksgiving and I’ll inform you, as soon as I know something. We only have a few new program books. If you have been here before or new to our website. Get a copy of this book. It’s the biggest book ever, for any short track

Just send $7 to the raceway at 1015 Bloomfield Road. Lake Geneva,Wisconsin 53147.

There will be at least 4 more pages coming for everyone who has purchased a book. Just send a self addressed stamped envelope 8 ½ x 11 to the raceway. Take care, Dale R. Erdmann


SUMMARY OF EVENTS OCTOBER 28TH. 2006 LAKE GENEVA RACEWAY

A CLASS

MAIN EVENT 1) Wayne Freimund,Elkhorn 2)Landry Potter,Genoa City 3)Dan Church,Mukwonago 4)Larry Epright,East Troy 5)Billy Hafemann,Waldo 6)Larry Surleta,Round Lake,Ill. 7)Joe DeCubellis,Burlington 8)Ken Johnson,Park Ridge,Ill. 9)Don Collins,Trevor 10)Bobby “the Colonel” Parker,South Milwaukee 11)Butch Hafemann,Campbellsport 12)Kris Hansen,Manitowoc

Heat 1. 1)Dan Church 2)Billy Hafemann 3)Larry Surleta 4)Joe DeCubellis 5) Bobby “the Colonel” Parker,South Milwaukee 6)Butch Hafemann

Heat 2. 1)Ken Johnson 2)Wayne Freimund 3)Don Collins 4)Larry Epright 5)Kris Hansen 6)Landry Potter

Times 1) Wayne Freimund 2) Ken Johnson 3) Landry Potter 4) Don Collins 5) Larryb Epright 6) Kris Hansen 7) Billy Hafemann 8) Butch Hafemann 9) Dan Church 10) Larry Surleta 11) Joe DeCubellis 12) Bobby “the Colonel” Parker,South Milwaukee

B CLASS

MAIN EVENT 1)Jason Jensen,Kenosha 2)Seth Lootens,Pleasant Prairie 3)Tom Jastrab,Genoa City 4)Larry Epright,East Troy 5)Tom Roney,Ridgefield,Ill 6)Ryan Guntnecht,Oak Creek 7)Dave Paskiewitz,Franklin 8)Sam Redman,Crystal Lake,Ill 9)Gary Fostru,Kenosha 10)Vanghn Lesko,Twin Lakes 11)John Maki Jr. Antioch,Ill 12)Chris Sackman,Union Grove 13)Bill Serviss, Posen,Ill 14)Jeff Schultz, Lake Geneva 15)Dave Edwards,Salem 16)Eric Schoffen,Crystal Lake,Ill 17)Jim Oxtoby,Pell Lake 18)Bill Johnson,Antioch,Ill 19)Sonny Schoffen,Crystal Lake,Ill 20) Steve Hertz,Ingleside,Ill 21)Ken Eisbrenner,Racine 22)Anthony Vito,Crystal Lake,Ill

Heat 1. 1)Chris Sackman 2)Vanghn Lesko 3)Gary Fostru 4)Eric Schoffen 5)#26 6)Frank Slaberak,Harvey,Ill

Heat 2. 1)Cody Potter, Genoa City 2)Bill Serviss 3)Dave Edwards 4)Jeff Schultz 5)Ryan Gutnecht 6)Tom Jastrab 7)Seth Lootens 8)Jim Oxtoby 9)Anthony Vito

Heat 3) 1)Sonny Schoffen 2)Jason Jensen 3)John Maki Jr. 4)Dave Paskiewitz 5)Tom Roney 6)Sam Redman 7)Ken Eisbrenner 8)Bill Johnson

Times 1)Sonny Schoffen 2)Tom Roney 3)John Maki Jr. 4)Ken Eisbrenner 5)Sam Redman 6)Dave Paskiewitz 7)Jason Jensen 8)Tyler Peterson,Lake Geneva 9)Bill Serviss 10)Seth Lootens 11)Tom Jastrab 12)Cody Potter 13)Jeff Schultz 14)Anthony Vito 15)Dave Edwards 16)Larry Epright 17)Chris Scakman 18)Vaughn Lesko 19)Frank Slabenak 20)Randy Schneider 21)Gary Fostru 22)Eric Schoffen 23)Steve Hertz 24)Dustin Holland 25)Bill Johnson 26)Dave Krewal 27)Jim Oxtoby 28) Ryan Gutnecht NT


C CLASS

MAIN EVENT 1)Vincent Merry,Wadsworth,Ill 2)Roger Schultz,Machesney Park,Ill. 3)Tom Homan,Antioch,Ill 4)Dale Gustum,Pell Lake 5)#11 black 6)Tim Jendrycki, Woodstock,Ill 7)Charlie Spry 8)Kevin Matthiesen 9)Jeff Myers,Elgin,Ill 10)#77 yellow 11)Aaron Stolp,West Allis 12)Mike Lampeb,Powers Lake 13)Steve Doherty,Rockford,Ill

Heat 1. 1)Steve Doherty 2) #77 yellow 3)Aaron Stolp 4)Kevin Matthiesen 5) #18 6)Jeff Myers 7)Mike Lampeb

Heat 2. 1)Tom Homan 2)Dale Gustum 3)Vincent Merry 4)Roger Schultz 5)Tim Jendrycki 6)#11 black 7)Kyle Walters

Times 1) Roger Schultz 2)Vincent Merry 3)Tom Homan 4)Dale Gustum 5)Kyle Walters 6)Tim Jendrycki 7) #11 black 8)#77 yellow 9)Aaron Stolp 10)Charlie Spry 11)Jeff Myers 12)Mike Lampeb 13) Steve Doherty 14)Kevin Matthiesen


VINTAGE CARS
MAIN EVENT 1)John Janssen, Burlington 2)John Vassh,Caledonia 3)Smokey Yunick, Racine 4)Randy Vassh,Caledonia 5)Vinnie Meegher,Racine 6)Molly Meegher, Racine 7)Juan Huerta,Caledonia

Heat 1. 1)John Janssen 2)John Vassh 3)Smokey Yunick 4)Vinnie Meegher 5)Molly Meegher 6)Juan Huerta 7)Randy Vassh

Times 1)John Vassh 2)Smokey Yunick 3)Randy Vassh 4)Vinnie Meegher 5)Juan Huerta 6)Molly Meegher 7) John Janssen NT


MINI MODIFIEDS
MAIN EVENT 1) Nick Petska,Spring Grove,Ill 2)Jerry Giulliano,Schaumburg,Ill 3) #97

Heat 1. 1)Jerry Giulliano 2)Nick Petska 3)#97

Times 1)Jerry Giulliano 2)Nick Petska 3)#97