Rain Holds Off Until Start Of Features At Thunderhill Raceway
Saturday, May 29, 2004
By Dan Lewis

(Thunderhill Raceway - Sturgeon Bay, WI) With only two race events in and two rainouts, Saturday night’s race event at Thunderhill Raceway needed to get in a show.  The track was smooth and tacky all night even with intermittent sprinkles though much of the heat races.  But mother nature moved in about 9pm and washed out all but one of the feature events.  The race night was called and fans were treated to some fantastic prize and cash giveaways compliments of Forest County Potawatomi.  Coca-Cola also sponsored the event.

In the Budweiser IMCA Modifieds, Dan Ratajczak put on quite a show bringing a “replacement” car up from the last starting spot to win the 12-lap event over some heavy hitters in the mod class.  Ratajczak jetted through the field to take the lead with only two laps to go, taking the win away from the early season points leader Benji LaCrosse.  Tim VanDeHei finished third in the consi, followed by Jared Siefert and Randy LeMieux Jr.  Early heat winners included Todd Dart, Doug Maurer and Kevin Sternard.

Ryan LeMieux took home first place in the T Simon Jewelers IMCA Stock Car 10-lap consi event ahead of Travis Annoye and Mike Franzke.  Early heat winners included Don Aregoni, Matt Junio and Tracy Koontz.

In the May’s Sports Center IMCA Hobby Stock heat races, Dave Serrahn won his first ever race event.  Dwayne Mertens won the second of two heat races.

The AmericInn Street Stock feature event was the only main event to be run due to steady rains.  It was shortened to nine laps, but it was a joyful one for Scott Iverson of Sturgeon Bay.  Iverson started alongside Thom Terrien and took off from the front row on the rain-slickened clay track.  Six laps into the race, fifth-row starter Von Eytcheson was able to catch Iverson but was unable to secure a pass before a heavier rain started coming down.  Iverson took the win, his first of the 2004 season, followed by Eytcheson and Jeremy Wiitala.  Aaron Thornton and Mike Pierrard finished out the top-five.  The consi was taken by Darren Otto. Early heat winners included Aaron Thornton, Michael King and Scott Iverson.

Defending Thunderhill Track Champion Ken Malcore  could do nothing wrong and went on to win the Sport 4 heat race.  The main event was washed out.

Budweiser IMCA Modified, T Simon Jewelers IMCA Stock Car, May’s Sports Center IMCA Hobby Stock, AmericInn Street Stock divisions along with the Sport-4 class compete weekly on Saturday nights, with competition getting underway at 6 p.m.

Next week’s event is the National Steel Sponsor Appreciation Night at Thunderhill Raceway!

A special night of racing has been slated for Wednesday night, August 11 when the Forest County Potawatomi-sponsored 2nd Annual Dirt Late Model ShootOut opens the Door County Fair.   Thunderhill Raceway is located at John Miles Park, the site of the Door County Fairgrounds, just off Highways 42/57, and west on County Trunk T.   For more information call 920-743-7052 or 920-746-0387, the track phone number.   The track’s website is www.racethunderhill.com. 

RACE SUMMARY  

 20 lap Budweiser IMCA Modified Feature- Rained Out.

 12 lap semi-feature - Dan Ratajczak, Frog Station; Benji LaCrosse, 
Luxemburg; Tim VanDeHei, Green Bay; Jared Siefert, Green Bay; Randy LeMieux Jr., 
Sturgeon Bay.
 
 10 lap heats 1) Todd Dart, Algoma; Randie Back, Green Bay; 2) Doug Maurer, 
Green Bay; Scott Boyea, Abrams; 3) Kevin Sternard, Sturgeon Bay; Jay Matthias, 
DePere.

 20 lap T Simon Jewelers IMCA Stock Car feature - Rained Out.

 10 lap semi-feature - Ryan LeMieux, Sturgeon Bay; Travis Annoye, Casco; Mike 
Franzke, Appleton.

 10 lap heats 1) Don Aregoni, Sturgeon Bay; Corey Haen, Sturgeon Bay; 2) Matt 
Junio, Casco; Jeff Vlies, Brussels; 3) Tracy Koontz, Brussels; Dave Bouche, 
Algoma.
 
 15 lap May’s Sports Center IMCA Hobby Stock feature - Rained Out.

 10 lap heats 1) Dave Serrahn; Derek Moede, Casco; 2) Dwayne Mertens, 
Luxemburg; Ed Anschutz; Algoma.
 
 15 lap AmericInn Street Stock feature - Scott Iverson, Sturgeon Bay; Von 
Eytcheson, Forestville; Jeremy Wiitala, Green Bay; Aaron Thornton, Sturgeon Bay; 
Mike Pierrard, Sturgeon Bay; Brian Ambrosius, Pulaski; Harley Simon; James 
Iverson, Sturgeon Bay; Kevin Damrow, Manitowoc, Michael King, Appleton.

 10 lap semi-feature - Darren Otto, Pulaski; Bill Kelsey; James Iverson.

 10 lap heats 1) Aaron Thornton, Sturgeon Bay; Thom Terrien, Green Bay; 2) 
Mike King Jr.; Ambrosius; 3) Scott Iverson; John Sternard, Sturgeon Bay.

 10 lap Sport Four feature - Rained Out.

 8 lap heat 1) Ken Malcore, Algoma; Chad Williams, Brussels.

'04 THUNDERHILL RACEWAY POINTS  5/29/04         
IMCA MODIFIEDS           Point
Rank    Car#    Name        Total
1   54  Benji   LaCrosse    98
2   66  Jared   Siefert 92
3   90  Jeremy  Jacobs  91
4   37  Sean    Jerovetz    89
5   73  Dan Ratajczak   88
6   OOrm    R.M.    Van Pay 86
7   34  Jerry   Wenzel  85
8   18  Randy   LeMieux Jr. 82
9    8m Jay Matthias    81
10  19  George  Henkel  81
11  22c Mike    Cole    75
12  3L  Bill    LeMieux 72
13  2   Darrell Massart 72
14  38  Randie  Back    72
15  98  Scott   Derenne 71
16   4T Tim Van De Hei  70
17  76  Kevin   Sternard    70
18  3d  Todd    Dart    65
19  10  Chris   Derenne 64
20  21  James   Tebon   64
21  43  Tony    Herbst  60
22  8J  Rick    Johnson 52
23  O7  Scott   Boyea   45
24  84  Dave    Zeitler 37
25  13  Jeff    Dubois  36
26  36  Clyde   Skenadore   36
27  22L Doug    Maurer  32
28  OOL Rick    LeMieux 25
29  67  Ronnie  Plog Jr.    13
30  82  Don Padgett 11

IMCA STOCK CARS      Point
Rank    Car#    Name        Total
1   52  Troy    Muench  93
2   54  B.J.    Soquet  92
3   11  Bernie  Reinhardt   90
4   21  Dave    Bouche  90
5   8   Charlie Kroll   87
6    2p Craig   Paque   86
7   18L Ryan    LeMieux 83
8   17  Jeff    Vlies   83
9   76  Mike    Wietor  81
10   10K    Tracy   Koontz  80
11  10J Matt    Junio   78
12  77  Chris   Hendricks   76
13  97  Jamie   Suchocki    75
14  90  Shawn   Kilgore 72
15  29  Corey   Haen    70
16  O5  Dave    Davister    64
17  19  Dave    Hoerning    61
18  73  Don Aregoni 59
19  20R Gary    Reinhardt   57
20  15g Kraig   Gretz   53
21  71  Mark    Reinhard    42
22  25  Tony    Bouche  40
23  2T  Travis  VanStraten  37
24  4T  Shawn   Havel   31
25  34  Brett   Wenzel  26
26  55  Shawn   Wagner  24
27  6   Rick    Mahlberg    22
28  12  Larry   Ingebretson 22
29  5f  Mike    Franzke 21
30  44  Pat Davister    21
31  53  Travis  Annoye  21
32  53  Brandon Mindak  14
33  7d  Mark    Derenne 11

IMCA HOBBYSTOCKS    Point
Rank    Car#    Name        Total
1   71  Ed  Anschutz    99
2   2   Evan    Madden  96
3   15  Maynard Hegnet  93
4   47  Keith   Kickbush    93
5   55  Wayne   Moore   93
6   9   Marcus  Moede   92
7   40d Dave    DeGrave 85
8   10  Brandon Peterson    84
9   40  Tom Brumlic 84
10  49  Roger   LaViolette  80
11  5   Joe Hegnet  78
12  8   Derek   Moede   78
13  13  Keith   Peterson    78
14  56  Jeff    Lautenbach  78
15  53  Dwayne  Mertens 75
16  18  Davin   Malvitz 73
17  88  Dave    Serrahn 67
18  6   Dave    Lane    62
19  12  Carl    Laughlin    46
20  20  Casey   Groessl 22
21  31  Jarred  VanLaanen   21
22  75  Tony    Schlei  21

STREET STOCKS         Point
Rank    Car#    Name        Total
1   11v Von Eytcheson   111
2   51  Jeremy  Wiitala 104
3   15  Brian   Ambrosius   103
4   50  James   Iverson 99
5   25  Mike    Pierrard    97
6   95  Aaron   Thornton    97
7   12  Kevin   Damrow  94
8   90b Faron   Beilke  93
9   44  Dennis  Weidner 89
10  21  Mike    King Jr.    86
11  11r Scott   Reinhardt   85
12  23  Todd    Wagner  83
13  73  James   Anderson    83
14  64  Don Polcen  81
15  27  Darren  Otto    80
16  76  John    Sternard    77
17  29  Scott   Iverson 74
18  65  Bill    Kelsey  67
19  75  Thom    Terrien 60
20  99  Kevin   Jandrin 57
21  3b  Mark    Brickner    56
22  17s Harley  Simon   34
23  3p  Todd    Polster 33
24  52v Shawn   VanOoyen    33
25  38  Andrew  Schnable    28
26  14  Jamie   Berg    27
27  24  Jerry   Denil   26
28  90f Fred    Davister    21
29  33  Rick    Sternard    15
30  8   Dean    Bader   11
31  19  Chris   Konitzer    11
32  34  Jeremy  Schultz 11
33  66  James   Brunette    11

SPORT 4s         Point
Rank    Car#    Name        Total
1   29J James   Vandenbogart    100
2   11  Adam    Rex 90
3   72  Jon Beilfuss Jr.    90
4   1   Don Mahlberg    71
5   2   Ken Malcore 71
6   8   Tyler   Smith   70
7   32  Chad    Williams    61
8   9   Charlie Gross   56
9   16d Ben Daoust  38
10  15  Todd    Smith   37
11  17  Greg    Banker  35
12  6   Ryan    Johnson 32
13  18j         21
14  115         21