“Frog Station Flash” Ratajczak Takes Mod Main At Thunderhill Raceway
Saturday, June 5, 2004
By Dan Lewis

(Thunderhill Raceway - Sturgeon Bay, WI)  With two rainouts from May in the history books now, Thunderhill Raceway fans enjoyed some of the best weather and racing action of the young season on Saturday night at John Miles Park with five exciting racing divisions.  Northland Steel sponsored the night’s events.

In the Budweiser IMCA Modifieds, Dan Ratajczak, aka “Frog Station Flash” was the winner of the 20-lap feature event after a daring three-wide move through the middle with five laps to go.  Early race leader Doug Maurer held the inside line to find some bite on the clay oval, and could not hold off the hard charging Ratajczak.  At the same time, Jeremy Jacobs looked to have mastered the outside groove, taking the race three-wide with Maurer and Ratajczak to the inside.

With this week’s win, Ratajczak can boast of two wins back-to-back, last week’s being a semi-feature win in a backup car.  Maurer finished a season-high second, with Randy LeMieux Jr. finishing third.  Jacobs and Sean Jerovetz rounded out the top five.  Four points now separate the top five drivers in the division’s hotly contested points battle.  Ratajczak and Jacobs share a tie in the points race with 128 points each.  Earlier heat winners were Tony Herbst, Maurer, and Jacobs with the consi victory going to Jared Siefert.

Defending Thunderhill Stock Car Track Champion, Shawn Kilgore of Kewaunee took home his second feature event win of the season.  Kilgore grabbed the lead from early leader Rick Mahlberg on the fourth circuit, putting Mahlberg to do battle with Jeff “Pepe” Vlies.  In the closing laps, Vlies passed Mahlberg to finish second with Tracy Koontz and divisional points leader Bernie Reinhardt filling out the top-five.  At the end of the night, Reinhardt keeps a slim lead in the points battle with only four points separating the top six cars in the class.  Earlier heat winners were Koontz, Mike Wietor, and Kilgore with the consi win going to Matt Junio.

In the May’s Sports Center IMCA Hobby Stock feature event, Keith Kickbusch celebrated his first feature event win of the year with a decisive win over points leader Ed Anschutz.  Kickbusch took the lead on  the fourth lap and outdistanced Anschutz for the win.  Rookie driver, Dave Serrahn finished third with Evan Madden and Wayne Moore taking the top spots.  With the win, Kickbusch moves into a tie with Madden for second place in points behind Anschutz.  Eleven points separate the top five drivers in points.  Earlier heat winners were Kickbusch and Anschutz.

In the AmericInn Street Stock feature event, Sturgeon Bay’s Aaron Thornton wrestled his way to the front of the 20-car field by the fifth lap and went on to take his first feature win of the year.  Last week’s feature winner, Scott Iverson was able to get some lead time early on, but fell victim to Thornton.  Michael King finished a strong second to Thornton after an Iverson miscue.  Iverson held on for a third-place finish, followed by Mike Pierrard and Brian Ambrosius.  Earlier heat winners were King, Thornton, and Jeremy Wiitala with the consi win going to Von Eytcheson.

In the Sport 4 division, defending Thunderhill Track Champion Ken Malcore swept the night with a heat and subsequent feature win.  Points leader James VanDenBogart holds a slim lead in the points race.

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 Lakes Gas 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- Dan Ratajczak, Frog Station; Doug 
Maurer, Green Bay; Randy LeMieux, Jr., Sturgeon Bay; Jeremy Jacobs, Algoma; Sean 
Jerovetz, Suamico; Jared Siefert, Green Bay; Todd Dart, Algoma; George 
Henkel, Sturgeon Bay; James Tebon, Algoma; Bob Waechter, Ellisville.

 12 lap semi-feature - Siefert; Benji LaCrosse, Luxemburg; Mike Cole, Baileys 
Harbor; Waechter; Rick Johnson, Gills Rock.
 
 10 lap heats 1) Tony Herbst, Sturgeon Bay; Dart; 2) Maurer; Randie Back, 
Green Bay; 3) Jacobs; Chris Derenne, Luxemburg.

 20 lap T Simon Jewelers IMCA Stock Car feature - Shawn Kilgore, Kewaunee; 
Jeff Vlies; Brussels; Rick Mahlberg, Denmark; Tracy Koontz, Brussels; Bernie 
Reinhardt, Sturgeon Bay; Charlie Kroll, Algoma, Dave Bouche, Algoma; Matt Junio, 
Casco; B.J. Soquet, Green Bay; Troy Muench, Green Bay.

 10 lap semi-feature - Junio; Shawn Wagner, Pulaski; Chris Hendricks, Green 
Bay; Jamie Suchocki, Kewaunee; Don Aregoni, Sturgeon Bay.

 10 lap heats 1) Koontz; Mahlberg; 2) Mike Wietor, Green Bay; Craig Paque, 
Algoma; 3) Kilgore; Vlies.
 
 15 lap May’s Sports Center IMCA Hobby Stock feature - Keith Kickbusch, 
Kewaunee; Ed Anschutz, Algoma; Dave Sarrahn, Algoma; Evan Madden; Algoma; Wayne 
Moore, Sturgeon Bay; Marcus Moede, Casco; Tom Brumlic, Denmark; Brandon Peterson, 
Sturgeon Bay; Dave DeGrave, Luxemburg; Carl Laughlin.

 10 lap heats 1) Kickbusch; Madden; 2) Anschutz; Dwayne Mertens, Luxemburg.
 
15 lap AmericInn Street Stock feature - Aaron Thornton, Sturgeon Bay; Mike 
King Jr., Little Chute; 
Scott Iverson, Sturgeon Bay; Mike Pierrard, Sturgeon Bay; Jeremy Wiitala, 
Green Bay; Von Eytcheson, Forestville; Kevin Damrow, Manitowoc, Dennis Weidner, 
Sturgeon Bay; Scott Reinhardt, Sturgeon Bay; Thom Terrien, Green Bay.



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 - Eytcheson; Scott Reinhardt, Sturgeon Bay; John 
Sternard, Sturgeon Bay; Joe Hegnet, Sturgeon Bay; Don Polcen, Sturgeon Bay.

10 lap heats 1) King; Terrien 2) Thornton; Iverson; 3) Wiitala; Kevin 
Jandrin, Forestville.

10 lap Sport Four feature - Ken Malcore, Algoma; Chad Williams, Brussels; 
Butch Beyers, Green Bay; Jon Beilfuss Jr.; Charlie Gross.

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


'04 THUNDERHILL RACEWAY POINTS 6/5/04               
IMCA MODIFIEDS          Point
Rank    Car#    Name        Total
1   73  Dan Ratajczak   128
2   90  Jeremy  Jacobs  128
3   66  Jared   Siefert 127
4   37  Sean    Jerovetz    125
5   54  Benji   LaCrosse    124
6   18  Randy   LeMieux Jr. 120
7   19  George  Henkel  114
8   34  Jerry   Wenzel  107
9    8m Jay Matthias    104
10  22c Mike    Cole    104
11  3L  Bill    LeMieux 102
12  2   Darrell Massart 100
13  3d  Todd    Dart    99
14  21  James   Tebon   96
15  38  Randie  Back    93
16  10  Chris   Derenne 91
17  OOrm    R.M.    Van Pay 86
18   4T Tim Van De Hei  85
19  43  Tony    Herbst  84
20  76  Kevin   Sternard    84
21  98  Scott   Derenne 83
22  8J  Rick    Johnson 77
23  22L Doug    Maurer  71
24  13  Jeff    Dubois  47
25  O7  Scott   Boyea   45
26  OOL Rick    LeMieux 38
27  84  Dave    Zeitler 37
28  36  Clyde   Skenadore   36
29  7   Rob Waechter    31
30  34  Chad    Wilcox  16
31  67  Ronnie  Plog Jr.    13
32  32  Lucas   Engels  11
33  82  Don Padgett 11

IMCA STOCK CARS     Point
Rank    Car#    Name        Total
1   11  Bernie  Reinhardt   126
2   21  Dave    Bouche  124
3   52  Troy    Muench  124
4   54  B.J.    Soquet  124
5   8   Charlie Kroll   122
6   17  Jeff    Vlies   122
7    10K    Tracy   Koontz  117
8    2p Craig   Paque   115
9   90  Shawn   Kilgore 112
10  10J Matt    Junio   111
11  18L Ryan    LeMieux 107
12  76  Mike    Wietor  106
13  77  Chris   Hendricks   99
14  29  Corey   Haen    98
15  97  Jamie   Suchocki    96
16  73  Don Aregoni 86
17  15g Kraig   Gretz   66
18  O5  Dave    Davister    64
19  19  Dave    Hoerning    61
20  6   Rick    Mahlberg    60
21  20R Gary    Reinhardt   57
22  71  Mark    Reinhard    57
23  25  Tony    Bouche  56
24  55  Shawn   Wagner  54
25  12  Larry   Ingebretson 48
26  4T  Shawn   Havel   45
27  53  Travis  Annoye  43
28  2T  Travis  VanStraten  37
29  34  Brett   Wenzel  26
30  5f  Mike    Franzke 21
31  44  Pat Davister    21
32  53  Brandon Mindak  14
33  7d  Mark    Derenne 11

IMCA HOBBYSTOCKS    Point
Rank    Car#    Name        Total
1   71  Ed  Anschutz    138
2   2   Evan    Madden  133
3   47  Keith   Kickbush    133
4   55  Wayne   Moore   129
5   9   Marcus  Moede   127
6   40  Tom Brumlic 118
7   40d Dave    DeGrave 117
8   10  Brandon Peterson    117
9   49  Roger   LaViolette  108
10  13  Keith   Peterson    107
11  56  Jeff    Lautenbach  105
12  88  Dave    Serrahn 105
13  53  Dwayne  Mertens 100
14  18  Davin   Malvitz 99
15  15  Maynard Hegnet  93
16  6   Dave    Lane    92
17  5   Joe Hegnet  78
18  8   Derek   Moede   78
19  12  Carl    Laughlin    77
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   146
2   51  Jeremy  Wiitala 140
3   95  Aaron   Thornton    137
4   25  Mike    Pierrard    134
5   15  Brian   Ambrosius   130
6   12  Kevin   Damrow  128
7   50  James   Iverson 128
8   21  Mike    King Jr.    125
9   44  Dennis  Weidner 122
10  11r Scott   Reinhardt   117
11  90b Faron   Beilke  116
12  29  Scott   Iverson 112
13  73  James   Anderson    111
14  23  Todd    Wagner  107
15  64  Don Polcen  107
16  76  John    Sternard    99
17  27  Darren  Otto    96
18  75  Thom    Terrien 91
19  99  Kevin   Jandrin 82
20  65  Bill    Kelsey  67
21  3b  Mark    Brickner    56
22  14  Jamie   Berg    48
23  3p  Todd    Polster 47
24  38  Andrew  Schnable    43
25  17s Harley  Simon   34
26  52v Shawn   VanOoyen    33
27  5   Joe Hegnet  30
28  34  Jeremy  Schultz 27
29  24  Jerry   Denil   26
30  90f Fred    Davister    21
31  33  Rick    Sternard    15
32  8   Dean    Bader   11
33  19  Chris   Konitzer    11
34  66  James   Brunette    11

SPORT 4s            Point
Rank    Car#    Name        Total
1   29J James   VanDenBogart    132
2   72  Jon Beilfuss Jr.    125
3   11  Adam    Rex 123
4   2   Ken Malcore 109
5   32  Chad    Williams    98
6   9   Charlie Gross   90
7   1   Don Mahlberg    71
8   8   Tyler   Smith   70
9   16d Ben Daoust  38
10  15  Todd    Smith   37
11  O1B Butch   Beyers  36
12  17  Greg    Banker  35
13  6   Ryan    Johnson 32
14  8   Gene    Sternard    31
15  18j Tim Jorgenson   21
16  115 D.J.    Jorgenson   21