LaCrosse Best In The Business In IMCA Mod Feature Win At The Hill
Saturday, July 31, 2004
By Dan Lewis

(Thunderhill Raceway - Sturgeon Bay, WI)  Picture perfect weather and perfect track conditions added up to another successful race night at Thunderhill Raceway on Saturday night.  In the Budweiser IMCA Modifieds, the fast, multi-lane track conditions led to some great side-by-side action as Luxemburg’s Benji LaCrosse showed off his skills, taking his fourth feature win of the season.  Corey Haen, Sturgeon Bay, won his first T Simon Jewelers IMCA Stock Car feature of the year.  May’s Sports Center IMCA Hobby Stock Tom Brumlic, Denmark, scored his fourth feature win on a last lap pass for the win.  AmericInn Street Stock Aaron Thornton, Maplewood, won his fifth feature of the year and Sport Four Chad Williams of Brussels came away with his fifth feature victory.  Coldwell Banker / Door County Horizon was the night’s sponsor, giving fans the opportunity to see their favorite drivers with out-of-the-car driver introductions.

In the Budweiser IMCA Modifieds, rookie James Tebon of Algoma came out strong on the first circuit of the 20-lap event.  Tebon looked good tonight after taking the earlier heat win, but fell victim to veteran Darrell Massart of Brussels on lap two.  Massart led Tebon through much of the early going, but Tebon slipped up the clay surface and fell back at mid-race.  Second year driver Benji LaCrosse grabbed the inside groove to snatched the lead away from Massart on lap seven.

Four-time track champ Todd Dart of Algoma and Sean Jerovetz, Suamico, wrestled for the runner-up spot and were only able to shadow LaCrosse through the remainder of the race.  With the win, LaCrosse was able to shake off a couple of bad point weeks after leading in points for much of the season.  Dart and Jerovetz settled for second and third while the current points leader Jeremy Jacobs came across fourth.  Hard charging Jared Siefert came all the way from the back of the pack to finish fifth in Billy LeMieux’ mount.  Heat winners were Tebon, along with Billy LeMieux and points runner-up Sean Jerovetz.

T Simon Jewelers IMCA Stock Car driver Corey Haen of Sturgeon Bay, took advantage of his second row starting spot and seized the opening lap right from the drop of the green.  Kewaunee’s Mark Derenne trailed Haen but the faster Haen was able to extend his lead even more over the Derenne and the pack.  Last year’s track champion Shawn Kilgore, Kewaunee, was able to jockey towards the front from his third row spot and pressure the race leaders.  A caution with only four laps to go reset the field with Derenne and Kilgore ready to battle Haen, but the speedy Haen pulled away.  Derenne and Kilgore slipped up, allowing Troy Muench of Green Bay to slide into second place behind Haen.  At the checkers, it was Haen taking his first 2004 main event win.  Muench finished second with Kilgore, third.  Dave Bouche and Craig Paque rounded out the top five.  Earlier heat winners for the night included Derenne, Jamie Suchocki and Don Aregoni.  Gary Reinhardt won the semi-feature.

In the May’s Sports Center IMCA Hobby Stock feature event, earlier heat race winner Roger LaViolette of Sturgeon Bay looked strong coming off the front row for the start of the race.  Zion, Illinois, pilot Tony Schlei grabbed the top groove and outdistanced LaViolette to the race lead by the second go round. LaViolette fell back and was forced to pit about mid-race.  The battle for position was from second on down as Dave DeGrave, Tom Brumlic and points leader Ed Anschutz mixed it up.  Brumlic was able to advance and chase down Schlei.  But Schlei’s win was not to be as he spun going through the final turns of the last lap.  Brumlic darted by and took home his fourth feature win.  Anschutz and DeGrave slipped by as well, as Schlei was able to must a fourth-place 
finish.  Marcus Moede finished fifth.  Schlei and LaViolette won their respective heat events.

AmericInn Street Stock feature winner Aaron Thornton, Maplewood, started the feature race from the fifth row and focused on another win.  Several early cautions and subsequent restarts plagued the event as the deck was shuffled several times.  Early race leaders included Sturgeon Bay’s Dennis Weidner and Michael King Jr. of Little Chute.  Both drivers would eventually fall back and it was rookie contender Kevin Damrow, Manitowoc, that would pace the others though mid-race.  Damrow held off King’s charges as well as Jeremy Wiitala of Green Bay, but it was a relentless Thornton that shadowed Damrow.  With only five laps to go, Damrow fell prey to Thornton.  Thornton went on to take his fifth feature win of the year.  Damrow was forced to settle for second and Wiitala, third.  Scott Reinhardt and Mike Pierrard rounded out the top five.  Earlier heat winners were Reinhardt and Todd Polster.

In the Sport 4 division, feature winner Chad Williams, Brussels, muscled his way through traffic and walked away with his fifth feature win of the season.  Charlie Gross, Gleason finished second to Williams while Tim Jorgenson, Oneida, finished third.  Gross took home the heat win, his first of the year.

Saturday night, August 14th will be a night off for the local drivers during the Door County Fair.  During Door County Fair Week, one of two special nights of racing has been slated for Wednesday night, August 11th when the Forest County Potawatomi-sponsored 2nd Annual Dirt Late Model ShootOut opens the Door County Fair.  The card will also include two of the raceway's regular 
divisions, IMCA-style Modifieds and Stock Cars, with increased winner's purses for both classes.  It'll be possible for the Late Model overall winner to pocket $2,500 in feature earnings, while the Modifieds will race for $700 to win and the Stock Cars $350.  Feature qualifying Late Models will compete in not one, but two 25 lap main events, with $1,000 going to the winner of each.  A clean sweep of both headliners will be worth an additional $500 bonus, bringing the winner's share to a possible $2,500 total

A second night of racing will be on tap on Thursday, August 12, when all five exciting divisions compete under the lights for an anticipated large Door County Fair crowd.  Points will be awarded for the Thursday night event.

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 Saturday night event is sponsored by Bill Boettcher Automotive!

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 - Benji LaCrosse, Luxemburg; Todd 
Dart, Algoma; Sean Jerovetz, Suamico; Jeremy Jacobs ,Algoma; Jared Siefert, Green 
Bay; Doug Maurer, DePere; Darrell Massart, Brussels; Dan Ratajczak, Frog 
Station; Randy LeMieux Jr., Sturgeon Bay; Tim VanDeHei - R, Green Bay.
 10 lap heats 1)James Tebon, Algoma; Doug Maurer; 2)Billy LeMieux, Sturgeon 
Bay; LaCrosse; 3)Jerovetz; Scott Derenne, Luxemburg.

 18 lap T Simon Jewelers IMCA Stock Car feature - Corey Haen, Sturgeon Bay; 
Troy Muench - R, Green Bay; Shawn Kilgore, Kewaunee; Dave Bouche, Algoma; Craig 
Paque, Algoma; Mark Derenne, Kewaunee; Mike Wietor, Green Bay; Bernie 
Reinhardt, Sturgeon Bay; Rick Mahlberg, Denmark; Jeff Vlies, Brussels.
 10 lap semi-feature - Gary Reinhardt, Sturgeon Bay; Shawn Havel - R, 
Brussels; Dave Davister, Luxemburg.
 10 lap heats - 1)Derenne; Kraig Gretz, Kewaunee; 2)Jamie Suchocki, Kewaunee; 
Haen; 3)Don Aregoni, Sturgeon Bay; Vlies.

 15 lap May’s Sports Center IMCA Hobby Stock feature -Tom Brumlic - R, 
Denmark; Ed Anschutz, Algoma; Dave DeGrave - R, Luxemburg; Tony Schlei, Zion, IL; 
Marcus Moede, Casco; Keith Kickbusch - R, Kewaunee; Evan Madden, Algoma; Brandon 
Peterson, Sturgeon Bay; Jeff Lautenbach, Sturgeon Bay; Dave Lane, Green Bay;
 10 lap heats 1) Schlei; Joe Hegnet, Sturgeon Bay; 2) Roger LaViolette - R, 
Sturgeon Bay; Anschutz.

 15 lap AmericInn Street Stock feature - Aaron Thornton, Maplewood; Kevin 
Damrow - R, Manitowoc; Jeremy Wiitala, Green Bay; Scott Reinhardt, Sturgeon Bay; 
Mike Pierrard - R, Green Bay; Todd Polster - R, Baileys Harbor; Scott Iverson, 
Sturgeon Bay; John Sternard - R, Sturgeon Bay; James Anderson, Sturgeon Bay; 
Jerry Denil.
 10 lap heats 1) Reinhardt; Damrow; 2)Polster; Von Eytcheson, Forestville.

 10 lap Sport Four feature - Chad Williams, Brussels; Charlie Gross - R, 
Gleason; Tim Jorgenson - R, Oneida; Butch Beyers - R, Green Bay; Steve Schaumberg; 
Gene Sternard - R, New Franken.
 8 lap heat - Gross, Malcore.

2004 THUNDERHILL RACEWAY POINTS - 7/31/04
Budweiser 
IMCA MODIFIEDS      Point
Rank/Car#/Name      Total
1   90  Jeremy  Jacobs  415
2   37  Sean    Jerovetz    396
3   66  Jared   Siefert 373
4   54  Benji   LaCrosse    369
5   18  Randy   LeMieux Jr. 359
6   3d  Todd    Dart    356
7    8m Jay Matthias    348
8   73  Dan Ratajczak   344
9    4T Tim VanDeHei - R    332
10  21  James   Tebon - R   325
11  19  George  Henkel  324
12  2   Darrell Massart 321
13  76  Kevin   Sternard    306
14  10  Chris   Derenne 301
15  22c Mike    Cole    297
16  22L Doug    Maurer  291
17  3L  Billy   LeMieux 277
18  43  Tony    Herbst  266
19  8J  Rick    Johnson 239
20  98  Scott   Derenne 228
21  38  Randie  Back    197
22  O7  Scott   Boyea   185
23  13  Jeff    Dubois  185
24  OOL Rick    LeMieux 171
25  34  Jerry   Wenzel  143
26  32  Lucas   Engels  123
27  65  Dean    Maurer  119
28  84  Dave    Zeitler 106
29  OOrm    R.M.    VanPay  102
30  36  Clyde   Skenadore   72
31  36d Brian   Dancz   66
32  11  Mark    Berglund    55
33  7   Rob Waechter    45
34  79  David   Charles 29
35  23  Brian   Baenen  18
36  34  Chad    Wilcox  16
37  99  Eric    VanIten 16
38  67  Ronnie  Plog Jr.    13
39  11  Eugene  Gregorich   11
40  82  Don Padgett 11

T Simon Jewelers 
IMCA STOCK CARS Point
Rank/Car#/Name      Total
1    2p Craig   Paque   401
2   21  Dave    Bouche  399
3   52  Troy    Muench - R  394
4   11  Bernie  Reinhardt   393
5   17  Jeff    Vlies   378
6   10J Matt    Junio   368
7   54  B.J.    Soquet  363
8   8   Charlie Kroll   362
9   90  Shawn   Kilgore 362
10  76  Mike    Wietor  345
11   10K    Tracy   Koontz  313
12  29  Corey   Haen    312
13  77  Chris   Hendricks   283
14  73  Don Aregoni 282
15  18L Ryan    LeMieux - R 269
16  12  Larry   Ingebretsen 254
17  97  Jamie   Suchocki    252
18  25  Tony    Bouche  243
19  O5  Dave    Davister    242
20  4T  Shawn   Havel - R   226
21  15g Kraig   Gretz - R   222
22  20R Gary    Reinhardt   205
23  6   Rick    Mahlberg    203
24  7d  Mark    Derenne 158
25  71  Mark    Reinhard - R    114
26  34  Brett   Wenzel  104
27  44  Pat Davister    82
28  19  Dave    Hoerning    69
29  2T  Travis  VanStraten  68
30  55  Shawn   Wagner  54
31  53  Travis  Annoye  43
32  53  Brandon Mindak  25
33  41  Troy    DeGrave 24
34  5f  Mike    Franzke 21
35  53  Craig   Barrett 21
36  17  Brian    Ankerson   15

May’s Sports Center
IMCA HOBBYSTOCKS    Point
Rank/Car#/Name      Total
1   71  Ed  Anschutz    442
2   47  Keith   Kickbusch - R   425
3   9   Marcus  Moede   406
4   2   Evan    Madden  403
5   40  Tom Brumlic - R 398
6   55  Wayne   Moore   396
7   40d Dave    DeGrave - R 392
8   10  Brandon Peterson    375
9   49  Roger   LaViolette - R  342
10  6   Dave    Lane    309
11  56  Jeff    Lautenbach  285
12  53  Dwayne  Mertens 284
13  12  Carl    Laughlin    264
14  18  Davin   Malvitz - R 237
15  15  Maynard Hegnet - R  225
16  5   Joe Hegnet  209
17  8   Derek   Moede   205
18  88  Dave    Serrahn - R 185
19  13  Keith   Peterson    165
20  75  Tony    Schlei  161
21  20  Casey   Groessl 96
22  O4  Mark    Mincheski   95
23  5   Kevin   Laughlin    62
24  4   Mike    Mueller 32
25  1   Kevin   Luedtke 25
26  31  Jarred  VanLaanen   21

AmericInn STREET STOCKS Point
Rank/Car#/Name      Total
1   95  Aaron   Thornton    434
2   51  Jeremy  Wiitala 433
3   11v Von Eytcheson   409
4   11r Scott   Reinhardt   393
5   12  Kevin   Damrow - R  375
6   25  Mike    Pierrard - R    373
7   21  Mike    King Jr. - R    363
8   73  James   Anderson    355
9   90b Faron   Beilke  348
10  76  John    Sternard - R    346
11  29  Scott   Iverson 340
12  44  Dennis  Weidner 339
13  3p  Todd    Polster - R 337
14  50  James   Iverson 334
15  27  Darren  Otto    306
16  23  Todd    Wagner  287
17  75  Thom    Terrien 258
18  15  Brian   Ambrosius - R   250
19  64  Don Polcen  246
20  3b  Mark    Brickner    145
21  8   Tim Lautenbach - R  126
22  17s Harley  Simon   119
23  99  Kevin   Jandrin 103
24  14  Jamie   Berg - R    86
25  5   Joe Hegnet  82
26  38  Andrew  Schnable    82
27  65  Bill    Kelsey  80
28  24  Jerry   Denil   57
29  34  Jeremy  Schultz 52
30  13  Keith   Peterson    42
31  4   Mike    Robenhorst  39
32  33  Rick    Sternard    34
33  52v Shawn   VanOoyen    33
34  66  James   Brunette    32
35  98  Dave    Baenen  30
36  79  Joe Johnson 26
37  79  Aaron   Melchert    25
38  50  Steve   Grenier 24
39  13  Jordan  Whipple 23
40  95s Jim Solem   22
41  20  Shawn   Mraz    22
42  90f Fred    Davister    21
43  8   Dean    Bader   11
44  19  Chris   Konitzer    11

SPORT 4s            Point
Rank/Car#/Name      Total
1   29J James   VanDenBogart - R    425
2   2   Ken Malcore 421
3   32  Chad    Williams    413
4   72  Jon Beilfuss Jr. - R    400
5   9   Charlie Gross - R   343
6   18j Tim Jorgenson - R   285
7   O1B Butch   Beyers - R  207
8   8   Gene    Sternard - R    202
9   11  Adam    Rex 167
10  1   Don Mahlberg - R    105
11  6   Ryan    Johnson 104
12  115 D.J.    Jorgenson - R   102
13  55  Matt    Beyers - R  97
14  10  Tom Zastrow 72
15  6   Dave    Schlise 70
16  8   Tyler   Smith   70
17  16d Ben Daoust  38
18  10  Mike    Hanson  37
19  15  Todd    Smith   37
20  17  Greg    Banker  35
21  415 Steve   Schaumberg  35
22  15  Bob Skippon 32
23  10  Alex    Stauber 30
24  10  Les Lemmens 30