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Anvelink Scores Big Again At Thunderhill
Sturgeon Bay, WI August 10, 2005 - Nick Anvelink found himself in
very familiar territory at the Potowatomi Thunderhill Raceway in Sturgeon
Bay. But this time he had to beat a very familiar face to get there.
Anvelink reached victory lane and a $2,000 payday by winning the 40 lap
Wisconsin Dirt Late Model Association feature to open the 2005 Door County
Fair Wednesday night, edging his father Terry at the line in the
process. It marked the third straight Late Model feature win for Nick
Anvelink at the Sturgeon Bay track.
Two of the Raceway's weekly regulars shared the spotlight with Anvelink.
Jay Matthias was the winner in the evening's 25 lap modified headliner with
Matt Junio capturing the trophy in the Stock Cars.
Nick Anvelink was the winner in last year's Door County Fair opener, pulling
off a dramatic pass of Russ Scheffler on the final corner. Starting in
the fifth row, he had to work just as hard this year to record the win.
Tom Naeyaert led from the drop of the green, and had established a comfortable
lead despite a caution for debris 10 laps into the run. Terry Anvelink
ran alone in second with rookie Mike Stangl, Scheffler, Kerry Hansen, Pete
Parker and Nick Anvelink left in the wake battling for third. Naeyaert
could very well have been headed to his first ever Sturgeon Bay win, but a
caution on the 17th lap rewrote the script.
On the restart, Nick Anvelink found a quick opening and jumped from fifth to
third, passing Stangl and Scheffler. In three laps he worked around his
father and headed for Naeyaert. By the time he caught the leader, there
were only ten laps to go. To complicate matters, the lead pack was
encountering heavy lapped traffic about the same time. On the 31st lap,
Naeyaert was running the low groove and got caught behind a car. Nick
Anvelink used the opportunity to pop outside, trapping Naeyaert below
him. Using the lapper as blocker, he swung to the outside to take the
lead.
The drama wasn't complete, as two more cautions flew, the first with eight
laps to go and the second with just four remaining.
The final restart allowed Terry Anvelink to establish the outside line and
pick up the necessary momentum to catch his son. As the white flag flew
the father-son duo were side by side down the front stretch. Nick edged
ahead through the first corners and the backstretch. Terry reloaded and
charged through three and four again pulling even with his son as they rounded
the turn and headed for the checker. At the line, it was Nick holding
serve by less than a car length over his father.
Scheffler and Parker used the final caution to pass Naeyaert and finish third
and fourth respectively. Hansen rounded out the top six after starting
deep in the pack.
The Matthias win could very well have not happened at all as he found himself
in the middle of a melee on the second lap. Running second to Sean
Jerovetz, Jared Siefert's transmission failed causing him to lose power in the
fourth turn. Matthias was right behind him at the time of the
incident. Siefert was tagged and bounced off an infield retaining
tire. Cars scattered and slid in all directions, but miraculously, heavy
damaged was at a minimum and most were able to continue.
Back under green, Matthias gained control from Jerovetz on the eighth
lap. Eyes looked back in the pack as Benji LaCrosse began one of his patented
drives from deep in the field. Starting in the 7th row, he attained
fifth in just five laps. He passed Dan Ratajczak for fourth, then moved
in on Randy LeMieux, Jr for third. But LeMieux refused to relinquish the
position. The pair raced hard for several laps, with LaCrosse eventually
fading with a possible shock problem.
At the line, it was Matthias, Jerovetz, LeMieux, LaCrosse, Ratajczak and Dave
Zeitler in the top six.
Junio used an inside-outside move to swing around leader Troy Muench to grab
the top spot in the Stock Car main. Any advantage he had was erased
thanks to a caution period with five laps to go.
The Casco veteran got a great jump on the restart as a wild scramble for
position took place behind him. Muench was second at the time, but came
under siege from Greg Gretz, Larry Karcz , Shawn Kilgore and Eugene Gregorich.
Gretz emerged as the runner-up on the final lap, with Karcz third, the highest
the duo had run for the entire race. Kilgore and Gregorich also got by
Muench to finish in the top five.
Saturday night August 20, action resumes at the Raceway as Witt Peninsula Ford
of Sturgeon Bay will host the second to last point night of the season.
It's also a Big Wheel night for the kids. All the regular divisions will
be back in action with the first event hitting the track at 6:00PM. For
more information, visit the track's website at http://www.racethunderhill.com.
Thunderhill Raceway results 8/10/05
Wisconsin Dirt Late Model 40 Lap Feature
1) Nick Anvelink, Navarino 2) Terry Anvelink, Navarino
3) Russ Scheffler, Milwaukee 4) Pete Parker, Kaukauna
5) Tom Naeyaert, Shawano 6) Kerry Hansen, Spencer
Heat 1: Terry Casey, New London - Scheffler
Heat 2: Nick Anvelink - Terry Anvelink
Heat 3: Parker - R.W. Aschenbrenner, Green Bay
Modified 25 Lap Feature
1) Jay Matthias, DePere 2) Sean Jerovetz, Little Suamico
3) Randy LeMieux, Jr, Sturgeon Bay 4) Benji LaCrosse,
Luxemburg 5) Dan Ratajczak, Frog Station 6) Dave
Zeitler, Luxemburg
Heat 1: Zeitler - Eric Scribner, Kiel
Heat 2: Jared Siefert, Green Bay - Doug Maurer, DePere
Heat 3: Matthias - Ratajczak
Stock Car 20 Lap Feature
1) Matt Junio, Casco 2) Greg Gretz, Kewaunee 3)
Larry Karcz, Jr,Pulaski 4) Shawn Kilgore, Kewaunee 5)
Eugene Gregorich, Kewaunee 6) Troy Muench, Green Bay
Semi-feature: Shawn Havel, Brussels - Kyle Frederick, Gillett - Dan
Nelson, Forest Junction - Kyle Wanner, Green Bay
Heat 1: Junio - Kilgore
Heat 2: Gretz - Ryan LeMieux, Sturgeon Bay
Heat 3: Gregorich - B.J. Soquet, Luxemburg
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