August 5, 2001; Sturgeon Bay, WI. - Full moon racing was definitely in force Saturday at the Door County Speedway with two repeat winners joined by two first timers this season..
The IMCA Stock Cars were first in line with their feature with Troy Rass setting the pace through several cautions in the opening laps. Mark Derenne took over the top spot on lap 8 with Don Aregoni, Brett Wenzel, Pat Davister and Jason Geyer behind. Geyer hooked up on the inside line and moved into the runner up spot on lap 11. A debris caution one lap later sent several cars down the lane and shifted the lineup. Derenne was still in control, Geyer second and Aregoni was holding third. Benji LaCrosse, coming from the rear of the pack was now in fourth with Wenzel and Joe LeBotte behind. Geyer moved into the lead on lap 13 and one lap later, LaCrosse was right behind in second. Another pair of cautions kept the field close. On lap 17, LaCrosse stepped outside and took the top spot from Geyer. A final debris caution after the white flag ended the race with LaCrosse picking up his fifth feature win of the year. Geyer ran to his best finish of the season in second. Derenne took third with Wenzel taking fourth. Josh Massart was fifth and Dave Bouche rounded out the top six. The Cautions continued as the Street Stocks took the track next for their feature. The race ended on a time limit shortened five laps. Von Eytcheson led the opening 2 laps before Kevin Sternard was able to get a full green lap to move into the lead on lap 3. After a lengthy caution when Doug Morgan slapped the back guard rail, it was a two lap sprint to the finish. Sternard drifted wide out of turn four to the white flag allowing James Tebon an opening. The pair ran side by side for the final lap, with Tebon holding off the last lap challenge to win his first feature since August 15, l999. Sternard was second with Eytcheson third, point leader, Gregg Siebold fourth, Mike Soukup fifth and Corey Haen sixth. The bright full moon was rising in the sky as the mods took the track, but the effect seemed to wear off as the race went with only 2 brief cautions. Jeremy Jacobs led the opening lap before Jared Siefert took charge and started to open a lead. On lap 4, Siefert brought out the first caution when the car broke lose out of turn four and he looped the car in front of the field. Fortunately, the car backed off the track out of the way and he was able to restart at the back. Randie Back inherited the lead with Dan Ratajczak, Buck Schmelzer, point leader, Todd Dart, and George Henkel behind. By lap 9, Back, Ratajczak, Henkel and Dart were pulling away in the front. Ratajczak pulled outside and found the high grove to his liking as did Henkel. The lead pack stayed side by side and bumper to bumper for the rest of the race in a position swapping battle to the finish. Ratajczak took over the top spot on lap 12 with a final caution on lap 14 bunching the field for the final time. The final 6 laps stayed green with Ratajczak able to hold off all the challenges to win his second feature of the season. Back was second with Henkel holding off Dart for third. Siefert recovered to place fifth and Dan Deau rounded out the top six. Maynard Hegnet set the pace and led a top three car pull away during the first half of the Bomber feature. Ryan LeMieux and Wayne Moore stayed right with the leader. Point leader, Jeremy Wiitala was connected to Scott Reinhardt and John Knudson quite a distance back until a lone caution appeared on lap 10 when Hegnet and LeMieux got together. Wiitala moved into the runner up spot after the restart, but Moore was able to hold off the challenge and win his first feature of the year in only his second night out this year. Reinhardt took third with Knudson fourth. Brad Ohnesorge was fifth and LeMieux came from the back to round out the top six finishers. Next week races will be run in conjunction with the Door County Fair on Saturday night. Races will still start at 6 PM. But come out early to enjoy the fair. SUMMARY IMCA MODIFIED IMCA STOCK CAR STREET STOCK BOMBER |
