Ratajczak Rockets to Door Count
Speedway Mod Victory!
Vlies Victorious in Stock Car Action!
By Dave Panske
August 3, 2002; Sturgeon Bay, WI. - As the season enters the final stretch run, action heats
up for those final point totals. All feature winners were repeaters Saturday night at the
Door County Speedway.
Photo Highlights |
It took awhile but he's back in the
winner's circle. Dan Ratajczak (#73) won the opening night IMCA Modified feature and
made a return trip this evening.
Evan Madden (#2) won his first race
when he captured his heat in Bomber action here at Door County Speedway. |
The Mods took the track first with Buck Schmelzer grabbing the early lead with
Mike Cole, Scott Derenne, Tony Herbst, and Jay Matthias behind. Cole pressured the leader
until the first caution slowed the pace on lap 7. Darrell Massart and Dan Ratajczak had
moved into the top four and were now lined up behind the leader. On the restart, Massart
dove low and Ratajczak went three wide with Cole in the middle.
Massart briefly pulled off the pass, but Cole stormed right back to regain the spot and
one lap later, took the lead with Ratajczak following into the runner up spot. A pair of
cautions on laps 12 and 13, bunched the field again with Cole holding the top spot. On the
final restart, Ratajczak got a good hook off turn four and flew into the lead and never
look back, pulling away for his second feature win of the season. Massart pulled into
second right behind Ratajczak, but could not mount a serious challenge. On the final lap,
a wire came lose on Massart’s machine, dropping him out of the race. Cole finished
second with point leader, Jared Siefert third, Randie Back fourth, Tony Herbst fifth and
Scott Boyea in sixth.
Mike Wietor took the lead in the Stock Car main followed by Tony Bouche, Jeff Vlies, Scott
Karcz, and Dave Bouche. Vlies pulled into the runner up spot on lap 3, and following a lap
4 caution, pulled alongside of the leader on the restart. The pair ran side by side until
a lap 11 caution, with Vlies holding a slight edge. Point leader, Craig Paque and Larry
Karcz, Jr were now right behind for the restart and were in a tight battle, which allowed
Vlies a little breathing room to pull away for his second feature win of the season. Karcz
took second with three laps left with Paque settling for third. Bernie Reinhardt took
fourth with Benji LaCrosse fifth and Scott Karcz sixth.
Tom Daubner took charge of the Street feature, holding the top spot through three cautions
over the first four laps. On the restart, point leader, Kevin Sternard took the outside
line and went into the lead. Sternard checked out of the field to collect his third
feature win of the year. The race was for second through out the race with Mike Soukup,
and Troy Muench and Kevin Brungraber battling with Daubner. With 3 laps left, Muench
slipped into the runner up spot with Soukup holding third to the finish. Daubner took
fourth just ahead of Brungraber, with Aaron Thornton rounding out the top six.
Evan Madden led the Bomber main until an overheating problem put him out of the race on
lap 5. Corey Haen inherited the top spot with point leader, Scott Reinhardt following into
second. Reinhardt hounded the leader to the finish but it was Haen that collected his
fifth feature win of the year. Reinhardt took a close second with Kevin Laughlin taking
third, Wayne Moore fourth, Maynard Hegnet, his first night out, fifth and Greg Aregoni
sixth.
SUMMARY
IMCA MODIFIED
20 Lap Feature l. Dan Ratajczak, Frog Station 2. Mike Cole, Baileys
Harbor 3. Jared Siefert, Green Bay 4. Randie Back, Green Bay 5.,Tony Herbst, Sturgeon Bay
6. Scott Boyea, Green Bay
12 Lap Consy l. Gary Jacobs, Algoma 2. Russ Huxford, Green Bay 3. Rick
Johnson, Gills Rock 4. George Henkel, Sturgeon Bay
10 Lap Heats First l. Back 2. Scott Derenne, Luxemburg
Second l. Buck Schmelzer, Casco 2. Jay Matthias, Green Bay
Third l. Darrell Massart, Brussels 2. Boyea
6 Lap Dash 1. Massart
IMCA STOCK CAR
20 Lap Feature l. Jeff Vlies, Brussels 2. Larry Karcz, Jr, Pulaski 3.
Craig Paque, Algoma 4. Bernie Reinhardt, Sturgeon Bay 5. Benji LaCrosse, Luxemburg 6.
Scott Karcz, Pulaski
12 Lap Consy l. Mark Derenne, Kewaunee 2. Vinnie Belletini, Sturgeon Bay
3. Shawn Kilgore, Kewaunee 4. Kerry Douglas, Sister Bay
10 Lap Heats First l. Brett Piontek,. Green Bay 2. Pat Davister,
Luxemburg
Second l. Mike Wietor, Green Bay 2. LaCrosse
Third l. Scott Karcz 2. Larry Karcz, Jr
6 Lap Dash 1. LaCrosse
STREET STOCK
15 Lap Feature l. Kevin Sternard, Sturgeon Bay 2. Troy Muench, Sturgeon
Bay 3. Mike Soukup, Fish Creek 4. Tom Daubner, Carlsville 5. Kevin Brungraber, Sturgeon
Bay 6. Aaron Thornton, Casco
10 Lap Heats First l. Muench 2. Thornton
Second l. Von Eytcheson, Forestville 2. Soukup
BOMBER
15 Lap Feature l. Corey Haen, Carlsville 2. Scott Reinhardt, Baileys
Harbor 3. Kevin Laughlin, Sturgeon Bay 4. Wayne Moore, Sturgeon Bay 5. Maynard Hegnet,
Sturgeon Bay 6. Greg Aregoni, Sturgeon Bay
10 Lap Heat l. Evan Madden, Algoma 2. Laughlin |