Ratajczak Bags Door County Fair
Modified Win!
By Joe Verdegan
August 8, 2002; Sturgeon Bay, WI. - Frog Station’s Dan Ratajczak grabbed the lead on lap
twelve and survived several caution periods to capture the 30 lap Trackmaster’s Hill
Shootout IMCA-style 30 lap modified feature at Door County Speedway in Sturgeon Bay
Thursday night. Ratajczak collected $1,000 for the win. 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.
Jared Siefert scrapped with Brad Rohloff in the early laps of the 30 lap
modified contest. The race was red flagged on lap four when George Henkel’s
machine was leaking fuel. Henkel pitted and rejoined the field at the tail.
Siefert took the lead on the restart with Rohloff dropping out with echanical
problems.
Brian Mullen inherited the second spot and quickly caught up with Siefert in a few
short laps. By lap ten Dan Ratajczak stormed from his eleventh starting spot into
second, flying by both Siefert and Mullen for the lead on lap 12. Ratajzcak wasted
no time putting some real estate between himself and the rest of the field.
Ratajczak’s lead was wiped out at the halfway point when a caution flew when Tony
Herbst and Joe Houpt tangled in turn one. On the restart Ratajczak maintained his
margin over Mullen and Siefert, leaving the two to fight it out for second. Mullen
wrestled second away from Siefert when a lap nineteen yellow flew when Tony Herbst’s
racer lost a tire, drawing a caution.
Ratajczak maintained his advantage following two more restarts with eleven laps remaining
and went on to win the contest. Todd Dart snagged second away from Mullen in the
final laps to take runnerup money, followed by Mullen, Siefert and Mike Mashl.
Luxemburg’s Benji LaCrosse led from the drop of the green and survived six caution
periods to collect the 30 lap IMCA-type stock car feature and the $750 prize.
The stock car main got off to a rocky start when Jeff Vlies and Kerry Douglas tangled in
turn two, drawing an amber with just two laps in. When racing resumed LaCrosse
maintained his lead with Dave Bouche all over his rear bumper. Bouche tried both the
high and low lines to get by LaCrosse on the third-mile, clay oval. Jeremy
Christians moved from his seventh starting spot into third by lap five.
The lead trio ran nose-to-tail and by lap ten began to pull away from the pack on lap
nine. Brian Bruchert slapped the concrete wall on the backstretch to draw the second
caution on lap 11. On the restart Christians stormed past Bouche for second using
the outside line and began pressuring LaCrosse for the lead. Kilgore slid into
fourth on lap 14 while Bouche
regained the runnerup spot on lap 15.
By lap 16 Kilgore drove around Christians to take third and began reeling in LaCrosse and
Bouche. But with ten laps to go LaCrosse kicked it into high gear and pulled
away to a four car length lead over Bouche and company, only to have a tractor tire get
kicked onto the frontstretch, forcing another caution with 23 laps complete.
With a seven lap dash to the checkers remaining LaCrosse kept all challengers at bay, only
to have Wally Lhost lose a motor, stalling his racer and setting up a two lap shootout to
the finish. LaCrosse hung on for the win, followed by Bouche, Kilgore, Jon
Wolf and Brett Piontek.
Modifieds
30 Lap feature - Dan Ratajczak, Frog Station; Todd Dart, Algoma;
Brian Mullen, Seymour; Jared Siefert, Green Bay; Mike Mashl, De Pere; Scott Mullen,
Seymour
12 lap last chance races First: Robert Waechter, Ellisville; Dave
Zeitler, Luxemburg; Dean Maurer, De Pere
Second: Darrell Massart, Brussels; Scooter Boyea, Green Bay; Mike
Cole, Baileys Harbor;
10 lap heats First: Ratajzcak; Mashl
Second: Joe Houpt, Mequon; Siefert
Third: Dart; Randy LeMieux, Sturgeon Bay
Fourth: Brad Rohloff, Pulaski; Brian Mullen
Stock Car
30 Lap Feature: - Benji LaCrosse, Luxemburg; Dave Bouche, Algoma;
Shawn Kilgore, Kewaunee; Jon Wolf, Green Bay; Brett Piontek, Green Bay; Tim Van De Hei,
Green Bay
10 lap last chance races First: Wally Lhost, Sturgeon Bay; Junior Karcz,
Pulaski; Jeff LaCrosse, Luxemburg; Gary Reinhardt, Sturgeon Bay
Second: Mike Weitor, Green Bay; Piontek; Larry Ingebretsen,
Luxemburg; Tony Bouche, Algoma
10 lap heats First: Van De Hei; Wolf
Second: Benji LaCrosse; Dave Bouche
Third: Jeff Vlies, Brussels; Joe LeBotte, Kewaunee
Fourth: Rod Snellenberger, Pulaski; Kerry Douglas, Sister Bay |
