Three New Winners Visit Victory Lane
at Door County Speedway! August 17, 2002; Sturgeon Bay, WI. - Over three inches of rain overnight caused a soft race track but a full program was completed Saturday night at the Door County Speedway. Three of the feature winners were first time winners this season.
The Streets took to the track first tonight with Eddie Anschutz taking the lead followed by B.J. Soquet, Dennis Weidner, Charlie Kroll and James Tebon. Soquet was running outside and finally slipped into the top spot on lap 5. The next lap started a string of cautions that caused a time limit race to be the outcome. Soquet led one more lap after the restart when Kroll took the outside line and took the top spot away. The next 4 laps were filled with cautions with the only change in the top five spots being point leader, Kevin Sternard making his way into the runner up spot after the final restart. The shortened race was a gift for Kroll, as his car was overheating and was going to pull off when the white flag appeared. He stayed out to collect his first feature win of the year. Sternard made a final dash to the checker but settled for the runner up finish with Soquet taking third, Tebon fourth, Mike Soukup took fifth and Kevin Jandrin rounded out the top six. The Mods had trouble getting the first lap completed with five restarts for spins and debris. Buck Schmelzer finally led the field with Gary Jacobs running alongside, and actually leading 3 laps before Schmelzer took control on lap 6. Jacobs stayed right behind with Mike Cole, Todd Dart and Darrell Massart next in line. A spin took Jacobs and Cole out of the lineup on lap 13 putting Dart in second with Massart, Randy LeMieux, Art Siefert and Randie Back in the lead pack. Dart took the inside line on the restart, and pulled into the lead. A final caution on lap 16 bunched the pack again with Dart still holding the top spot for the final 4 lap dash. LeMieux moved into the runner up spot and chased Dart. Back, driving Russ Huxfords machine after his was sidelined in the heat, moved into third and Dan Ratajczak, in Rick Johnsons machine, moved into fourth. Dart held off the challenges to win his first feature of the season. LeMieux, Back Ratajczak were next in line with Siefert and Scott Derenne rounding out the top six. Bret Wenzel led the opening 2 laps of the Stock Car main followed by Wally Lhost, Don Aregoni, Tony Bouche, Scott Karcz and Kerry Douglas. Karcz led laps 3 and 4 before Benji LaCrosse stormed by on the outside from his 11th starting spot into the lead on lap 5. He started to open a lead when a pair of mid race cautions bunched the pack . Point leader, Craig Paque, moved into the runner up spot after the lap 8 restart. After a final restart on lap 11, Bernie Reinhardt and Jeff Vlies moved into the top 4. The front runners stayed together over the final 8 laps, with LaCrosse having to drop from his preferred high line, to the lower groove to hold off the rest of the pack. LaCrosse was able to hold off the challenges to win his 4th feature of the season, but with Paque right behind, only gained 1 point in the standings, 424 – 415, with 2 weeks remaining. Reinhardt and Vlies made the top four with Tracy Koontz a strong fifth and Lhost taking sixth. Maynard Hegnet took charge of the Bomber main at the start and was pulling away early when a lap 5 caution bunched the cars. Maynards son, Joe, was now in the hunt in second followed by Evan Madden, Wayne Moore and John Knudson. Maynard continued to set the pace but could not shake the pack, so the action stayed close. A final caution on lap 8 set up a good family side by side battle for the lead. Maynard was inside and Joe took the outside. Joe finally pulled off the pass to take the lead on lap 11 and then held on to collect his first career feature win. Dad was a close second with Knudson taking third. Point leader, Scott Reinhardt, took fourth with Kevin Laughlin in fifth and Robert Patza, Jr in sixth. A pair of Powder Puff races closed the night with Candi Jeanquart and Valerie DeLair each taking a checkered flag. Two weeks now remain on the 2002 schedule at the Door County Speedway. SUMMARY IMCA MODIFIED IMCA STOCK CAR STREET STOCK BOMBER |
