Titles Decided As Door County
Speedway Season Ends!
By Dave Panske
August 31, 2002; Sturgeon Bay, WI. - A beautiful day greeted the final night of racing of the
2002 season Saturday night at the Door County Speedway. A pair of first time feature
winners joined two repeaters in victory lane as well as three first time track champions
and a first two time champ.
The Modifieds took the track first with Buck Schmelzer grabbing the lead at the
start followed by Rick Johnson, Darrell Massart, Art Siefert and Dan Ratajczak. A caution
on lap 4 scrambled the lineup with Schmelzer still in control. Massart was now in second
followed by Johnson, Ratajczak, Siefert, Randy LeMieux and Mike Cole. Ratajczak, In the
battle for the track title, was quickly moving through traffic and challenging for second
place when he slid out of the groove and brushed the turn one wall. Dropping back to 9th
place, he resumed his march to the front again but point leader, Jared Siefert was now
right behind.
Massart moved alongside of the leader on lap 8 and swapped the top spot for a couple laps
before moving into the lead for good on lap 11.
A final caution on lap 14 set up a 6 lap dash with Massart followed by LeMieux, Schmelzer,
Art Siefert, Johnson, George Henkel and Jared Siefert.
Massart took off on the final restart and drove off with his third feature win of the
year. Schmelzer re took the runner up spot for a couple laps , but LeMieux moved up to
take over for good with three laps left and finished right behind the leader. Schmelzer
held off Art Siefert for third with Jared Siefert taking fifth and Todd Dart sixth.
Jared Siefert claimed his first career modified track championship finishing 14 points
ahead of Ratajczak and 15 ahead of Henkel in third.
Mark Derenne pulled into the lead on the opening lap of the Stock Car main followed by Don
Aregoni, Scott Pagels, Wally Lhost and Tracy Koontz.
Derenne started to pull away from the field as they battled for positions behind. Pagels
moved into the runner up spot on lap 5 and Dave Bouche moved through traffic into the spot
on lap 10. Pagels was still holding third with point contender, Benji LaCrosse moving into
fourth. Koontz and point leader, Craig Paque, made up the top six.
On lap 13, LaCrosse suddenly pulled out of the race, which gave Paque the title for the
taking. Bouche, Pagels, Koontz and Paque hooked up to try and run down the leader, but
Derenne drove the none stop race alone in the front to win his first feature flag since
May 8, 1993. Bouche took the runner up finish followed by Koontz. Larry Karcz, Jr finished
fourth with Kerry Douglas and Paque rounding out the top six.
Paque picked up his second straight track title and became the first repeat champion in
the division here.
After a caution for debris before the first lap, the Streets clicked off a non stop
feature race as well. Tom Daubner led the first four laps before Troy Muench took command
and pulled away from the field. Ed Anschutz and Jeremy Wiitala were right behind Daubner
in a good race long battle for second.
Muench collected his second feature win of the season with Daubner, Anschutz and Wiitala
making up the top four. Kevin Jandrin took fifth and point leader, Kevin Sternard rounded
out the top six.
On the final lap, the car of Dave Verhagen lost a tire, slammed the back wall and got
sideways in front of several cars. The car of Mike Soukup hit the car broadside. Verhagens
car rolled over with the front of Soukups car hooking onto the side rail, and went along
for the ride. Verhagens car stopped on the drivers side with Soukups front end on top.
Neither driver was injured.
Kevin Sternard received the track title after leading the entire season. It is his first
career track championship.
Shawn Graff took the lead on the opening lap of the Bomber feature followed by Derek
Moede, Maynard Hegnet, Brandon Peterson and Evan Madden. At the mid point of the race,
Wayne Moore moved into fourth and the top four started to pull away from the field. Graff
led the way and despite heavy pressure from behind held on to win the event, his first
since August 19, 2000. Moore came through to finish second with Hegnet and Moede right
behind. Cory Haen and Peterson rounded out the top six.
Point leader, Scott Reinhardt, finished the race in 11th place but captured his first
career track championship by three points over Moore and four over Haen.
This was the final race of the 2002 season at the Door County Speedway. Track promoters,
Tom and Todd would like to THANK all of the fans, sponsors, drivers and crews for their
support throughout the year. Watch for a May 2003 opener.
SUMMARY
IMCA MODIFIED
20 Lap Feature l. Darrell Massart, Brussels 2. Randy LeMieux, Sturgeon
Bay 3. Buck Schmelzer, Casco 4. Art Siefert, Green Bay 5. Jared Siefert, Green Bay 6. Todd
Dart, Algoma
12 Lap Consy l. Jerry Wenzel, Two Rivers 2. Rick LeMieux, Sturgeon Bay
3,. Tim McCormick, Sturgeon Bay 4. Gary Jacobs, Algoma
10 Lap Heats First l. Rick Johnson, Baileys Harbor 2. Randy LeMieux
Second l. Dart 2., Art Siefert
Third l. Scott Derenne, Luxemburg 2. Schmelzer
IMCA STOCK CAR
20 Lap Feature l. Mark Derenne, Kewaunee 2. Dave Bouche, Algoma 3. Tracy
Koontz, Brussels 4. Larry Karcz, Jr, Pulaski 5. Kerry Douglas, Sister Bay 6. Craig Paque,
Algoma
10 Lap Heats First l. Don Aregoni, Sturgeon Bay 2. Bouche
Second l. Derenne 2. Pat Davister, Luxemburg
STREET STOCK
15 Lap Feature l. Troy Muench, Sturgeon Bay 2. Tom Daubner, Carlsville 3.
Ed Anschutz, Algoma 4. Jeremy Wiitala, Green Bay 5. Kevin Jandrin, Forestville 6. Kevin
Sternard, Sturgeon Bay
10 Lap Heats First l. Muench 2.Daubner
Second l. Wiitala 2.Aaron Thornton, Sturgeon Bay
Third l. James Tebon, Algoma 2. Anschutz
BOMBER
15 Lap Feature l. Shawn Graff, Oconomowoc 2. Wayne Moore, Sturgeon Bay 3.
Maynard, Hegnet, Sturgeon Bay 4. Derek Moede, Algoma 5. Corey Haen, Carlsville 6.Brandon
Peterson, Sturgeon Bay
10 Lap heats First l. Graff 2. Scott Reinhardt, Baileys Harbor
Second l. Derek Moede 2. Peterson |
