Ratajczak runs to third Modified win of season,
Matt Junio tops Stocks and closes point gap!
Dave Panske

September 4, 1999; Sturgeon Bay, WI. - Racing continues on a strong note here in Door County and an excellent crowd watched as the season enters the final two weeks here at the Thunder Hill Speedway. The point races are all close and all four divisions will be decided on the final point night, September 18. Next week will be the annual Street Stock slam with all four division competing but in a non-point evening.

First female to win at The Hill!  Michelle Ploeckelmann (#77) scored a popular victory as she won her first career race on Saturday night, taking a IMCA Modified heat win at Thunderhill Speedway.  She became the first woman to win a race at "The Hill"!

Rick LeMieux led the opening lap of the IMCA Modified main before Darrell Massart pulled into the top spot on lap 2. Following the second of two cautions, Dan Ratajczak pulled by Massart into the top spot on lap 5. Once in front, Ratajczak pulled away, and despite one more caution on lap 14, held the spot to collect his third feature flag of the season. Massart held off Randie Back to take the runner up finish with Tom Stark edging LeMieux for the fourth place finish, his best run of the season. Todd dart rounded out the top six. Point leader, George Henkel placed seventh and holds a 30 point margin, 599 - 569 over Chris Derenne RatajCzak is only 2 more marks back in third with 567. Brad Anderegg holds 563 and Back is fifth with 558. The Modifieds will crown a first time champion in 2 weeks.

Keeping the point battle close!  Matt Junio won his first IMCA Stock Car feature of the 1999 season at Thunderhill.  In doing so he closed the point gap on leader Larry Karcz Jr. was the season winds down.   Karcz holds a slim nine point advantage over Junio.

Gary Bouche set the pace from the start of the IMCA Stock Car feature, and was still holding the top spot following several cautions on laps 5 and 6. The pace stayed green the rest of the way after the restart with Bouche followed by Smith, Matt Junio, Jay Matthias, Eric VanIten and Dave Bouche.

Junio moved into the runner-up spot on lap 9 and closed on the leader. Junio worked for an opening and finally took to the outside on lap 16. Two laps later, Junio was in the top spot and drove off to his first feature win of the season and moved into second place in the points only 9 behind leader, Larry Karcz, Jr.

The battle for second was tight to the finish with Bouche and Matthias running side by side. Bouches was able to work into the runner-up spot on the final lap and made a last corner run alongside the leader but the drive shaft broke lose right before the line, ending his sprint. Being pushed into the claim area, Matthias learned he was black flagged 2 laps from the end of the race, which put VanIten into the runner up spot followed by Bouche, Jason Geyer, Larry Karcz and Todd Smith. Karcz holds a slim 9 point margin, 543 - 534, over Junio with VanIten sitting in third with 527, Matthias fourth with 525 and defending champion, Rod Snellenberger fifth with 523.

First win of 1999!  Ken Hendricks (#45) made his way to the winner's circle for the first time this year at Thunderhill taking a win in a heat race during Street Stock action tonight.

Scott Iverson took control of the Street Stock main at the start with Ken Hendricks and Josh Massart doubling up behind for second. Ed Anschutz, Rick Johnson and Dan Anschutz were behind. The entire field remained close with Iverson holding the lead and the runner up spot saying side by side until the first caution appeared on lap 10.

On the restart, the field was able to shift with Massart holding second with Dan Anschutz moving up into third followed by Gregg Siebold and Tom Daubner. A final caution on lap 12, took out second place point driver, Shawn Olson, and on the restart, Anschutz was able to find the open route around Iverson for the lead. Siebold charged on the outside on the final lap but came up a couple feet short at the line giving Anschutz his first career division feature win.

Siebold took second and moves into second place in the standings, now 19 points behind point leader, Bernie Reinhardt, 581 - 562, Daubner took the third place finish with Iverson holding on for fourth. Point leader, Bernie Reinhardt took fifth and Kevin Jandrin rounded out the top six. Olsons early departure from the race drops him to third in the standings with 523 points with Jared Siefert now fourth with 524 and James Tebon fifth with 517.

A career first!  Dan Anschutz (#1) earned his first career Street Stock feature victory this evening on the third mile clay oval.   Anschutz was hooked up tonight as he also scored a win in his heat race.

Tony Herbst set the pace through the first 6 laps, which included three cautions in the Bomber main before a broken transmission ended his race just before a lap 7 restart. Wayne Moore inherited the top spot and led the way while Bill LeMieux end Todd Polster battled side by side for the runner-up spot. LeMieux stayed on the high side of the track with Potster dropping back leaving Gregg and Mike Soukup to move ahead in the lineup. Gregg Soukup moved alongside LeMieux but LeMieux powered alongside of Moore for the top spot on lap 11 and moved into the lead on the next lap. Once in front, LeMieux ran alone to his first career feature win. Moore was right behind in the runner up spot with Greg Soukup just ahead of point leader, Mike Soukup. Jay Naze was fifth and Polster held on to round out the top six.

Mike Soukup holds a slim 572 - 566 lead aver defending champion, Naze. Scott Reinhardt is third with 551. Two rookies round out the top five with Greg Soukup fourth with 542 and Chad Szprejda with 533 tied with Bill LeMieux.

The fifth annual Street Stock Slam will highlight the division with a $700 first place prize for the winner of the 25-1ap feature. Lap money could boost the winnings to over $1000. Each of the other divisions will compete, but there will be no track points awarded as IMCA is running their annual Nationals event in Boone, Iowa so IMCA points can not be given out. It is always and action packed night at the Slam.

An added event will be first time for the track. A big 2-day event, the Hill 100, will take place on Friday and Saturday nights, October 15 and 16.

Thunderhill Speedway is a third mile clay oval located on the Door County Fairgrounds in Sturgeon Bay, WI.  The weekly Saturday Night racing program consists of IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, Street Stocks and Bombers. Racing action starts promptly at 6:00 p.m.

RESULTS

IMCA MODIFIED:
20 LAP FEATURE: 1.) Dan Ratajczak, Frog Station; 2.) Darrell Massart, Brussels; 3.) Randie Back, Green Bay; 4.) Tom Stark, Sturgeon Bay; 5.) Rick LeMieux, Green Bay; 6.) Todd Dart, Algoma
12 LAP CONSOLATION: 1.) Chris Derenne, Luxemburg; 2.) Buck Schmelzer, Casco; 3.) John Soukup, Sturgeon Bay; 4.) Jack Parrish, Waldo
FIRST HEAT: 1.) Randy LeMieux, Sturgeon Bay; 2.) Scott Boyea, Green Bay
SECOND HEAT: 1.) Michelle Plockelmann, Green Bay; 2.) Gary Jacobs, Algoma
THIRD HEAT: 1.) Rick LeMieux; 2.) Massart

IMCA STOCK CARS:
20 LAP FEATURE: 1.) Matt Junio, Casco; 2.) Eric Van Iten, Green Bay; 3.) Gary Bouche, Algoma; 4.) Jason Geyer, Brussels; 5.) Larry Karcz Jr., Pulaski; 6.) Todd Smith, Little Sturgeon
12 LAP CONSOLATION: 1.) Benji LaCrosse, Green Bay; 2.) Charlie Kroll, Algoma; 3.) Bob Czarapata, Krakow; 4.) Geyer
FIRST HEAT: 1) Jay Matthias, Green Bay; 2.) Brett Wenzel, Manitowoc
SECOND HEAT: 1) Smith; 2.) VanIten
THIRD HEAT: 1) Joe LeBotte, Kewaunee; 2.) Rob Waechter, Luxemburg

STREET STOCKS
15 LAP FEATURE: 1.) Dan Anschutz, Sturgeon Bay; 2.) Gregg Siebold, Denmark; 3.) Tom Daubner, Carlsville; 4.) Scott Iverson, Sturgeon Bay; 5.) Bernie Reinhardt, Fish Creek; 6.) Kevin Jandrin, Forestville
12 LAP CONSOLATION: 1.) Daubner; 2.) Shannon Smith, Green Bay; 3.) B.J. Soquet, Sturgeon Bay; 4.) Mark Reinhard, Sturgeon Bay
FIRST HEAT: 1.) Anschutz; 2.) Bernie Reinhardt
SECOND HEAT: 1) Iverson; 2.) Josh Massart, Brussels
THIRD HEAT: 1) Ken Hendricks, Brussels; 2.) Jandrin
FOURTH HEAT: 1.) Rick Johnson, Gilles Rock; 2.) Phil Faustini, Sturgeon Bay

BOMBERS
15 LAP FEATURE: 1.) Bill LeMieux, Sturgeon Bay; 2.) Wayne Moore, Sturgeon Bay; 3.) Greg Soukup, Egg Harbor; 4.) Mike Soukup, Sturgeon Bay; 5.) Jay Naze, Forestville; 6.) Todd Polster, Balieys Harbor
12 LAP CONSOLATION: 1) Ford Malvitz, Sturgeon Bay; 2.) Tom Zastrow, Sturgeon Bay; 3.) Jeremy Wiitala, Green Bay; 4.) Dennis Weidner, Green Bay
FIRST HEAT: 1) Polster; 2.) Naze
SECOND HEAT: 1) Bill LeMieux; 2.) Marty Bielke, Sturgeon Bay
THIRD HEAT: 1) Mike Soukup; 2.) Tony Herbst, Sturgeon Bay