First Annual Hill 100 wins to Drexler, Karcz,  Czarapata, Naze and Strebel as Thunderhill concludes season!
Dave Panske

October 15-16, 1999; Sturgeon Bay, WI. -  The Thunder Hill Speedway officially closed the 1999 racing season with the first annual Hill 100 weekend at the 1/3 mile clay oval. This event was sponsored by the combined efforts of Woody's Signs, NAPA Auto Parts and Tri County Heating.

On opening night of the two-day Hill 100 Showdown, Kevin Strebel drove his Sport Truck to the feature win on Thunderhill's third-mile clay oval.

Over 100 teams filled the pit area for the two-day affair with the qualifying heats run on Friday along with several special events. All heat winners took part in an Australian Pursuit race in each division. Darrell Massart took the modified event, Larry Karcz  Jr. the Stock Car, Gregg Siebold the Street Stock and Bill LeMieux the Bomber division. The Sport Trucks ran also with Kevin Strebel holding off Shawn Dorn to win the feature event.

Saturday night saw the final last chance consolations and the feature events in each division.

Larry Karcz Jr. (#36) finished off the 1999 season at Thunderhill on a high note taking the IMCA Stock Car main event.  Karcz Jr., was also the track's 1999 IMCA Stock Car champion.

The Stock Cars took to the lightening fast track first with Larry Karcz, Jr taking the leads from the start and pulled away from the pack while Russ Turtle, Craig Paque, Jason Geyer and Pat Davister ran in a pack behind. The race went half way before the caution appeared for a three-car spin in turn three. This erased the Karcz lead and put Davister right behind for the restart with Tuttle, Shawn Wagner and Jay Matthias right behind.

Karcz held the lead on the restart with Wagner taking over the runner up spot from Davistef. The three pulled away from the pack and ran together for the rest of the race. Davister dropped out with one lap left but Wagner pulled alongside a couple times to take over the lead. Karcz held off the challenges and the 1999 Stock Car division track champion took the checkered to become the first Hill 100 champion. Wagner took the runner-up spot followed by Rob Waechter, Matthias, Mark Derenne and Mike Weitor.

Jason Czarapata (#56) dominated the Street Stock action during the running of the Hill 100.  Czarapata won his heat race on Friday night by a wide margin and then dominated the main event on Saturday evening.

Jason Czarapata took off from the pole in the street stock feature to build a half lap lead over the first half of the race while Scott Iverson, Kevin Jandrin, Shannon Rass, Brandon Mindak and Shawn Olson ran together behind for the runner up spot. Jandri moved into second on lap 10 and set out to chase down the leader. Gregg Siebold and Olson moved up as well by the mid point of the race. On lap 18, the lone caution appeared and erased the huge lead Czarapata had worked on, putting Jandrin and Olson right behind. Mindak, Fred Davister and Iverson were lined up behind.

With the green out for the final 7 laps, Czarapata took off again while Jandrin and Olson hooked up side by side for the run for second. Czarapata collected the win with Olson taking over the runner-up spot with Jandnn taking third. Davister took fourth with Rich Kyllonen taking fifth and Lance Arenson rounding out the top six.

Another champ wins!  Jay Naze (#46) won the Bomber main event during the running of The Hill 100 Showdown.  Naze was the 1999 Bomber champion here on the third-mile clay oval in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

Jeremy Wiitila paced the first lap of the Bomber main before Mike Soukup powered by into the top spot. Chad Szprejda moved into the runner up spot on the next lap and 1999 track champion, Jay Naze moved into third on lap 4. Following a lap 6 caution, Naze and Szprejda ran side by side while Bill LeMieux joined the pair running for second.

For the next 10 laps, the four put on a show for the top spot running three and four wide. Soukup was able to hold the lead until slipping wide entering turn one on lap 16 allowing enough opening for Naze to sneak by with LeMieux taking second out of turn 2. One lap later the caution appeared again when Szprejda's car stalled on the back chute.

On the restart, LeMieux and T.J. Jandrin hounded Naze for the top spot. LeMieux powered to the inside entenng turn 3 on lap 20, but went in to hard, causing him to spin out of turn 4, putting Jandrin in seoond. A final caution on lap 24 for debris, set up a 2-lap dash to the finish. Naze was still in command followed by Greg Soukup, Jandrin, John Knudson, Don Aregoni, Jr and James Anderson. Naze held off Soukup to win the bragging rights for the year with Aregoni making a last lap push to finish in third Jandrin crossed in fourth but was disqualified for an illegal carb in post race inspection, giving fourth to Knudson, fifth to Tom Frea and Anderson rounding out the top six.

Brian Drexler (#8) a former Street Stock racer has done well since moving to the IMCA Modified division.  Tonight he scored a well earned victory in feature race action.

The Modified feature topped the night with Dave Zeitler leading the opening lap before Brian Drexler powered into the lead on lap 2. Rick LeMieux, Jay Matthias, Buck Schmelzer, Darrell Massart and Todd Dart were bunched behind until the lone caution appeared on lap 8 for debris. Drexler took off again on the restart with LeMieux taking over the runner up spot, Drexler was able to pull ahead slightly while the field doubled up behind for second. Schmelzer, 1999 track champ George Henkel, Dart and Danny Deau battled with LeMieux and Zeitler, leaving Drexler to work traffic alone.

Dart made a late race charge moving from fifth on lap 22 into fourth. On the final lap, Dart made a charge to pass both Zeitler and LeMieux to take the second place finish right behind Drexler. LeMieux took third with Zeitler fourth. Schmelzer held off Henkel to round out the top six.

The staff and management at the Thunder Hill Speedway would like to THANK all of the drivers, crews and fans for their support throughout the 1999 season and for making the first annual Hill 100 a success. Plans call for a mid May 2000 opener at the track. The 6th annual awards dinner and banquet will be held on November 6th.

RESULTS

IMCA MODIFIED:
25 LAP FEATURE: 1.) Brian Drexler, Oshkosh; 2.) Todd Dart, Algoma; 3.) Rick LeMieux, Sturgeon Bay; 4.) Dave Zeitler, Luxemburg; 5.) Buck Schmelzer, Casco; 6.) George Henkel, Sturgeon Bay
15 LAP CONSOLATION: 1.) Art Seifert, Green Bay; 2.) Tom Stark, Sturgeon Bay; 3.) Brian Baenen, New Franken; 4.) Kyle Fredrickson, Green Bay
FIRST 12 LAP HEAT: 1.) Dart; 2.) Jerry Meunster, Green Bay
SECOND 12 LAP HEAT: 1.) Chris Derenne, Luxemburg; 2.) Danny Deau, Suamico
THIRD 12 LAP HEAT: 1) Drexler; 2.) Jay Matthais, Green Bay
AUSTRALIAN PURSUIT: 1.) Darrell Massart, Brussels
10 LAP CHALLENGE: 1.) Mike Wedelstadt, Fremont; 2.) Dart

IMCA STOCK CARS:
25 LAP FEATURE: 1.) Larry Karcz Jr, Pulaski; 2.) Shawn Wagner, Pulaski; 3.) Rob Waechter, Luxemburg; 4.) Jay Matthias, Green Bay; 5.) Mark Derenne, Kewaunee; 6.) Mike Weitor, Green Bay
FIRST 12 LAP HEAT: 1) Matthias; 2.) Karcz
SECOND 12 LAP HEAT: 1) Brian Bruechert, Kewaunee; 2.) Russ Tuttle, Brussels
THIRD 12 LAP HEAT: 1) Charlie Kroll, Algoma; 2.) Wagner
AUSTRALIAN PURSUIT: 1.) Karcz

STREET STOCKS
25 LAP FEATURE: 1.) Jason Czarapata, Pulaski; 2.) Shawn Olson, Algoma; 3.) Kevin Jandrin, Forestville; 4.) Fred Davister, Luxemburg; 5.) Rick Kyllonen, Green Bay; 6.) Lance Arenson, Krakow
15 LAP CONSOLATION: 1.) Faron Bielke, Sturgeon Bay; 2.) Jamie Van Ooyen, Appleton; 3.) Mark Reinhard, Algoma; 4.) George Paul, Green Bay
FIRST 12 LAP HEAT: 1.) Czarapata; 2.) Dan Anschutz, Sturgeon Bay
SECOND 12 LAP HEAT: 1) Olson; 2.) Steve DeKerf, Manitowoc
THIRD 12 LAP HEAT: 1) Jandrin; 2.) Arenson
AUSTRALIAN PURSUIT: 1.) Gregg Siebold, Denmark
10 LAP CHALLENGE: 1.) Olson; 2.) Anschutz

BOMBERS
25 LAP FEATURE: 1.) Jay Naze, Forestville; 2.) Greg Soukup, Egg Harbor; 3.) Don Aregoni Jr., Sturgeon Bay; 4.) John Knudson, Sturgeon Bay; 5.) Tom Frea, Sturgeon Bay; 6.) James Anderson, Sturgeon Bay
15 LAP CONSOLATION: 1.) Wayne Moore, Sturgeon Bay; 2.) Frea; 3.) Anderson; 4.) Aregoni
FIRST 12 LAP HEAT: 1.) Naze; 2.) Bill LeMieux, Sturgeon Bay
SECOND 12 LAP HEAT: 1) Todd Polster, Balieys Harbor; 2.) Jeremy Wiitila, Green Bay
THIRD 12 LAP HEAT: 1) Greg Soukup; 2.) Chad Szprejda, Suamico
AUSTRALIAN PURSUIT: 1.) LeMieux
10 LAP CHALLENGE: 1.) Travis Annoye, Casco; 2.) LeMieux

SPORT TRUCK
6 LAP FEATURE: 1.) Kevin Strebel, New Franken; 2.) Shawn Dorn, Luxemburg; 3.) Dave Davister, Luxemburg; 4.) Jerry Scray, Green Bay; 5.) Len Deterville, New Franken