Four drivers take first win of season at Thunderhill!
By Dave Panske

June 12, 1999; Sturgeon Bay, WI. - It turned out to be a beautiful night for racing Saturday at the Hill and four first time winners took feature honors, Tom Stark led the opening lap of the IMCA Modified main before causing the first caution when he looped the car in turn three. John Soukup inherited the lead and on the restart pulled away from the field while a spirited battle for the runner up spot developed behind. Mike Plate, Brad Anderegg, Darrell Massart, Randie Back, Dan Ratajczak and George Henkel ran together until the mid point of the race when Ratajczak spun in turn two erasing Soukups 2 second lead.

First Career Feature win!  Randie Back (#38) scored his first career IMCA Modified feature win on the Thunderhill Speedway, third mile clay oval, utilizing a car that was constructed 14 years ago.

On the restart, Back and Dave Zeitler moved on Soukup taking both sides by, into the top spots. Back took the top spot with Zeitler and Soukup right behind. The lead changed several times over the last half of the race as the trio ran three wide most of the way. A spin on the final lap caused the race to finish on the caution with Back winning his first career feature. Zeitler took the runner up spot a bumper ahead of Soukup. Massart took fourth with Henkel and Anderegg rounding out the top six.

Rob Waechter took command of the Stock Car main with a wild three car pass on lap 3 dropping Waechter back to fourth behind new leader, Dave Bouche, Rod Snellenberger and John Heinz. Contact between Heinz and Snellenberger caused the caution with Heinz out of the event and Snellenberger restarting form the rear. On the restart, Bouche's car refused to come to speed out of turn four, causing a scramble on the front chute and a caution when Bouche stalled in turn two. For the restart, Waechter was back in front with Eric VanIten, Tom Coel, Sean Jerovetz and Larry Karcz behind.

A lap 13 spin set up a seven lap dash to the finish with Waechter still holding the lead with VanIten, Jerovetz, Karcz, Snellenberger and Coel right behind,

VanIten went high around Waechter for the lead on lap 18 and the former leader dropped out of the race with a fiat tire, VanIten was able to carry the slight lead to his first ever feature win here while Snellenberger recovered from the rear to edge Jerovetz for the runner up finish. Craig Paque came through the consy to finish fourth with Rob Gagne taking fifth leaving Karcz sixth.

Jared Siefert took the lead from the pole of the Street Stock main, but it was short lived as the right rear wheel broke off entering turn three causing him to spin in front of the oncoming field. All cars drove heads up and missed Siefert.

Defending Street Stock Champion, Phil Faustini (#7) earned his first feature win of the 1999 racing season this evening at Thunderhill.

Defending division champion, Phil Faustini, took the lead on the restart and was able to build a 3 second lead over the field before the first caution appeared on lap nine. Tom Daubner, James Tebon, Bernie Reinhardt, Dan Anschutz, Fred Davister and Shawn Olson were bunched behind running side by side and bumper to bumper for the top spots.

Davister was out of the battle when the drive shaft broke causing the final caution on lap 11. Daubner was able to take the lead briefly on the restart, but Faustini fought back to retake the lead on lap 13. Faustini held on to win his first feature o the season with Daubner taking the runner up spot. Gregg Siebold edged Tebon for the third place finish with Scott Pagels and Olson rounding out the top six.

James Anderson ted the opening lap of the special 20 lap Bomber main with Todd Polster taking over the lead on lap 2 followed by Don Aregoni, Jr., Travis Annoye, Mike Soukup and Wally Lhost. Soukup moved up through the tight front running formation and took over the lead on lap 7.

Two laps later, Annoye and Aregoni were running three wide with the leader. Annoye was running the high side of the track when a tire blew out entering turn one on lap 12 dropping him out of the lineup and spreading the front runners a bit. A lone caution on lap 18 set up a three lap dash with Soukup still in the top spot followed by Aregoni, Lhost, Marry Belike, Greg Soukup, Brent Eisenman and Scott Reinhardt.

Jason Geyer (#03) a wishes his fellow race car drivers well.  This past week defending IMCA Modified champion Todd Dart and IMCA Stock Car driver Charlie Kroll were injured in an accident in a street car.  Geyer, posted his get well wishes on the back of his car which were then seen in victory lane.

Coming in for the white flag, Aregoni had the right rear tire blow, causing him to spin in front of the grandstand. Since the leaders took the white, the race ended under caution with Soukup winning his first feature of the season, Lhost took the runner up spot followed by Greg Soukup, Eisenman, Belike and Reinhardt.

RESULTS

IMCA MODIFIED:
20 LAP FEATURE: 1.) Randie Back, Green Bay; 2.) Dave Zeitler, Luxemburg; 3.) John Soukup, Sturgeon Bay; 4.) Darrell Massart, Brussels; 5.) George Henkel, Sturgeon Bay; 6.) Brad Anderegg, Algoma
FIRST HEAT: 1.) Massart; 2.) Soukup
SECOND HEAT: 1.) Dean Maurer, Green Bay; 2.) Mike Plate, Newton
THIRD HEAT: 1.) Chris Christensen, Carlsville; 3.) Tom Stark, Sturgeon Bay

IMCA STOCK CARS:
20 LAP FEATURE: 1) Eric VanIten, Green Bay; 2.) Rod Snellenberger, Pulaski; 3.) Sean Jerovetz, Suamico; 4.) Craig Paque, Algoma; 5.) Ronb Gange, Luxemburg; 6.) Larry Karcz Jr., Pulaski
12 LAP CONSOLATION: 1) Gange; .2) Hay Matthias, Luxemburg; 3.) Pat Davister, Luxemburg; 4.) Paque
FIRST HEAT: 1) John Heinz, Green Bay; 2.) Tim Van Dei Hei, DePere
SECOND HEAT: 1) Snellenberger; 2.) Dave Bouche, Algoma
THIRD HEAT: 1) Jason Geyer, Brussels; 2.) Rob Waechter, Luxemburg
FOURTH HEAT: 1) Todd Smith, Sturgeon Bay; 2.) Dave Pavlik, Sturgeon Bay

STREET STOCKS
15 LAP FEATURE: 1.) Phil Faustini, Sturgeon Bay; 2.) Tom Daubner, Carlsville; 3.) Gregg Siebold, Denmark; 4.) James Tebon, Algoma; 5.) Scott Pagels, Little Sturgeon; 6.) Shawn Olson, Algoma
12 LAP CONSOLATION: 1) Olson; 2.) Rich Kyllonen, Green Bay; 3.) Jason Brungraber, Sturgeon Bay; 4.) Randy Rahn, Brillion
FIRST HEAT: 1) Faustini; 2.) Dan Anschutz, Sturgeon Bay
SECOND HEAT: 1) Tebon; 2.) Pagels
THIRD HEAT: 1) Jared Siefert, Green Bay; 2.) Fred Davister, Luxemburg

BOMBERS
20 LAP FEATURE: 1.) Mike Soukup, Sturgeon Bay; 2.) Wally Lhost, Sturgeon Bay; 3.)( Greg Soukup, Egg Harbor; 4.) Brent Eisenman, Luxemburg; 5.) Marty Beilke, Sturgeon Bay; 6.) Scott Reinhardt, Fish Creek
12 LAP CONSOLATION: 1) Rick LeMieux, Sturgeon Bay; 2.) Eisenman; 3.) Jeremy Wiitala, Green Bay; 4.) Rick Sternard, Sturgeon Bay
FIRST HEAT: 1) Don Aregoni Jr., Sturgeon Bay; 2.) Mike Soukup
SECOND HEAT: 1) Beilke; 2.) Lhost
THIRD HEAT: 1) Travis Annoye, Casco; 2.) Jay Naze, Forestville