Maurer denies Van Pay a win in Modifieds!
VanIten, Jandrin and Long win at "The Hill"!
By Dave Panske

July 3, 1999; Sturgeon Bay, WI. - Heavy afternoon rains almost washed out the first program for 1999 at Thunder Hill. But extra packing and grading made for a lightening fast track which started an hour 20 minutes late, but was completed at curfew time.

Jason LaViolette led the opening lap of the IMCA Mod main, but out of turn two the next lap, looped his car in front of the field resulting in a six car pile up on the back chute. All but one were able to continue. Dean Maurer took over the lead on the restart and started to pull away from the field until R.M. Van Pay moved into second on lap 5, and closed in on the leader. Maurer was running wide and Van pay low as the pair fought it out for the lead. A huge lead was erased by a caution on lap 12 and again on lap 16, setting up a 4 lap dash.

Jason LaViolette (#42) won his first career IMCA Modified event scoring a win during his heat race.  LaViolette would also pace the opening laps of the main event this evening at Thunder Hill.

Maurer inched ahead again on the restart but Van Pay charged back on the final turn and almost Caught Maurer for win number 100, but settled for the runner up spot. The win was the second of the season for Maurer, The race behind the leaders was just as tight with Buck Schmelzer holding off Randie Back, Darrell Massart and John Soukup to round out the top finishers.

Jon Mathu and Todd Smith pulled away early in the IMCA Stock Car main but John Heinz broke into third on lap 4 and by lap 7, wrestled the lead from Mathu and started to pull away from the field. Caution bunched the field on lap 12 and Eric Van Iten moved by Mathu into the runner up spot on the restart with Rod Snellenberger and Jay Matthias following behind. Heinz, Van Iten and Snellenberger ran three wide several times in the battle for the lead with Heinz holding off the challenges until a final caution on lap 15. The trio went three wide again on the restart, but Snellenberger lost a tire on the high side dropping him out of the race. Van Iten took the high side and it took three more laps to secure the lead and go on to win his second straight and third feature overall for the season here. Heinz took a close second place finish with Pat Davister taking third followed by Craig Paque, Jerry Wenzel and Matthias.

Jeff Vlies led the first 6 laps of the Street Stock main despite two cautions that kept the field packed together. On lap 7, Kevin Jandrin overtook the top spot and started to pull the field. Troy Muench, Dan Anschutz, Phil Faustini and Shawn Olson were running at the front and with 4 laps left, and were right behind the leader. 

Anschutz took the runner up spot on lap 12 and pressured for the lead, but Jandrin held off the charge to win his first career division feature, Anschutz took second with Vlies taking his best finish of the season in third. Olson, Muench and Faustini rounded out the top six.

First win ever!  Lucas Long (#31) has been racing in the Bomber division for two years on Thunderhill's third mile clay oval.   He made his first win a big one as he brought his Bomber car to the winners circle after the main event.

Lucas Long started in the front of the Bomber main and pulled into the lead at the start. Driving alone at the front, the caution appeared on lap 12, erasing a huge lead and lined the field right behind for a 4 lap dash to the finish. Rick Sternard, Chad Szprejda, Bill LeMieux, Wayne Moore and Brent Eisenman were behind. Szprejda took the second place on the restart and on the next lap, Moore lost the left rear wheel on his car entering turn one, causing a mix up and forcing a curfew ending for the feature. The win went to Long, which was not only his first career feature win, bur his first win period. Szprejda took second with Sternard taking third. Scott Reinhardt was credited with fourth, Eisenman fifth and Ed Anschutz sixth.

The scheduled powder puff races will be rescheduled later In the season.

RESULTS

IMCA MODIFIED:
20 LAP FEATURE: 1.) Dean Maurer, Green Bay; 2.) R.M. Van Pay, Green Bay; 3.) Buck Schmelzer, Casco; 4.) Randie Back, Green Bay; 5.) Darrell Massart, Brussels; 6.) John Soukup, Sturgeon Bay
12 LAP CONSOLATION: 1.) Massart; 2.) Dan Ratajczak, Frog Station; 3.) Back; 4.) Randy LeMiuex
FIRST HEAT: 1.) Jason LaViolette, Sturgeon Bay; 2.) Jesse Brey, Manitowoc
SECOND HEAT: 1.) Maurer; 2.) George Henkel, Green Bay
THIRD HEAT: 1.) Mike Plate, Newton; 2.) Schmelzer

IMCA STOCK CARS:
20 LAP FEATURE: 1) Eric Van Iten, Green Bay; 2.) John Heinz, Green Bay; 3.) Pat Davister, Luxemburg; 4.) Craig Paque, Algoma; 5.) Jerry Wenzel, Manitowoc; 6.) Jay Matthias, Luxemburg
10 LAP CONSOLATION: 1) Jason Geyer, Brussels; 2.) Tim Van Dei Hei, DePere; 3.) Matt Junio, Casco; 4.) Russ Tuttle, Brussels
FIRST HEAT: 1) Heinz; 2.) Dave Andrews, Green Bay
SECOND HEAT: 1) Todd Smith, Sturgeon Bay; 2.) VanIten
THIRD HEAT: 1) Rod Snellenberger, Pulaski; 2.) Jon Mathu, Green Bay

STREET STOCKS
15 LAP FEATURE: 1.) Kevin Jandrin, Forestville; 2.) Dan Anschultz, Sturgeon Bay; 3.) Jeff Vlies, Algoma; 4.) Shawn Olson, Algoma; 5.) Troy Muench, Sturgeon Bay; 6.) Phil Daustini, Sturgeon Bay
10 LAP COLSOLATION: 1.) Rick Johnson, Gills Rock; 2.) Jason Brungraber, Carlsville; 3.) Josh Massart, Brussels; 4.) Bernie Reinhardt, Fish Creek
FIRST HEAT: 1) Faustini; 2.) Jandrin
SECOND HEAT: 1) Vlies; 2.) Troy Raas, Brussels
THIRD HEAT: 1) Muench; 2.) Jared Seifert, Green Bay

BOMBERS
15 LAP FEATURE: 1.) Lucas Long, Sturgeon Bay; 2.) Chad Szprejda, Suamico; 3.) Rick Sternard, Sturgeon Bay; 4.) Scott Reinhardt, Fish Creek; 5.) Brent Eisenman, Luxemburg; 6.) Ed Anschutz, Algoma
10 LAP CONSOLATION: 1) Tom Zastrow, Sturgeon Bay; 2.) Mike Soukup, Sturgeon Bay; 3.) Marty Beilke, Sturgeon Bay; 4.) Mike Cole, Sturgeon Bay
FIRST HEAT: 1) Travis Annoye, Casco; 2.) Sternard
SECOND HEAT: 1) Szprejda; 2.) Bill LeMieux, Sturgeon Bay
THIRD HEAT: 1) Wally Lhost, Sturgeon Bay; 2.) Anschutz