Record opening crowd watches May 6, 2000; Sturgeon Bay, WI. - The Thunder Hill Speedway opened their 8th season Saturday night under perfect conditions and a record crowd watched as Doug Maurer won his first IMCA Mod feature of the year. Benji LaCrosse walked off with his first career IMCA Stock Car feature win. Gary Reinhardt took the Street Stock honors and Wayne Moore collected the Bomber feature flag.
Defending Modified track champion, George Henkel took the opening lap of the feature and was challenged right away by Doug Maurer, who inched ahead on lap 2. Maurer led the next lap before the drive shaft broke on Darrell Massarts car, brining out a quick caution for the pickup. It was Henkel on the move again on the restart holding off Maurer until lap 8 when the lead swapped again. A stalled car on lap 10 brought the field to a crawl again with Henkel second, Mike Plate third, Brad Anderegg, Randie Back and Brad Anderegg behind On the restart, Henkel and Plate hooked together briefly out of turn 4, and lost several positions before rejoining the line. Maurer took advantage of the opportunity a pulled to a several length lead before the final caution on lap 16 set up a 4 lap dash. Maurer was able to hold off the final challenges and recorded his first feature win of the year. Dart powered into the runner up spot on the final lap with Back taking third. Dan Ratajczak inched by Anderegg on the final lap for fourth with Henkel coming back through traffic to round out the top six positions Just after the first lap was completed in the IMCA Stock Car main, a multi car spin in turn one slowed the race a jumbled the lineup as many teams headed to pit lane for a check. Benji LaCrosse led the opening lap and missed the mix up to hold the top spot for the restart. Dave Bouche was running second, Jay Matthias third. When the race restarted, LaCrosse hooked up in a line mid way up the track and really made it work, holding off the cars behind and able to build a lead. After two more cautions on laps 6 and 10, LaCrosse did the same thing each time. With the time limit running out, the final 10 laps clicked off uninterrupted and LaCrosse bested the field for his first career division feature win. The battle for the next six spots want to the wire with Matthias edging out the second place finish. Pat Davister also inched by Bouche for third. Russ Tuttle took fifth and defending series champ, Larry Karcz, Jr rounded out the top six.
Kevin Jandrin powered into the top spot of the Street Stock finale with James Tebon, Mike Soukup, Gary Reinhardt, Tom Daubner and Coney Haen behind. The left rear axle broke on Jerry Krolls car out of turn four on lap 4, brining out the first caution. Jandrin again took the top spot but Reinhardt was on the move and took over the lead on lap 6. On lap 12, the caution appeared again. This time, the right rear wheel broke on Jandrin's car out of trun four. He pulled the car up to the wall out of the way, but the tire rolled onto the track from behind the car, right in front of Haen. Haen rode over the tire, sending the car into the air. He was able to continue. Reinhardt restarted the race and had to hold off Gregg Siebold, Daubner, Tebon and Rick Johnson. Daubner had a handling problem just after the restart, keeping the caution out and setting up a 2 lap dash. Reinhardt held off Siebold to win his first feature of the year with Siebold, Tebon, Johnson, Jay Naze and Haen rounding out the top six.
The Bomb Squad is always an exciting way to end a program, and tonight was no exception. Tony Herbst took charge at the start and held the lead through the first four laps. After a restart, on lap 3, Herbst had to pull out of the race, turning the lead over to Don Aregoni, Jr. Wayne Moore powered into the runner up spot and by lap 7 was the new leader. Jeremy Wiitala and Ryan LeMieux were right behind the leaders and a four-car battle lasted to the finish. Aregoni dropped off the pace over the final laps which left Moore in the front as he held on to win his first feature of the year. Wiitala was hounding the leader to the finish with LeMieux taking third, Scott Reinhardt took fourth followed by Brad Ohnesorge taking fifth and Tom Free sixth. Weekly racing action will continue throughout the summer ever Saturday night at the Thunder Hill Speedway. Racing starts at 6 PM every week. The track is located at the Door County Fairgrounds in Sturgeon Bay, WI. RESULTS IMCA MODIFIED: IMCA STOCK CARS: STREET STOCKS BOMBERS |
