Henkel tops Mods, LaCrosse two in a row in Stocks!
By Dave Panske

May 13, 2000; Sturgeon Bay, WI. - The weather was windy and cold, but the racing action helped heat things up Saturday night on night number 2 at the Thunder Hill Speedway on Algoma Motors night.

Jesse Bray of Manitowoc grabbed the initial lead in the IMCA Modified main followed by George Henkel, Bill LeMieux, Jared Siefert, Chris Derenne and Dan Ratajczak. A stalled car in turn four brought out the lone caution of the race on lap 7 and Bray continued to set the pace on the restart.

Increasing pressure from Henkel made the leader run harder to hold the top spot. Henkel started to gain using the inside line while Brey was running out of the groove a bit. Henkel was finally able to work inside and take the lead on lap 12. Brey held the runner-up spot with Ratajczak moving up to do battle Ratajczak found the opening into second on lap 16, and started to close the gap on the leader. Ratajczak was right behind at the finish with Henkel, the defending champion in the division, winning his first feature of the season. Ratajczak took second with Brey completing a strong run in third. Chris Derenne was fourth with last weeks winner, Doug Maurer fifth and Todd Dart rounding out the top six.

The IMCA Stock Car division continues to build and become more competitive every week. This weeks feature proved that a strong point.

Jason Geyer (#03) earned his first IMCA Stock Car checkered after topping his heat race this evening at Thunderhill.  The IMCA Stock cars show fans fierce competition on the third-mile clay oval.

Starting outside pole, Joe LeBotte took control of the race at the start followed by Wally Lhost, Bernie Reinhardt, Ben Kroll and Matt Junio. LeBotte, a many year veteran, set the pace followed by three rookie contenders until Lhost worked by into the top spot on lap 9. The battle for fifth place also heated up for the second half of the race as the top point cars were trying to make their way to the front. Pat Davieter, Junio, Brett Wenzel, last weeks winner, Benji LaCrosse and Jason Geyer were in the pack. Davister broke lose first and started moving through traffic, moving into the top four on lap 14. With that move, LaCrosse had also broke free and was now moving up behind Davister as he moved into the runner up spot on lap 17.

A rookie winner!  Ben Kroll (#42) scored his first victory in the IMCA Stock Cars.  Kroll, a rookie in the division came home the winner in his heat race.

Davister moved inside of Lhost as the white flag dropped to take the lead and LaCrosse was tight behind, and once clear of Lhost, took over the inside line, and the lead was a dead heat in turn two. The pair ran wheel to wheel for the final lap, but LaCrosse found a slight edge on the inside and took his second straight division feature flag by inches over Davister. Reinhardt, Lhost, LeBotte and Kroll rounded out the top six finishers.

Better luck this week! Kevin Jandrin (#99) won his first Street Stock feature of the season.  Last week mechanical problems stopped a good run during the feature race.

Jerry Kroll grabbed the lead at the start of the Street Stock feature followed by Aaron Thornton, Mike Soukup, Kevin Jandrin and Kevin Brungraber. Jandrin hooked up early and moved into the runner up spot on lap 7. He closed the gap on the leader and by lap 11 was right behind. Unable to find an opening to the inside, Jandrin took his car wide and made the outside pass for the lead on lap 13. He closed the final 2 laps to win his first division feature of the season with Kroll behind in second place. Thornton took the third piece finish with last week winner, Gary Reinhardt, taking third. Soukup and Brungraber round out the top six.

An opening lap caution caused some excitement in the Bomber feature event. Several cars near the front of the pack got together in turn three, Marty Belike got crossed up in the pack and when the car got sideways, the left rear tire broke lose, causing his car to barrel role a couple times before stopping on the tires in turn four. Marty was fine, but the car was towed to the pit.

On the restart, Tracy Koontz held the top spot followed by John Knudson, Greg Soukup, Jeremy Wiitala, Tom Frea and Travis Annoye. Last weeks feature winner, Wayne Moore, quickly cut through the traffic to content for the top spot by lap 3.

He hooked on the inside and continued the march to the front, three wide at times. Moore moved into the top spot on lap 6, and once there, did not look back and collected his second straight feature. Wiitala took the runner up spot, with Annoye and Soukup making up the top 4. Ryan LeMieux crossed in fifth with Knudson rounding out the top six.

RESULTS

IMCA MODIFIED:
20 LAP FEATURE: 1.) George Henkel, Sturgeon Bay; 2.) Dan Ratajczak, Frog Station; 3.) Jesse Brey, Manitowoc; 4.) Chris Derenne, Luxemburg; 5.) Doug Maurer, DePere; 6.) Todd Dart, Algoma
12 LAP CONSOLATION: 1.) R.M. Van Pay, Green Bay; 2.) Darrell Massart, Brussels; 3.) Doug Mahlik, New Franken; 4.) Mike Plate, Newton
FIRST HEAT: 1.) Derenne; 2.) Tom Stark, Sturgeon Bay
SECOND HEAT: 1.) Henkel; 2.) Dart
THIRD HEAT: 1.) Maurer; 2.) Brad Anderegg, Algoma
FOURTH HEAT: 1.) Ratajczak; 2.) Jared Siefert, Green Bay

IMCA STOCK CARS:
20 LAP FEATURE: 1) Benji LaCrosse, Luxemburg; 2.) Pat Davister, Luxemburg; 3.) Bernie Reinhardt, Sturgeon Bay; 4.) Wally Lhost, Sturgeon Bay; 5.) Joe LeBotte, Kewaunee; 6.) Ben Kroll, Green Bay
12 LAP CONSOLATION: 1) May Matthais, Green Bay; 2.) Larry Larcz Jr., Pulaski; 3.) Craig Paque, Algoma; 4.) Dave Bouche, Algoma
FIRST HEAT: 1) Jason Geyer, Brussels; 2.) Davister
SECOND HEAT: 1) Kroll; 2.) LeBotte
THIRD HEAT: 1) LaCrosse; 2.) Lhost

STREET STOCKS
15 LAP FEATURE: 1.) Kevin Jandrin, Forestville; 2.) Jarry Kroll, Algoma; 3.) Aaron Thorton, Sturgeon Bay; 4.) Gary Reinhardt, Fish Creek; 5.) Mike Soukup, Sturgeon Bay; 6.) Kevin Brungraber, Sturgeon Bay
FIRST HEAT: 1) Kroll; 2.) Gregg Siebold, Denmark
SECOND HEAT: 1) Jandrin; 2.) Ed Anschutz, Algoma

BOMBERS
15 LAP FEATURE: 1.) Wayne Moore, Sturgeon Bay; 2.) Jeremy Wiitala, Green Bay; 3.) Travis Annoye, Casco; 4.) Greg Soukup, Sturgeon Bay; 5.) Ryan LeMieux, Sturgeon Bay; 6.) John Knudson, Sturgeon Bay
FIRST HEAT: 1) Knudson; 2.) LeMieux
SECOND HEAT: 1) Rick Sternard, Sturgeon Bay; 2.) Marty Beilke, Sturgeon Bay