Dry spells end, and rain shortens races at The Hill!
By Dave Panske

June 10, 2000; Sturgeon Bay, WI. -  Under threatening skies, the Thunder Hill Speedway was able to get in three complete features and one partial before an accident and rain ended the program a bit early Saturday night.

Buck Schmelzer (#9) won his first IMCA Modified feature on Thunderhill Speedway's third-mile clay oval since August 24, 1996.

Randy LeMieux took charge of the modified main at the start with Buck Schmelzer, Jared Siefert, Shawn Olson, Brian Baenen and Randie Back tight behind. LeMieux would pull into a slight lead at times, only to have the pack close back in over the first half of the race. On lap 11, the first caution appeared for a spin in turn one, which bunched the entire pack on the leader. LeMieux again set the pace with Schmelzer right behind.

Current point leader, George Henkel had been making a run at the front, only one of two drivers using the inside groove, and had moved from 8th to 3rd, prior to the caution. On the restart, he tried to complete the run to the front, but the car did not handle the same, and he slipped back a couple of spots, leaving LeMieux to deal with Schmelzer for the top spot. Shawn Olson and Mike Plate joined the pair at the front before the final caution appeared on lap 18, leaving a three lap dash to the finish.

IMCA Modified Rookie competitor Shawn Olson (#20) won his first race in the division taking a heat race win.  Olson was a former front runner in the Street Stock division.

On the final restart, Schmelzer drove alongside of the leader in turn two, and eased into the top spot when LeMieux slipped wide a bit, pulling back in line in fourth. Olson pressured the leader to the finish, but Schmelzer picked up his first feature win at the Hill since August 24, 1996, with Olson picking up his best finish of the year in second. Todd Dart made a run at the leaders over the final laps to finish in third place, after starting 17th. LeMieux took fourth place with Plate and Doug Maurer rounding out the top six.

On an evening with many first time winners Greg Gretz (#24) scored his first career IMCA Stock car win, when he came home first in his heat race.

Wally Lhost led the opening pair of laps in the IMCA Stock Car main before Eric VanIten pulled into the lead and brought Pat Davister along into second. VanIten took to the high side of the track and Davister settled into the inside line. The pair pulled even and then ran side by side from lap 4 to a caution on lap 17, swapping the lead back and forth many times during the run. Josh Massart settled into third early on and ran alone while the pack behind, ran two and three deep and bumper to bumper while trying to sort them selves out.

During the final caution, VanIten had to make a pit stop for a fiat tire, which ended the strong run at the front and a close battle to the finish. Davister took the lead and held on to win his first feature here since July 11, 1998. Massart held on to take his best finish of the season in second. Jason Geyer nipped Dave Andrews at the line for third with Jay Matthias getting fifth and Russ Turtle sixth.

The Street Stocks were to be introduced this evening, but the bad weather started to move in, and the feature was started with Aaron Thornton taking the lead at the start followed by Marty Bielke, Corey Haen, Kevin Jandrin and Phil Faustini. One caution on lap 3, left a long green flag run to the finish with Bielke challenging Thornton until Gregg Siebold joined the leaders with 5 laps left.

Stepping up!  Aaron Thorton (#95) a top driver in the Bomber division, moved up to the Street Stock division and claimed his first feature victory in the class this evening.

Siebold pressured Bielke and took over the runner-up up spot on lap on lap 12, and ran out of laps to wrestle the lead from Thornton. The win by Thornton was his first since a Bomber feature win on August 10, 1996 and his this was his first ever in the Street division. Siebold took the second place finish just ahead of Bielke. Faustini took fourth with Jandrin and point leader, Gary Reinhardt rounding out the top six.

The Bomber main pulled onto the track as the weather started to move in. Dennis Weidner took the lead followed by Tracy Koontz, Thom Terrien, Don Aregoni, Jr and Jody Annoye. Aregoni took to the outside and pulled into the lead on lap 4. One lap later, the caution was out for a crash in turn one. The car driven by James Bosman had a flat and in the mix trying to get out of the way, was tagged several times, spinning and stalling in turn one.

After getting out of the car, while safety personnel looked him over, the rain started to fall, and the race was called complete at that point with Aregoni getting credited with his first win of the season. Weidner took the runner up finish with Greg Soukup placing third just ahead of point leader, Wayne Moore, who was looking for a fifth straight feature win. Todd Polster and Terrien rounded out the top six finishers

RESULTS

IMCA MODIFIED:
20 LAP FEATURE: 1.) Buck Schmelzer, Strugeon Bay; 2.) Shawn Olson, Algoma; 3.) Todd Dart, Algoma; 4.) Randy LeMieux, Sturgeon Bay; 5.) Mike Plate, Newton; 6.) Doug Maurer, Green Bay
12 LAP CONSOLATION: 1.) Darrell Massart, Brussels; 2.) Dart; 3.) Troy Muench, Green Bay; 4.) Jeremy Jacobs, Algoma
FIRST HEAT: 1.) Randie Back, Green Bay; 2.) Schmelzer
SECOND HEAT: 1.) Chris Derenne, Luxemburg; 2.) Brad Anderegg, Algoma
THIRD HEAT: 1.) Olson; 2.) Maurer

IMCA STOCK CARS:
20 LAP FEATURE: 1) Pat Davister, Luxemburg; 2.) Josh Massart, Brussels; 3.) Jason Geyer, Brussels; 4.) Dave Andrews, Green Bay; 5.) Jay Matthais, Green Bay; 6.) Russ Tuttle, Brussels
12 LAP CONSOLATION: 1) Rob Gagne, Luxemburg; 2.) Todd Smith, Sturgeon Bay; 3.) Matthais; 4.) Larry Karcz Jr., Pulaski
FIRST HEAT: 1) Greg Gretz, Kewaunee; 2.) Matt Junio, Casco
SECOND HEAT: 1) Scott Karcz, Pulaski; 2.) Massart
THIRD HEAT: 1) Andrews; 2.) Davister

STREET STOCKS
15 LAP FEATURE: 1.) Aaron Thorton, Sturegon Bay; 2.) Gregg Siebold, Denmark; 3.) Marty Bielke, Sturgeon Bay; 4.) Phil Faustini, Sturgeon Bay; 5.) Kevin Jandrin, Forestville; 6.) Gary Reinhardt, Fish Creek
FIRST HEAT: 1) Thorton; 2.) Bielke
SECOND HEAT: 1) Corey Haen, Carlsville; 2.) James Tebon, Algoma

BOMBERS
5 LAP FEATURE:  (rain shortened ) 1.) Don Aregoni Jr., Sturgeon Bay; 2.) Dennis Weidner, Sturgeon Bay; 3.) Greg Soukup, Edd Harbor; 4.) Wayne Moore, Sturgeon Bay; 5.) Todd Polster, Balieys Harbor; 6.) Thom Terrien, Green Bay
FIRST HEAT: 1) Aregoni; 2.) Terrien
SECOND HEAT: 1) Soukup; 2.) Jodi Annoye, Casco