After Two Decades Late Models Return to Sturgeon Bay!
By Joe Verdegan

July 20, 2003; Sturgeon Bay, WI. - Dirt late models will make a return after a 20-year absence to Thunder Hill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay for a Wednesday night special on August 6 to kick off the Door County Fair at John Miles Park.

The Forest County Potawatomi Dirt Late Model shootout will be highlighted by a 30 lap feature on the third-mile, clay oval. The long awaited return of the fastest cars on dirt that compete at weekly tracks in northeast Wisconsin will be highlighted by a huge payout for the WISSOTA-style racers. The main eventwill pay $2,000 to the winner, with a pile of other awards pushing the total amount possible to win up to awhopping $3,700.

"Forest County Potawatomi has been generous enough to help support this program for us," said co-promoter Bryan "Woody" Wodack. "WIth $50 per lap leader money and a $200 hard charger award, we're hoping to draw all the late model drivers that compete at the other tracks weekly. There is alot of interest up here in Sturgeon Bay about this program."

Among the early drivers who have committed to this event are Wisconsin's winningest dirt late model driver Pete Parker. With more than 370 career feature wins spanning four decades he'll be a favorite to win, along with Oostburg's Gordie Seegert. "I won the Clyde LeMieux Memorial race back there in 1982," recalled Seegert, who recently won the four race Luxemburg Speedway late model point series championship. "It's been a long time but we're looking forward to coming back up to Sturgeon Bay and putting on a great show for the fans."

Others who have committed to this big event include former WISSOTA national rookie of the year Tim Buhler, former Shawano Speedway champions Troy Springborn and Tom Naeyaert, Ron Bomber from nearby Rio Creek, former Seymour Tri-Oval late model rookie of the year TJ White along with fellow Green Bay drivers Greg "Hollywood" Haney and Michelle Ploeckelmann. "As word gets out we expect more drivers to commit to this show in the coming weeks," said Wodack.

IMCA modifeds and street stocks will also be a part of this special program, and they will also compete for bonus lap leader money as well. The grandstands will open at 5 p.m. with racing getting underway at 7 p.m. Adult tickets the day of the show will be $12.00, Students $8.00, Kids 6-123 $3.00. Children 5 and under will be admitted free with an adult.

Advanced tickets can be picked up at Bay Speed Center in De Pere, Butch's Auto, NAPA and Woody's Signs all of Sturgeon Bay. Tickets can also be purchased through Dan Lewis Photography at the track's souvenir trailer. Advanced ticket prices are $10.00 for adults, $7.00 for students and $2.00 for kids 6-12.

For more information on this program call 920 743 7052.

The track's website is www.racethunderhill.com.