May 21, 2005; Sturgeon Bay,
WI. -On a night where the weather was hot; the racing at Forest County
Potawatomi Thunderhill Raceway was hotter. Mobile Detail and Wulf Brothers sponsored the
racing action Saturday night. The Dairy Queen Street Stocks had a double payout for the
night. Where ever they finished their pay was doubled. There were four new winners in this
early season and one repeat winner. With five exciting divisions taking to the track,
racing was done at 9:30.
In the Budweiser IMCA Modified feature event Felix Todd
Dart from Algoma won the 20 lap race. In the Wulf Brothers IMCA Stockcar A main event,
4-time IMCA Modified champion Eugene Gregorich from Kewaunee won the 18 lap event. Ed
Anschutz out of Algoma won the 15 lap IMCA Hobbystock feature. Von Eytcheson from
Forestville not only won the feature, but also the double payout for the class. Kenny
Malcore won an exciting 4 cylinder feature.
In the Budweiser IMCA Modified feature event, Darrell Massart led the opening two laps.
Randy Lemieux Jr. quickly looked like the car to beat as he made the pass on Massart on
lap 3. Lemieux jumped out ahead of the rest of the pack and left the race for second. The
battle for second was with Massart, Kevin Sternard, Bill Lemieux, Todd Dart, and Sean
Jerovetz. Dart emerged the victor for the battle for second; he then set his sights on
Lemieux Jr. Dart caught him and made the pass on the outside. At the halfway point of the
race, Dart lead followed by, Lemieux Jr., Jerovetz, Sternard, Jared Siefert, and Jeremy
Jacobs. The one caution fell on lap 11, setting up a 9 lap shootout. Dart kept the lead
and powered away. With four laps to go Jerovetz passed Lemieux Jr on the outside. Siefert
and Jacobs then made their way past Sternard. Nobody ever challenged Dart, and he went on
to win his first Budweiser IMCA Modified feature win of the season. Following at the
checkers was, Jerovetz, Lemieux Jr, Seifert, and Jeremy Jacobs. Todd Dart had this to say
after the feature, The track was nice and the car felt good where ever I put
it.
The Wulf Brothers IMCA Stockcar Main Event went green flag to checker flag with no
cautions. Eugene Gregorich out of Kewaunee lead from the drop of the green flag and never
looked back. He held about a 6-7 car length lead the whole feature race on the rest of the
field. The battle for second was with Mark Derenne, Charlie Kroll, Jeff Vlies, and Dave
Bouche. Going two by two all the way through the field was what helped Gregorich pull
away. At the halfway point of the race Kroll emerged as the strongest contender to catch
Gregorich; with Vlies solidly in third, Bouche, Matt Junio, and Shawn Kilgore had an
impressive 3-way battle for many laps.
With three to go Kilgore managed to get to fourth and challenge Vlies for
third. He made a couple of efforts but to no avail. With Kroll never tracking down the
leader, 4-time IMCA Modified champion Eugene Gregorich went on to win his first Wulf
Brothers IMCA Stockcar feature win of the year. At the finish line he was followed by,
Charlie Kroll, Jeff Vlies, Shawn Kilgore, and Matt Junio. When I asked what he thought of
the race he responded, I told my pit crew I just wanted to keep the car in one piece
for the first time this year. I have been in two pretty good accidents this year and I
just wanted to finish this race and drive it up on the trailer.
Eddie The Flying Eagle Anschutz lead from the drop of the green flag and
soared to the big early lead. Anschutz had about a straightaway length lead over Tom
Brumlic, Brandon Peterson, Tony Schlei and Keith Kickbusch. Brumlic and Schlei then
battled alone for second and third. Tony Schlei hugged the tires finding the fastest way
around the track and made the pass on Brumlic. With 4 laps to go Kickbusch and Dave
DeGrave found their way around Brandon Peterson.
With at Straightaway win, Eddie The Flying Eagle Anschutz was
followed at the checkers by Tony Schlei, Tom Brumlic, Keith Kickbusch, and Dave DeGrave.
After the feature, the winner takes the checkered flag for a victory lap. Ed Anschutz took
the flag and went backwards on the track in memory of Nathan Bouche who died tragically in
a farm accident last fall. I just want to say that I won that race in memory of
Nathan Bouche. He was a good friend of a lot of the people here at the race track. That
was for you buddy.
The Street Stocks were racing for a double pay night. In a caution filled Dairy Queen
Street Stock event, Troy Wilson was the early leader. Right behind Wilson was Faron
Beilke, Mike Pierrard, Brian Ambrosius and Jeremy Wiitala. On lap five Mike Pierrard used
a 3-wide pass on Beilke and Wilson to inherit the lead. With Pierrard out front, Troy
Wilson lost a tire in turn two, and a pile up ensued. On the restart, Pierrard was
followed by Wiitala, David Hoerning, Harley Simon, Scott Reinhardt and Von Eytcheson.
Eytcheson made his was through the traffic and challenged Pierrard for the lead. Eytcheson
made his move on Pierrard and took off.
The caution once again flew for a mid-pack accident. After several more
attempts to get green flag racing in; the decision was made to go green, white, checker.
Eytcheson never was challenged and went on to win his second consecutive Street Stock
feature. Eytcheson started 19th in the 21 car field. Finishing second was Mike Pierrard
followed by Jeremy Wiitala, David Hoerning, and Scott Reinhardt. After Vons victory,
he said, I just want to thank all of my family, friends, and loving wife.
The 4 cylinder feature had some drama in this 10 lap feature event. James Vanden Bogart
jumped out to the early lead ahead of Tyler Smith, Kenny Malcore, Todd Smith and Tom
Zastrow. Tyler Smith caught Vanden Bogart with three laps to go, and made his move. As
Smith went for the pass with two laps left, Vanden Bogart gave Smith a punch in the door
sending both cars up towards the wall. This left Kenny Malcore the leader. He went on to
win the race comfortably over Tyler Smith and Todd Smith. With two laps to go I
didnt think that I had a chance to win until I saw Vanden Bogart and Tyler Smith
hit.
Next weeks sponsor will be Coca-Cola. From 4:30 until 6:00 p.m. with a purchase of a
grandstand wristband, beer will only be $1.00. A West Coast Chopper Big Wheel will be
given away to a child 8 an under. The child must be present to win. Also next week,
children bring your big wheels; the children can race their big wheels on the front
stretch during intermission. Racing action gets underway at 6 p.m. Forest County
Potawatomi Thunderhill Raceway is located at John Miles Fair Park in Sturgeon Bay. The
tracks website is www.racethunderhill.com
20 lap Budweiser IMCA Modified Feature- 1.
Todd Dart, Algoma 2. Sean Jerovetz, Little Suamico 3. Randy Lemieux Jr, Sturgeon Bay 4.
Jared Siefert, Green Bay 5. Jeremy Jacobs, Casco
10 lap heats
Heat 1. 1.Darrell Massart, Brussels 2. James Tebon, Algoma
Heat 2. 1.Dart 2. Billy Lemieux, Sturgeon Bay
Heat 3 1. Lemieux Jr 2. Eric Van Iten, Green Bay
12 lap consy 1. Jay Matthias, Depere
18 lap Wulf Brothers IMCA Stockcar Feature-
1. Eugene Gregorich, Kewaunee 2. Charlie Kroll, Forestville 3. Jeff Vlies, Kewaunee 4.
Shawn Kilgore, Kewaunee 5. Matt Junio, Casco
10 lap heats
Heat 1. 1. Vlies 2. Junio
Heat 2. 1. Gregorich 2. Kroll
Heat 3. 1. Darren Otto, Green Bay 2. Josh Massart, Brussels
12 lap consy 1. Rick Mahlberg, Denmark
15 lap Mays Sport Center IMCA Hobbystock
Feature- 1. Ed Anschutz, Algoma 2. Tony Schlei, Zion, IL 3. Tom Brumlic, Denmark 4. Keith
Kickbusch, Kewaunee 5. Dave De Grave, Luxemburg
10 lap heats
Heat1 1. Brumlic 2. De Grave
Heat2 1. Anschutz 2. Schlei
15 lap Dairy Queen Street Stocks Feature- 1.
Von Eytcheson, Forestville 2. Mike Pierrard, Green Bay 3. Jeremy Wiitala, Green Bay 4.
Dave Hoerning 5. Scott Reinhardt, Sturgeon Bay
10 lap heats
Heat 1.Faron Beilke, Oneida 2. Troy Wilson
Heat 2.Harley Simon, Seymour 2. Scott Iverson, Sturgeon Bay
10 lap Door County Motorsports 4 cylinder
Feature- 1. Kenny Malcore, Milwaukee 2. Tyler Smith 3. Todd Smith, Little Sturgeon
10 lap heat Heat 1. 1. James Vanden Bogart
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