Thunderhill Raceway Race Reports

Soquet Wins First Career IMCA Stock Feature At Forest County Potawatomi Thunderhill Raceway!
By Greg Aregoni

May 28, 2005; Sturgeon Bay, WI. -With after noon showers just missing the Forest County Potawatomi Thunderhill Raceway; Coca-Cola night was able to go on as anticipated and had a couple of new winners on the early season. With five divisions of racing the action was done at 9:40 pm.

Photo Highlights

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Thunderhill Raceway; 20 lap Budweiser
IMCA Modified Feature Winner Benji Lacrosse, Luxemburg, in his first trip to
Thunderhill in 2005.

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Thunderhill Raceway; Budweiser
IMCA Modified #66 Jared Siefert, Green Bay, was never able to make a challenge
for the race lead against #54 Benji Lacrosse. Lacrosse went on to win the
feature in his first trip back to Thunderhill.

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Thunderhill Raceway; 18 lap Wulf
Brothers IMCA Stockcar Feature Winner #54 B.J. Soquet, Luxemburg, won his first
career IMCA Stockcar feature.

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Thunderhill Raceway; Wulf Brothers
IMCA Stockcars #2 Josh Massart, #3 Eugene Gregorich and #8 Charlie Kroll each
struggled to gain ground on one another on another great track last Saturday
night in the feature event.

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15 lap Dairy Queen Street Stock Feature Winner #11v Von Eytcheson, Forestville. This was Eytcheson’s third feature win in a row.
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Dairy Queen Street Stocks #29 Scott Iverson, Sturgeon Bay, and #76 John Sternard, Green Bay, went door-to-door in Saturday night’s feature race.

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Thunderhill Raceway; 15 lap Mays Sport
Center IMCA Hobbystock Feature Winner #75 Tony Schlei, Zion, IL swept the night
with a heat and feature win.

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Thunderhill Raceway; 10 lap Door County
Motorsports Feature Winner #32 Chad Williams, Sturgeon Bay.
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Thunderhill Raceway; Big Wheel races
were hosted by the night’s sponsor, Coca- Cola.

In the Budweiser IMCA Modified action, Benji Lacrosse made a successful return trip to Thunderhill. B.J. Soquet won his first career Wulf Brother’s IMCA Stockcar feature. Tony Schlei made it two feature wins on the season with his Mays Sport Center IMCA Hobbystock main event. Von Eytcheson won his third straight Dairy Queen Street Stock feature. Chad Williams has made it two for three in Door County Motorsports 4 cylinder racing this year with his feature win.

The Dairy Queen Street Stock feature was the first in action on Saturday night. Brian Ambrosius took a front row starting spot and set the early pace. John Sternard headed a group of cars that where trying to catch Ambrosius. Following Sternard were Scott Iverson, Scott Reinhardt, Von Eytcheson, Mike King Jr., and Harley Simon. Von Eytcheson soon made his presence known, when he passed Sternard on the outside for second. Ambrosius held the lead until lap 6 when a caution came out for an accident. On the restart Eytcheson made his move to the outside of Ambrosius and made the pass. Eytcheson set sail, and was unchallenged the rest of the way. Eytcheson won the feature by a straightaway followed by Ambrosius, Iverson, King Jr, and Sternard. This was Eytcheson’s third feature win in a row. “I want to thank all of my sponsors for all of their support. I would also like to say thank you to my #1 fan, my mother.” Von Eytcheson in regards to his feature win.

In the Wulf Brother’s IMCA Stockcar A Main event, B.J. Soquet rocketed out to the lead from his pole position. Soquet quickly made his way in front of the pack by about 8 car lengths. Charlie Kroll, jumped to second, Eugene Gregorich, Troy Muench, Jeff Vlies, Josh Massart, and Shawn Kilgore followed him. Kilgore made a move mid-way through the race and passed both Gregorich and Muench to take the third spot. Muench then wrestled fourth from last week’s winner, Gregorich. Kilgore then moved up to challenge Kroll for the second spot. With five laps to go, Kroll and Kilgore made a charge at Soquet. Coming to the white flag, Kroll threw his car into the third corner and made an effort to pass Soquet; but to no avail. Soquet was able to keep a two-car distance between Kroll, Kilgore and himself. Winning his first career IMCA Stockcar feature, Soquet was followed to the line by Kroll, Kilgore, Muench and Gregorich.

Bill Lemieux led the opening lap of the Budweiser IMCA Modified feature only to be overtaken by Dan Rataczjak on lap 2. Benji Lacrosse who started in the sixth row challenged Rataczjak for the lead on lap 3. Lacrosse took the lead on lap 3 and was flying down low. A caution came out halfway through the race for an incident on the front stretch. On the lap 10 restart Rataczjak, Sean Jerovetz, Jared Siefert, Todd Dart and Paul Parker followed Lacrosse. With Lacrosse solidly out front, Jerovetz, Siefert, Dart, and Parker all did a train move on Rataczjak, hanging him out on the outside. Jerovetz and Siefert started to catch Lacrosse lap by lap. With Five Laps to go, Siefert made the pass on Jerovetz for second. Siefert was never able to make a challenge for the lead. Lacrosse went on to win the feature in his first trip back to Thunderhill. On what he thought of the track and his win, Benji Lacrosse said, “It was nice to have a good 2-3 lanes of racing. I have been trying new suspension setups and I found one that worked well for this track.” Rounding out the top five where Siefert, Jerovetz, Dart and Parker.

Kevin Laughlin led the opening lap of the Mays Sport Center IMCA Hobbystock feature event. On lap two Jeff Lautenbach fought to the inside of Laughlin and grabbed the lead. Brumlic made his way to the front using the topside of the racetrack and challenged Lautenbach for the top spot on lap five. Brumlic took the lead on lap five and was followed by Lautenbach, Tony Schlei, Keith Kickbusch, Laughlin and Eddie Anschutz. Schlei and Kickbusch made the pass on Lautenbach on the low side and set their eyes on Brumlic. Anschutz then made his way to third with a pass on Laughlin and Lautenbach.

With Schlei catching Brumlic using the low side; that left Kickbusch alone in third. With five laps to go Schlei got to the inside of Brumlic. Schlei battled down low while Brumlic was up top. “I felt the car just go away up top. We checked the right rear tire pressure after the feature and we only had eight pounds of pressure in it.” So with Brumlic having a tire going down, Schlei took off and went on to win his second feature of the season. Schlei was followed at the line by Brumlic, Kickbusch, Anschutz, and Lautenbach. When asked about the race, Schlei responded, “Starting from the 10th spot I fought hard to the front. It was a bittersweet victory to beat my good friend, and rival Tom Brumlic. I enjoyed coming from the back of the field, rather than winning from the front.”

In the 10-lap Door County Motorsports feature race, Tyler Smith led the first two laps. Chad Williams went to the high side and passed Tyler Smith on lap three. Williams increased his lead over Smith and Kenny Malcore. Smith tried to catch Williams but never did. Winning his second feature win of the season, Williams was followed by Smith and Malcore at the finish line. “I found some good traction up top. I found out tonight that my car is much faster when I’m not hitting into the concrete.” Chad Williams response to his feature win with a laugh.

Next week is going to be Northland Steel Night. The IMCA Hobbystock drivers will be getting introduced before their feature event. There will be $1.00 beer from 4:30 until racing starts at 6 p.m. with a purchase of a grandstand wristband. Once again Forest County Potawatomi Thunderhill Raceway will be giving away a West Coast Chopper Big Wheel. Forest County Potawatomi Thunderhill Raceway is located at the John Miles Fair Park in Sturgeon Bay. The track’s website is www.racethunderhill.com

20 lap Budweiser IMCA Modified Feature-1. Benji Lacrosse, Luxemburg 2. Jared Siefert, Green Bay 3, Sean Jerovetz, Little Saumico 4. Todd Dart, Algoma 5. Paul Parker, Kaukauna
12 lap Consi- 1. Parker
10 lap Heats-
#1 1. Bill Lemieux, Sturgeon Bay 2. Chris Derenne, Luxemburg
#2 1. Darrell Massart, Brussels 2. Jay Matthias, De Pere
#3 1. James Tebon, Algoma 2. Jerovetz



18 lap Wulf Brothers IMCA Stockcar Feature- 1. B.J. Soquet, Luxemburg 2. Charlie Kroll, Forestville 3. Shawn Kilgore, Kewaunee 4. Troy Muench, Green Bay 5. Eugene Gregorich, Kewaunee

12 lap Consi- 1. Jamie Suchocki, Kewaunee
10 lap Heats-
#1. 1. Gregorich 2. Craig Paque, Algoma
#2 1. Josh Massart, Brussels 2. Bernie Reinhardt, Sturgeon Bay
#3. 1. Jeff Vlies, Kewaunee 2. Kroll

15 lap Mays Sport Center IMCA Hobbystock Feature- 1. Tony Schlei, Zion, IL 2. Tom Brumlic, Denmark 3. Keith Kickbusch, Kewaunee 4. Ed Anschutz, Algoma 5. Jeff Lautenbach, Sturgeon Bay

10 lap Heats-
#1 1. Anschutz 2. Roger Laviolette, Sturgeon Bay
#2 1. Schlei 2. Marcus Moede, Casco

15 lap Dairy Queen Street Stock Feature- 1. Von Eytcheson, Forestville 2. Brian Ambrosius, Pulaski 3. Scott Iverson, Sturgeon Bay 4. Mike King Jr, Little Chute 5. John Sternard, Green Bay

10 lap Heats-
#1 1. King Jr 2. Sternard
#2 1. Eytcheson 2. Harley Simon, Seymour


10 lap Door County Motorsports Feature- 1. Chad Williams, Sturgeon Bay 2. Tyler Smith, Luxemburg 3. Kenny Malcore, Milwaukee

10 lap Heat- 
#1 1. Malcore 2. Smith