Thunderhill Raceway Race Reports

3 in a Row for The Rookie
By Greg Aregoni
July 29, 2006; Sturgeon Bay, WI. - Some rookies just try to make the feature in the IMCA Modifieds. On occasion someone comes along and is a winner right away. That is the case of Shawn Kilgore. The rookie picked up his third feature win in a row in the Tri County Heating IMCA Modifieds.
 

Photo Highlights

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For the first time in recent track history, New Franken’s Shawn Kilgore scored his third feature win in a row. The Tri-County Heating IMCA Modified racer is currently competing in his rookie season, and is a former champion in the IMCA Stock Car division.51201b.jpg (17266 bytes)
IMCA Mod #90k Shawn Kilgore put on a class again this week in mastering a
blackened track, going to the front and holding off points leader #66 Jared Siefert. Kilgore, a 2006 season rookie, scored his third consecutive feature win on Saturday night. 51201b.jpg (17266 bytes)
“Hard Chargin’ Charlie Kroll” came home with his first 2006 Budweiser IMCA Stock
Car feature win on Saturday night with a late race pass on race leader Rick Mahlberg.51201b.jpg (17266 bytes)
The IMCA Stock Car battle for second in the feature came right down to some great door-to-door action between #8 Charlie Kroll and #97 Jamie Suchocki while #20 Gary Reinhardt waited for either driver to make a mistake on the slickened track.51201b.jpg (17266 bytes)
D.C. Custom Drilling & Blasting Street Stock #11 Von Eytcheson won his third
consecutive feature event. It was the defending 2005 Street Stock champion’s
fourth A-main win of 2006.51201b.jpg (17266 bytes)
Street Stock #11 Von Eytcheson took a look on the inside of feature race leader #75 Thom Terrien. Eytcheson went on to make a move on Terrien and went on to his third consecutive feature event win. 51201b.jpg (17266 bytes)
Olson Fabrication IMCA Hobby Stock #11w Joe White scored his first feature win of
2006 at Thunderhill. 51201b.jpg (17266 bytes)
IMCA Hobby Stock action went right down to the wire between #11w Joe White
and #40D Dave DeGrave. White scored his first feature win of 2006.51201b.jpg (17266 bytes)
After finishing in second more than any other driver in the class, Bomber #11m
Dan Merkle was finally able to take home the elusive feature trophy.
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Bomber #11m Dan Merkle held off challenges from #12 Robert Waechter Jr. to
win his first feature win of 2006.51201b.jpg (17266 bytes)
4-Cylinder #83 Tom Zastrow, Sturgeon Bay, scored his fourth feature win of the
2006 race season on Saturday night.
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In the 4-Cylinder feature, #83 Tom Zastrow was able to outlast #2 Kenny Malcore on the final lap of their A-main.
Charlie Kroll passed race-long leader Rick Mahlberg with two laps to go to win the Budweiser IMCA Stockcar feature.

Joe White picked up the clean sweep weekend in the Olson Fabrication IMCA Hobby Stocks.

The bounty is still out on Von Eytcheson. Eytcheson passed Thom Terrien with 5 laps to go to win his fourth D.C. Custom Drilling and Blasting Street Stock feature.

Dwayne Mertens led from the drop of the green flag in the Olson Fabrication IMCA Hobby Stock feature. Dave DeGrave quickly made his bid for the lead but Mertens was able to hold court. Roger Laviolette caught the top two and made a three wide pass on lap 9. A caution on lap 10 set up a five lap dash to the checkers. Joe White used the low line through turns one and two to catch Laviolette and make the pass. White went on to pick up his first win of the season. The win capped off a clean sweep weekend as White won at Luxemburg on Friday night. Laviolette limped passed the finish line after hard contact with DeGrave. Laviolette was given second followed by Jeff Lautenbach, Tom Brumlic and Eddie Anschutz.

Thom Terrien was the man to beat early on in the D.C. Custom Drilling and Blasting Street Stock feature. Terrien was leading with five laps to go when Von Eytcheson caught him. Eytcheson made his move to the inside and was able to make the pass on Terrien after heavy contact between the top two. Eytcheson led through a series of cautions and picked up his fourth feature win of the season. Tim Czarneski was second followed by Scott Reinhardt, Jeremy Wiitala and James Iverson. The bounty will go up next week for any of the Street Stock drivers that are able to beat Eytcheson.

Rick Mahlberg used his outside front row starting spot to grab the lead and pull away in the Budweiser IMCA Stockcar feature. Mahlberg was able to jump to a big lead while Jamie Suchoski and Charlie Kroll battled for second. After a caution midway through the race Kroll was able to get around Suchoski on the outside line. Kroll jumped to the middle line and pressured Mahlberg heavily. With two laps to go, Kroll was able to get enough momentum to pass Mahlberg. Kroll went on to win his first feature of the season. Mahlberg was second followed by Suchoski, Mark Derenne, and Gary Reinhardt.

Chris Derenne jumped out from his pole position starting spot to lead the Tri-County Heating IMCA Modified feature. Shawn Kilgore and Randy Lemieux Jr followed right behind the leader. Jared Siefert was able to make his way passed Lemieux for third. On lap 14 Kilgore found the opening he was looking for coming out of turn two. Siefert followed right behind Kilgore. Kilgore used the top line to pull away from Siefert and pick up his third feature win in a row. Siefert increased his point lead after finishing second followed by Derenne, Lemieux and Jay Matthias.

Dan Merkle won his first feature win of the season in the Bombers.

Tom Zastrow won his fourth feature of the season despite heavy pressure from Kenny Malcore.

Next week is Bill Boettcher night at the Forest County Potawatomi Thunderhill Raceway. The IMCA Modifieds will be in the spotlight. Thunderhill Raceway is located at the John Miles Fair Park in Sturgeon Bay. The track’s website is www.racethunderhill.com. For more info call Woody at 743-7052.

Tri-County Heating IMCA Modified Feature- 1. Shawn Kilgore, Kewaunee 2. Jared Siefert, Green Bay 3. Chris Derenne, Luxemburg 4. Randy Lemieux Jr, Sturgeon Bay 5. Jay Matthias, De Pere

Modified Heats- #1 1. Derenne 2. Billy Lemieux, Sturgeon Bay
#2 1. Jeremy Jacobs, Algoma 2. Lemieux
#3 1. Benji LaCrosse, Luxemburg 2. Rick Johnson, Gills Rock

Budweiser IMCA Stockcar Feature- 1. Charlie Kroll, Forestville 2. Rick Mahlberg, Denmark 3. Jamie Suchoski, Kewaunee 4. Mark Derenne, Kewaunee 5. Gary Reinhard, Fish Creek

Consy- 1. Dave Bouche, Algoma

Heats- #1 1. Reinhardt 2. Ben Kroll, New Franken
#2 1. Mahlberg 2. Suchoski
#3 1. Derenne 2. Todd Polster, Bailey’s Harbor

Olson Fabricaton IMCA Hobby Stock Feature- 1. Joe White, Suamico 2. Roger Laviolette, Sturgeon Bay 3. Jeff Lautenbach, Sturgeon Bay 4. Tom Brumlic, Denmark 5, Eddie Anschutz, Algoma

Heats- #1 1. Laviolette 2. Keith Kickbusch, Kewaunee
#2 1. Chad Kominski, Denmark 2. Jerry Scray Jr, Abrams

D.C. Custom Drilling and Blasting Street Stock Feature- 1.Von Eytcheson, Forestville 2. Tim Czarneski, Denmark 3. Scott Reinhardt, Bailey’s Harbor 4. Jeremy Wiitala, Green Bay 5. James Iverson, Sturgeon Bay

Heats- #1 1. Czarneski 2. Wiitala
#2 1. Eytcheson 2. Jesse Behnke, Brillion

4 Cylinder Feature-1. Tom Zastrow, Sturgeon Bay 2. Kenny Malcore, Milwaukee 3. Charlie Gross 4. Kip Burlo, Sturgeon Bay

Heats- #1 1. Zastrow 2. Jarred Smith, Luxemburg
#2 1. Gross 2. Nick Everard, Green Bay

Bomber Feature- 1. Dan Merkle, Bailey’s Harbor 2. Rob Waechter Jr, Ellisville 3. Brian Belleau, Algoma

Heat- 1. Mike Jost, Sturgeon Bay 2. Merkle