Thunderhill Raceway Race Reports

Jerovetz Sweeps to Last Lap Win at Thunderhill
By Tom Wagner

July 1, 2006; Sturgeon Bay, WI. - Sean Jerovetz went from third to first on the final corner to win a chaotic IMCA Modified headliner Saturday night at the Potawatomi Thunderhill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay.
 

Photo Highlights

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#37 Sean Jerovetz won his first 2006 A-main in the Tri-County Heating IMCA Modified feature event.51201b.jpg (17266 bytes)
#37 Sean Jerovetz makes a move on #10 Chris Derenne on his way to the front of the Tri-County Heating IMCA Modified feature event. 51201b.jpg (17266 bytes)
Budweiser IMCA Stock Car #48 Scott Pagels won his first A-main in an IMCA sanctioned class.51201b.jpg (17266 bytes)
The race lead for the Budweiser IMCA Stock Cars switched off several times between #6 Rick Mahlberg and #48 Scott Pagels, but it was Pagels that came out on top and took first at the checkers.51201b.jpg (17266 bytes)
An opening lap race incident put #54 B.J. Soquet looking for a place to land his IMCA Stock Car after a run in with #73 Don Aregoni. Soquet was able to continue, finishing third while Aregoni limped his way to the finish.
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D.C. Custom Drilling & Blasting Street Stock #76 John Sternard was forced to settle for second best after #95 Aaron Thornton used the outside, to pass Sternard on the final lap.51201b.jpg (17266 bytes)
IMCA Hobby Stock #71 Eddie Anschutz was joined in the winner’s circle by other top competitors after taking his fourth feature event of 2006.51201b.jpg (17266 bytes)
The Olson Fabrication Hobby Stock A-main looked like it belonged to #56 Jeff Lautenbach, but it was a flat tire that put him out of contention. Two-time track champion #71 Ed Anschutz was there to pick up the pace and take home the win. 51201b.jpg (17266 bytes)
Ryan Eickert, Brillion, scored his first feature win at Thunderhill on Saturday night. His earlier win was a heat race on opening night.51201b.jpg (17266 bytes)
Bomber #41 Ryan Eickert edged out Mike Jost for position in the Bomber A-main. 51201b.jpg (17266 bytes)
4-Cylinder feature race winner #e8 Tony Everard enjoyed the spoils of his feature win.
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#e8 Tony Everard beat out #83 Tom Zastrow in the main event while Zastrow was the winner of the class’ heat race event.

The win was Jerovetz's first of the season, a trend followed by most divisions on the night. Scott Pagels in the IMCA Stock Cars, Tony Everard in the 4 Cylinders and Ryan Eickert in the Bombers all captured their first wins of 2006. Breaking the trend were Aaron Thornton in the Street Stocks, who won for the fifth time, and Ed Anschutz, now a three-time winner in the IMCA Hobby Stock point races.

The dramatic finish to the Modified feature capped a rugged race that saw no less than seven cautions. Chris Derenne led early, winning a three-wide battle for the lead at the initial drop of the green. Benji LaCrosse entered the night as the point leader, and looked to be on the way to extending that lead as he slipped into second on a lap four restart.

LaCrosse would take command just one lap later, with Jared Siefert following. Yellow flags kept popping up, with the lead duo consistently taking command when racing resumed. The worst incident happened at lap 10 as five cars, Derenne, Shawn Kilgore, Randy LeMieux, Art Siefert and Randie Back, ended up slammed together in the first turn. Only Kilgore was done for the night.

After a late caution, Jared Siefert took up the charge to the inside of LaCrosse. The two were side by side at times, with Jerovetz following in their wake. LaCrosse took the white flag as the leader, and held the spot until they came to final corner. It was then that Jerovetz went for the win. He popped to the extreme outside through three and four. It was nearly three-wide as they headed out of the turn toward the flagstand.

As Jerovetz pulled ahead out of four, it turned into mayhem behind him as LaCrosse was suddenly sideways in front of the charging pack. Cars scattered in all directions as the checkers flew.

When the dust settled, it was Jerovetz clutching the trophy with Siefert second. Dan Ratajczak had run in the top four most of the way, and picked up third. Scott Boyea started in the last row and came through the carnage for fourth. Jay Matthias and Todd Dart were scored next in line, both rallying from the back after pit lane visits through the course of the event.

Drama at the front of the pack came a little earlier in the contest for the IMCA Stock Cars. Pagels took the lead early, only to lose it to Rick Mahlberg at lap seven. Pagels kept the pressure on, with Mike Wietor, B.J. Soquet and Charlie Kroll tight behind him. When Mahlberg went for a slide in the third turn on lap 12, Pagels found himself back on top for good.

While he's won in other divisions, the victory was his first in an IMCA sanctioned class. Pat Davister made a late charge to second, with Soquet, Kroll, Wieter and Jeff Vlies rounding out the top six.

The Street Stocks turned in another sensational, but less controversial finish. John Sternard took control from Thom Terrien on the second lap. Sternard settled in on the bottom line, and looked to be headed to a win until a late caution set up an unusual twist of fate.

Thornton was running the low line as well, with Scott Reinhardt to the outside. The lap before the yellow, Reinhardt had edged into second, meaning Reinhardt would be inside and Thornton outside for the restart. Taken out of his preferred line, Thornton was forced to use the outside, which turned out to be his ticket to the win as he passed Sternard on the final lap.

Without the caution, Thornton stays low and Sternard possibly wins. Instead, he settled for second with Reinhardt third. Jeremy Wiitala, Chilton regular Ryan Brandes and Von Eytcheson all carded top six runs.

A two car duel for the IMCA Hobby Stock win turned into a solo affair thanks to Jeff Lautenbach's right tire. Lautenbach had motored to the outside of Duane Mertens on the second lap, with Anschutz following three laps later. The two broke free, but Anschutz, the state point leader, found that taking the lead would be no easy task.

He could get no closer than two car-lengths until the 8th lap when Lautenbach swerved high out of the racing groove with a flat right rear. From there, it was Anschutz in a cake walk. He snapped Keith Kickbusch's two-week win streak in the process. Kickbusch attained second late in the contest and couldn't catch the leader, but his runner-up finish locked the two in a tie for the division point lead.

Everard held off constant pressure from Kenny Malcore, Tom Zastrow and Jeff Dubois en route to the 4 Cylinder win. Kip Burlo joined the lead four-some late as the leaders crossed the line nose to tail.

Eickert's Bomber win came at the expense of Mike Jost, who he passed with just three laps to go.

Saturday night, NAPA Auto Parts will sponsor the show. The Raceway's six divisions will be in action along with the annual Powder Puff races. The night will be capped off with fireworks. Racing starts each week at 6:00 PM. For more information, visit the track's website at www.racethunderhill.com.

Potawatomi Thunderhill Raceway Results 7/1/2006

IMCA Modified 20 Lap Feature
Sean Jerovetz, Little Suamico - Jared Siefert, Green Bay - Dan Ratajczak, Frog Station - Scott Boyea, Abrams - Jay Matthias, DePere - Todd Dart, Algoma

Semi-Feature
Randy LeMieux, Jr, Sturgeon Bay - James Tebon, Algoma - Art Siefert, Green Bay - Boyea

Heat 1
Tony Herbst, Sturgeon Bay - Benji LaCrosse, Luxemburg

Heat 2
Jerovetz - Dave Zeitler, Luxemburg

Heat 3
Chris Derenne, Luxemburg - Bill LeMieux, Sturgeon Bay

IMCA Stock Car 18 Lap Feature
Scott Pagels, Egg Harbor - Pat Davister, Luxemburg - B.J. Soquet, Luxemburg - Charlie Kroll, Forestville - Mike Wietor, Green Bay - Jeff Vlies, Kewaunee

Semi-Feature
Todd Polster, Baileys Harbor - Dave Davister, Luxemburg - Craig Paque, Algoma - Dave Bouche, Algoma

Heat 1
Rick Mahlberg, Denmark - Matt Junio, Casco

Heat 2
Shawn Havel, Brussels - Vlies

Heat 3
Wietor - Kroll

Street Stock 15 Lap Feature
Aaron Thornton, Maplewood - John Sternard, Green Bay - Scott Reinhardt, Baileys Harbor - Jeremy Wiitala, Green Bay - Ryan Brandes, Brillion - Von Eytcheson, Forestville

Heat 1
Eytcheson - Jesse Behnke, Brillion

Heat 2
Thornton - Brandes

IMCA Hobby Stock 15 Lap Feature
Ed Anschutz, Algoma - Keith Kickbusch, Kewaunee - Duane Mertens, Luxemburg - Marcus Moede, Casco - Brandon Peterson, Sturgeon Bay - Roger LaViolette, Forestville

Heat
Mertens - Anschutz

4 Cylinder 12 Lap Feature
Tony Everard, Green Bay - Ken Malcore, Milwaukee - Jeremy DuBois, Sturgeon Bay - Tom Zastrow, Sturgeon Bay - Kip Burlo, Sturgeon Bay - Nick Everard, Green Bay

Heat
Zastrow - Tony Everard

Bomber Feature
Ryan Eickert, Brillion - Rob Waechter, Jr, Ellisville - Dan Merkle, Egg Harbor - Mike Jost, Sturgeon Bay - Brian Belleau, Algoma