Thunderhill Raceway Race Reports

Frank Paul Wins First Career Feature at The Hill
By Greg Aregoni

July 21, 2007; Sturgeon Bay, WI. -  Frank Paul won a wild IMCA Hobby Stock Feature to claim his first career feature win.

24 IMCA Stockcars, 20 IMCA Modifieds, 17 4 Cylinders, 14 Street Stocks, 13 IMCA Hobby Stocks, 8 IMCA
Northern Sportmods, and 4 Bombers were on hand for The Bull Pen Bar and Grill Night.
 

Photo Highlights

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Matthias would dominate the middle part of the race until Benji LaCrosse got to
the back bumper. Matthias and LaCrosse worked their way through lapped traffic, allowing Matthias to pull away up top and pick up his first win of the season.
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#15 Tom Stark preferred the smoother bottom line of the clay oval, but it was #8m
Jay Matthias that powered his way to top of the "rougher" areas of the track and eventual race win.
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While track crews went to work on the clay surface, the coin drop was held on the gokart track, giving some kids a little extra speed in grabbing the loot.
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Jeff DuBois held off Charlie Kroll at the end of the IMCA Northern Sport Mod feature to pick up his first career IMCA Northern Sport Mod win. He also won the $300 bounty on Kroll.51201b.jpg (17266 bytes)
IMCA Sport Mod #31 Jeff DuBois grabbed the race lead from Jerry Kroll, but it was his win over Charlie Kroll that made DuBois a lot richer at the end of the night.
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IMCA Stock Car rookie #11v Von
Eytcheson cruised to his second straight feature win on Saturday night.
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#44 Dennis Wiedner opened up the Street Stock feature with an impressive couple of
laps before #21 Tim Czarneski grabbed the lead using the high side. Czarneski would pull away from the rest of the pack.
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Frank Paul won a wild IMCA Hobby Stock Feature to claim his first career feature win.
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Frank Paul inherited the lead and held off #40d Dave DeGrave to win his first career
IMCA Hobby Stock feature win. DeGrave finished third behind a fast Keith Kickbusch.
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Dan Merkle edged Jesse Kroll by
a bumper as he won the Bomber feature.
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At one point in their main event, #11 Dan Merkle just got by the #8 Jesse Kroll
after Kroll spun it in turn two.
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Kasey Gross won his third feature of the season by about a lap in the 4-Cylinders.
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A 3-wide fight between #1 Patrick King, #07 Luke Lemmens and #22 Kipp Burlo for
the early lead ended up with #9 Kasey Gross patiently easing his way to first.

Jason Laviolette took the early command in the IMCA Hobby Stock Feature right in front of brother Roger.  Frank Paul and Brandon Peterson split cars going three wide on their way to challenge for the lead. A three
wide battle for the lead between Paul, Laviolette, and Peterson for two laps turned sour heading into turn 1 with 5 laps to go. Laviolette pushed through turns one and two getting into Peterson. Peterson made hard contact with the wall causing a caution. Frank Paul inherited the lead and held off Keith Kickbusch and Dave DeGrave to win his first career IMCA Hobby Stock Feature win. Kickbusch who was second improved his
point lead over DeGrave who was third. Roger Laviolette was fourth followed by Marcus Moede.

Dennis Wiedner opened up the Street Stock feature with an impressive couple of laps before Tim Czarneski grabbed the lead using the high side. Czarneski would pull away from the rest of the pack leaving second between John Sternard, Wiedner and Jeremy Wiitala. A caution for a bumper on lap 9 setup a 6 lap dash for cash. Czarneski was never challenged after the restart and picked up his first Street Stock feature win at Thunderhill. First time runner, Shannon Guilette finished second followed by Sternard, Scott Reinhardt, and Tim Jandrin.

Rick Mahlberg is always a force on a tacky track.  Mahlberg cruised way out front in the early part of the IMCA Stock car feature. Matt Junio and Von Eytcheson would quickly make their ways to second and third. A caution on lap 8 would regroup the field setting up a 10 lap finale. Von Eytcheson used his outside restarting spot to pass Junio and lock in on Mahlberg. The next few laps Eytcheson tried the top to make the pass. Finally, Eytcheson went to the extreme topside and passed Mahlberg for the lead for good. Eytcheson cruised to his second straight win followed by Mahlberg, Troy Muench, Junio, and Scott Pagels.

A green to checker run in the IMCA Modifieds is usually a rarity, but Saturday night the modifieds were able to do just that. Chris Derenne led the opening few laps until Jay Matthias went powering bye on top. Matthias would dominate the middle part of the race until Benji LaCrosse got to the back bumper.  Matthias and LaCrosse started working their way
through lapped traffic. As LaCrosse was going to make the pass down low, Mark Berglund got real loose.  LaCrosse had to check up hard allowing Matthias to pull away up top and pick up his first win of the season. LaCrosse was second followed by Tom Stark, Randy Lemieux Jr, and Shawn Kilgore.
 
Jeff Dubois held off Charlie Kroll at the end of the IMCA Northern Sportmod feature to pick up his first career IMCA Northern Sportmod win. He also won the $300 bounty on Kroll.

Kasey gross won his third feature of the season by about a ¼ lap in the 4 Cylinders.

Dan Merkle edged Jesse Kroll by a bumper as he won the Bomber feature.

Next Saturday Night July 28th, Sonny's Pizzeria and Mays Sport Center will be sponsoring the night. The top three trailers decorated in Christmas themes will receive $300, $150, and $50. The track's website is www.racethunderhill.com For more info call Woody at 743-7052.

Kelsey Racing IMCA Modified
 
Feature- 1. Jay Matthias, DePere 2. Benji LaCrosse, Luxemburg 3. Tom Stark, Egg Harbor 4. Randy Lemieux Jr, Sturgeon Bay 5. Shawn Kilgore, New Franken

Heats- #1 1. Lemieux 2. Chris Derenne, Luxemburg
#2 1. LaCrosse 2. Stark

Eric Peterson Edward Jones Investments IMCA Stockcar

Feature- 1. Von Eytcheson, Forestville 2. Rick Mahlberg, Denmark 3. Troy Muench, Union 4. Matt Junio, Casco 5. Scott Pagels, The Badlands

Consy- 1. Ryan Lemieux, Sturgeon Bay

Heats- #1 1. Mike King Jr, Little Chute 2. Pagels
#2 1. Tony Bouche, Algoma 2. Jeff Vlies, Kewaunee
#3 1. Mahlberg 2. Matthias

Olson Fabrication IMCA Hobby Stock

Feature- 1. Frank Paul, Kewaunee 2. Keith Kickbusch, Kewaunee 3. Dave DeGrave, Luxemburg 4. Roger Laviolette, Sturgeon Bay 5. Marcus Moede, Casco

Heats- #1 1. Moede 2. Jarred Van Laanen, Green Bay
#2 1. Laviolette 2. DeGrave

IMCA Northern Sportmod
Feature- 1. Jeff Dubois, Luxemburg 2. Charlie Kroll, Forestville 3. Dave Budzban, Luxemburg

Heat- 1. Kroll 2. Budzban

Algoma Motors Street Stock

Feature- 1. Tim Czarneski, Denmark 2. Shannon Guilette, Algoma 3. Johnathan Sternard, Buckville 4. Scott Reinhardt, Bailey's
Harbor 5. Tim Jandrin, Algoma
 
Heats- #1 1. Jeremy Wiitala, Green Bay 2. Jandrin
#2 1. Czarneski 2. Sternard

Triangle Distributing 4 Cylinder
Feature- 1. Kasey Gross, Gleason 2. Patrick King, Little Chute 3. Kip Burlo, Sturgeon Bay 4. Tony Everard, Green Bay 5. Ken
Malcore, Milwaukee

Heats- #1 1. Jason Cornelius, Oneida 2. Gross
#2 1. King 2. Jesse Madoche, Algoma

Lackie Rentals and Remodeling Bomber

Feature- 1. Dan Merkle, Egg Harbor 2. Jesse Kroll, Algoma 3. Amber Wiedner, Maplewood

Heat- 1. Kody Laviolette, Sturgeon Bay 2. Merkle.