Thunderhill Raceway Race Reports |
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LaCrosse nips Tebon for
Thunderhill Victory
By
Greg Aregoni |
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June 30, 2007; Sturgeon Bay, WI. -
Benji LaCrosse needed all 20 laps to pass James Tebon
to pick up his third feature win of the season. 108 cars
entered the pits including 24 IMCA Stockcars, 22 IMCA
Modifieds, 18 Street Stocks, 13 IMCA Hobby Stocks, 5 Sportmods,
6 Bombers, and 20 4 Cylinders.
Photo Highlights |
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Benji LaCrosse won his third feature of the season followed
by James Lee Tebon, Todd Dart, Kevin Sternard, and Jeremy
Jacobs.
#21 James Lee
Tebon seemed to have the race in hand early on in the IMCA
Modified
feature but it was #54 Benji LaCrosse that reeled in Tebon.
At the white flag, LaCrosse made the pass for the lead.
LaCrosse went on to his third win of the
season followed by Tebon and Todd Dart.
#27 Charlie Kroll passed #15 Dave Budzban halfway through
the IMCA Northern Sportmod feature to win his fourth
consecutive "Hill" feature.
Stock Car #10 Matt Junio won his fourth feature of the
season on Saturday night. Davister was scored second,
followed by Marty Abshire, Troy Muench, and Jeff Vlies.
A
persistent #10 Matt Junio kept chipping away at the Pat
Davister's race lead and
at the white flag, made the pass for the lead using the
high-line. Davister wasn't able to make a charge giving
Junio his fourth feature win of the season.
Past Seymour Street Stock champion #17 Harley Simon looks
like he has found a new home for Saturday nights. In two
trips to Thunderhill, he has a two top-four
feature finishes including the feature win this past
Saturday night.
#17 Harley Simon used the whole
track to get past race leader #22 Todd Everard. Simon
collected his first win in only two nights of competition.
Many other local Street Stocks helped fill the field.
In the opening laps of the Street Stock feature, #73 Jimmy
"Windows" Anderson
held his inside line against #8 Geno Sternard and #50 James
Iverson.
Keith Kickbusch won his fourth 2007 IMCA Hobby Stock feature
race ahead of Dave DeGrave and Ed Anschutz.
Two-time
track champ Dan Merkle won his first 2007 Bomber feature
event on Saturday night.
Second-generation racer Luke Lemmens, son of former
Thunderhill track champ Rick Lemmens, won his first career
feature on Saturday night in the Sport Fours.
15-year old Luke Lemmens led every lap of the Sport Four
feature even with pressure from #x15 Jody Cornelius in the
Sport Four division. |
The IMCA Stockcar feature was first with Eric Malfroid
leading the opening lap. Marty Abshire made quick work of
Malfroid for the lead using the topside. A caution would
come out for a Von Eytcheson spin bringing the field
together. On the restart, both Pat Davister and Matt Junio
got great jumps off the start. Davister made the move inside
of Abshire to grab the lead and pull away. Junio eventually
got around
Abshire and with 6 laps to go started closing in on Davister.
Junio kept at it, and at the white flag made the pass for
the lead using the high-line. Davister wasn't able to
make a charge giving Junio his fourth feature win of the
season. Davister was second followed by Abshire, Troy Muench,
and Jeff Vlies.
Geno Sternard led the Street Stock feature to the green flag
and took the early command of the race. Sternard would
continue to lead until lap 8 when both Harley Simon and Todd
Everard would split him for the lead. Simon used the topside
to pull away from Everard. With five laps to go, Everard
started to drive into the corner harder picking up his
momentum through the corners. Everard was able to close onto
the back bumper of Simon at the checkers but never any
farther. Simon picked up the win in only his third night at
the track. Everard grabbed second in his first night at "The
hill." Sternard was third followed Jimmy Anderson, and Scott
Reinhardt.
James Lee Tebon seemed to have the race in hand early on in
the IMCA Modified feature. Tebon checked out at the drop of
the green flag by almost a full straightaway. Todd Dart and
Benji LaCrosse made their ways to the front using the
high-side of the track. Dart went down low giving
LaCrosse the top by himself. LaCrosse slung around Dart and
started reeling in Tebon. LaCrosse kept after Tebon and at
the white flag made the pass for the lead. LaCrosse would go
on
to his third win of the season followed by Tebon, Dart,
Kevin Sternard, and Jeremy Jacobs.
Terry Therrien led the opening lap of the IMCA Hobby Stock
feature before Dave DeGrave made the move on both Therrien
and Marcus Moede for the lead. DeGrave went to the bottom of
the track giving Jarred Van Lannen the top-side. Van Lannen
would stay on top and actually grab the lead on lap 8.
DeGrave fought back and picked up the lead on lap 9. A
caution for Jeff Lautenbach made the race a five lap dash
for cash. Keith Kickbusch made his way to second
around Van Lannen and made quick work of DeGrave for the
lead. Kickbusch pulled away and picked up his fourth
feature win of the season. DeGrave settled for second
followed by Ed Anschutz, Van Lannen, and Brandon Peterson.
Roger Laviolette claimed the carburetor of DeGrave. Claim
was accepted.
Charlie Kroll passed Dave Budzban halfway through the IMCA
Northern Sportmod feature to win his fourth feature in a
row.
Dan Merkle won the Bomber feature and moved into a tie for
the lead with Jesse Kroll.
Luke Lemmens led every lap in winning his first career 4
Cylinder feature.
Next Saturday Night July 7th, Flanigan Distributing will be
sponsoring the races. Racing gets underway at 6 p.m. The
track 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
IMCA Modified Feature- 1. Benji LaCrosse,
Luxemburg 2. James Tebon, Algoma 3. Todd Dart, Algoma 4.
Kevin Sternard, Sturgeon Bay 5. Jeremy Jacobs, Luxemburg
Heats- #1 1. Paul Parker, Kaukauna 2. Jay Matthias, DePere
#2 1. LaCrosse 2. Sternard
#3 1. Chris Derenne, Luxemburg 2. Mark Berglund, Green Bay
IMCA Stockcar Feature-
1. Matt Junio, Casco 2. Pat Davister, Luxemburg 3. Marty
Abshire, North Prairie 4. Troy Muench, Union 5. Jeff Vlies,
Kewaunee
Consy- 1. Mike King Jr, Little Chute
Heats- #1. 1.Charlie Kroll, Forestville 2. Muench
#2 1. Ryan Lemieux, Sturgeon Bay 2. Abshire
#3 1. Mark Derenne, Kewaunee 2. Davister
IMCA Hobby Stock Feature- 1. Keith Kickbusch,
Kewaunee 2. Dave DeGrave, Luxemburg 3. Ed Anschutz, Algoma
4.
Jarred Van Lannen, Green Bay 5. Brandon Peterson, Sturgeon
Bay
Heats- #1 1. DeGrave 2. Kickbusch
#2 1. Van Lannen 2. Marcus Moede, Casco
IMCA Northern Sportmod Feature- 1. Charlie Kroll,
Forestville 2. Dave Budzban, Luxemburg 3. Aaron Holliday,
Green Bay 4. Jeff Dubois, Luxemburg 5. Dave Davister,
Luxemburg
Heat- 1. Holliday 2. Davister
Street Stock Feature-
1. Harley Simon, Seymour 2. Todd Everard, Green
Bay 3. Geno Sternard, New Franken 4. Jimmy Anderson,
Forestville 5. Scott Reinhardt, Bailey's Harbor
Heats- #1 1. Everard 2. John Sternard, Green Bay
#2 1. Jeremy Wiitala, Green Bay 2. James Iverson, Green Bay
4 Cylinder Feature- 1. Luke Lemmens, Kewaunee 2.
Jody Cornelius, Oneida 3. Charlie Gross, Gleason 4. Kasey
Gross, Gleason 5. Jason Cornelius, Oneida
Heats- #1 1. Brad Lautenbach, New Franken 2. K Gross
#2 1. C Gross 2. Tony Everard, Green Bay
Bomber Feature- 1. Dan Merkle, Egg Harbor 2.
Jesse Kroll, Algoma 3. Stacy Kraule, Sturgeon Bay
Heat- 1. Merkle 2. Kraule
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