Weekly Race Reports
Wedelstadt Dominates at Thunderhill
By Chris Budzban
May 24, 2008; Sturgeon Bay, WI - Fremont's Mike Wedelstadt charged through the field of IMCA modifieds in his first appearance of the year and took home a commanding win at the Forest County Potawatomi Thunderhill Raceway.
Photo Highlights
In the IMCA Modified feature, Mike Wedelstadt looked to the outside of race leader #8 Jay Matthias, DePere. Wedelstadt was able to make the pass stick and went on for his first 2008 Thunderhill feature win while Matthias held on for a strong second place finish. Wedelstadt became the third winner in as many weeks.
Forestville's Charlie Kroll picked up his second IMCA Stock Car feature win of the holiday weekend, also posting a win at Luxemburg. #4 Darren Otto and #44 Pat Davister started on the front row, and battled side by side the entire race until there were three laps to go. #8 Kroll made room under Otto, and made the three-wide pass for the lead and the win. Otto picked up second, followed by Davister.
IMCA Hobby Stock Dave DeGrave (outside) and #10 Brandon Peterson sandwiched race leader Frank Paul, with Peterson coming out with the lead. DeGrave tried the high line to pass Peterson, but to no avail. Chad Kaminski got under DeGrave for second, and Peterson drove away with the win. Peterson became the third different feature winner in as many weeks.
IMCA Northern Sport Mod rookie #11 Bernie Reinhardt, Sturgeon Bay, grabbed the race lead from Jesse Kroll and held off Green Bay's #14 Aaron Holiday for his first career Sport Mod feature win. Reinhardt now has a feature win to go along with his heat win just one week earlier.
Seymour's #51 Jeremy Wiitala led wire to wire in the Street Stock division for his first feature win of the season. Sturgeon Bay's #76 John Sternard and David Hoerning, Appleton, battled each other for the third week in a row, with Sternard taking second and Hoerning third. Wiitala became the third different feature winner in as many weeks.
In the 4-Cylinder feature, eventual race winner #10 Jason Cornelius, Oneida, was able to get past #17 Jeremy DuBois on his way to the front of Saturday night's feature. It was Cornelius' first win at Thunderhill.
Jay Matthias was the early race leader in the IMCA modifieds, with Shawn Kilgore and James Tebon racing side by side for second. Wedelstadt split Kilgore and Tebon through turn four, and set his sights on Matthias. He made the pass down low, and took off with a half a lap lead on the rest of the field. Matthias settled for second, Billy LeMieux, Kilgore and Tebon followed.
Forestville's Charlie Kroll picked up his second IMCA stock car feature win of the weekend, also posting a win at Luxemburg. Darren Otto and Pat Davister started on the front row, and battled side by side the entire race until there were three laps to go. Kroll made room under Otto, and made the three wide pass for the lead and the win. Otto picked up second, followed by Davister, last week's winner Von Eytcheson and Cory Cochart.
Frank Paul took early command of the IMCA hobby stock feature, with Brandon Peterson and Dave DeGrave battling behind. DeGrave and Peterson sandwiched Paul coming into turn three, and Peterson came out with the lead on the bottom groove. DeGrave tried the high line to pass Peterson, but to no avail. Chad Kaminski got under DeGrave for second, and Peterson drove away with the win. Jason LaViolette was fourth, and Paul ended up fifth. James Zellner claimed the engine of LaViolette, and the claim was accepted.
IMCA northern sport mod rookie Jesse Kroll led most of the feature, but slid up the track allowing fellow rookie Bernie Reinhardt to take the lead underneath. Opening night winner Aaron Holiday would give chase on the outside line, but Reinhardt would hold him off for his first career sport mod feature win. Kroll finished third, but was later disqualified for failing to enter the claim area. Last week's winner Jeff Vlies was awarded third and Jeff DuBois fourth.
Seymour's Jeremy Wiitala led wire to wire in the street stock division for his first feature win of the season. John Sternard and David Hoerning battled each other for the third week in a row, with Sternard taking second and Hoerning third. Aaron Thornton made his return to Thunderhill with a fourth place finish and last week's winner Todd Everard rounded out the top five.
A tangle between race leader Jody Cornelius and Tony Everard gave the lead to Jason Cornelius in the 4 cylinders. Jason Cornelius went on to win, followed by Rick Lemmens, Everard, Jeremy DuBois and Kipp Burlo.
Next week is sponsored by Econo Foods of Sturgeon Bay. Racing gets underway at 6 p.m. on Saturday evening. The track's website is www.racethunderhill.com. For more information, call (920) 743-7052.
RACE SUMMARY
IMCA MODIFIED FEATURE - Mike Wedelstadt, Fremont; Jay Matthias, DePere; Billy LeMieux, Sturgeon Bay; Shawn Kilgore, New Franken; James Tebon, Algoma
Heat 1 - Kilgore; Tebon
Heat 2 - Tim Czarneski, Denmark; Todd Dart, Algoma
IMCA STOCK CAR FEATURE - Charlie Kroll, Forestville; Darren Otto, Green Bay; Pat Davister, Luxemburg; Von Eytcheson, Forestville; Cory Cochart, Kewaunee
Semi-feature - Greg Gretz, Kewaunee; Scott Pagels, Egg Harbor
Heat 1 - Cochart; Eytcheson
Heat 2 - Tony Bouche, Algoma; Rick Mahlberg, Green Bay
Heat 3 - Troy Muench, Brussels; Davister
Heat 4 - Kroll; Otto
IMCA HOBBY STOCK FEATURE - Brandon Peterson, Sturgeon Bay; Chad Kaminski, Luxemburg; Dave DeGrave, Luxemburg; Jason LaViolette, Little Sturgeon; Frank Paul, Luxemburg
Heat 1 - DeGrave; Peterson
Heat 2 - Paul; LaViolette
IMCA NORTHERN SPORT MOD FEATURE - Bernie Reinhardt, Sturgeon Bay; Aaron Holiday, Green Bay; Jeff Vlies, Kewaunee; Jeff DuBois, Luxemburg
Heat 1 - Brad Lautenbach, New Franken; Jesse Kroll, Algoma
Heat 2 - DuBois; Reinhardt
STREET STOCK FEATURE - Jeremy Wiitala, Seymour; John Sternard, Sturgeon Bay; David Hoerning, Appleton; Aaron Thornton, Maplewood; Todd Everard, Green Bay
Heat 1 - Hoerning; Geno Sternard, Sturgeon Bay
Heat 2 - James Iverson, Luxemburg; Everard
4 CYLINDER FEATURE - Jason Cornelius, Oneida; Rick Lemmens, Kewaunee; Tony Everard, Green Bay; Jeremy DuBois, Sturgeon Bay; Kipp Burlo, Sturgeon Bay
Heat 1 - Everard; Burlo
Heat 2 - Jody Cornelius, Oneida; Jason Cornelius
