Sternard, Junio, Kickbusch, Wiitala Victorious at Thunderhill
By Greg Aregoni
Saturday Night June 9th- "Revin" Kevin Sternard took command and never looked back in picking up his first feature win of the season in IMCA Modified action at the Forest County Potawatomi Thunderhill Raceway.
111 cars packed the pits including 16 Street Stocks, 8 IMCA Northern Sportmods, 23 IMCA Stockcars, 25 IMCA Stockcars, 16 IMCA Hobby Stocks, 7 Bombers, and 17 4 Cylinders on S&B Trailer Sales night.
The Street Stocks were the first class that entered the track for their feature event. Tim Czarneski held the lead for the first few laps as the caution waved three times. On the restart, Jeremy Wiitala used his trademark highline move to make the pass on Czarneski. John Sternard made his way from his 11th starting position to quickly make his bid for second. Sternard cleared Czarneski on lap 7, halfway through the race. Wiitala was too powerful on the highline and Sternard
was never able to make a charge as the rest of the race went caution free. Wiitala scored his first feature win of the season followed by Sternard, Czarneski, Harley Simon, and Scott Reinhardt.
The IMCA Northern Sportmod Feature was next with Jeff Dubois leading lap 1. Mark Christenson made the move outside and made the pass for the lead with Joe White following behind. White would then make a power move to the inside and grab the lead. Charlie Kroll made his way to second and started tracking down White. On lap 10 with three laps to go, Kroll shot to the inside of White and grabbed the lead. Kroll would go on to win his first feature win in his first night in an IMCA Northern Sportmod. White finished second followed by Aaron Holliday, Dave Budzban, and Dubois.
Ryan Lemieux led the IMCA Stockcar feature to green flag action. Lemieux led the first lap on the low line with Don Aregoni using the top side. Aregoni would grab the lead on lap two but with Lemieux running hard down low. Aregoni would nip Lemieux at the line for the next 4 laps until Jeff Vlies made his bid for the lead. Vlies made quick work of Lemieux and Aregoni on lap 10 to secure the lead. Point leader, Matt Junio made his way to second and starting catching Vlies. A caution with 4 laps to go allowed Pat Davister to join the fight for the win. Junio used the restart and the high side to shoot to the lead on the outside and pull away to win his second feature of the season. Vlies finished second followed by Davister, Bernie Reinhardt, and Charlie Kroll. Junio increased his point lead by 4 points over Charlie Kroll.
The IMCA Modified cruised to the track with Kevin Sternard leading the feature from the drop of the green flag. Sternard jumped out to a 10 car advantage. Billy Lemieux made his way to second with Sean Jerovetz right behind. The two would continue to duke it out for second with Jeremy Jacobs right behind. Jacobs went to the highline and eventually made the pass on both Lemieux and Jerovetz. The race went green to checker not allowing anyone to make a charge at Sternard. Sternard picked up his 3rd career IMCA Modified feature followed by Jacobs, Lemieux, Jerovetz, and Scott Boyea. Boyea had to qualify through the B-Main.
Dave DeGrave and Chad Kaminski swapped the lead for the opening few laps of the IMCA Hobby Stock feature. DeGrave would finally grab the lead and fly away from the field. Point leader, Keith Kickbusch made his way to second using to the low line. With DeGrave using the topside of the track; Kickbusch used it to his advantage. Kickbusch got to the inside of DeGrave on lap 10 and made a clean pass. Kickbusch would put on his afterburners to pick up the feature win. DeGrave finished second followed by Eddie Anschutz, Frank Paul, and Kaminski.
Tony Everard won a race long duel with Kenny Malcore and Jody Cornelius to pick up the 4 Cylinder feature win and increase his point lead.
Joe Hegnet passed Jesse Kroll on the last lap to win the Bomber feature.
Next Saturday Night June 16th, Elite Concrete will be sponsoring the races. All 7 classes will be running. The tracks website is www.racethunderhill.com. For
more information call Woody at 743-7052.
IMCA Modified Feature-1. Kevin Sternard, Sturgeon Bay 2. Jeremy Jacobs, Algoma 3. Bill Lemieux, Sturgeon Bay 4. Sean Jerovetz, Suamico 5. Scott Boyea, Abrams
Consy 1. Benji LaCrosse, Luxemburg
Heats- #1 1. Sternard 2. Randy Lemieux Jr, Sturgeon Bay
#2 1. Tom Stark, Egg Harbor 2. Evan Madden, Algoma
#3 1. Jerovetz 2. Jacobs
IMCA Stockcar Feature- 1. Matt Junio, Casco 2. Jeff Vlies, Kewaunee 3. Pat Davister, Luxemburg 4. Bernie Reinhardt, Sturgeon Bay 5. Charlie Kroll, Forestville
Heats- #1 1. Don Aregoni, Sturgeon Bay 2. Ryan Lemieux, Sturgeon Bay
#2 1. Vlies 2. Reinhardt
#3 1. Mark Derenne, Kewaunee 2. Scott Pagels,
Sturgeon Bay
IMCA Hobby Stock feature- 1. Keith Kickbusch, Kewaunee 2. Dave DeGrave, Luxemburg 3. Eddie Anschutz, Algoma 4. Frank Paul, Kewunee 5. Chad Kaminski, Green Bay
Heats-#1 1. Brandon Peterson, Sturgeon Bay 2. Kickbusch
#2 1. Anschutz 2. DeGrave
IMCA Northern Sportmod Feature- 1. Charlie Kroll, Forestville 2. Joe White, Suamico 3. Aaron Holliday, Green Bay 4. Dave Budzban, Luxemburg 5. Jeff Dubois, Luxemburg
Heat 1. White 2. Dubois
Street Stock Feature- 1. Jeremy Wiitala, Green Bay 2. John Sternard, Green Bay 3. Tim Czarneski, Denmark 4. Harley Simon, Seymour 5. Scott Reinhardt, Bailey's Harbor
Heats- #1 1. Simon 2. Reinhardt #2 1. Wiitala 2. Aaron Thornton, Forestville
4 Cylinder Feature- 1. Tony Everard, Green Bay 2. Kenny Malcore, Milwaukee 3. Jody Cornelius, Oneida 4. Nick Everard, Green Bay 5. Brad Lautenbach, New Franken
Heats- #1 1. Cornelius 2. Patrick King, Little Chute #2 1. Lautenbach 2. Everard
Bomber Feature- 1. Joe Hegnet, Sturgeon Bay 2. Jesse Kroll, Algoma 3. Brian Belleau, Algoma
Heat- 1. Rob Waechter Jr, Ellisville 2. Belleau