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PEPE VLIES AMONG NEW FACES IN STURGEON BAY VICTORY LANE
Posted on: Sunday June 26, 2022
Jeff “PePe” Vlies scored the sportmod division feature on HOF night at The Hill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin June 25.
VLIES AMONG NEW FACES IN VICTORY LANE AT THE HILL
(Sturgeon Bay, WI – 6/25/2022)
A quartet of racers scored their first feature wins of the season to highlight action Saturday night at the Hill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay.
Rob Waechter, Jr won for the first time in the Stock Car class, as did Nathan Lisowe in the 4 cylinder bombers. In the Sport Mods, it was Jeff Vlies scoring his first win of the year, and surprise entrant Ed Anschutz took first in the Unified Dirt Street Stocks.
Opening night issues are a distant memory for Vlies who was back in form and dominant in the Sport Mods. He took the lead from Jarred VanLaanen on a lap four restart, and from there built up an insurmountable advantage.
A rainout at 141 Speedway allowed for several new faces to make the trek north. One that made a significant impact was Tim Warner, who took second from Craig Dorner with six laps to go. Warner was closing on Vlies but time ran out before he could make a serious play for the lead.
Dorner, who also had a rough opening night, backed up a win last week with a third place finish. Jarred VanLaanen and Sean Falk rounded out the top five.
Defending champ Randy LeMieux, Jr’s sixth place finish was enough to vault him into the division point lead. Cody Rass entered the night in the top spot, but an incident on the third lap ended his night, dropping him to fifth in the standings.
Waechter left little doubt as to who would be taking home the trophy in Stock Cars as he led wire to wire in dominating fashion. It was his first win in the senior division, adding to three wins that he carded in the old IMCA Hobby Stock class.
With first in the bag for the most part, attention centered on the battle for second between young guns Caden LeMieux and Dan Sell, Jr and longtime veteran Tony Bouche.
Despite constant pressure, LeMieux was able to hang onto the spot, with Sell taking third.
Bouche’s fourth place finish – a crowd pleaser – jumped him up to fourth in the season standings.
Point leader Brett Wenzel was able to stave off disaster after being caught up in an early incident. After pitting, he returned to the track last and worked his way to 10th, retaining the lead by nine markers from Sell who moved into second.
Anschutz, the Hill’s primary announcer, takes nights off when 141 is running opposite Sturgeon Bay, as he is vying for the championship there. With 141 rained out, he returned to his old stomping grounds and found himself in familiar surroundings; victory lane.
He took the lead from Jason Geyer on the 10th lap, then pulled away to a dominating win. The victory was his 9thin the class and 29th total at Sturgeon Bay, moving him into a tie with Dave Bouche for 10th all-time.
Dave DeGrave’s second place finish moved him into a tie with Paul Diefenthaler for the division point lead. Diefenthaler, who won the first two events of the season, settled for fifth.
Dan VanPay and Geyer rounded out the top five.
A late caution set the stage for Lisowe to jump from third, and score his first ever Hill win in the 4 cylinder class.
Calvin Stueck looked to be headed to his second win of the season until the late pass by Lisowe. But he did retain his point lead, picking up a marker on second place Scott Schlafke.
Brian Watzka, Jr had a successful first night at the Hill placing fourth with Mike Plate, Jr fifth.
The night also featured the induction of the class of 2022 into the track’s Hall of Fame.
The inductees were Door County’s first racing star, Roger “Red” Isaacson (posthumously), Ray LeMieux, an early track champ and the eldest son of HOFer Clyde LeMieux, Sr, champion and multi-division feature winner Kevin Sternard, who joined his father Les in the Hall, and three time Stock Champ Craig Paque.
The Hill’s next event is slated for Saturday night, July 9th with a 6:00 PM start time. The Raceway’s four regular divisions will be in action, along with the Street Stocks turn in the Busch Shootout spotlight.
The Hill Raceway is located at the John Miles Fair Park, 812 North 14th Ave in Sturgeon Bay, WI. All track information can be found on our Facebook @hillraceway or contact 920-495-6631 Regular night pricing: Pit pass $25, crew members 17 and under $15. Grandstands $10, 12 and under free. Service members are free with ID.
The Hill Raceway results 6/25/2022
Stock Car 20 Lap Feature: Rob Waechter, Jr, DePere – Caden LeMieux, Sturgeon Bay – Dan Sell, Jr, Suring – Tony Bouche, Algoma – Duane Mertens, Luxemburg – Charlie Kroll, Forestville
Last Chance Qualifier: Dan Sell, Suring – Justin Jacobson, Black Creek – Brett Koehler, Two Creeks – Bill LeMieux Sturgeon Bay
Heat 1: Bouche – Caden LeMieux
Heat 2: Waechter – Kroll
Heat 3: Sell, JR – Mertens
Shootout: Waechter
Sport Mod Feature: Jeff Vlies, Kewaunee – Tim Warner, Malone – Craig Dorner, Luxemburg – Jarred VanLaanen, Luxemburg – Sean Falk, Bonduel – Randy LeMieux, Jr, Brussels
LCQ: Jerry Duggan, Reifs Mills – Chuck Carmin, Seymour – Jimmy Berkevich, Watertown – Alec Wery, Algoma
Heat 1: Vlies – LeMieux
Heat 2: VanLaanen – Dorner
Heat 3: Falk – Will Garceau, Francis Creek
Unified Dirt Street Stock Feature: Ed Anschutz, Two Rivers – Dave DeGrave, Luxemburg – Dan VanPay, Denmark – Jason Geyer, Brussels – Paul Diefenthaler, Manitowoc – Scott Iverson, Sturgeon Bay
LCQ: Tony Everard, Green Bay – Nathan Delsart, Sturgeon Bay – Cody Patten, Friendship – Jimmy Anderson, Forestville
Heat 1: Anschutz – Iverson
Heat 2: Geyer – DeGrave
Heat 3: Geno Sternard, Brussels – Tim McCormick, Sturgeon Bay
4 Cyl Bomber Feature: Nathan Lisowe, Luxemburg – Calvin Stueck, Clintonville – Scott Schlafke, Cleveland – Brian Watzka, Jr, Luxemburg – Mike Plate, Jr, DePere – Landon Kaye, Luxemburg
Heat 1: James Riske, Newton – Watzka
Heat 2: Adam Broehm, Newton – Stueck