The Scoop
REINHARDT, VLIES, JVL & RASS SEEK MORE SPORTMOD WINS AT THE HILL IN ’22
Posted on: Tuesday March 8, 2022
Since the sportmod division was introduced to The Hill in 2007, a total of 44 drivers have scored a combined 162 feature flags at the third-mile, clay oval. (danlewisphoto.net)
Since the sportmod class was introduced to The Hill in Sturgeon Bay in 2007 44 different drivers have scored a total of 162 feature wins in the division.
When that first checkered flag flies on opening night May 29 the odds are good there will be some movement in the top ranks of the division at the end of the year. Out of top 15 sportmod winners at The Hill six of them still plan to race regularly at the circular-shaped, third-mile clay oval located at John Miles Park in Sturgeon Bay.
The first recorded feature winner ever in the division was Dave “Demon” Budzban of Luxemburg on May 12, 2007. The first track champion ever in the class was hometown driver Jeff DuBois. The class for many years while promoter Bryan “Woody” Wodack was running the show ran under the International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) banner.
Sturgeon Bay’s own “Ironman” Bernie Reinhardt plans on keeping his streak alive of not missing a race at The Hill since the track reopened in 1993. Reinhardt’s streak sits at 401 consecutive races attended. (Reinhardt Racing Photo)
The current all-time sportmod winner hasn’t raced in the division for several seasons – New Franken’s Brad Lautenbach. Lautenbach scored 19 victories during his tenure in the class. The current runner-up heading into the 2022 campaign is the man who has not missed a race at The Hill since the track reopened in 1993 – Bernie Reinhart. The Sturgeon Bay racer’s streak heading into the ’22 season stands at 401 dating back to May 1, 1993. “I’d be happy with even one win to be honest,” Reinhardt said. “I’m just hoping for a better year than last year.”
Sitting in third with 11 sportmod wins is Jeff “PePe” Vlies of Brussels. Vlies plans a full campaign at Sturgeon Bay in ’22. “I wasn’t aware of (the rankings) at all to be honest,” Vlies confessed. “I guess that will give us a little extra motivation to pick up some feature wins this year.”
New Franken’s Jarred Van Laanen, shown here in victory lane, plans a full campaign of sportmod racing at The Hill in 2022. (danlewisphoto.net)
A tie for fourth place exists between New Franken’s Jarred “JVL” Van Laanen and Forestville racing legend “Chargin’ Charlie Kroll. Kroll races an IMCA-style stock car when time permits and like Vlies, JVL plans a full season at The Hill. “I feel pretty good about the season,” Van Laanen said. “We did an overhaul on our car with Chuck Carmin. There is so much competition in this class up there it’s anyone’s game pretty much any night you walk through the gate.”
Sitting in fifth is hometown racer Randy LeMieux Jr with eight victories. Right on LeMieux’s heals is Luxemburg native Chris Budzban and hometown racer Cody Rass tied at seven victories apiece.
Rass could move up the rankings with a win or two as Budzban said he doesn’t plan to run The Hill with the current gas price situation while LeMieux will focus his racing efforts on the League of Champions Tour. “To me my goal for each race is to run consistently up front,” Rass said. “Winning comes along with running consistently. It’s cool to be up there with a list of some very respectable drivers.”
Hometown driver Cody Rass, shown here after a 2014 win, will try to climb up in the sportmod ranks in all-time wins in 2022. (danlewisphoto.net)
Since the track reopened in ’93 the modifieds were the headliner. But the modifieds have not run weekly at The Hill since the new promotional group – PKS3 Promotions took over. “The sportmods sort of co-headline with the stock car class for our show,” said John Sternard, one of the members of the promotional group. “And with the sportmods it’s still a very strong base of Door and Kewaunee County drivers.” The sportmods, along with the modifieds and stock car classes are not following any specific sanction.
The first green flag at The Hill flies Sunday, May 29 for the Nathan Bouche Memorial at 5 p.m. A car show and test and tune session is slated for Saturday May 7 with the action getting underway at 11 a.m. You can follow The Hill on their Facebook page. (Tom Wagner and John Sternard helped contribute to this story)
ALL TIME SPORTMOD FEATURE WINNERS AT THE HILL SINCE 1993
Brad Lautenbach 19
Bernie Reinhardt 14
Jeff Vlies 11
Charlie Kroll 9
Jarred VanLaanen 9
Randy LeMieux Jr 8
Chris Budzban 7
Cody Rass 7
Eugene Gregorich 7
Eric Arneson 6
Ryan LeMieux 6
Jacob Zellner 4
Josh Massart 4
Craig Dorner 3
Jesse Kroll 3
Josh Lambert 3
Kelsy Hayes 3
Todd Wiese 3
Tom Stark 3
Tyler Hackett 3
Andy Ratajczak 2
Cory Cochart 2
Dennis Miesler 2
Johnny Whitmann 2
Rod Solem 2
Vince Engebretsen 2
Aaron Butterbrodt 1
Aaron Holiday 1
Dave Budzban 1
Doug Maurer 1
J.J. Anderson 1
Jeff DuBois 1
Mark Christensen 1
Rick LeMieux 1
Scott Boulanger 1
Scott Boyea 1
Cole Czarneski 1
Scott Ratajczak 1
Steve Georgenson 1
Tim Jorgenson 1
Todd Dart 1
Travis Cain 1
Travis Van Straten 1
Troy Jerovetz 1