By Edward Anschutz
(Sturgeon Bay, WI) August 14 – As the 2011 points season draws to a close the battle for the Butchs Auto IMCA Sport Mod title heats up at Prestige Yacht Coatings Thunderhill Raceway. Three drivers are locked in a dog fight with only 3 point nights left.
New Franken’s Brad Lautenbach comes in your point leader eyeing his first ever crown. Algoma’s Tyler Hackett is in his second year of racing, holds down the second spot just 4 points behind Lautenbach. Defending Champion Eric Arneson of Oconto Falls comes in third, just 5 markers back. Of the 12 features run Lautenbach, Hackett and Arneson combined have taken the checker 10 times. Arneson leads the class with 5 feature wins, Lautenbach has 3 with Hackett taking 2 wins.
Arneson and Lautenbach have become the ones to beat at any dirt track in North Eastern Wisconsin. Arneson is currently leading points at Luxemburg Speedway and Seymour Super Speedway. The guy who is second to Arneson at those two tracks, you guessed it Brad Lautenbach.
Lautenbach came into the weekend holding an 11 point edge over Arneson in the IMCA Wisconsin State point battle. As the drivers get ready for Seymour tonight, Arneson has chopped into that lead and just sits a handful of points back. Both drivers have cracked the top 20 in IMCA National points with Lautenbach sitting 7th and Arneson 11th. Lautenbach also holds a feature win in Beatrice Speedway in Nebraska earlier this season.
Arneson is a former Luxemburg Speedway and Wisconsin State Champion . The state title is based on a combined total of points at all IMCA tracks the driver has competed at in their state. Will Arneson repeat at Thunderhill, will Lautenbach score his first ever title, or will Hackett play the role of spoiler and collect his first crown. They have three weeks to settle it and its anyone’s guess who will come out on top at Thunderhill Raceway.
Thunderhill is located at the John Miles Fair Park on Sturgeon Bay’s east side with racing in the six divisions beginning every Saturday night through the summer. IMCA Modified, IMCA Stock Car, IMCA Northern Sport Mod, IMCA Hobby Stock, Street Stock and Feisty Fours in action. Pit gates open at 3:30 P.M. racing starts at 6:00 P.M. You can also follow Thunderhill Raceway on Facebook and Twitter.