The Eagle Soars While Wenzel Wheels to Fourth Consecutive Title

By: Scott J. Owen

Sturgeon Bay, WI,08/19/2023–A fast paced championship night at The Hill saw some amazing racing.   Edward Anschutz was dominant en route to a feature win and a track championship.  Brett Wenzel joined elite company by securing a 4th consecutive track title.  The only others to do it are Dave Bouche, who won 5 stock car titles in a row, and Eugene Gregorich, who won 4 Modified titles in a row.  Chris Pigeon and Scott Schlafke secured their first career point titles.  Craig Dorner notched his second title.  Jeff Vlies, Barry VanStraten, Kyle Kudick, and Carl King joined Anschutz with victory lane celebrations.

The Street Stock feature was the first to hit the track.  Eddie “The Eagle” Anschutz just needed to start the race to secure his first track championship in the division.  Anschutz did win titles in the Hobby Stock division in 2004 and 2005.  At the start of the race it was Chad Naze setting the pace.  By lap 4 Travis Zirbel began to challenge Naze out front.  Naze was up to the challenge as he continued to lead.  By the midpoint of the race Anschutz joined the top three.  On lap 12 Naze, Zirbel, and Anschutz would go three wide for the lead.  Anschutz used the top line of the race track to take away the lead.  Anschutz would lead the rest of the way for his 4th win of the season.  Naze would hold on for second followed by Shanon Guelette, Jason Geyer, and Zirbel.

Logan Theys put himself in the lead at the start of the Sport Modified feature.  As Theys led lap after lap, Bernie Reinhardt gave chase running in second.  By lap 8 Jeff Vlies had worked his way to third after starting 7th.  Vlies moved to second on the following lap and set his sights on Theys.  On lap 11 Vlies pulled even with Theys and would grab the lead.  Vlies would control the race the rest of the way to the checkered flag for his second feature win of the year.  Theys would finish second.  Randy LeMieux Jr., Reinhardt, and Craig Dorner would round out the top 5.  Dorner’s 5th place finish was enough to secure his second track championship.  Dorner also won a title in 2017.

The Stock Car feature saw Kerry Douglas pace the field early on as John Anschutz and Darren Otto raced door to door behind him.  Douglas surrendered the lead to Anschutz on lap 6.  Otto quickly worked to the inside of Anschutz and would take the lead on lap 7.  Barry VanStraten and point-leader Brett Wenzel raced side by side for 3rd on the track.  Wenzel moved to 2nd on lap 10 and began to pressure Otto out front.  As Otto and Wenzel both fought for traction on the inside groove of the track, VanStraten took to the outside line and began to gain ground on the leaders.  VanStraten was followed by Dan Sell Jr.  VanStraten found enough traction to take the lead on lap 18.  He would lead the duration for the win.  It would be VanStraten’s first win of the year at The Hill.  Otto finished second, Sell passed Wenzel in the closing laps for third, Wenzel took fourth, and Scott Reinhardt finished fifth.  Wenzel was able to secure the track championship.  It is Wenzel’s fourth consecutive title in the division.  

Chris Pigeon led the Modified feature until lap 6 when he slid wide in turn four to open the door for Kyle Kudick.  Kudick quickly pulled away from the field.  Todd Dart got to second on lap 9, but could not close in on Kudick.  Kudick would secure the win, his 1st of the year, while Dart, Pigeon, Jay Matthias, and Derek Moede completed the top five.  With his third place finish, Pigeon secured his first track championship at The Hill.   

The Baby Bomber feature would see Carl King grab the lead at the start of the feature and nerve look back.  As King led though, Adam Broehm and Scott Schlafke battled the entire race for second.  For much of the race the duo was side by side as they tried to settle the battle for second.  In the end it was King winning his second race of the year with Schlafke taking second.  Broehm had to settle for third.  Eugene Winkel was fourth.  Schlafke was able to secure the track championship, his first at the track.

Craig Dorner led wire to wire to win the Sport Mod Busch Shootout event.    

The final event of the 2023 season will take place on Saturday September 2nd with the running of The Hill Shootout.  Stock Cars, Street Stocks, Sport Mods, and Baby Bombers will compete.  Racing will begin at 6:00.  More information can be found on Facebook by searching “The Hill Raceway”.  Full results and point standings can be found on the My Race Pass website and smartphone app by searching “The Hill Raceway”.  

Racing Summary     *[ ] denotes starting position

Street Stock 

Feature:  1. 71-Edward Anschutz[10]; 2. 46-Chad Naze[1]; 3. 111-Shanon Guelette[9]; 4. 3-Jason Geyer[8]; 5. 18Z-Travis Zirbel[4]; 6. 7-Tyler Fox[11]; 7. 9M-Marcus Moede[3]; 8. 8E-Tony Everard[7]; 9. 8D-Nathan Delsart[14]; 10. XXX-Ford Malvitz[13].

Heat 1:  1. 18Z-Travis Zirbel[3]; 2. 3V-Dan Van Pay[2]; 3. 3G-Garrett Geyer[5].

Heat 2:  1. 3-Jason Geyer[6]; 2. 9M-Marcus Moede[2]; 3. 111-Shanon Guelette[7].

Sport Modified

Feature:  1. 99-Jeff Vlies[7]; 2. 44T-Logan Theys[2]; 3. 18L-Randy LeMieux Jr[9]; 4. 11-Bernie Reinhardt[4]; 5. 15-Craig Dorner[10]; 6. 17H-Scott Howe[1]; 7. 00-Rick Lemieux[3]; 8. 55P-Michael Plate Sr[8]; 9. 77-Russ Franks[11]; 10. 9M-Dennis Miesler[12].

Heat 1:  1. 15-Craig Dorner[7]; 2. 00-Rick Lemieux[3]; 3. 49-Roger Laviolette[4].

Heat 2:  1. 44T-Logan Theys[2]; 2. 11-Bernie Reinhardt[3]; 3. 18L-Randy LeMieux Jr[6].

Stock Car

Feature:  1. 77-Barry Van Straten[4]; 2. 27-Darren Otto[6]; 3. 18-Daniel Sell Jr[9]; 4. 0-Brett Wenzel[10]; 5. 11-Scott Reinhardt[7]; 6. 13-John Anschutz[1]; 7. 18X-Dan Sell Sr[14]; 8. 21-Dave Bouche[12]; 9. 3-Bill Lemieux[5]; 10. 28-Nathan Otto[15].

Heat 1:  1. 77-Barry Van Straten[4]; 2. 13-John Anschutz[1]; 3. 27-Darren Otto[5].

Heat 2:  1. 02-Kerry Douglas[1]; 2. 92-Jeremy Johnson[3]; 3. 11-Scott Reinhardt[5].

Modified

Feature:  1. 4K-Kyle Kudick[3]; 2. 3K-Todd Dart[6]; 3. 29P-Chris Pigeon[1]; 4. 8M-Jay Matthias[2]; 5. 99KK-Derek Moede[4]; 6. 79-Gary Janke[5].

Heat 1:  1. 4K-Kyle Kudick[4]; 2. 29P-Chris Pigeon[1]; 3. 8M-Jay Matthias[3].

Bomber

Feature:  1. 82K-Carl King[2]; 2. 7-Scott Schlafke[3]; 3. 3-Adam Broehm[4]; 4. 63-Eugene Winkel[1]; 5.  145-Mason Geigel[5].

Heat 1:  1. 3-Adam Broehm[4]; 2. 82K-Carl King[2]; 3. 7-Scott Schlafke[3]; 4. 63-Eugene Winkel[1]; 5.  145-Mason Geigel