The Hill Raceway

The Hill Raceway (formerly Thunderhill Raceway) is a dirt racing track located in John Miles County Park, in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin on the Door County Fairgrounds. The track is 1⁄3-mile and hosts a part-time racing program throughout the summer with several International Motor Contest Association classes racing primarily on Saturday nights.

The Door County race track was among the earliest venues to host stock car racing in northeastern Wisconsin, with events dating back to the early 1950s. The weekly racing program operated successfully for several decades under the Door County Speedway name. By the early 1980s,^[1] however, the track experienced challenges similar to those faced by many local grassroots racing facilities, including declining attendance, incomplete seasons, and financial difficulties.

The track shut down for the first time in the early to mid 1980's with no come back in sight for the near future. It would not be until nearly a decade later when Rick Ledvina and Carolyn Tordeur would bring the track back to life and host weekly racing again in 1993. The pair operated the track throughout the 1990s and into the early 2000s, overseeing a period of renewed stability and growth in local stock car racing.

During the track's inaugural season following its reopening, four divisions competed on a weekly basis: Modifieds, Stock Cars, Street Stocks, and a Bomber division. The Bomber class proved particularly popular due to its relatively low cost and limited maintenance requirements compared to other divisions.

Following the 1998 season, construction began on new grandstands to replace the track's original bleachers. The project was completed during the offseason.^[2] Bryan "Woody" Wodack was a prominent supporter of the facility, sponsoring multiple events through his business, Woody's Signs. Following the 2002 season, Wodack would move up from being just a sponsor to become the new promoter of the Sturgeon Bay oval.^[3]

Wodack remained in the promotional role throughout much of the 2000s, overseeing weekly Saturday night racing during a period of relative stability for the facility. Following a change in promotion, two additional divisions were introduced at Thunderhill Raceway: Hobby Stock and Sport Compact, increasing the weekly racing program to six classes. This structure remained in place through the 2006 season. In 2007, a seventh division, the IMCA Sport Modified, was added to the schedule. However, the introduction of the new class coincided with the discontinuation of the Bomber division after the 2007 season, returning the weekly program to six divisions. During this time, the track received coverage from regional television outlets, including WBAY-TV and NBC 26,^[4] reflecting its prominence within the local racing community.

In the early 2010s, however, the track began to experience declining car counts and attendance once again. Increased competition, including another regional speedway moving its race program to Saturday nights,^[5] contributed to challenges in maintaining participation and spectator support. The Sport Compact division was even discontinued following the 2012 season.

Prior to the 2015 season, Thunderhill experimented with Sunday night racing and ultimately adopted the schedule change for the full season.^[6] The adjustment did not produce the anticipated improvement in turnout. The track introduced a new weekly division known as the Thunder Trucks. A similar class had previously competed at the now-defunct Manitowoc Speedway. Throughout the season, the division struggled to attract competitors and never had more than three entries in a single event. Following the conclusion of the 2015 season, Wodack announced he would step down as promoter. With no successor immediately assuming control, the track did not operate during the 2016 season.^[7]

In August 2016, it was announced that a new promotion group would take over operations of the track for the 2017 season.^[8] The group, known as PKS3, consisted of former racers Brandon Peterson, Martin Kelsey, John Sternard, and Mike Sargent, along with Sargent's wife, Melanie.^[9]

With the arrival of the new promotion group, several changes were introduced ahead of the 2017 season. Most notably, the facility was rebranded from its longstanding name, Thunderhill Raceway, to The Hill Raceway as part of an effort to signal a new era for the track and attract renewed interest.

The race program also underwent significant changes. Several divisions were removed from the schedule due to low participation, including Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, and Thunder Trucks. At the same time, a Sport Compact division was added for the first time since 2012, becoming the fourth full-time class at the track.

The Sport Compact class was initially introduced as an enduro-style division featuring both four- and six-cylinder cars competing in 50-lap feature events held as the final race of the night each week. However, due to limited participation, the format was soon changed to a traditional Sport Compact class similar to those run at nearby tracks, which resulted in increased car counts. Thunder Trucks that had previously attempted to compete in the enduro-style class were also permitted to participate in the new division.

The final change to the racing program was the adoption of a part-time schedule rather than attempting to hold races every weekend.^[10] This approach allowed track officials to coordinate with other venues when creating the schedule, enabling the track to hold events on dates when nearby tracks were not racing, thereby reducing competition for car counts. As a result, more drivers had the opportunity to compete at the facility, leading to increased participation across all divisions. During the 2018 and 2019 seasons, the track recorded some of its highest car counts and fan attendance in more than a decade. During this period, the modified division also returned to the schedule, competing in a limited number of events as a fifth part-time class.^[11]

Plans for the 2020 season were disrupted by the emergence of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The track initially postponed the scheduled opening night several times as the situation developed. In June 2020, the track announced that the entire racing season would be cancelled due to the pandemic.^[12]

The track returned to regular operations in 2021 without significant issues.^[13] Over the following two seasons, the weekly program continued as scheduled and recorded several successful events. One of the highest car counts in the track's history occurred on August 11, 2022, during the county fair, when 103 cars checked in across five divisions.^[14]

Following the conclusion of championship night for the 2023 season, PKS3 announced through the track's Facebook page that it would be stepping down from its role as promoter. The announcement also stated that there was already interest from potential parties in taking over promotional duties for the 2024 season.^[15]

In December 2023, it was announced that former promoter John Sternard, along with his cousin Andrew Sternard, would assume promotional duties for the track.^[16] Shortly after the announcement, a schedule was released that continued the part-time format used in previous seasons.

The highlight of the schedule was a late-season event that marked the return of sprint car racing to the facility for the first time in more than a decade.^[17] The event featured the IRA 410 Sprint Car Series and the Wisconsin Wingless Sprints Series, along with a rotating support class competing for a $1,000 prize. The race was announced as a special event intended to be held annually.

In 2024, another part-time division was added to the schedule, as the Grand Nationals returned for the first time since 2008. The series competed on select dates, following a format similar to that used for the modified division.

During the inaugural sprint car event, Danny Schlafer of Gibson, Wisconsin, set the all-time track record for the fastest lap in his 410 winged sprint car during qualifying, with a time of 12.250 seconds. He went on to finish fifth in the feature race.^[18] The following year, Schlafer returned to The Hill and broke his own record, posting a new fastest lap of 12.097 seconds, though he again finished fifth in the feature.^[19]

Through 2024 and 2025, the Sternards have remained in the promotional role at the track and are preparing for the 2026 season. A schedule has been released, with the season set to begin on March 24 and continue throughout the summer, following the same part-time format used in previous years.^[20]

For the 2025 county fair, The Hill was scheduled to host Legend Cars with the Midwest Legends Dirt Series; however, the inaugural event was cancelled due to rain. The track plans to reschedule the event for the 2026 fair.^[21]

In 2025, Brett Wenzel of Manitowoc, Wisconsin won his sixth consecutive stock car championship at The Hill Raceway, extending a title streak that began in 2019.^[22] The achievement set a new track record for the most consecutive championships by a single driver. The previous record of five consecutive championships was held by Dave Bouche of Algoma, Wisconsin from 2012 to 2017.

The Door County Fairgrounds have hosted the Door County Fair since the late 1800s.^[23] Racing at the fair began with horse competitions in the early 1900s before transitioning to auto racing. Once the track began running full-time schedules, the fair events consistently drew the highest car counts and fan attendance each year. A feature win on fair night at The Hill is regarded by local drivers as a prestigious achievement within the regional racing community. The 2022 fair night attracted a total of 103 cars across five divisions, marking one of the highest car counts in recent history.

When the track is not being used for auto racing, several other events are held on the grounds. The most notable of these is the annual demolition derby, which takes place on the front stretch each year. Other events hosted at the track during the fair include flat track motorcycle racing and tractor pulling.

The Busch Shootout is a unique event hosted by The Hill, in which the winning driver receives six cases of Busch Light beer. Each division—Street Stock, Stock Car, and Sport Modified—holds its own annual Busch Shootout on separate nights during the season. The event was first introduced in 2017, originally taking place before the official races, but the format was revised prior to the 2018 season.

Each Busch Shootout occurs midway through the season, following several points races. The top five drivers in points for the respective division heading into the night are automatically locked into the event. The remaining seven spots are filled by the next highest finishing drivers from that night's feature event, creating a 12-car field. After all feature races have concluded, the 12 qualified drivers compete in two six-car qualifying races. The top three finishers from each qualifying race advance to the six-car final, with the winner claiming the six cases of Busch Light beer.

• Official website
• The Hill Raceway on MyRacePass
• John Miles County Park – Door County
• Joe Verdegan Racing History