Ashland, WI, January 17 -- Over 300 race drivers, fans and sponsors joined track workers from the ABC Raceway on Saturday, January 17, at the Bad River Casino Convention Center to celebrate the 2008 stock-car racing season at the track's annual banquet. After a buffet-style meal, track announcer Nick Gima welcomed the crowd, who had come to honor the top-finishing drivers in all six regular weekly divisions. Gima made special mention of the fact that another 16 drivers had been added in 2008 to the long list of feature winners in the track's 40-plus-year history.

 

 Track president Kurt Beeksma then took a few moments to thank the members of the Board of Directors of the Raceway, recognize the many volunteer workers who help at the track, and congratulate the six divisional points champions. Beeksma also expressed the Raceway's appreciation to its many sponsors and a number of racers and other individuals who extended a helping hand during the past summer, and complemented several drivers who made special efforts to enhance the racing program in 2008.

 

 Jeff Spacek of Phillips earned his third WISSOTA Modified points title at Ashland in 2008, and fifth overall here, on the basis of two feature wins, and division-leading totals in heat wins (six) and top-five feature finishes (seven). The wins, on July 12 and August 2, lifted his career total to 45 - tied with former ABC modified champions Bob Root and Don Copp for fifth-best all-time.. It was his first championship at Ashland since 2003. Bill Byholm of Glidden finished second to Spacek in the final 2008 modified standings - his third straight points finish in the top three - despite a division-best four feature wins. Al Uotinen of Superior, who claimed the Como Mod Series title in 2008, former track champ Dean Yrjanainen of Lake Nebagamon, and Superior's Rick Rivord completed the top five in the mod standings. Finishing sixth through tenth in the mods were Scott Hudack of Ashland and Duane Dale of Aurora, MN (tie), Kelly Checkalski of Poplar, Jerry Hartman of Marenisco, MI, and Shawn Kreyer of Hayward and Ross Lightner of Washburn (tie).

 

 Superior's Scott Lawrence edged out Randy Spacek of Phillips by two points to claim his fifth consecutive WISSOTA Super Stock championship at ABC this past summer. Lawrence's historic season included five feature victories, five heat wins and seven other top-five feature finishes. His feature win total moved him into the top ten all-time here, and his eight total championships at Ashland moves him into a tie for the most ever here with Copp. Spacek's ten top-five feature runs and May 31 feature win were not enough to overtake Lawrence in the final standings, but it placed him ahead of Joe Oliver of Superior and Iron River's Brian Mikkonen, who were tied for third. Ken Truscott of Greenland, MI, rounded out the top five in the supers. In the division's second five were Nick Oreskovich of Mason, Ron Hmielewski of Marengo, Saxon's Don Koivisto, Superior's Dave Flynn, and Curt Myers of Cameron.

 

 The Raceway crowned one of its home-grown products as its first-ever WISSOTA Midwest Modified points champion. Steve Stuart of Ashland, who won the track's six-cylinder title in 2006, used a strong run of heat wins in each of the summer's final four shows to nail down the title by the largest margin (41) in any division. Stuart also ran to three feature wins and only finished out of the top ten once in 15 feature races in 2008. Another local favorite from the six-cylinder ranks, Pat Cook of Washburn, led the division with six heat wins and parlayed 13 top-ten finishes to claim runner-up honors in the Mid-mods. Duane Dunbar of Marenisco, MI, took third in the final points count, followed by Jimmy Latvala of Solon Springs and Rick Przybylski of Ashland (tie). Washburn's Rob Weber was awarded the fifth-place trophy. Sixth through tenth in the final Midwest Modified standings included Medford's Shane Halopka, Mickey Nosser of Phillips, George Dalbeck of Wakefield, MI, and rookies Travis Nye of Ashland and Shawn Rivord of South Range.

 

 Larry Haderly of Marengo returned to form in the WISSOTA Street Stocks in 2008 and claimed his fourth ABC championship. After a couple of seasons trying his hand at super stocks, Haderly led the streeters with four feature wins and added six heat wins and eight other efforts of fifth or better in A-main runs - all despite enduring one of the most frightening crashes seen in years here during the June 14 race program. Hurley's John Kallas had a career year, finishing second at Ashland and ninth nationally in WISSOTA. Greg Kuklinski of Ironwood, MI, Hurley's Cory Casari and Rob Weber of Washburn filled out the top five in Street Stock points. The remainder of the top ten in the streeters included Steve Anderson of Ironwood, MI, Superior's Tim Baum, Paul Milanowski of Ashland, Bruce Kalmon of Ashland, and Justin Paulsen of Ironwood, MI.

 

 Patrick Beeksma of Ironwood, MI, won the 2008 ABC Raceway six-cylinder points title by the slimmest possible margin - one point. Beeksma finished tied for the lead in the division in heat wins (eight) and scored four feature wins on his way to his second points title in the sixes, making him only the second repeat champ in the division since 1993. Just that one point back in the six-cylinder standings was Hayward's Dale Coddington, who the season before set Beeksma up with a part-time ride. Scott Ovaska of Marengo was awarded his first career feature win and landed third in the final standings, ahead of Shawn McFadden, Jr, of Ashland and Mellen's Greg Jaeger. Don Muzzy of Ironwood, MI, Ashland's Jim Pelto, Ken Tyykila or Iron River, Ashland's Neil Adamczak, and Zack Pagels of Ashland completed the six-cylinder top five.

 

 Superior's Chad Carlson drove his unique station-wagon racer to his first-ever points title in ABC's pure stock class. Carlson tallied two feature wins in 2008 and led the division with three heat wins and nine top-five performances. The team effort of Paul Milanowski and Tammie Bretting, of Ashland, also had three heat wins and landed second in last summer's pure stock standings, ahead of Superior's Tim Carlson, Tim Carbon of Highbridge, and Zene Anderson of Superior. Sixth through tenth in the pure stocks included Dustin Follett of Cloquet, MN, Nathan Dees of Ironwood, MI, Austin Blom of Saginaw, MN, Matt Deragon of Ashland, and Bayfield's Roland Gordon.

 

 The top rookies in four of the classes were recognized for their accomplishments in 2008. They included Follett (pure stocks), Adamczak (sixes), Stuart (Midwest mods), and Milanowski (streeters). Muzzy received the trophy as the track's Most Improved Driver from last summer, and the coveted Sportsman of the Year honor was presented to Dale. Kurt Beeksma gave his annual President's Award to Jennifer Jarecki for her work organizing and managing the track's grandstand concession stand. Each of the track champions received a commemorative jacket and huge trophy from the Raceway, and a DVD celebrating their season from Skip Hunter Photography. The rest of top ten drivers in each division also received trophies, and the top fifteen in each class shared in a points fund that exceeded $11,000. During the entire program a slide-show presentation featuring action from the past season was played, complements of Skip Hunter Photography. After the awards presentation and door-prize drawing was completed, the many fans that stayed enjoyed music by deejay BB King.

 The 2009 stock car racing season will begin in mid-May. The ABC Raceway is located 3-1/2 miles south of Ashland on State Highway 13 and one mile west on Butterworth Road. For raceday information call (715) 682-4990.