Cain Conquers Como Mods at ABC. Leer & Ovaska register wins

by Nick Gima
 Ashland, WI, June 28 -- Dave Cain of Corcoran, MN, swept around the top five runners in a matter of just two laps and cruised to a $2,100 winner’s check in the Como Oil & Propane Modified Series’ Subway Restaurant A-feature Tuesday night at the ABC Raceway.
 Also on this beautiful summer night for AmsOil Dirt Track Series racing action at the northern Wisconsin red-clay oval, visitor Matt Leer of Bruce collected his first-ever win here by taking the NAPA Auto Parts “Mid-Mod Madness” feature, and Marengo’s Scott Ovaska made it back-to-back efforts in the six-cylinder main event.

Cain started outside on the third row of the WISSOTA modified headliner and found something he liked on the top-most groove of the smooth, lightning-fast oval, and within just about two laps he was the first challenger to Darrell Nelson, who had edged ahead of Eric Pember for the initial lead. During the next circuit he worked his way by Nelson to take first place, and from then on not even lapped traffic could slow his pace, as the non-stop 30-lap main event clicked off in less than ten minutes.  As Cain built his lead, Nelson was at the front of a five-car dog-fight for second, with Pember sneaking peeks along the inside line and Mike Anderson, Series points leader Kevin Adams and Kelly Estey all within a car-length or so. Pember eventually caught some grip on the bottom groove of the track and used it to claw his way past Nelson on lap 8, but by that time Cain’s lead was already over three seconds, or most of a straightaway.  Eleven laps into the show Scott Hudack was the first to go a lap in arrears to Cain, while Estey made an outside move on Adams and Anderson for fourth. Cain was deep into the back of the field by mid-race, allowing his lead to be trimmed to less than two-and-a-half seconds, but that was still enough to keep Pember and Nelson from getting any chance at the win.  Cain’s advantage grew again once Pember, Nelson and the others began to wade through the same back-markers, and without a caution to slow things down Cain cruised to his first win here since August 2007. Pember held off several determined attempts by Nelson in order to maintain second, while Adams and Anderson were a close fouth and fifth at the stripe.  Estey, Al Uotinen and Joey Jensen put Series champs from the past four seasons in sixth through eighth spots, while Brandon Jensen landed ninth and 22nd-starting Craig Thatcher claimed Hard Charger honors by finishing tenth.  In addition to the posted $1,500 first-place check, Cain collected an additional $500 bonus from Rick Gondik Law Office and another $100 from race fan Don Kallas, as well as earning the Northern Clearing Fast Lap Bonus.  Gondik Law Office heat race winners earlier in the evening included Pember, Estey, Brandon Jensen, Uotinen and Tim McMann. The two Mirror Image Day Spa B-features went to Jeff Spacek and Thatcher, while Pember earned the pole by winning the Tim’s Automotive Machine pole dash.
Leer’s effort in the WISSOTA Midwest modified 20-lap feature started from the outside on row 2, but it quickly developed into a battle between himself and Cory Crapser. The first attempt to start the show was marred by a multi-car melee that ended the night for Duane Dunbar, but Rick Przybylski grabbed the lead on the second try. Crapser dove low under Przybylski coming off turn 4 on that first lap to steal the lead away, and Leer followed right along into second.  George Dalbeck used a sweet split-the-difference move to displace Przybylski and Dave Flynn for third, just before the second caution slowdown was brought about by George Truscott’s spin on lap 5. After another lap was recorded Joe Eckland’s ailing ride brought about another stoppage.  It was during lap 7 restart that Leer made his winning move, coming around the high side on Crapser to become the pace setter. Leer restarted there when another caution came about for a large puddle of fluid on the track, and Dalbeck used the Delaware double-file restart to take a shot at getting around Crapser for second, but Crapser got him back before the lap was completed.  The final appearance by the yellow light for this run was on lap 8, for debris, and over the next few laps Leer and Crapser ran away to decide the win. But on lap 15 Crapser bobbled badly, allowing Leer to run away uncontested and losing five spots in the process. Dalbeck was the biggest benefactor, taking over second spot, but the track points leader was a full four seconds behind Leer at the checkers.  Flynn was a distance back in third in only his second night in Taylor Luethner’s car, with Crapser recovering for fourth-place money. Michael Truscott - who pitted to change a flat tire during one of the caution slowdowns, charged from the back for a top-five run. Leer also cashed in on the fast-lap bonus.
Ovaska was right with pole-starter Tad Bretting during the first two laps of the 15-lap six-cylinder feature prior to Don Muzzy’s spin, and after that Dale Coddington joined the battle for the lead. Coddington drew alongside Ovaska just before top-five-running Tyler Hudack looped his ride on lap 4, and after that restart Ovaska and Coddington overtook the young Bretting for the lead battle.  On several occasions Coddington nosed to the inside to challenge Ovaska, but the leader continued to find bite and momentum off the middle to upper grooves. Then on lap 8 Coddington went outside on Ovaska and found his own momentum, but Bill Anderson’s spin at that same moment negated any chance of Coddington taking the lead away.  Ovaska fended off a couple more attempts by Coddington and held on for his fourth career win here and second in four days. Muzzy was closing in the final laps but settled for third-place money, while Hudack came home just ahead of Pat Beeksma for fourth. Bretting faded at the end of the run, but his early effort earned him his first-ever fast lap bonus.

 After a week off from the usual Saturday night schedule, the ABC Raceway gets back to business on July 9, when the Bad River Lodge, Casino & Convention Center presents the “Six-Cylinder Summer Sizzler,” offering an increased purse for that division. In addition, drivers in the track’s WISSOTA divisions will race for the right to compete in the AmsOil Race of Champions during the WISSOTA 100 weekend in mid-September with their Race of Champions qualifiers. Pure stocks will be back in action as well for the five-division show.
 Hot laps get started at 6:15 pm, and the first green flag of the night will waive at 7. “Race Night” will air live on WBSZ, 93.3 FM, from 4:30-6 pm with at-the-track news and weather updates. 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.