Spacek, Eder, Myers, Kallas, Coddington, Carlson Collect Bonus Bucks at ABC
by Nick Gima
Ashland, WI, August 8 -- A season-high 115 cars entered the back gate at the ABC Raceway Saturday night and received a pleasant surprise - a huge purse boost from program sponsor Rivord Trucking and Birchgrove Campground.
As a result, Jeff Spacek took home $1,100 as the winner of the AmsOil Dirt Track Series program’s WISSOTA modified feature, while Kevin Eder, Curt Myers, John Kallas, Dale Coddington and Chad Carlson, among several others, also benefitted from the generosity.
Each feature winner’s check was dramatically increased, and select other finishing positions received bonus monies. Fans also received various gifts on giveaways, and two young fans took home new bikes.
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Spacek, the 2008 track champ from Phillips, started the 20-lap mod headliner from the inside of row 3, as Steve Lavasseur slipped from the second row around polesitter Wayne Stricker for the initial lead. A five-car mess on lap 2 was an indicator of things to come throughout the first half of the event, as the pace was slowed considerably by caution flags.
On the restart Stricker, who was scored in second, was slow to fire and was overtaken by the entire field, forcing several drivers to check up. Destin Lorimor’s subsequent spin collected Kent Baxter and brought on the next yellow light, and Spacek took advantage of his positioning behind Lavasseur for that restart and worked inside for the lead.
Two Ross Lightner spins, a slowdown for debris, and another two-car tangle delayed Spacek’s getaway, but by lap 5 he had built up a five-car margin, while divisional points leader Duane Dale worked hard to get by Scott Hudack for third. A lap later Dale took second from Lavasseur, and for the remainder of the event Dale kept pace with Spacek but could not gain enough ground to challenge for the win.
Spacek crossed the line six lengths up on Dale, with Hudack getting by Lavasseur at mid-race for third. Byholm followed in fifth. |
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Ashland’s Eder came away with a thrilling win in the WISSOTA super stock 20-lapper, worth $900 thanks to the Rivord Trucking bonus. This race took several dramatic turns, as visiting Paul Erikson sped around polesitter Curt Myers for the early lead. Myers, driving Don Koivisto’s car on this night, stumbled coming out of turn 2 on lap 2, forcing all behind him to take evasive action. On the restart after Willie Johnsen’s spin, Erikson tripped on the same clump of dirt as Myers, dropping him from the top five and handing Eder the lead.
But a five-car collection negated the pass, putting Erikson back to the front for the restart. Eric Olson then used the outside line to slingshot around Eder and Erikson for the lead on lap 4, and a circuit later Scott Lawrence worked on Eder to take third.
Lawrence grabbed second away from Erikson on lap 7, just before Art Hyde spun to slow things down. Over the next six laps Lawrence threw everything he could at Olson, with the pair running side by side for a couple tours before Lawrence edged ahead on lap 14. On the next go-around the yellow lights came on for a Roy Pumala-Dave Elliott get-together, and that’s when Shane Kisling, who restarted fourth, swept around Eder and Olson and pulled up to Lawrence’s rear bumper.
Kisling moved outside on Lawrence after a lap 16 restart and the two came off turn 4 dead even, but Kisling got squeezed into the front-straight wall, badly damaging his car, and Lawrence was sent to the back for the incident. That put Olson in the lead once again, but on the white-flag lap Eder made a run to Olson’s outside, and at the line the nose of Eder’s car was a foot or so ahead of Olson’s - the official margin of victory was .057 seconds.
Brian Mikkonen, who started the race 12th and hung just outside of the top five for much of the run, came home third, just ahead of 13th-starting Ken Truscott and Mike Bellefeuille. Lawrence recovered to come home 12th, but his points lead was cut dramatically. |
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Myers’ win in the WISSOTA Midwest modified A-main was nowhere near as dramatic, as he again started on the pole but this time led flag to flag, maintaining through only two restarts for the $750 win. The former national champion from Cameron scooted away quickly to a ten-car lead over Rob Weber, who fought off a determined Travis Swanson for second during the first couple of laps. Joe Olson’s damaged ride ground to a stop to bring out the first caution flag on lap 2, but Myers again slipped away to a healthy cushion.
The order stayed fairly unchanged at the front, with only Mickey Nosser’s stopped car causing Myers any concern on lap 8. But over the last seven rounds Myers was easily the class of the field, coasting to a five-length win over Weber. Swanson endured a couple of late-race threats to secure a solid third-place effort, while Steve Stuart strengthened his points lead with a fourth-place run, just ahead of Mike Truscott. |
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Despite a thin field of WISSOTA street stocks, Kallas became the track’s leading feature winner of the season with his fourth win Saturday, and his 23rd overall in 2009. Kallas, of Hurley, worked outside on Dennis Groom for the initial lead, and that turned out to be as close as anyone could get.
Groom got one opportunity to restart on Kallas’ tail, on lap 6 when rookie Kyle Weber spun under the flagstand, but Kallas ran a smooth line to hold off any shots Groom might have taken. The pair were a distance up on Larry Haderly, who maintained his points lead, while Greg Kuklinski and visiting Jordan Kurtti followed at the final stripe. |
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Coddington recovered as well as one can after a disappointing result last weekend to come away with his first six-cylinder feature win since June of 2007. The popular Hayward veteran nearly suffered a second-straight disappointment early in the 15-lap headliner when he was spun by Warren Beede while the two battled for second behind outside front-row starter DeJay Mihalek. But on the redo Coddington worked inside on Mihalek patiently until he cleared the sophomore driver for the lead on lap 5.
Over a long green-flag run Coddington could not pull away, as Scott Ovaska and Greg Jaeger eventually drew up to his trunklid. Just as Ovaska was about to make a move for the win, a three-car tangle on the back straight forced a green-white-checkered finish, and Coddington held on as Ovaska spent the last two laps fending off the charging Jaeger. Neil Adamczak raced to fourth-place money ahead of points leader CJ Polacek. |
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Carlson returned to Ashland’s victory lane for the first time since May, but he needed a last-lap pass of Nathan Dees to do it in the pure stock feature. Dees was all set to run away with the night’s ten-lap finale, while points leader Austin Blom cut quickly through the field from his fourth-row starting spot to take over second by lap 2. But something broke on Blom’s car in turn 3 and he nearly rolled it, ending his night.
Carlson got by Joe Wolfe on the restart to claim second and chased down Dees, catching him at mid-race. On that lap second-in-points Tim Carbon dropped out of the race while running fourth, his car smoking badly. On the next go-around third-in-points Tim Carlson, driving Don Livingston’s car, spun into the infield, creating an opportunity for Chad Carlson.
The young man from Superior took a look outside on Dees with three laps left, and as the white flag came out Carlson was alongside. Carlson completed the pass coming out of turn 2 and held on for his third win this season. Wolfe was impressive with his third-place run, while Steve Christman was docked two spots for a jump on a restart, moving Ken Tody, Jr, to fourth and Jeff Christman to fifth. |
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This Saturday night will be the sixth annual Pure Excitement 25 pure stock special at the ABC Raceway, presented by the Ashland-Bayfield County Sportsman’s Club. A purse of over $4,000 is set for the entry-level division, with the winner taking home at least $500. All six divisions will again be in action.
Adult admission tickets are just $10, while kids ages 12 and under get in free with a paid adult admission. Hot laps are set for 6:15 pm, and racing will start at 7. “Race Night” will air live on WJJH, 96.7 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. |
 | Results
WISSOTA Modifieds
Feature: Jeff Spacek, Phillips; Duane Dale, Aurora, MN; Scott Hudack, Ashland; Steve Lavasseur, River Falls; Bill Byholm, Glidden; Nick Lavato, Proctor, MN; Robby Bunkelman, Abbotsford; Jerry Weigel, Abbotsford; Jerry Hartman, Marenisco, MI; Dean Yrjanainen, Lake Nebagamon; Kelly Checkalski, Poplar; Jody Bellefeuille, Duluth, MN; Rick Rivord, Superior; Kent Baxter, Elk Mound; Wayne Stricker, Highbridge; Al Uotinen, Superior; Paul Niznik, Medford; Ross Lightner, Washburn; Destin Lorimor, Superior; Scott Miller, Rice Lake.
Heat 1: Dale; Lavato; Weigel; Miller; Bellefeuille; K Baxter; Rivord.
Heat 2: Stricker; Spacek; Hudack; Yrjanainen; Hartman; Bunkelman; Lightner.
Heat 3: Uotinen; Lavasseur; Byholm; Lorimor; Checkalski; Mark Baxter, Dorchester; Niznik.
WISSOTA Super Stocks
Feature: Kevin Eder, Ashland; Eric Olson, Ladysmith; Brian Mikkonen, Iron River; Ken Truscott, Greenland, MI; Mike Bellefeuille, Duluth, MN; Paul Erikson, Abbotsford; Randy Spacek, Phillips; Andy Grymala, Superior; Joe Oliver, Superior; Willie Johnsen, Superior; Art Hyde, Washburn; Scott Lawrence, Superior; Todd Gillitzer, Hibbing, MN; Roy Pumala, Mason; Trevor Wilson, Superior; Shane Kisling, Sarona; Dave Elliott, Minocqua; Tad Schoonover, Eagle River; Cory Casari, Montreal; Dave Flynn, Superior; Curt Myers, Cameron; Nick Oreskovich, Mason; Greg Kuklinski, Ironwood, MI.
Heat 1: Kuklinski; Eder; Myers; Pumala; Truscott; Casari; Hyde; Oliver.
Heat 2: Olson; Kisling; Grymala; Gillitzer; Charlie Anderson, Ironwood, MI; Johnsen; Oreskovich; Flynn.
Heat 3: Lawrence; Erikson; Bellefeuille; Mikkonen; John Feirn, Chippewa Falls; Elliott; Spacek; Schoonover.
WISSOTA Street Stocks
Feature: John Kallas, Hurley; Dennis Groom, Ashland; Larry Haderly, Marengo; Jordan Kurtti, Bruce Crossing, MI; Kyle Weber, Drummond; Greg Kuklinski, Ironwood, MI; Bruce Kalmon, Ashland.
Heat: Haderly; Kuklinski; Kallas; Groom; Kurtti; Kalmon; Weber.
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
Feature: Curt Myers, Cameron; Rob Weber, Ashland; Travis Swanson, Ashland; Steve Stuart, Ashland; Mike Truscott, Chippewa Falls; Rick Przybylski, Ashland; Adam Archer, Duluth, MN; Travis Nye, Ashland; Jimmy Latvala, Solon Springs; Pat Cook, Washburn; Glenn Dammer, Duluth, MN; Duane Dunbar, Marenisco, MI; Shawn Rivord, Superor; Deven Van House, Silver Bay, MN; Lance Solem, Duluth, MN; Jesse Ogston, Duluth, MN; Cody Carlson, Superior; Steve Anderson, Ironwood, MI; Zene Anderson, Superior; Taylor Leuthner, Foxboro; Mickey Nosser, Phillips; Caley Emerson, Wyoming, MN; Joe Olson, Superior.
Heat 1: Stuart; Przybylski; Weber; Nosser; Cook; Carlson; Van House; S Anderson.
Heat 2: Myers; Emerson; Swanson; Latvala; Dammer; Olson; Z Anderson; Chad Adamczak, Ashland.
Heat 3: Archer; Truscott; Nye; Rivord; Dunbar; Solem; Ogston; Leuthner.
Six-Cylinders
Feature: Dale Coddington, Hayward; Scott Ovaska, Marengo; Greg Jaeger, Mellen; Neil Adamczak, Ashland; CJ Polacek, Phillips; Pat Beeksma, Ironwood, MI; DeJay Mihalek, Ashland; Shawn McFadden, Jr, Ashland; Chuck Hawkinson, Mellen; Ken Tyykila, Iron River; Tyler Luger, Iron River; Adam Traaholt, Ashland; Bryan Anderson, Mason; Ron Lillie, Wakefield, MI; Aaron Mashlan, Ashland; Justin Bretall, Grandview; Forrest Schultz, Ashland; Jonathan Popp, Iron River; Zack Pagels, Marengo; Tyler Hudack, Ashland; Don Muzzy, Ironwood, MI; Bobby Durand, Mason; Tim Beeksma, Ashland.
Heat 1: P Beeksma; Ovaska; Luger; McFadden; Popp; Pagels; Hudack; Mashlan.
Heat 2: Traaholt; Mihalek; Tyykila; Polacek; Schultz; T Beeksma; Durand; Lillie.
Heat 3: Coddington; Adamczak; Warren Beede, Iron River; Jaeger; Muzzy; Hawkinson; Anderson; Bretall.
Pure Stocks
Feature: Chad Carlson, Superior; Nathan Dees, Ironwood, MI; Joe Wolfe, Montreal; Ken Tody, Jr, Ashland; Jeff Christman, Superior; Steve Christman, Superior; Tim Carlson, Superior; Matt Deragon, Ashland; Dustin Gay, Ashland; Tammie Bretting, Ashland; Tim Carbon, Highbridge; Austin Blom, Saginaw, MN; Jim Cooper, Superior.
Heat 1: Blom; J Christman; Wolfe; T Carlson; Carbon; S Christman; Deragon.
Heat 2: C Carlson; Tody; Cooper; Dees; Bretting; Alex Hart, Poplar. |
