ABC Raceway Honors its Best from ’25 at Annual Banquet
by Nick Gima
Ashland, WI, January 24 – Over 130 racers and crews, fans, sponsors, track staff, and their families were at the Bad River Lodge, Casino & Convention Center on Odanah on Saturday night to celebrate the ABC Raceway’s 2025 season.
Following a huge buffet meal, Raceway Board president Eric Erickson addressed those on hand while also showing a video presentation produced by Discover Wisconsin, the state’s tourism media series, from footage shot during the 50th Red Clay Classic in late September. Then the top drivers in final points from the ’25 season were honored, introduced by track announcer Nick Gima.
Justin Weinberger of Elk Mound was crowned champion in the Fuhrman Designs WISSOTA Modifieds for 2025. The title is the second for Weinberger at Ashland, as he also won the track’s WISSOTA Pure Stock crown in 2016. He scored two feature wins during the first half of the season and a third win in the regular-season finale to lead the points battle from start to finish.
Nick Oreskovich of Mason scored his second-straight runner-up finish at ABC in the “big Mods,” followed by Washburn’s Pat Cook, Cole Spacek of Phillips, and Ashland’s Andrew Mackey. Finishing sixth through tenth were Marcus Dunbar of Marenisco, MI; Phillips’ Jeff Spacek; Brady Uotinen of Superior; Mason’s Tyler Vernon; and Jake Hiatt of Mason.
Terran Spacek of Phillips was awarded his first-ever title in the Lightning Storm Graphics WISSOTA Super Stocks, joining his father Randy, uncle Jeff and cousin Cole as family members with ABC Raceway points championships. Terran tied for the division lead with three feature wins, finished tenth in WISSOTA national points, and was WISSOTA’s Wisconsin state points champion.
Patrick Beeksma of Ironwood, MI, claimed second place in Super Stock points, with Ashland’s Shawn McFadden, Matt Deragon of Ashland, and Iron River’s Trenton Bond completing the top-five in the division. Jason Melton of Rhinelander, Ashland’s Jake Nevala, Rita Anderson of South Range, Washburn’s Don Livingston, and Dalton Truchon of Ashland completed the second five.
Marcus Dunbar of Marenisco, MI, won his second straight Dalbeck Sales WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds championship and fourth in the past six seasons. With help from his 11th career Mid-Mod feature win here (12th overall), he won by the closest margin of any title battle at the track in 2025 – just 12 points.
Fellow four-time Mid-Mod champ Paul Suzik of Ironwood, MI, finished second to Dunbar for the second consecutive season, followed by James Vendela of South Range, WISSOTA national Mid-Mod champion Tyler Vernon of Mason, and Bayfield’s Ryan Barningham. Sixth through tenth included Ashland’s Tanner Hicks, Jimmy Latvala of Solon Springs, Eagle River’s Tad Schoonover, Matt Jacobson of Bessemer, MI, and Duluth, MN’s Paul Ripley.
For the second straight season, Amery’s Eric Crosby won the WISSOTA Pure Stocks championship at ABC, thanks to a division-best five feature wins that also helped him to a third-place finish nationally and the Wisconsin state title. He also became the first driver in track history to receive his championship and deliver his acceptance speech virtually – his teammate Anthony Schultz held a cell phone to the mic while Crosby thanked those in attendance from his Winter work site in Florida.
Aaron Bernick of Duluth, MN, finished fifth in WISSOTA national points and second here, followed by Bayfield’s Shane Basina, Dylan Helget of South Range, and 84-year-old fan favorite Zene Anderson of Superior.
Shane Basina of Bayfield enjoyed a dominant season en route to taking his third straight Berglund Designs ABC Six-Cylinders points title by the largest margin of any champ at Ashland this season. His seven feature wins led all drivers at the track, and he did not finish lower than third in the 11 features run in the division.
Roger Walker of Phillips, who won the track’s 2006 Street Stock title, finished second in the Sixes in ’25, followed by Cameron Bond of Mason, Alex Bond of Mason, and Ashland’s Travis Swanson. Cody Eichmann of Park Falls, Mason’s Mady Anderson, Tyler Gervais of Ashland, Cable’s Mathew Rohlfing, and Cody Roberts of Drummond finished sixth through tenth.
Drivers received trophies and points fund checks during their presentations to the crowd; champions also received banners and jackets.
Rookie of the Year awards were presented to Gervais in the Six-Cylinders, WISSOTA national Rookie of the Year Helget in the Pure Stocks, and Melton in the Super Stocks. Trenton Bond was honored as the Raceway’s Most Improved Driver, and Hicks was named the track’s Sportsman of the Year. Each received a banner in honor of their special recognition.
During Erickson’s remarks he recognized and expressed appreciation for the Raceway’s Board of Directors and the over 40 workers who volunteered their time during the season at the track – an aspect of the organization that each of the divisional champions emphasized in their acceptance speeches. Erickson then thanked the over 125 various businesses and organizations that contributed to the track’s success in 2025, either through sponsorships or other contributions.
Erickson congratulated the drivers, mentioning the five champions, and he thanked various other people who had assisted in the operation and success of the track during the past season.
Erickson also pointed out that over 160 drivers competed in points-paying events during the recently completed season, and that a record 260 drivers competed at the Red Clay Classic. He pointed out that nearly $400,000 in purse money was paid out throughout the 2025 season at ABC, including an event-record $272,000-plus awarded at the Classic.
He also handed out $100 cash bonuses to six drivers who were in attendance at the banquet and competed in one-hundred percent of all regular-season shows run at ABC during 2025.
The 2026 season – the 62nd under the direction of the Ashland-Bayfield County Racing Association – is slated to start on May 16 and continue through August. The complete season schedule will be announced soon.
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, log on to the track’s website, www.abcraceway.com, or check out its FaceBook page.
