Sabraski Enjoys Record-Setting Weekend at 51st Red Clay Classic; Bellefeuille Dominates for Mod Win
by Nick Gima
Ashland, WI, October 4 – Rice, MN’s Shane Sabraski continued his highly-successful invitational season by taking three of the four WISSOTA Dirt Track Series A-features during the 51st annual Red Clay Classic powered by Enbridge, presented by Tim’s Automotive Machine and FastLane Motorsports & Custom Powdercoating, at the ABC Raceway on Sunday afternoon.
The Saturday portion of the two-day program was spoiled by day-long light rain showers, but the vast majority of the 167 entries in the four competing divisions, representing five states and one Canadian province – as well as almost all of the near-capacity crowd – stayed the extra day to complete the remaining qualifying races and the championship features.
Sabraski enjoyed favorable starting spots in all three of the features that he won, and he took full advantage of his opportunities. In the Mid-States Hydraulics WISSOTA Late Model 50-lap feature he started on the outside of the front row, alongside Skeeter Estey, and he beat the polestarter out of the first pair of turns for the early lead, sprinting to a 2.1-second advantage within the first six laps, with Ashley Anderson, Kevin Eder and Josh Beaulieu trailing at a short distance.
The leader was already dealing with backmarkers by lap 7, allowing Estey to cut the deficit to Sabraski to less than a second by lap 9. With Sabraski trapped behind a slower car on lap 10, Estey slipped by for the lead and built a quick two-thirds-of-a-second margin. But Estey himself soon struggled with traffic as the leaders dug deeper into the back of the field, giving the lead back to Sabraski on lap 15 – just one circuit before Estey’s car came up lame to bring about the first of the race’s four caution stops.
Sabraski sprinted away from Anderson and Eder on the restart to a 1.25-second cushion. Anderson eventually separated himself from Eder and closed the gap to the leader to less than two-tenths of a second on lap 31, just as the yellow flag was shown again for Eric Lillo’s stopped car. Then Adam Hensel’s stalled racer ended his top-ten run on lap 34, and 18th-starting Kyle Peterlin tagged the back-straight wall hard on the ensuing restart to end his charge into the top-ten.
Sabraski pushed his lead again to over a second-and-a-third with less than five laps remaining, and although Anderson trimmed that margin down by about half when the checkered flag was thrown, Sabraski still had plenty of cushion for the feature win – the 23rd of his career at Ashland and record-tying sixth RCC title (matching Jimmy Mars), worth $8,450 in purse and contingencies.
Eder, the defending race champion, came home a distant third, followed by fellow past RCC champs Jake Redetzke and Darrell Nelson.
While Sabraski wasn’t done yet, Jody Bellefeuille of Carlton, MN, stole a little of the spotlight with his second RCC win and first since 2007, worth $6,000 in purse money and another $450 in contingency earnings.
Starting the 40-lap Tim’s Automotive Machine WISSOTA Modified headliner from the pole, Bellefeuille waited through two yellow flags – one for a three-car tangle on the initial start, and a second for Joey Jensen’s spin on the restart – to beat fellow front-row starter Shane Halopka to the early lead, with Texas visitor Rodney Sanders sticking close behind them. The lead trio pulled far away from Kennedy Swan, who had all she could handle staying ahead of Clayton Wagamon and 2026 ABC points champ Brandon Copp.
On lap 13 Steve Hallquist’s car failed him to bring about another stoppage, and Sanders took second from Halopka for a brief moment as the race went back to green, although Halopka stole the spot back a lap later. Then, during the next go-around, Wagamon sped around Swan to take fourth.
By midrace Bellefeuille’s car was running even stronger on the smooth, wide, black-slick track, extending his lead with every lap to as much as 2.84 seconds – about half a straightaway – before reaching the tail of the running order on lap 28. Jensen’s stalled car on the front straight on lap 29, followed by a three-car mess on lap 32, set Halopka and Sanders up for a final threat, but Bellefeuille sped away to his ninth career win at Ashland by two full seconds.
RCC rookie Justin Froemming had worked his way from tenth to fourth until his car slowed with three laps remaining, giving up that finishing position to Wagamon, and Al Uotinen, in his final race at Ashland after announcing his retirement from racing earlier this summer, finished fifth.
Sabraski’s second win on Sunday was one that took a ton of patience, as he ran second to Rick Simpson throughout nearly all of the 30-lap Fastlane Motorsports WISSOTA Super Stock feature until an opening presented itself.
Simpson, who started on the pole alongside Sabraski, claimed the early lead, and within four laps the pair had separated a bit from the rest of the field, until a two-car get-together drew the field back to them. Shane Kisling, who restarted third, stuck his car to the lowest possible path around the three-eighths-mile oval, allowing Steve Stuart to use the entire upper lane to challenge for the position. Unfortunately for Stuart, he slapped the back-straight guardrail hard enough to cause some damage to his racer, and he withdrew from the event a lap later.
Sabraski never trailed Simpson by more than about a half-second, often following in the leader’s tire tracks, but he couldn’t capitalize on the lap 12 restart after Jason Melton’s spin. The lead pair stayed in lock-step throughout the next 14 laps, pulling away from Kisling, while DJ Keeler ran a distant fourth with Curt Myers, Shawn McFadden and 2026 ABC track champ Matt Deragon in hot pursuit.
Finally, with four laps remaining, Simpson pushed just a bit out of turn 2, offering Sabraski a sliver of an opening. The WISSOTA national points leader accepted the offer and slipped by, then pulled away to 1.15-second margin of victory for his new RCC-record seventh feature win, number 24 at ABC, and a winner’s check of nearly $5,000 in purse and contingencies.
Behind Simpson, Kisling finished third – his best RCC finish since his wins in 2011 and 2015. Keeler was well back in fourth but just barely ahead of Myers.
For the 25-lap Jacobson Forest Products WISSOTA Midwest Modified feature, Sabraski started on the pole, ran away from a race-long battle between four-time RCC winner Jensen and young Canadian hotshoe Kolby Reed, and extended his RCC-record feature win total to eight, while tallying ABC feature win number 25.
Sabraski pulled away in dominant fashion during every green-flag run, even though most of the runs were short. On lap 6 Alex Myers spun and hit the turn 2 wall, and on lap 8 Paul Ripley looped his ride, to delay the proceedings. Reed kept Jensen at bay, although Jensen did nose ahead for a brief moment after the lap 6 re-do. Also, Jaxon Helland was impressive with his solid early fourth-place run, battling with the likes of David Simpson, 2026 track champ Marcus Dunbar, and Nick Koehler.
Tyler Kintner made a strong drive past Helland and Koehler into fourth on the lap 8 restart, with Dunbar following to fifth, and that duo challenged Reed and Jensen until James Vendela’s lap 16 spin reset the field. Then Jason Vokovan’s spun ride on that restart stalled the show again, with Simpson’s top-ten run ending at the same time with a flat tire. Finally, Jacob Anderson’s stalled racer set up a seven-lap dash to challenge Sabraski.
Jensen took second from Reed with five laps left, but by that time Sabraski was long gone, finishing a full 3.27 seconds ahead for the $2,500 win, plus another $200 in bonuses. Reed held on for the best RCC finish of his young career, barely ahead of a determined Kintner and closing Dunbar.
By qualifying for and starting all four features (he and Evan Checkalski were added to the Mod race out of their respective semi-features to fill out the 25-car starting line-up), Sabraski became only the second driver in Red Clay Classic history to compete in every feature run at the event in a given year, and the first to do so in four divisions. Robby Bunkelman had started all three features run (Late Models, Modifieds and Super Stocks) in 2005.
Sabraski is now also the only driver to win at the Classic in four different divisions, and the first to win more than two features during the same RCC (Tom Nesbitt won in the Late Models and Super Stocks in 1991, and Mars won in the Late Models and Modifieds in 2004).
Several thousand dollars in contingency prizes helped bolster the healthy $140,000 posted purse. The Neighborly Bar of Ashland generated a very generous $1,250 “Bridesmaid’s Challenge” bonus to each of the feature race runners-up, provided they put on the formal gown for Victory Lane interviews and photos. This has become one of the most popular Red Clay Classic traditions.
Clint Larson Trucking donated $125 bonuses to each feature’s “Hard Charger,” which went to Chad Mahder in the Late Models (ten positions gained, from his 17th-place start to seventh), Sabraski in the Modifieds (18 spots, from 26th to eighth), Ryan Olson in the Super Stocks (ten spots, from 26th to 16th), and Mike Anderson in the Mid-Mods (14 spots, from 21st to seventh). Olson was awarded another $250 from Joe Provo Racewear for a Supers-only additional “Hard Charger” bonus.
Sabraski (Late Models, Supers and Mid-Mods) and Bellefeuille (Modifieds) each collected $100 “Clean Sweep” bonuses, complements of Kleen Air Heating & Cooling, for winning their Friday heats and Sunday features in their respective divisions.
Works Property contributed $250 to each driver that posted the fastest lap in their respective features, based on the Raceway’s electronic scoring and timing system. Claiming these bonuses were Sabraski in the Late Models (15.822 seconds; 85.324 mph) and Supers (17.963; 75.154); Bellefeuille in the Mods (17.727; 76.155); and Jensen in the Midwest Mods (17.733; 76.129).
Sanders, who made the trip from his hometown of Happy, TX, received both the $100 long-haul bonus, courtesy of Jacobson Forest Products, and the $150 “Rookie of the Red Clay” award, presented by Ashland Ford-Chrysler Center.
Prior to Friday’s heat races, the Raceway paid tribute to Uotinen for his accomplishments at ABC as well as his support of the track as a career-long regular competitor. During his 47 years as a racer he won six track championships at ABC – all in the Modified division – and 27 feature wins here, 25 of which were in a Mod.
In honor of Uotinen’s retirement and his popular car number 98, several bonuses were presented during Sunday’s program. Nick Oreskovich received $98 from Duluth Garage Door for being scored in ninth place during lap 8 of the Modified feature, and Jimmy Latvala received $98 for his ninth-place finish in the Midwest Mod feature from Flying J Motor Sports.
Also, each driver qualifying for the Modified A-main received a “$98 for 98” bonus on Sunday, thanks to Village Lanes, Brian Mikkonen Racing, Cindy Bloomquist, Lawless Rec Industries, Gaber Signs, Katie Izzard, Don Muzzy Construction, the Jason Maki family, Duane Dale Motorsports, Jennifer & Jess Potson, South Shore Sand & Gravel, Hunter McDougall, Paul Ripley Racing, Eric & Betty Erickson, John Jokinen, Chris Lustig, Junior Anderson, Powers Eye Care & Glass Wear, Casari Racing, Michael Higgeson, Eric Olson Racing, Benji Pearson, Birch Grove Campground, Kleen Aur Heating & Cooling, Bill & Michelle Byholm, and Jimmy Beckwell.
All of Friday’s Hanco Utilities-sponsored heat race winners received commemorative t-shirts, complements of SSR Racing Products.
The costume contest, for which the theme was TV shows, was won by the Uotinen girls in the Group category (“Golden Girls”) and Benji Pearson in the Individual category (artist Bob Ross).
Next up for the ABC Raceway will be its annual 2026 season awards banquet, to be scheduled for January 2027. The track is located 3-1/2 miles south of Ashland on State Highway 13 and one mile west on Butterworth Road. For more information, log on to the track’s website, www.abcraceway.com, or check out its FaceBook page.
Results
Mid-States Hydraulics WISSOTA Late Models
Feature: 1-10: Shane Sabraski, Rice, MN; Ashley Anderson, Elk Mound; Kevin Eder, Cameron; Jake Redetzke, Menomonie; Darrell Nelson, Hermantown, MN; Cade Nelson, Hermantown, MN; Chad Mahder, Eau Claire; Jeff Massingill, Marble, MN; Kevin Burdick, Proctor, MN; Cory Crapser, Chippewa Falls.
11-20: John Kaanta, Elk Mound; Josh Beaulieu, Bemidji, MN; Sam Mars, Menomonie; Derek Vesel, Hibbing, MN; Jeff Provinzino, Hibbing, MN; Paul Niznik, Medford; Donnie Lofdahl, Duluth, MN; Kyle Peterlin, Hibbing, MN; Adam Hensel, Baldwin; Lance Matthees, Winona, MN.
21-25: Eric Lillo, Cloquet, MN; Aaron Lillo, Proctor, MN; Skeeter Estey, Kelly Lake, MN; Dave Flynn, Superior; Adam Ayotte, Elk River, MN.
Heat 1: Anderson; Beaulieu; Crapser; Mars; Kaanta; A Lillo; Zach Wohlers, Cohasset, MN; Niznik; Taylor Madrinich, Duluth, MN.
Heat 2: Eder; Redetzke; C Nelson; Travis Budisalovich, St Paul, MN; Mahder; Ayotte; Robbie Cooper, South Range; Flynn; Tim McMann, Duluth, MN.
Heat 3: Estey; D Nelson; Hensel; Metthees; AJ Diemel, Elk Mound; Provinzino; Lofdahl; Derek Olson, Hibbing, MN; Andy Nezworski, Blue Grass, IA.
Heat 4: Sabraski; Massingill; Burdick; Vesel; Peterlin; Harry Hanson, Eveleth, MN; E Lillo; Mike Bellefeuille, Duluth, MN; Dexton Koch, Becker, MN.
Semi-Feature: Ayotte; Provinzino; A Lillo; Flynn; Niznik; Lofdahl; E Lillo.
Tim’s Automotive Machine WISSOTA Modifieds
Feature: 1-10: Jody Bellefeuille, Carlton, MN; Shane Halopka, Greenwood; Rodney Sanders, Happy, TX; Clayton Wagamon, Ramsey, MN; Al Uotinen, Superior; Nick Oreskovich, Mason; Michael Truscott, Chippewa Falls; Shane Sabraski, Rice, MN; Brandon Copp, Brule; Andrew Mackey, Ashland.
11-20: Tyler Vernon, Mason; Marcus Dunbar, Marenisco, MI; Kennedy Swan, Chippewa Falls; Pat Cook, Washburn; Andrew Inman, Canyon, MN; Evan Checkalski, Alborn, MN; Darrell Nelson, Hermantown, MN; Cole Spacek, Woodruff; Justin Froemming, Garfield, MN; Joey Jensen, Forest Lake, MN.
21-25: Mike Anderson, Jim Falls; Steve Hallquist, Fall Creek; David Simpson, Thunder Bay, ON; Justin Weinberger, Menomonie; Kaden Blaeser, Chippewa Falls.
Heat 1: Bellefeuille; Wagamon; AJ Diemel, Elk Mound; Nelson; Mackey; Kevin Eder, Cameron; Jake Hiatt, Mason; Cody Wolkowski, Thunder Bay, ON; Checkalski; Robby Bunkelman, Abbotsford.
Heat 2: Halopka; Froemming; Oreskovich; Cook; Jeff Spacek, Phillips; Dalton Mains, Foxboro; Sabraski; Colin Chaschuk, Thunder Bay, ON; Zach Benson, Princeton, MN.
Heat 3: Swan; Copp; Hallquist; Dunbar; Hunter Anderson, Bruce; Lance Schilling, Laporte, MN; Jason Richardson, Elgin, MN; Ross Fuhrman, Ashland.
Heat 4: Weinberger; Truscott; A Uotinen; M Anderson; Simpson; Jensen; Brady Uotinen, Superior; JT Johnson, Milaca, MN; Brent Prochnow, Colfax.
Heat 5: Sanders; Vernon; C Spacek; Blaeser; Steve Lavasseur, River Falls; Dave Cain, Corcoran, MN; Ryan Savoy, Superior; Inman; AJ Roschen, Somerset.
Semi-Feature 1: Mackey; Jensen; Checkalski; Anderson; B Uotinen; Hiatt; Mains.
Semi-Feature 2: Simpson; Inman; Sabraski; Eder; Richardson; Schilling; J Spacek; Prochnow; Fuhrman.
FastLane Motorsports WISSOTA Super Stocks
Feature: 1-10: Shane Sabraski, Rice, MN; Rick Simpson, Thunder Bay, ON; Shane Kisling, Butternut; DJ Keeler, Superior; Curt Myers, Cameron; Shawn McFadden, Ashland; Matt Deragon, Ashland; Andy Grymala, Superior; Austin Blom, Saginaw, MN; Dalton Truchon, Washburn.
11-20: Patrick Beeksma, Ironwood, MI; Tristan LaBarge, Kelly Lake, MN; Tommy Richards, Mondovi; Chad Johnson, Colfax; Kyle Copp, Brule; Ryan Olson, Ladysmith; Trenton Bond, Iron River; Jason Melton, Rhinelander; Dan Severson, Crosby, MN; Terran Spacek, Phillips.
21-24: Jordan Henkemeyer, Sauk Rapids, MN; Steve Stuart, Ashland; Tucker Quinn, Ladysmith; Brandon Duellman, St Charles, MN.
Heat 1: Simpson; Myers; Deragon; Truchon; Spacek; Eric Olson, Ladysmith; Quinn; Trevor Arens, Hibbing, MN; Melton; Rich Bishop, Ladysmith.
Heat 2: Stuart; McFadden; Severson; Beeksma; Blom; T Bond; R Olson; Jakob Bond, Marengo; Adam Pratt, Bloomer; Wayne Dean, Eau Claire.
Heat 3: Sabraski; Keeler; Michael Blevins Sr, Hibbing, MN; LaBarge; Johnson; Richards; Leslie Leu, Medford; Myron Basina, Bayfield; Don Livingston, Washburn.
Heat 4: Kisling; Copp; Grymala; Henkemeyer; Dexton Koch, Becker, MN; Duellman; Joey Jensen, Forest Lake, MN; Scott Lawrence, Superior; Robert Holmstrom Jr, Cameron.
Semi-Feature 1: Richards; Quinn; Melton; Bishop; Basina; Arens; Holmstrom.
Semi-Feature 2: Duellman; T Bond; R Olson; Livingston; J Bond; Dean; Jensen.
Jacobson Forest Products WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
Feature: 1-10: Shane Sabraski, Rice, MN; Joey Jensen, Forest Lake, MN; Kolby Reed, Thunder Bay, ON; Tyler Kintner, Hibbing, MN; Marcus Dunbar, Marenisco, MI; Jaxon Helland, Cadott; Mike Anderson, Jim Falls; Eric Anderson, Chisholm, MN; Jimmy Latvala, Solon Springs; Justin Seipel, Eau Galle.
11-20: Travis Anderson, Colfax; Tyler Vernon, Ashland; Shadow Kitchner, Arkansaw; Alex Myers, Cameron; David Baxter, Eau Claire; Michael Truscott, Chippewa Falls; Judd Skubal, Rhinelander; James Vendela, South Range; Jacob Anderson, Superior; David Simpson, Thunder Bay, ON.
21-25: Jason Vokovan, Eau Claire; Nick Koehler, Bloomer; Paul Ripley, Duluth, MN; Brent Prochnow, Colfax.
Heat 1: Sabraski; Truscott; Seipel; Sam Blevins, Hibbing, MN; Latvala; Bryan Lund; Ashland; Michael Grover, Chetek; Jonny Nowak, Proctor, MN; Mitch Kieber, Ironwood, MI; Chris Bretting, Washburn.
Heat 2: Simpson; Vokovan; J Anderson; Prochnow; Kitchner; M Anderson; Brandon Duellman, St Charles, MN; Connor Kaseno, Marengo; Shane Kotnick, Iron, MN; Ross Siiter, Esko, MN.
Heat 3: Helland; Dunbar; E Anderson; Vendela; Don Craig, Thunder Bay, ON; Tanner Hicks, Ashland; Ryan Barningham, Bayfield; Braedyn Kirtland, Mass City, MI; Vernon.
Heat 4: Reed; Koehler; Ripley; Myers; Brandon Jensen, Ellsworth; Ryan Savoy, Superior; Michael Blevins Sr, Hibbing, MN; Mike Jacques, Thunder Bay, ON; Skubal.
Heat 5: J Jensen; Kintner; T Anderson; Baxter; Mason Musel, Cloquet, MN; Cooper Aho, Twin Lakes, MI; Ryan Kough, Isabella, MN; Paul Suzik, Ironwood, MI.
Semi-Feature 1: M Anderson; Latvala; Jacques; Savoy; Craig; Barningham; Kough; Bretting; Grover; Kieber; Kaseno; Spacek.
Semi-Feature 2: Kitchner; Skubal; Duellman; Aho; Kirtland; Kotnik; Nowak; B Jensen; Hicks; Lund.
