UPDATE May 28th
RACES TONIGHT ARE CANCELED!
by Nick Gima
Ashland, WI, May 21 – A week’s worth of cool, wet weather teamed up with a very unfavorable forecast to force the cancellation of this past Saturday night’s rescheduled 2022 season-opening event at the ABC Raceway.
The Board of Directors of the Ashland-Bayfield County Racing Association begrudgingly made the decision to cancel Friday evening, after over an inch-and-a-half of rain saturated the Chequamegon Bay area during the previous two days. More light, soaking rains arrived later Friday night, justifying the call, and temperatures Saturday never reached 50 degrees during the day, while overnight lows dipped into the upper 30s.
“Everyone on our Board and our staff want to race – we want to get this season going,” said Raceway Board president Eric Erickson shortly after the call was made to cancel. “But we have to make a decision that is good for our fans, smart for the drivers, and in the best business interests of the Raceway.
“The pit areas are soft, the grandstand parking is spongy. About the only thing that is ready, really, is the track itself.”
The season is now set to kick off on Saturday, May 28, with the Raceway’s first special event of the season, as White River Ag Products of Mason, with support from Deer Creek Farms, Windy Acres Farm, GDM Farms, Kully’s Truck Accessories, Lulich Implement and Tractor Central, presents the first-ever “Farm Stock Special.” An increased payout will be offered, including feature winner checks of $2,500 for the WISSOTA Modifieds, $1,800 for the WISSOTA Midwest Mods, and $1,200 for the WISSOTA Super Stocks.
The “Farm Stock Special” is just one of a large handful of special events dotting the 2022 season schedule, which will also provide a six-division offering during its regular Saturday-night programs, featuring the aforementioned Mods, Super Stocks and Midwest Mods, plus WISSOTA-sanctioned Pure Stocks and Hornets and the track’s own ABC Six-Cylinders.
Other special events on the docket include visits by the Advantage RV Mod Tour on June 11; the Northern Renegade traditional sprints on June 26 and August 13; the Structural Buildings WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series for the second-annual “444 Memorial” on Thursday, July 21; the FastLane Motorsports Northland Super Stock Series on July 30; the first-ever “Little Car Classic” on August 6; and the 47th annual Red Clay Classic on September 30-October 1.
Many other staples of the ABC Raceway calendar, such as the kids’ bike race night, meet-the-drivers night, the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, and more help fill what will be a very exciting schedule.
For 2022, driver entry fees for the Pure Stock and Hornet divisions during regular weekly shows in 2022 will be waived, in an effort to encourage more racers in those divisions to compete at ABC. Also, the Raceway has developed a set points fund for its six divisions, with payouts to be based on each qualifying driver’s percentage of event participation.
The ABC Raceway is located approximately 3.5 miles south of Ashland on State Highway 13, then one mile west on Butterworth Road. More information regarding the Raceway and its 2022 season schedule are available on the track’s website, www.abcraceway.com, and via its FaceBook page.
