{"id":7132,"date":"2026-06-30T21:13:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T02:13:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abcraceway.com\/wordpress\/?p=7132"},"modified":"2026-06-30T21:13:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T02:13:17","slug":"swanson-puts-on-the-belt-as-abc-sixes-slam-champ","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abcraceway.com\/wordpress\/swanson-puts-on-the-belt-as-abc-sixes-slam-champ\/","title":{"rendered":"Swanson \u2018Puts On the Belt\u2019 as ABC Sixes Slam Champ"},"content":{"rendered":"

Swanson \u2018Puts On the Belt\u2019 as ABC Sixes Slam Champ<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

by Nick Gima<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ashland, WI, June 20 <\/strong>\u2013 The sun broke through and a comfortable evening greeted fans at the ABC Raceway on Saturday, and a fast-paced WISSOTA Dirt Track Series program saw two first-time visitors park in the track\u2019s Victory Lane, along with two \u201cthree-peaters\u201d and one repeat winner.<\/p>\n

The program, presented by Super One Foods of Ashland, pointed the spotlight on the Berglund Customs ABC Six-Cylinders for their fourth annual \u201cSix-Cylinder Slam\u201d night of racing. Taking its theme from the world of professional wrestling, each driver was introduced to the crowd with intense background music and WWE-style nicknames, and the winning driver, with the most points accumulated on the night from their heat and feature races, received a championship belt and donned a boxing-style robe in Victory Lane.<\/p>\n

That winner on this night was Ashland\u2019s Travis Swanson, who started the 20-lap headline event on the outside of row 4, moved to the front before the \u201ccompetition caution flag\u201d was thrown at midrace, then overcame an eight-position invert to run away to his third feature win of the season.<\/p>\n

A heated three-car battle involving polestarter Cody Eichmann, Alex Bond and Roger Walker had all eyes glued to the front of the field. Bond held the early advantage until he slowed on lap 3, giving Walker an outside line to the point, with Eichmann and a charging Swanson right behind him.<\/p>\n

Bond was bumped and spun later in the lap, bringing about the first of six total caution slowdowns. Eichmann was scored as the leader of the last completed lap, but Walker worked the outside line again to retake the lead one circuit after the restart. After Tyler Gervais\u2019 spin on lap 5, Swanson pulled to the inside on Walker and fought his way by for the lead.<\/p>\n

A Justin Pratt spin set up a two-lap sprint to the \u201ccompetition yellow,\u201d during which Eichmann edged his way past Walker to second, with Shane Basina just nipping Kyle Weber for fourth.<\/p>\n

Due to a bit of attrition and \u201cjumping\u201d penalties being assessed during the break, Swanson drew an \u201c8\u201d for the invert, placing Weber on the pole for the restart, while Swanson lined up in seventh. Mathew Rohlfing held off RJ Holly for second just after the green flag flew again, and within a couple more laps Swanson was charging through again and took second, followed by Walker.<\/p>\n

Back-to-back stoppages on lap 16, for Gervais\u2019 stalled ride and another Bond spin, kept the field close for the final shootout. Swanson dove low to take the lead from Weber with three to go, with Walker going high for second a lap later, and Swanson sped away to his 14th<\/sup> career win at ABC, by 1.7 seconds over Walker. Weber held on for third just ahead of Cameron Bond, with Rolfing coming home a distant fifth.<\/p>\n

The other third-time winner on the season was Jake Smith of Cohasset, MN, who won the Bill\u2019s Collision Center WISSOTA Pure Stocks A-main. Smith, who had won the track\u2019s first two Pure Stock features but raced closer to home last weekend, dominated the non-stop 10-lap run.<\/p>\n

Smith started on the pole but found himself in a tough battle with Aaron Bernick, who also took last weekend off from racing here. On lap 2 Bernick made an inside move stick to take the lead, but within a couple of laps Smith worked his way back into the top spot with an inside pass of his own.<\/p>\n

From that point on Smith gradually drew away, taking his fourth career ABC Raceway checkered flag by 2.9 seconds. Runner-up Bernick was almost that far ahead of Shane Basina, while Dylan Helget and Alex Larson were a distant fourth and fifth, respectively.<\/p>\n

Ashland\u2019s Matt Deragon earned his second consecutive Bulldog Auto Repair WISSOTA Super Stock feature win on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Deragon started on the pole of the non-stop 20-lapper and outran Jakob Bond through the first pair of turns. Steve Stuart, who started inside on row 3, slipped low to pass Dalton Truchon for third in those first turns as well, and within a couple of tours around the three-eighth-mile oval he grabbed second from Bond.<\/p>\n

Deragon stayed at least three-quarters of a second ahead of the WISSOTA national points leader throughout much of the run, and he had as much as a second-and-a-half lead at times, while well behind the lead pair a slew of as many as six to seven racers swapped the third through eighth positions frequently with every lap. It wasn\u2019t until Deragon set himself up to put Rita Anderson a lap back that Stuart closed the deficit significantly, drawing to within a mere car-length or two with four laps to go.<\/p>\n

Deragon clung to a .2-second margin at the checkers for his 20th<\/sup> career feature win here, with Stuart nipping at his heels. Don Livingston broke out of the thick logjam chasing the leaders for a season-best third-place effort, while Bond held on for forth ahead of ninth-starting Kyle Copp.<\/p>\n

Nick Oreskovich of Mason enjoyed his own first-time-in-a-long-time feature win in the Top Groove Racewear WISSOTA Modified main event. Having not won a feature here since August 2023, Oreskovich hassled race-long leader Brady Uotinen until the closing laps of the 20-lap non-stop affair before completing the winning pass.<\/p>\n

Oreskovich started outside on the front row and worked his way around polestarter John Toppozini, only to find that Uotinen had made his way by the Canadian visitor as well. Throughout the front half of the run Uotinen fought off every challenge Oreskovich threw at him, while Brandon Copp was lurking not far back.<\/p>\n

Eventually the lead pair pulled away from Copp, who was comfortably ahead of Pat Cook. Uotinen continued to pace the run until the final five laps, when the smooth mid-track line that he was running began to fail him. Oreskovich, leaning his racer against the outer \u201ccushion,\u201d closed on the leader and, with two to go, eased is way by on the outside and held on for a final margin of two-thirds of a second.<\/p>\n

Uotinen came home third as Copp closed in again, while Cook and Andrew Mackey completed the top five.<\/p>\n

The Dalbeck Sales WISSOTA Midwest Modified feature was not as smooth, but it found James Vendela of South Range in Victory Lane at the end of its 20 laps. Vendela, who started inside on the fourth row, spent much of the race as a part of a five-car cluster fighting for second, then took advantage of a rare bobble by Tyler Vernon for the lead.<\/p>\n

Polestarter Tanner Hicks pulled in front of Cade Johnson for the early lead, with defending track champ Marcus Dunbar in tow. Paul Suzik worked his way by Johnson for third after a lap, and when Dunbar slipped high through turn 4 the next time around, Suzik took advantage for second.<\/p>\n

Vernon ran a strong upper line to sweep around Suzik on lap 7, and just as he was about to move by Hicks for the lead a yellow flag flew for Connor Kaseno\u2019s spin. Vernon did get by Hicks a lap after the restart, just before Kaseno looped his ride again, and this time Vernon was able to run off to a sizeable lead.<\/p>\n

Vendela, who restarted fifth, worked the high line as well as Vernon did, taking third away just past the race\u2019s midpoint. Then, as Vernon was enjoying a 1.78-second lead, visitor Braedyn Kirtland spun with five laps to go, putting Vendela and Suzik on Vernon\u2019s rear bumper. A lap after the restart Vernon slipped up the track in turn 4, allowing Vendela the chance to make a \u201cthread the needle\u201d three-wide pass of Vernon and Suzik for the lead. Dunbar got by Vernon a couple of circuits later and stayed tight to the leader\u2019s bumper, but Vendela held on for a .3-second win \u2013 the seventh of his career here but first this season.<\/p>\n

Vernon stayed just ahead of Suzik for third, and Jimmy Latvala weaved his way to fifth in the final laps.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, June 27, the ABC Raceway will honor teachers and school administrators with its High Voltage Racing \/ Educator Appreciation Night, presented by WIMI, 99.7 FM, of Ironwood. MI. Teachers and other education administrative persons will receive free grandstand admission when showing their school-issued ID at the front gate on that night.<\/p>\n

All five regular weekly divisions will be in action, with the pit gates opening at 4:30 pm, the grandstand gate opening at 5, hot laps starting at 6:30, and the first green flag set to fly at 7 pm.<\/p>\n

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<\/em><\/a>, or check out its FaceBook page. Advance tickets are always available on the My Race Pass website and app.<\/p>\n

Results<\/strong><\/p>\n

Top Groove Racewear WISSOTA Modifieds<\/strong><\/p>\n

Feature<\/u>: 1-10<\/u>: Nick Oreskovich, Mason; Brady Uotinen, Superior; Brandon Copp, Brule; Pat Cook, Washburn; Andrew Mackey, Ashland; John Toppozini, Thunder Bay, ON; Cole Spacek, Woodruff; Tyler Vernon, Mason; Jack Rivord, Superior; Cody Carlson, Superior.<\/p>\n

11-13<\/u>: Robby Bunkelman, Abbotsford; Ross Fuhrman, Ashland; Marcus Dunbar, Marenisco, MI.<\/p>\n

Heat 1<\/u>: Uotinen; Spacek; Cook; Mackey; Vernon; Dunbar; Bunkelman.<\/p>\n

Heat 2<\/u>: Oreskovich; Carlson; Copp; Toppozini; Rivord; Fuhrman.<\/p>\n

Bulldog Auto Repair WISSOTA Super Stocks<\/strong><\/p>\n

Feature<\/u>: 1-10<\/u>: Matt Deragon, Ashland; Steve Stuart, Ashland; Don Livingston, Washburn; Jakob Bond, Marengo; Kyle Copp, Brule; Dalton Truchon, Washburn; Trenton Bond, Iron River; Jason Melton, Rhinelander; Rita Anderson, South Range; Patrick Beeksma, Ironwood, MI.<\/p>\n

11-13<\/u>: Shawn McFadden, Ashland; DJ Keeler, Superior; Terran Spacek, Phillips.<\/p>\n

Heat 1<\/u>: Beeksma; J Bond; Truchon; Stuart; Copp; Anderson; Melton.<\/p>\n

Heat 2<\/u>: McFadden; Keeler; Deragon; Livingston; T Bond; Spacek.<\/p>\n

Dalbeck Sales WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds<\/strong><\/p>\n

Feature<\/u>: 1-10<\/u>: James Vendela, South Range; Marcus Dunbar, Marenisco, MI; Tyler Vernon, Mason; Paul Suzik, Ironwood, MI; Jimmy Latvala, Solon Springs; Judd Skubal, Rhinelander; Tanner Hicks, Ashland; Cade Johnson, Eveleth, MN; Ryan Barningham, Bayfield; Bryan Lund, Ashland.<\/p>\n

11-12<\/u>: Braedyn Kirtland, Mass City, MI; Connor Kaseno, Marengo.<\/p>\n

Heat 1<\/u>: Barningham; Vernon; Vendela; Hicks; Skubal; Kaseno.<\/p>\n

Heat 2<\/u>: Dunbar; Latvala; Suzik; Johnson; Lund; Kirtland.<\/p>\n

Bill\u2019s Collision Center WISSOTA Pure Stocks<\/strong><\/p>\n

Feature<\/u>: 1-5<\/u>: Jake Smith, Cohasset, MN; Aaron Bernick, Duluth, MN; Shane Basina, Bayfield; Dylan Helget, South Range; Alex Larson, South Range.<\/p>\n

Heat<\/u>: Bernick; Smith; Basina; Larson; Helget.<\/p>\n

Berglund Customs ABC Six-Cylinders<\/strong><\/p>\n

Feature<\/u>: 1-10<\/u>: Travis Swanson, Ashland; Roger Walker, Phillips; Kyle Weber, Drummond; Cameron Bond, Mason; Mathew Rohlfing, Grand View; Shane Basina, Bayfield; Cody Eichmann, Park Falls; Alex Bond, Iron River; RJ Holly, Marengo; Tyler Gervais, Ashland.<\/p>\n

11-12<\/u>: Justin Pratt, Glidden; Adam Traaholt, Ashland.<\/p>\n

Heat 1<\/u>: Walker; Swanson; Eichmann; C Bond; Rohlfing; Gervais.<\/p>\n

Heat 2<\/u>: Basina; A Bond; Weber; Holly; Pratt; Traaholt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Swanson \u2018Puts On the Belt\u2019 as ABC Sixes Slam Champ by Nick Gima \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ashland, WI, June 20 \u2013 The sun broke through and a comfortable evening greeted fans at…Continue readingSwanson \u2018Puts On the Belt\u2019 as ABC Sixes Slam Champ<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-newsandupdates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abcraceway.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abcraceway.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abcraceway.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abcraceway.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abcraceway.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7132"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/abcraceway.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7132\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7133,"href":"https:\/\/abcraceway.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7132\/revisions\/7133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abcraceway.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abcraceway.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abcraceway.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}