ABC Raceway Celebrates 2013’s Best with Banquet

by Nick Gima
Ashland, WI, January 18 — The ABC Raceway closed out its activities for its 2013 stock car racing season with its annual awards banquet on Saturday night at the AmericInn in Ashland.
Over 200 racers, crew members, sponsors, track workers and fans enjoyed a social hour and a buffet meal catered by Lake Shore Cafe before the presentation of over 80 trophies and special awards. Divisional champions were presented with commemorative jackets, and the top ten in points in each class, as well as those receiving special recognition, were awarded trophies.
The Raceway’s Board president Kurt Beeksma opened the festivities with comments of congratulations toward the champions and words of appreciation toward the many sponsors who have been so generous in supporting the efforts of the track. Beeksma also recognized the hard work of the track’s Board of Directors and its all-volunteer staff in making 2013 a successful season.
Beeksma also alluded to the Raceway’s plans for its upcoming 50th anniversary season as well as its efforts toward the opening of its long-awaited Hall of Fame.
Al Uotinen of Superior was presented his fifth championship jacket and trophy as the track’s 2013 WISSOTA Modified champion. Uotinen used consistent front-running efforts to earn the points needed for the title, as he became only the fourth champ in the Raceway’s 49 seasons to win a title without the benefit of a feature win. He did, however, score three heat wins and finished sixth or better in eight of the nine features run during the regular season.
Uotinen won the title by a mere nine points over Kevin Eder of Ashland. Curt Myers of Cameron, Bill Byholm of Glidden, and 2011 ABC Mod champ Steve Stuart of Ashland completed the top five. Sixth through tenth included six-time track champ Jeff Spacek of Phillips, rookie-of-the-year Brian Mikkonen of Iron River, Pat Cook of Washburn, rookie Neil Balduc of Bessemer, MI, and Rick Rivord of Superior.
Scott Lawrence of Superior was honored for his track-record tenth consecutive ABC Raceway WISSOTA Super Stock crown. Lawrence, who also owns three WISSOTA Street Stock championships at the Ashland track, again showed the consistency and strength that has made him one of the top racers in his division in all of WISSOTA, by chalking up two feature victories and a division-best six heat wins.
Lawrence was not unchallenged, however, as only eight points back in the final rundown was 1993 Super Stock champ Randy Spacek of Phillips. Myers collected his second third-place trophy of the night, while Ken Truscott of Greenland, MI, and 2013 rookie-of-the-year Shawn McFadden Jr of Ashland filled out the final top five in points. Behind them in the top ten were Mason’s Nick Oreskovich, Cory Casari of Montreal, Shawn Rivord of South Range, Superior’s Dave Flynn, and five-time ABC Raceway champion Greg Kuklinski of Ironwood, MI.
Collecting his second-straight WISSOTA Midwest Modified title was Ashland’s Travis Nye. His season included four feature victories and two heat wins in 2013, but the campaign was made even more special by joining his father Nick on the champion’s stage to become the only father-son pairing to win titles in the same season at ABC.
The younger Nye’s 13-point championship margin was the largest at the track in 2013, proving the quality of competition at the Ashland track. Impressive youngster Cole Spacek of Phillips was runner-up in the division, while up-and-coming young hotshoes Paul Suzik of Ironwood, MI, and Ryan Adamzak of Ashland finished ahead of veteran and three-time ABC champ Duane Dunbar of Marenisco, MI, in the top five. The second five in Mid-Mod points included Medford’s Paul Niznik, Ashland’s Rick Przybylski, Tanner Byholm of Glidden, Washburn’s Chris Bretting, and Tyler Luger of Iron River.
Tanner Hicks of Ashland was honored as the Midwest Mod division’s rookie-of-the-year.
In honor of his late friend and former popular racer Keane Laakson, Dale Coddington of Hayward dusted off an old Super Stock chassis that Laakson used to run, converted it to an ABC Raceway Six-Cylinder, added Laakson’s familiar number 23 to the doors, and campaigned it at Ashland in 2013. In doing so, Coddington earned the division’s points title. He drove the car to two feature victories, four feature runner-up efforts, and four heat wins to win his second championship (2009) by just eight points.
Tyler Hudack of Ashland was closest to Coddington in the final standings, while 2013 rookie-of-the-year Tiffany Hudack of Ashland finished an impressive third. Two-time defending and four-time Sixes champ Patrick Beeksma of Ironwood, MI, landed fourth in final points, while Marengo’s Scott Ovaska celebrated a return to full-time racing with a fifth-place finish. Sixth through tenth in the standings included 2000 Sixes champ Ron Hmielewski of Marengo, Ashland racers Forrest Schultz and Tyler Vernon, Marengo’s Zach Pagels, and DeJay Mihalek of Ashland.
Nick Nye of Ashland joined his son as ABC Raceway champion after taking the top spot in the track’s Pure Stock standings. The senior Nye scored a feature win on opening night, but it was his two A-main wins late in the summer that nailed down his first title since his three-peat in the track’s Street Stock class in 1980-’82.
Nye was a mere eight points up on two-time ABC champ Tim Carbon of Highbridge, while defending champ Matt Deragon of Ashland, Jeff Christman of South Range, and the brother team effort of former ABC champs Tim and Chad Carlson of Superior rounded out the top five. The second five in final points consisted of the rookie-of-the-year team effort of Chris Johnson and Ryan Savoy of Superior, Terran Spacek of Phillips, Brandle Pupp of Ashland, Rita Anderson of South Range, and the team of Matt Flint, Charles Jahn and Andy Compton of Highbridge and Ashland.
Cole Spacek was awarded the trophy for Most Improved Driver in 2013, while the Sportsman of the Year honor was posthumously awarded to Ken Tody Jr of Ashland, who passed away after a tragic automobile accident during Red Clay Classic weekend this past September.
Kurt Beeksma presented the prestigious President’s Award for outstanding service to the Raceway to Mary Bowers, and he also presented Cheryl Klobucher with the Raceway’s Award of Excellence, for her long-time involvement and efforts with the organization.
Following the awards presentation was a drawing for pit passes and pit spots for the drivers, as well as door prizes for the guests. Attendees then enjoyed music by BB King and participated in a Wii bowling tournament.
The 2014 stock car racing season at the ABC Raceway is scheduled to kick off in mid-May. The ABC Raceway is located 3-1/2 miles south of Ashland on State Highway 13 and one mile west on Butterworth Road. For more information call (715) 682-4990, or log on to the track’s website, www.abcraceway.com.

Comments

comments