Wi Dirt Racin

Ashland, WI, May 24 — Two drivers that are off to white-hot starts in 2014 – Curt Myers and Mike Truscott – kicked off their campaigns at the ABC Raceway with AmsOil Dirt Track Series feature wins on Saturday night, while Kevin Eder chased away his car’s early-season gremlins with a walk-away win of his own.
The Ashland-Bayfield County Racing Association opened a very special schedule celebrating its 50th year of existence with a 69-car, five-division program presented by Auto Value Auto Parts of Ashland in beautiful weather and completed well before 10:30 pm.
Myers, of Cameron, followed up a win at Red Cedar Speedway in Menomonie on Friday night with a 2.47-second margin of victory in the WISSOTA Super Stock main event. Myers started on the pole and took off just as outside front-row starter Wayne Stricker’s motor popped as the green flag dropped. After another stoppage for debris on the track, the 20 scheduled laps ran off non-stop, with Myers in control and pulling away with each circuit.
Cory Casari tussled with Randy Spacek for second spot before winning that battle by lap 2, but Casari could only watch as Myers slowly built his lead. Defending champ Scott Lawrence took fourth away from Andy Grymala during the opening laps as well, but on lap 4 Grymala returned the favor, and on lap 8 Nick Oreskovich executed an inside move to pass the champ for fifth.
The front of the field held their spots throughout the run, with Myers catching slower traffic as the white flag waived. Myers grabbed his second-straight win on opening night in Ashland, his 19th career ABC Raceway win, and his second straight here dating back to last year’s Red Clay Classic. Casari, Spacek, Grymala and Oreskovich followed at a distance.
Also off to a strong start is Truscott, who went two-for-two in WISSOTA Midwest Modified features, enhancing his win at St Croix Valley Raceway the night before with a dominant performance in the 15-lapper in Ashland on Saturday. Ryan Adamzak swept around pole-starter Cody Carlson just before a multi-car mess negated the pass, and Tanner Byholm had a similar move on Carlson waived off on the restart when Dennis Baldwin spun before the first lap was scored.
On the ensuing restart Carlson bobbled up in turn 4, allowing Adamzak to grab the top spot with Byholm in tow. Truscott, who started seventh, had just gotten past John Kallas for third before two more cars spun to stop the pace on lap 3.
One lap after the restart Truscott made his moves for the win by working around the lead pair, while Paul Niznik slipped past Kallas and then Byholm for third. Once out front, the young hotshoe from Chippewa Falls was uncatchable as he closed out his eighth career feature win and second in a row on an opening night in Ashland. Adamzak held off a mid-race challenge from Niznik to earn second-place money, while Kallas trailed closely in fourth and Jeff Klopstein came home a distant fifth.
Eder took a car that had been giving him fits throughout the first three weeks of the racing season at other tracks and put on a clinic with it in the non-stop 20-lap WISSOTA Modified headliner. The Ashland speedster started outside on the second row and worked his way around pole-starter and “big mod” rookie Travis Nye for second place in the opening laps, and then he dove inside to dig past Steve Lavasseur for the lead on lap 5. Within three laps on the smooth, fast surface Eder had built a 1.33-second lead and never let up.
Behind the leader were a pair of interesting battles as Lavasseur fended off former track champs Steve Stuart and Jeff Spacek as long as he could for second, while Scott Hudack drove from the tenth starting spot to race side-by-side with Nye for fifth. On lap 9 Stuart finally got the better of Lavasseur, but by lap 10 Eder’s cushion was already over 2.5 seconds.
Just after halfway Spacek took third away from Lavasseur, and shortly after that Hudack’s brilliant run ended with his car coasting to a stop in the infield grass. As Eder extended his advantage to over four seconds, Spacek made a cross-over move stick and stole second from Stuart with two laps remaining. For Eder the win was number 13 of his career and also his second straight to start a season at ABC, while Spacek and Stuart were a ways back at the checkers. Nye was impressive with a fourth-place run in his first-ever feature appearance in the division, while defending Mod champ Al Uotinen failed to scale after crossing the stripe in fifth, handing the spot to Lavasseur.
A caution-marred Six-Cylinder feature was capped by a wild finish, but Tyler Hudack of Ashland paced the entire 15-lap distance. As Hudack sped away early from the pole Jeremy Lindquist and Zack Pagels battled for second, with Pagels eventually gaining the positional advantage and Tiffany Hudack closing in to challenge from fourth. But Pagels spun after contact from Lindquist during lap 2, sending Lindquist to the back and tightening the field behind Tyler Hudack for the restart.
Tiffany Hudack dove down low to threaten Pagels for second a couple of laps after the restart, but in turn 2 she drove down too low, caught the softer, slicker red clay marking the bottom of the corner, and looped her ride; she kept the car going but lost valuable ground. Pagels took advantage of the situation to draw up to Tyler Hudack’s rear bumper on lap 6, and within the next circuit Pagels’ ride was alongside Hudack’s for the lead. But rookie Marcus Dunbar spun soon thereafter, followed by two more yellow-flag delays during each of the next three laps to slow the race’s pace.
For the final six laps Pagels kept the pressure on Tyler Hudack for the lead, with Forrest Schultz now close behind in third. On lap 11 Pagels edged ahead at the stripe, but Hudack charged back to retake the lead on the next go-’round. In the final turn, with the checkered flag in the air, contact between Pagels and Hudack turned the leader around, but the mild chaos regarding the finshing order was quickly resolved as Hudack was awarded the win – the ninth of his career – and Pagels was delegated to 13th position in final rundown. Schultz was awarded a career-best second-place finish, while Aaron Mashlan also had his best-ever feature run here by taking third, ahead of returning veteran Ken Tyykila and rookie Ethan Beeksma.
The Pure Stocks ran their feature without a hitch, and 2012 track champ Matt Deragon of Ashland established himself as the driver to beat in 2014 by taking his fourth ABC Raceway win. Deragon started the 12-lapper outside on the front row and sped around Brandle Pupp for a lead that he would not relinquish, while Jeff Christman followed to third. By lap 4 Deragon was putting backmarkers a lap down, while behind him a dandy of a battle was brewing between Christman, Chad Carlson in a borrowed car, and Terran Spacek for second.
Mechanical woes forced Carlson out of the event with four laps remaining, leaving the veteran Christman to outduel the youngster Spacek for runner-up honors. However, Deragon cruised to a decisive half-straightaway victory to start the season off right. Rookie Andrew Hanson worked his way to fourth, but Pupp, who finished fifth, was disqualified for a technical infraction after the event, leaving that position for Chris Johnson.
Fast-lap awards presented by Northern Clearing Inc of Ashland went to Stuart in the Mods (17.830 seconds) and Casari in the Supers (17.875).
During intermission, the inaugural class of the new ABC Raceway Hall of Fame was announced. Named to the prestigious honor in the Honorary Inductee category, chosen unanimously by the HoF selection committee, were Frank and Verna Brevak (posthumously), the Northern State Bank of Ashland, and the George Vernon Family and their Northern Clearning Inc business.
The first Driver class will include Bob Root, Dwaine Erickson, Ron Hmielewski and Bob Brevak, while those to be inducted as Volunteers and Contributors include Robert “Weaver” Wherritt, Earl and Chris Zar, Ron and Jeanne Hmielewski, Bob and Sandy (posthumously) Root, and Dennis Asbach.
The formal induction ceremonies will be held during the July 19 race program at the track.
As part of the kick-off of the 50th-anniversary celebration, Bob Root, the Association’s first president, acted as honorary flagman for the first race of the season. Fireworks wowed the large crowd on hand as the Mod feature field took to the track for the final race of the night.
Next Saturday night the Safari Tavern of Ashland will present the racing program, which will offer drivers participating in the five-division event free pit admission. Hot laps are set for 6:15 pm, and racing is set to start at 7. “Race Night” will air live on WBSZ, 93.3 FM, and stream online at www.wbszfm.com, from 4:30-6 pm with at-the-track news and weather updates.
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, or log on to the track’s website, .
Results
WISSOTA Modifieds
Feature: Kevin Eder, Ashland; Jeff Spacek, Phillips; Steve Stuart, Ashland; Travis Nye, Ashland; Steve Lavasseur, River Falls; Pat Cook, Washburn; Bill Byholm, Glidden; Rick Rivord, Superior; Neil Balduc, Bessemer, MI; Paul niznik, Medford; Brian Mikkonen, Iron River; Dustin Hudack, Ashland; Zack Pagels, Marengo; Scott Hudack, Ashland.
Heat 1: Eder; Nye; Cook; Al Uotinen, Superior; Niznik; Rivord; Byholm; D Hudack.
Heat 2: Stuart; Mikkonen; Spacek; Lavasseur; S Hudack; Balduc; Pagels.
WISSOTA Super Stocks
Feature: Curt Myers, Cameron; Cory Casari, Montreal; Randy Spacek, Phillips; Andy Grymala, Superior; Nick Oreskovich, Mason; Scott Lawrence, Superior; Shawn McFadden Jr, Ashland; Ken Truscott, Greenland, MI; Dave Flynn, Superior; Don Muzzy, Ironwood, MI; DJ Keeler, Superior; Dave Elliott, Minocqua; Wayne Stricker, Highbridge.
Heat 1: Myers; Casari; Lawrence; Flynn; McFadden; Keeler; Elliott.
Heat 2: Stricker; Grymala; Oreskovich; Spacek; Muzzy; Truscott.
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
Feature: Michael Truscott, Chippewa Falls; Ryan Adamczak, Ashland; Paul Niznik, Medford; John Kallas, Hurley; Jeff Klopstein, Tomahawk; Tanner Byholm, Glidden; Tanner Hicks, Ashland; Duane Dunbar, Marenisco, MI; Tad Bretting, Ashland; Chris Bretting, Washburn; Tyler Vernon, Ashland; Tyler Luger, Iron River; Dan Melton, Rhinelander; Bill Muhlig, Bessemer, MI; Jeremy Lindquist, Ashland; Guy Carley, Eagle River; Dennis Baldwin, Bessemer, MI; Cody Carlson, Superior; Cole Spacek, Phillips; Paul Suzik, Ironwood, MI.
Heat 1: Truscott; Spacek; Niznik; Suzik; C Bretting; Carley; Vernon; Dunbar; T Bretting.
Heat 2: Adamzak; Carlson; Klopstein; Byholm; Kallas; Hicks; Melton; Baldwin; Lindquist; Luger.
Six-Cylinders
Feature: Tyler Hudack, Ashland; Forrest Schultz, Ashland; Aaron Mashlan, Ashland; Ken Tyykila, Iron River; Ethan Beeksma, Ironwood, MI; Tiffany hudack, Ashland; Marcus Dunbar, Marenisco, MI; Zack Pagels, Marengo; Colten Vernon, Ashland; Jeremy Lindquist, Ashland.
Heat 1: Lindquist; Tiffany Hudack; Schultz; Beeksma; Vernon.
Heat 2: Tyler Hudack; Pagels; Dunbar; Tyykila; Mashlan.
Pure Stocks
Feature: Matt Deragon, Ashland; Jeff Crhistman, Superior; Terran Spacek, Phillips; Andrew Hanson, Iron River; Chris Johnson, South Range; Brandon Conley, Mellen; Chad Carlson, Superior; Tim Carbon, Highbridge.
Heat: Johnson; Deragon; Carlson; Christman; Brandle Pupp, Ashland; Hanson; Carbon; Conley; Spacek.

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