Stuart, Truscott, Hudack Stay Hot at ABC

Oreskovich scores first of year; first win for Dammer since ‘07
by Nick Gima
Ashland, WI, June 28 — Steve Stuart, Mike Truscott and Tyler Hudack all solidified their early-season points advantages with clean sweeps of their respective divisional heat and feature races during the “50 Years of Jamming the Stands Night” action at the ABC Raceway on Saturday.
The fast-paced AmsOil Dirt Track Series race program, presented by Heartland Communications Group and WBSZ, 93.3 FM, included 80 competitors on another fast, smooth track. The show started under sunny skies with temperatures in the upper 80s and ended in well under two-and-a-half hours.

Prior to the on-track action, dozens of former track workers and drivers who’ve contributed to stock car racing in the Chequamegon Bay area over the past 50 years were on hand to enjoy special tours of the facility and even partake in some of the race night activities. Former flagmen Randy Harvey and Tom Koleski each officiated over a Six-Cylinder heat race, and former announcer Gary LaPean gave one of the WISSOTA Modified heat races his popular “send-off.”
Stuart, of Ashland, was red-hot again as he blew away the field in the WISSOTA Mod feature, staying within sight of the leader before making his move for the lead on a late restart. Brian Mikkonen led the 20-lap A-main from the pole and had one of his best runs since moving into the “big Mods” while fending off a determined Al Uotinen by hugging the bottom groove throughout the first 11 laps.
Stuart moved to the upper lane five laps into the run and slipped around Steve Lavasseur into third place, with Jeff Spacek following into fourth. Stuart and Spacek closed on the lead pair, with Stuart about to make a move around Uotinen for second, just before Zack Pagels slid off the turn 1 pit exit and stopped in a precarious spot, bringing out the first of two caution flags in the run. Lavasseur stole fourth from Spacek on the restart, but Spacek got him back a lap later, just before Rick Rivord and Lavasseur got together on the back straight, causing Lavasseur to spin into the infield for the second stop.
Stuart shot low out of turn 2 on the restart and nabbed the lead, and with Mikkonen’s car losing some grip off the corners Uotinen took over second. Uotinen kept the pressure on until Stuart eventually pulled away to a 1.25-second advantage at the final stripe for his second straight win and 23rd of his career here, with Mikkonen, Spacek and Pat Cook completing the top five.
Truscott continued his dominance in Ashland with his third feature win in four shows here. Like Stuart, the Chippewa Falls speedster worked up quickly from a fourth-row start to move into third behind Paul Suzik and Mickey Nosser, and by lap 5 the lead trio were well ahead of John Kallas and the balance of the field.
The leaders caught a couple of backmarkers on lap 6 but made their way through cleanly just before Ryan Adamzak spun to slow the pace. Truscott took advantage on the green to work a low pass into the lead on the restart, and after rookie Ryan Barningham then blew his motor and crawled to a stop for the second race stoppage, Truscott flew away over the final eight non-stop laps to his tenth career ABC Raceway win – just shy of 3.7 seconds ahead of Suzik.
Kallas worked to a strong third-place performance ahead of Nosser and Jeff Klopstein.
Hudack had a familiar foe on his tail throughout the 15-lap Six-Cylinder feature, as once again Dale Coddington made the Ashland star work for his win. Hudack, who also started on the fourth row, slipped to the inside on Ken Tyykila to take second after just two laps, and within another circuit he had changed lanes and swept around rookie Marcus Dunbar for the lead.
On the next lap Coddington took second away from Dunbar, and the lead pair pulled away for what many expected to be another runaway showdown for the win. Tiffany Hudack worked the inside line to take third from Dunbar just past mid-race, but a lap later Brandon Ottman and Jonathan Popp got together to bring out the first of four caution flags that would throw a little drama into the plot line of the race.
After a spin by Jeremy Lindquist, a two-car tangle between Adam Traaholt and Ottman, and a get-together involving Dunbar and Tyykila over the course of laps 12 and 13, Tyler Hudack was surprisingly slow coming to the restart for a green-white-checkered finish, allowing both sister Tiffany and Coddington to surround him for a three-wide run into turn 1. But Tyler rediscovered the gas pedal and edged ahead as the pack came to the white flag. Coddington took one more shot at the win as he pulled alongside coming into the final corner, but Hudack held on by four one-hundredths of a second – about a fender-length – for his third win of the season and 11th overall at Ashland. Tiffany Hudack led a close pack in coming home third, just ahead of another impressive run by rookie Dunbar and Forrest Schultz.
Tyykila recovered for a ninth-place run and earned the $50 bonus for displaying the Raceway’s 50th Anniversary decal on his car after that finishing position was selected in a pre-race random drawing.
The other two features ran non-stop and resulted in first-time winners on the season. Nick Oreskovich of Mason lived up to his nickname – the “Flyin’ Farmer” – as he blew away the WISSOTA Super Stock feature field by the biggest winning margin of the night.
Oreskovich joined front-row starters Andy Grymala and Cory Casari in an early three-car dogfight up front before sneaking under Grymala for the lead on lap 2, and with no yellow flags to slow the 20-lapper it was no contest. Within four more laps Oreskovich was 1.6 seconds up on Grymala, and before mid-race that advantage had doubled.
Much of the reason Oreskovich was able to run away was the fact that the battle for second was so hard-fought. Grymala had to deal with challenges from Casari, Scott Lawrence and Wayne Stricker, among others, throughout the early portion of the race, before Stricker finally broke through to take the runner-up position away on lap 6. As many as six drivers were in the pack battling for second, while Oreskovich maintained a three-second or better lead.
Even as the leader caught slower traffic Stricker couldn’t cut into the deficit, as Oreskovich’s final margin of victory was nearly 3.75 seconds – or almost a full straightaway. Casari edged by Grymala in the closing stages for third, and Randy Spacek drove home fifth.
Glenn Dammer of Duluth, MN, used a strong run around the perimeter of the red-clay oval for his first ABC Raceway feature win since August 2007. Granted, it took a few laps to overcome a solid effort by polesitter Chris Johnson, but once out front the former track champ proved he remembered how to get to the checkered flag.
Dammer moved up from the third row by finding some room up around the high side of the wide, racy track and maintaining his momentum. Although Johnson’s early lead was a good six car-lengths, Dammer grabbed second from Andy Udeen by lap 3 and closed in quickly before claiming the point on lap 5.
As Dammer pulled away over the back half of the 12-lap run, Johnson had his hands full trying to keep Chad Carlson, Matt Deragon and visiting Josh Loucks at bay. Eventually Loucks got by Carlson for fourth, and then over the final two laps he claimed third from Deragon and second from Johnson, but Dammer’s half-straightaway advantage was plenty to chalk up his ninth career win here but first since he posted seven wins en route to the 2007 track title.
Johnson, Deragon and Udeen completed the top five.
Fast-lap bonuses from Northern Clearing were awarded to Truscott in the Mid-Mods (17.717 seconds) and Coddington in the Sixes (18.701).
A busy night is in store for race fans next Saturday at the ABC Raceway. Lake Shore Cafe of Ashland will be the presenting sponsor for the annual Six-Cylinder “Summer Sizzler,” as well as the AmsOil Race of Champions qualifying features for the three WISSOTA-sanctioned divisions. In addition, the Raceway will be giving away 50 bicycles as part of the 50th Anniversary celebration of the Ashland-Bayfield County Racing Association.
Adult tickets are just $10, and fans ages 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult. 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: Steve Stuart, Ashland; Al Uotinen, Superior; Brian Mikkonen, Iron River; Jeff Spacek, Phillips; Pat Cook, Washburn; Scott Hudack, Ashland; Rick Rivord, Superior; Travis Nye, Ashland; Steve Lavasseur, River Falls; Paul Niznik, Medford; Bill Byholm, Glidden; Dustin Hudack, Ashland; Curt Myers, Cameron; Zack Pagels, Marengo; Kevin Eder, Ashland.
Heat 1: Stuart; Spacek; Uotinen; Lavasseur; Rivord; Niznik; D Hudack; Pagels.
Heat 2: S Hudack; Mikkonen; Myers; Byholm; Cook; Nye; Eder.
WISSOTA Super Stocks
Feature: Nick Oreskovich, Mason; Wayne Stricker, Highbridge; Cory Casari, Montreal; Andy Grymala, Superior; Randy Spacek, Phillips; Scott Lawrence, Superior; Dave Flynn, Superior; Shawn McFadden Jr, Ashland; Ken Truscott, Greenland, MI; Shane Kisling, Sarona; Greg Kuklinski, Ironwood, MI; Curt Myers, Cameron; Dave Elliott, Minocqua; Don Muzzy, Ironwood, MI; Myron Basina, Washburn; DJ Keeler, Superior; Shawn Rivord, South Range; Brad Kisling, Sarona.
Heat 1: Casari; Flynn; Myers; Lawrence; Spacek; Truscott; Keeler; McFadden; Basina.
Heat 2: Stricker; Oreskovich; S Kisling; Grymala; Kuklinski; Rivord; Muzzy; Elliott; B Kisling.
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
Feature: Michael Truscott, Chippewa Falls; Paul Suzik, Ironwood, MI; John Kallas, Hurley; Mickey Nosser, Phillips; Jeff Klopstein, Tomahawk; Cole Spacek, Phillips; Tyler Vernon, Ashland; Tanner Hicks, Ashland; Cody Carlson, Superior; Paul Niznik, Medford; Ryan Adamczak, Ashland; Chris Bretting, Washburn; Tad Bretting, Ashland; Brad Seavers, Rib Lake; Bill Muhlig, Bessemer, MI; Jeremy Lindquist, Ashland; Duane Dunbar, Marenisco, MI; Ryan Barningham, Bayfield.
Heat 1: Spacek; Dunbar; Suzik; Hicks; Niznik; T Bretting; Lindquist; Barningham; C Bretting; Tanner Byholm, Glidden.
Heat 2: Truscott; Adamzak; Kallas; Nosser; Klopstein; Carlson; Vernon; Seavers; Muhlig.
Six-Cylinders
Feature: Tyler Hudack, Ashland; Dale Coddington, Hayward; Tiffany Hudack, Ashland; Marcus Dunbar, Marenisco, MI; Forrest Schultz, Ashland; Zack Pagels, Marengo; Jonathon Popp, Iron River; Aaron Mashlan, Ashland; Ken Tyykila, Iron River; Brendon Ottman, Ashland; Adam Traaholt, Ashland; Jeremy Lindquist, Ashland; Ethan Beeksma, Ironwood, MI.
Heat 1: Tiffany Hudack; Dunbar; Pagels; Tyykila; Beeksma; Lindquist; Popp.
Heat 2: Coddington; Hudack; Schultz; Mashlan; Traaholt; Ottman.
Pure Stocks
Feature: Glenn Dammer, Duluth, MN; Josh Loucks, Carlton, MN; Chris Johnson, South Range; Matt Deragon, Ashland; Andy Udeen, Superior; Terran Spacek, Phillips; Brandle Pupp, Ashland; Andrew Hanson, Iron River; Jeff Christman, South Range; Tim Carbon, Highbridge; Chad Nikstad, Superior; Jon Hammitt, Cloquet, MN; Rita Anderson, South Range; Chad Carlson, Superior; Brandon Conley, Mellen.
Heat 1: Deragon; Dammer; Carlson; Pupp; Carbon; Nikstad; Hammitt; Anderson.
Heat 2: Johnson; Spacek; Loucks; Udeen; Hanson; Christman; Conley.

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