Wi Dirt Racin

Ashland, WI, August 2 — Ashland’s Ryan Adamzak took advantage of a late-race restart to steal a huge $600 WISSOTA Midwest Modified feature win at ABC Raceway on Saturday night.
Northern Wisconsin Fence of Phillips and Outlaw Wraps & Apparel of Ashland presented the fast-paced 70-car AmsOil Dirt Track Series stock car racing program during a hot, humid early-August night that was completed well before 10 pm on another fast, wide, racy track. To prove just how racy the track was: all of the five feature winners on this night started from the third row or farther back.
The eighth annual “Mid-Mod Madness” feature started with polesitter Jeff Klopstein jumping into the initial lead, while Mike Truscott worked the inside groove against Tyler Vernon for second. After a lap 2 stoppage for debris, Vernon made the outside line work to edge ahead of Truscott, and Cole Spacek tried a similar move to take third. However, Spacek’s car turned sideways in front of most of the 18-car field, and when a pair of cars bumped his at speed, Spacek’s car rolled once over before coming to rest driver’s-door down. The youngster from Phillips was unharmed.

Truscott used some high-side momentum on the restart and within a lap took over the lead. However, unlike other nights here this year, the track points leader was unable to pull away and dominate; throughout the next 13 uninterrupted laps Klopstein used the low groove to stay right alongside of Truscott and even make several determined efforts to take the lead away, but Truscott fought off every threat by riding the rim of the three-eighths-mile oval.
With the lead pair battling, Adamzak – who started outside on row 3 – ran in the top five throughout the extended green-flag run. He took advantage of Vernon’s bobble on lap 6 to move into third place, bringing Paul Niznik and Wayne Stricker along into fourth and fifth. Adamzak was still quite a ways back of the battle for the lead until the caution lights came on with five laps remaining, for a Rick Przybylski-Tad Schoonover get-together in turn 3.
Adamzak lined up on the outside of the second row for the “Delaware double-file” restart and, at the drop of the green, outran Klopstein and pulled alongside Truscott, who held the bottom to fend off Klopstein. Adamzak swept around Truscott and held on for a three-quarter-second advantage at the final stripe, while Niznik again followed Adamzak, this time around Klopstein to take third-place honors.
Stricker, in his first night back in a Mid-Mod, completed the top five. Prior to the start of the 20-lap race, former ABC Mid-Mod champ George Dalbeck added $100 to the originally-stated $500 feature winner’s total, and defending event winner Travis Nye threw in $50 to be awarded to the farthest-advancing “hard charger” of the race, which was split between Stricker (who started 11th) and Tanner Hicks, who started 15th and finished ninth.
Hicks also received the $50 bonus for displaying the Raceway’s 50th Anniversary decal on his ride, as a result of the random finishing-position draw prior to the race, and Truscott set the fastest lap of the run with a time 17.278 seconds to receive that $50 bonus from Northern Clearing Inc. Event co-sponsor Outlaw Wraps & Graphics also presented generous prize packages to the top three finishers.
In one of the two features to run non-stop, Jeff Spacek of Phillips came from the fourth row to race with Niznik and Steve Stuart for the win in the 20-lap WISSOTA Modified A-main. Rick Rivord grabbed the early advantage as polestarter Pat Cook got shuffled back, allowing Niznik to move into second. Niznik worked his way around Rivord on lap 3 just as Spacek moved into third.
Stuart, who started alongside Spacek, used a couple of gutsy moves to shoot through into third spot on lap 7, and by mid-race he was within striking distance of the lead pair. It took Spacek seven full laps of chasing Niznik around the high lane before he finally switched to the low side and drove by for the lead, but Niznik charged back with eight to go, just as Stuart reached the leaders.
Spacek finally retook the point for good on lap 13, and while Stuart diced with Niznik for runner-up honors the six-time track champ pulled away to a lead of nearly a full second. With four laps left Stuart fianlly cleared Niznik, but he was unable to close the gap between himself and the winner. Spacek’s third-straight victory was also his fourth of the season and 57th all-time at Ashland, and he and Stuart have won the last seven “big Mod” features here. Niznik brought home his second third-place check of the night, while Rivord held on for fourth ahead of Kevin Eder.
Stuart set the fast lap of the run with a time of 16.503 seconds to earn the Northern Clearing $50 bonus for the Mods.
The other non-stop run came in the WISSOTA Super Stocks, where Dave Flynn of Superior outran his fellow hometowner Scott Lawrence for his third feature win of the season and second in three weeks. The Raceway’s all-time feature win leader, Greg Kuklinski, started on the pole and looked very strong from the start, pulling away quickly from Shawn McFadden Jr and Don Muzzy. Flynn, who started outside on row 3, used an inside move to take second away from McFadden, and Lawrence followed right in Flynn’s tire tracks to claim third.
As Flynn and Lawrence chased down Kuklinski, a wild four-car battle for the fourth through seventh positions raged throughout the entire race, as McFadden, Randy Spacek, Cory Casari and Shane Kisling fought tooth-and-nail and swapped spots on nearly every lap.
The twosome from Superior eventually caught Kuklinski’s back push-bar just before mid-race, but Lawrence took a shot at a pass for second and Flynn was forced to defend, allowing Kuklinski to extend the lead a bit. Flynn regrouped and worked his way up and around Kuklinski and, over the course of a little more than a lap, overtook the leader on lap 13, with Lawrence following suit within the next circuit. From there Flynn and Lawrence pulled away to decide the win for themselves.
The deciding factor in the final order came courtesy of an encounter with slower traffic. On lap 17 Flynn got by Myron Basina without much trouble, but Lawrence – who had been right on Flynn’s tail – tangled with Basina, who looked to be trying to get out of the way. The heavy contact slowed Lawrence considerably and gave Flynn a 1.6-second cushion at the final stripe, while Kuklinski cruised home a solid third. Spacek won the skirmish for fourth place ahead of McFadden, as contact in the final corner left Kisling’s car sideways as the checkers flew.
For a while it looked as though Tiffany Hudack would win her second straight Six-Cylinder feature on Saturday, but Dale Coddington charged through the field to take the win away. It only took Hudack a lap to get from the third row to second place behind front-row starter Forrest Schultz, aided by second-place Zach Pagels’ spin, and within a lap after the restart Hudack hustled past Schultz and looked to be on her way.
But Coddington, who started directly behind Hudack, had restarted third and followed her past Schultz into second, and over the next seven green-flag laps the two put on a very entertaining battle for the lead. What made things more interesting was when Tyler Hudack – Tiffany’s brother and the points leader entering the night’s action – lost fourth place to rookie Ethan Beeksma and then suddenly slowed and pulled off the track with mechanical issues just five laps into the 15-lap run.
Tiffany Hudack hugged the bottom groove, forcing Coddington to work his way around the outside, but eventually the division’s defending champ from Hayward found his way by on lap 8. After another circuit the event was halted when Jeremy Lindquist’s motor blew and burst into a sudden ball of flame. Lindquist stopped the car immediately and climbed out safely.
Over the six-lap sprint to the finish Coddington held on for his third feature win of the season and 20th of his career here. Tiffany Hudack fended off a late challenge by Schultz to claim second and, because of Tyler’s bad luck and 14th-place finish, become the first-ever female driver to hold a points lead at the ABC Raceway. Rookies Colten Vernon and Beeksma had very impressive runs to also finish in the top five.
Ashland’s Matt Deragon continued his domination of the Pure Stock field as he rumbled his way to a fourth-straight and track-best sixth feature win. After Chris Johnson edged ahead of polestarter Rita Anderson to take the initial lead, rookie Andrew Hanson took his turn at the front by slipping by to the inside on lap 3 of the 12 scheduled.
Deragon, who started eighth in the ten-car field, musculed his way through the closely-packed field to move past Hanson on lap 5, and Steve Udeen, who started right behind Deragon, followed him into second. The race’s only slowdown came on lap 8, when Tim Carbon spun and stopped, and Udeen kept the pressure on for the final four laps, but Deragon eventually pulled away to a six car-length win to extend his points lead. Hanson held on for third ahead of Jeff Christman and Randy Graham, as the trio crossed under the checkers in tight formation.
Several racers and business contributed to a giveaway of 50 T-shirts to fans in attandance. Those contributing included Moore’s Army-Navy Store, Hoosier Tire North, Northstar Beverage and Pepsi, Stuart Racing, Oreskovich Racing, Prochnow Racing, the ABC Raceway, SSR Race Cars, Klopstein Racing, FYE Motorsports, McFadden Racing, Vernon Racing, Truscott Racing, and All the Dirt Racing News.
The Ashland-Bayfield County Racing Association invites its fans and racers to help celebrate its 50 years of stock car racing in the Northland immediately following its show next Saturday night. The Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce will present the racing program, and the Raceway will serve food and beverages and offer music afterwards. Hot laps start on Saturday night at 6:15 pm, and the first green flag of the night should fly at around 7. The grandstand and pit gates open at 5 pm, and admission tickets for fans ages 13 & older are just $10, while fans ages 12 and under are welcome in for free when accompanied by a paying adult.
“Race Night” will provide up-to-date track news and weather information live from the track on WBSZ, 93.3 FM, and online at www.wbszfm.com, from 4:30-6 pm on Saturday. 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, www.abcraceway.com.
Results
WISSOTA Modifieds
Feature: Jeff Spacek, Phillips; Steve Stuart, Ashland; Paul Niznik, Medford; Rick Rivord, Superior; Kevin Eder, Ashland; Scott Hudack, Ashland; Pat Cook, Washburn; Neil Balduc, Bessemer, MI; Steve Lavasseur, River Falls; Travis Nye, Ashland; Dustin Hudack, Ashland; Zack Pagels, Marengo.
Heat 1: Stuart; Lavasseur; S Hudack; Cook; Nye; Pagels.
Heat 2: Spacek; Rivord; Eder; Niznik; D Hudack; Balduc.
WISSOTA Super Stocks
Feature: Dave Flynn, Superior; Scott Lawrence, Superior; Greg Kuklinski, Ironwood, MI; Randy Spacek, Phillips; Shawn McFadden Jr, Ashland; Cory Casari, Montreal; DJ Keeler, Superior; Nick Oreskovich, Mason; Don Muzzy, Ironwood, MI; Charlie Anderson, Ironwood, MI; Shane Kisling, Sarona; Mike Hince, Watertown; Myron Basina, Washburn; Dave Elliott, Minocqua.
Heat 1: Kisling; Casari; Spacek; Muzzy; Anderson; Hince; Basina; Oreskovich.
Heat 2: Lawrence; Kuklinski; Flynn; McFadden; Keeler; Elliott; Ken Truscott, Greenland, MI.
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
Feature: Ryan Adamczak, Ashland; Michael Truscott, Chippewa Falls; Paul Niznik, Medford; Jeff Klopstein, Tomahawk; Wayne Stricker, Highbridge; Tyler Vernon, Ashland; Brad Seavers, Rib Lake; Cody Carlson, Superior; Tanner Hicks, Ashland; Tad Bretting, Ashland; Duane Dunbar, Marenisco, MI; Rob Weber, Ashland; Chris Bretting, Washburn; Tad Schoonover, Eagle River; Rick Przybylski, Ashland; Ryan Barningham, Bayfield; Paul Suzik, Ironwood, MI; Cole Spacek, Phillips.
Heat 1: Adamzak; Carlson; Suzik; Niznik; Seavers; Stricker; Dunbar; Hicks; Weber; Przybylski.
Heat 2: Klopstein; Spacek; Vernon; Truscott; T Bretting; C Bretting; Schoonver; Barningham.
Six-Cylinders
Feature: Dale Coddington, Hayward; Tiffany Hudack, Ashland; Forrest Schultz, Ashland; Colten Vernon, Ashland; Ethan Beeksma, Ironwood, MI; DeJay Mihalek, Ashland; Aaron Mashlan, Ashland; Ken Tyykila, Iron River; Zack Pagels, Marengo; Brendon Ottman, Ashland; Brady Jokinen, Mellen; Jeremy Lindquist, Ashland; Adam Traaholt, Ashland; Tyler Hudack, Ashland.
Heat 1: Beeksma; Tiffany Hudack; Lindquist; Mashlan; Tyykila; Traaholt; Ottman.
Heat 2: Coddington; Tyler Hudack; Schultz; Pagels; Vernon; Mihalek; Jokinen.
Pure Stocks
Feature: Matt Deragon, Ashland; Steve Udeen, Superior; Andrew Hanson, Iron River; Jeff Christman, South Range; Randy Graham, Trego; Tim Carbon, Highbridge; Rita Anderson, South Range; Chris Johnson, South Range; Terran Spacek, Phillips.
Heat 1: Deragon; Graham; Spacek; Christman; Brandle Pupp, Ashland.
Heat 2: Carbon; Johnson; Hanson; Anderson; Udeen.

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