Ashland, WI — Hoping to get things going a whole month earlier than last season, the staff of the ABC Raceway have been working diligently in preparation for Saturday’s 2016 stock car racing season opener, to be presented by the Northern State Bank.
An exciting 16-event schedule will begin at the award-winning three-eighths-mile red-clay oval just south of Ashland with WISSOTA-sanctioned Modifieds, Super Stocks, Midwest Mods and Pure Stocks, plus the unique-to-ABC Six-Cylinders, running a full program complete with qualifying heats and features for each class.
Early-spring snow and a late-rising frost kept track crews from providing a safe racing surface for the first three scheduled races of the 2015 season, resulting in the track’s latest-ever opening night last June 13. Raceway officials are optimistic that they can kick the season off much sooner in ‘16, despite recent rains that nixed the scheduled practice session at the facility on Wednesday.
“The track itself is in excellent condition,” Raceway president Eric Erickson stated after volunteers completed a recent work session at the facility. “Our guys have put quite a few hours into reshaping and grading the track already. Outside of a few finishing touches, we are ready to get 2016 started.”
The season promises to be exciting, with many of the area’s best racers set to frequent the track on Saturday nights this summer.
Al Uotinen of Superior is expected to return for his 37th season of racing to defend his sixth Modified division championship at Ashland. The popular veteran racer will again need to fend off a host of talented racers in the class, including fellow six-time champ Jeff Spacek of Phillips and Ashland’s own Steve Stuart, who tied for second in points. This threesome has combined to win 11 “big-Mod” titles over the past 14 seasons.
Adding to Uotinen’s challenge will be the likes of Kevin Eder of Ashland; Iron River’s Brian Mikkonen; Neil Balduc of Bessemer, MI; Medford’s Paul Niznik; Scott Hudack of Ashland; Pat Cook of Washburn; and Superior’s Rick Rivord.
The Super Stock line-up at ABC may be one of the most competitive in all of WISSOTA, as at least five of the six drivers who shared the 11 feature wins from a season ago are expected back in 2016. Tomahawk’s Jeff Klopstein Jr made the move up from the Midwest Mods pay off in the form of his first career track championship, while Nick Oreskovich of Mason is off to a red-hot start, winning two features already in the young season.
Others who are expected to make some noise in the Supers include Scott Lawrence of Superior, whose streak of 11 straight division titles was snapped last season; Montreal’s Cory Casari; Randy Spacek of Phillips and his son Terran; Ashland’s Shawn McFadden Jr; Dave Flynn and Andy Grymala of Superior; and the 2015 Red Clay Classic champ and points runner-up, Shane Kisling of Park Falls.
Paul Suzik of Ironwood, MI, worked hard to win his first-ever track title in ABC’s Mid-Mods last year, and repeating will be no easy feat. No less than six drivers were within 28 points of Suzik at season’s end, and the division will only get more competitive, as several new drivers have crowded into an already talented field.
Nipping at Suzik’s heels are folks like Ryan Adamzak, Eder, Tyler Vernon and Tanner Hicks, all of Ashland; George Dalbeck of Ironwood, MI; and Niznik. Among the newcomers are three-time ABC Pure Stock champ Matt Deragon and former Six-Cylinder star Tyler Hudack, both of Ashland.
Despite Hudack moving up to the Mid-Mods, the job of Hayward’s Dale Coddington to defend his third ABC Raceway Six-Cylinder title is still not an easy one. Coddington will continue to have weekly battles with Tyler’s sister, Tiffany Hudack, who earned the division’s title in 2014. Meanwhile, drivers like Ashland’s Forrest Schultz, Ken Tyykila and Jonathon Popp of Iron River, and Bubba Anderson of Trego will provide both Coddington and Hudack with increasingly tougher challenges.
With Deragon also moving on to the Mid-Mods, the possibility of a wide-open Pure Stock title chase looms large. Former champ Tim Carbon of Highbridge finished second in points in 2015 and certainly knows how to win a title, while Randy Graham of Trego and Brandle Pupp of Ashland enjoyed vastly improved campaigns last summer. Among the youngsters to watch in this division are Justin Weinberger of Park Falls and Andrew Hanson of Iron River, and Hayward’s Randy Conner impressed many in his first full season on Ashland’s clay oval.
Younger fans ages 3-8 are encouraged to come out to the track this Saturday and sign up for the ABC Raceway Kids’ Club. There will be many fun activities available for the kids as well as treats and surprises.
The Upper Midwest’s only live pre-race radio program, “Z-93 Race Night,” will air each racing night beginning this Saturday on WBSZ, 93.3 FM, and online at www.wbszfm.com, from 4:30-6 pm with up-to-date track news and weather information.
Hot laps begin at 6:15 pm, and the first green flag of the season is scheduled to be thrown at 7. Adult tickets are just $11 each, and kids ages 12 and under are admitted free with a paid adult admission.
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.
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