Soggy Conditions Nix ABC Raceway Program
by Nick Gima
Ashland, WI, July 16 – In the middle of a sun-splashed, humid mid-July afternoon, a rogue storm cloud settled over central Bayfield and Ashland Counties dumped a huge amount of rain, saturating the ABC Raceway grounds and forcing the Raceway’s Board to cancel last Saturday night’s race program.
The six-division stock car racing program was to include the annual kids’ bike races, presented by Chicago Iron & Supplies of Ashland, on the historic three-eighths-mile oval. The bike races are to be rescheduled, with a date to be announced soon.
“There was just too much rain all at once,” said Raceway Board president Eric Erickson shortly after the decision was made to cancel, “and we had to take into consideration how much time it would take to recover the track and what condition the surface might be in for our big show on Thursday after attempting to run a full program on a soft track.”
Track prep personnel estimated that it might have taken several hours to grade and run in the red-clay surface, which would have put the program well behind schedule. In addition, the surrounding grounds, including the grandstand parking and pits, were very saturated and would have been difficult for fans and competitors to access.
The ABC Raceway will next host its second annual “444 Memorial,” presented by Ashland Ford-Chrysler Center and Mid-States Hydraulics, on Thursday, July 21. This special event will be night number four of the five-night XM Northern Storm Series and is part of the Structural Buildings WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series. Many of WISSOTA’s top Late Model drivers will be on hand to run for a $2,444 feature winner’s check, while WISSOTA Modifieds ($1,444 to win) and WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds ($844 to win) will also fill the pits for what should be one of the biggest nights of racing of the Summer.
Grandstand ticket prices have been announced at $25 for adults and $15 for kids ages 5-12; children under age 5 will be admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult. Spectator pit passes are priced at $35.
The pit gate will open at 4:30 pm on Thursday, while the grandstands will open at 5:30. Hot laps are scheduled to begin at 6:15, and the first green flag of the night should drop at approximately 7 pm.
There will be no races at the track on Saturday, July 23.
The ABC Raceway is located approximately 3.5 miles south of Ashland on State Highway 13, then one mile west on Butterworth Road. More information regarding Thursday’s event and the Raceway itself are available on the track’s website, www.abcraceway.com, and via its FaceBook page.