Streets, Hornets Running for Bonus Purses at ABC Raceway on Saturday

by Nick Gima

                Ashland, WI, August 17 – After wet weather washed out a visit by the WISSOTA Street Stocks two Saturdays ago, the ABC Raceway is going to welcome them back again.

                The rescheduled second annual “Battle by the Bay,” presented by Anderson Body Shop of Phillips, will be held on August 21, as part of a program that will also spotlight the track’s entry-level division with the Safari Bar “Hornet’s Nest 25” special for WISSOTA Hornets. Both divisions will race for enhanced purses – the Street Stocks will run for at least $1,000 to win and $150 to start in their only appearance here this season, while the Hornets will race for at least $200 to win.

                Fan and business contributions will be welcome to help boost the purse offerings for both features.

                The presenting sponsor for the overall night of action is the Ashland-Bayfield County Sportsmen’s Club, which will be selling its fundraiser raffle tickets right up until intermission at the track on Saturday, at which time the raffle drawing will be held in front of the fans in the stands.

                Current WISSOTA national points leader Parker Anderson of Phillips claimed his first career feature win in Ashland at last year’s inaugural “Battle” and took home a $1,200 winner’s check – a track-record for Street Stocks. It was the division’s first appearance on the historic northern Wisconsin red-clay oval since the end of the 2009 season.

Other top Street Stock competitors that could make the trip to Ashland for Saturday’s show include Parker’s brother Hunter Anderson of Phillips; Oakdale, MN’s Dustin Doughty; Cole Richards of Mondovi; Medford’s Cody Kummer; and former ABC Pure Stock champ Andrew Hanson of Iron River.

                The “Hornet’s Nest 25” will be the second of two specials for the entry-level division on back-to-back nights. The class, which consists of four-cylinder, front-wheel-drive subcompact cars, will also take part in the “Badger State Hornet Nationals” on Friday, August 20, at the Gondik Law Speedway in Superior.

                Ashland’s DeJay Jarecki could be the man to beat at both tracks – he has five feature wins in Superior and an amazing streak of nine straight A-main wins in Ashland. He currently sits fourth in WISSOTA’s national Hornets standings.

                Other top contenders who may be chasing the big Hornet purses this weekend include Tyler Schramm of Two Harbors, MN; Superior’s Carson Gotelaere; Kristy Marken of Duluth, MN; and Chaston Finckbone of Grand Rapids, MN.

                All six of the Raceway’s divisions will be in action this Saturday, with only two nights left to battle for the 2021 regular-season championships. Cole Spacek of Phillips saw Brule’s Brandon Copp cut into his points lead in the WISSOTA Modifieds after Copp’s feature win last Saturday, but Ashland’s Steve Stuart extended his lead in the WISSOTA Super Stock standings over Shawn McFadden of Ashland with his fifth feature win of the summer here.

                Tyler Vernon of Ashland added to his edge in the WISSOTA Midwest Modified rankings last weekend ahead of Jack Rivord of Superior, while RJ Holly of Marengo is still just barely ahead of Aaron Bernick of Duluth, MN, in the WISSOTA Pure Stocks.

Jarecki has dominated the Hornets, although Iron River’s Derek Dunbar continues to chase him, but things have tightened up in the ABC Six-Cylinders, where Ashland’s Dennis Groom has Tiffany Hudack of Ashland and four other drivers within 80 points of his lead.

                There will be no increase in adult grandstand admission ticket prices for this seven-division special, and advance tickets and pit passes are available via the My Race Pass website and mobile app. The grandstands will open at 5 pm, hot laps start at 6:15, and the first green flag of the night is scheduled for 7 pm. WSBZ, 93.3 FM, will air updates from 4:30-6 pm on Saturday, with simulcasts aired online via the station’s website, www.wbszfm.com.

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.