ABC Raceway Bringing Renegade Sprints to Town on Saturday

by Nick Gima

                Ashland, WI, June 24 – Hoping that the second time is a charm, the ABC Raceway will once again attempt to host a visit by the Northern Renegades sprint cars this coming Saturday night.

                The Heartland Communications Group of radio stations will be the presenting sponsor, as the regional touring series – based primarily out of Minnesota’s Iron Range – will join the Raceway’s six weekly divisions for what should be an action-filled night of stock car racing.

                “We’re excited to be coming back to the Ashland area and the legendary speedplant that is the ABC Raceway,” stated Renegades tour director Randy Murray recently. “There are some very hungry, talented drivers in the group. They’re all ready to take the checkers at the ‘clay by the bay’.”

                The Renegades’ traditional (or wingless) sprint car teams will be coming off of shows at Grand Rapids, MN, and Superior over the two nights prior to their Ashland visit. The group includes several drivers who are known for their racing successes in other stock-bodied divisions around this region.

As is the case with just about any sprint car, the Renegades can be a handful to drive – especially without the significant downforce that the huge air foils that are on top of a “winged” sprint car provides. The Renegades have posted average laps in the 75-85 mph neighborhood in the past at ABC and can get close to 100 mph on the straightaways.

                Drivers who have enjoyed wins in the early part of the Renegades’ 2021 season include sophomore pilot Zach Olson of Grand Rapids, MN, and Teal Arnason of Balsam, MN, who have each won twice on tour. Others who are perhaps more familiar to local fans include Caley Emerson, Ken Hron and Paul Schultz of Grand Rapids; and Jori Hughes of Tower, MN. Hughes and Emerson have each won at ABC in the Renegade sprints, in 2000.

Last Saturday’s feature winners at Ashland include Cole Spacek of Phillips in the WISSOTA Modifieds; Steve Stuart of Ashland in the WISSOTA Super Stocks; Tyler Vernon of Ashland in the WISSOTA Midwest Mods; Cory Jorgensen of Hermantown, MN, in the WISSOTA Pure Stocks; Tiffany Hudack of Ashland in the ABC Six-Cylinders; and DeJay Jarecki of Ashland in the WISSOTA Hornets.

On Saturday from 2-4 pm, several Renegade sprint drivers will have their cars on display at the NAPA Auto Parts store on the corner of Ellis Ave (State Hwy 13) and Third Street West in Ashland. More sprinters will be on display at the track prior to hot laps, and there will be a bike giveaway for the youngsters during the race program.

                Admission into the main grandstand for this seven-division special will be the same as for a regular six-division show – $12 for adults, $3 for kids ages 6-12, and young fans ages 5 and under will be admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.

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.