ABC Raceway to Host Two Big Post-Season Specials
by Nick Gima
Ashland, WI, August 26 — The ABC Raceway is proud to announce that it will host two significant stock car racing events during the 2020 invitational season.
The historic northwestern Wisconsin speedplant will be the site of the first-ever “Prelude to the Clay,” to be presented by Ashland Ford-Chrysler Center, on Thursday, September 3. The Prelude is being held this season in place of the traditional kick-off event of the region’s post-season specials, the Silver 1000 at Proctor, MN.
The Ashland track will also host its 45th annual Red Clay Classic on Friday and Saturday, October 2-3. The Classic is one of the most popular and prestigious stock car racing events in the Upper Midwest.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the public health concerns it has caused, officials at the Halvor Lines Speedway in Proctor determined soon after the 2020 stock car racing season began in the Northland that they would not be able to host events there without serious financial risk. Significant restrictions placed by the State of Minnesota and St Louis County on attendance and other social aspects of operating a racetrack during the pandemic made opening the Speedway’s doors this summer impractical.
The Board of Directors of the Ashland track took into serious consideration the importance of the survival of Proctor’s track, the interests of the two facilities’ common fan base and racer pool, and the protection of the Silver 1000’s traditional Thursday-before-Labor-Day date when proposing hosting the Prelude to HLS officials. As part of the offer, the ABC Raceway will present a portion of the Prelude’s proceeds to officials of the Proctor track to help defer their 2020 operating expenses.
The Prelude will feature WISSOTA Late Models, Modifieds and Super Stocks running for a purse well in excess of $35,000. Late Models have been the premier offering of every Silver 1000 since its inception in 1973, and Mods were added to that event in 1989.
The Prelude will also be the starting event of the first-ever Tri-Star Engines & Transmissions Labor Day Weekend Series presented by Quality Freight Rate – a four-night, three-track tour that will include shows at Grand Rapids, MN, on Friday, September 4, and Hibbing, MN, on Saturday and Sunday, September 5-6. The tour will offer drivers a chance at an $8,000 points fund as well as four winner’s checks totaling $10,500.
At Ashland, the Late Models will be presented by Van House Construction of Silver Bay, MN, and will race to qualify for a 40-lap feature paying $3,000 to win, with a minimum of $250 going to all feature qualifiers.
Rivord Auto Center of Superior will present the Modifieds, which will run for a chance at a $2,000 feature winner’s paycheck at the end of 30 laps, and all drivers that make the A-main will take home at least $150.
The WISSOTA Super Stocks will be presented by Rapid Performance of Sauk Rapids, MN. It was announced on Monday that the 25-lap feature winner’s paycheck has been increased to $1,000, thanks to donations from the Lake Shore Cafe and Chicago Iron & Supplies, both of Ashland. Feature qualifiers will earn a minimum of $80 to start, and Rapid Performance will present a $500 certificate toward the purchase of one of its new Affordable race-car chassis to the last driver still running at the end of the Super Stock headliner.
“We need Proctor to be successful,” ABC Raceway Board president Eric Erickson stated in explaining the thinking behind hosting the Prelude. “By holding this race on this date, our intent is to help maintain the integrity of their event, so that next year we hope that we can all go to Proctor for the 48th Silver 1000 on the Thursday before Labor Day.”
It was also announced this week that the Late Model feature winner’s share at this year’s Red Clay Classic has been increased to $5,500. Modifieds, Super Stocks and WISSOTA Midwest Mods will join the Late Models for this popular special, which is expected to once again draw huge crowds as well as upwards of 200 entries competing for a purse in excess of $100,000.
In addition, Red’s Auto of Ironwood, MI, has signed on as a presenting sponsor of this year’s Classic, joining FastLane Motorsports & Custom Powdercoating of Ashland and Tim’s Automotive Machine of Bloomer. Red’s Auto will present a special race for Late Models on the Friday night of the Classic, the details of which will be released shortly.
For the “Prelude to the Clay,” adult grandstand ticket prices are just $28, tickets for kids ages 6-12 are just $8, and kids ages 5 and under are admitted free. Limited reserved seating is available in advance for an additional $10 per ticket, and a limited number of reserved overnight camping sites at the track are also available for just $15 each. For reserved seating and camping reservations, call Mary at (715) 292-2672. General grandstand admission tickets can be obtained in advance via www.myracepass.com or at the grandstand gate on race day.
For race teams, pit admission is $35 per person. Draw fees will be waived for all drivers who pre-enter via the My Race Pass website before September 2. Reserved pit sites are available for $15 each by calling Cheryl at (715) 209-1373.
The pit gates will open that Thursday night at 3 pm and the grandstands will open at 4, with hot laps set for 6:15 and the first heat race of the night getting the green flag at 7 pm. “Race Reports” will air on WBSZ, 93.3 FM, as well as online at www.wbszfm.com, from 4:30 until 6 pm with the latest news and weather information from the track.
More information regarding the Red Clay Classic will be released within the next couple of weeks.
The ABC Raceway is located 3-1/2 miles south of Ashland on State Highway 13 and one mile west on Butterworth Road. For more information call (715) 682-4990 on race days, log on to the track’s website, www.abcraceway.com, or check out the track’s FaceBook page.