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34th Red Clay Classic Succumbs to Cold, Wet Weather
by Nick Gima
Ashland, WI, October 3 -- A combination of over two inches of soaking rains, a threatening forecast for more precipitation, and unseasonably frosty temperatures forced ABC Raceway officals to cancel the 34th annual Red Clay Classic on Saturday.
Over 100 campers had already made the parking area at the Ashland track into a suburb by Friday morning, while a similar number of out-of-town drivers were already settling in for their chance at competing with the ABC regulars for a share of the over $70,000 purse offered, with many more on the way. They, along with countless other fans filling the local motels to capacity, patiently waited while incessant rains put a damper on Friday’s scheduled heat-race activities.
Then on Saturday morning, although track prep crews were ready to put together an all-out effort, the sprinkles returned, and the officials’ hands were regrettably forced.
Fans who paid for reserved seats and camping sites for the Classic, as well as drivers who reserved pit spots, can receive a refund by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to ABC Raceway, P O Box 362, Ashland, WI 54806. A refund form is available on the track’s website, www.abcraceway.com.
If fans prefer to not have their deposit returned, it will be applied toward their reservations for the 2010 Red Clay Classic.
Also, 2009 Red Clay Classic commemorative apparel is available from Arnold's Shirt Werks of Duluth, MN, during the Proctoberfest race weekend at the Proctor (MN) Speedway on October 9-10, or by calling (218) 624-0542 or (218) 343-8741.
Next on the track’s agenda is its end-of-season awards banquet, to be held January 16, 2010, at the Bad River Lodge, Casino & Conventions Center in Odanah, just a few miles east of Ashland.
The ABC Raceway is located 3-1/2 miles south of Ashland on State Highway 13 and one mile west on Butterworth Road. | | |