Ashland, WI, June 7 --

After several hundred kids of all ages took to the front straightaway to meet their favorite drivers, Duane Dale and Shane Halopka added their name to the long list of ABC Raceway feature winners Saturday night in an AmsOil Dirt Track Series race program presented by Little Caesar’s Pizza. Winners of the bikes from Little caesar's and Ashland Wal-Mart are in no particular order Ann Marie Pero, Madison Peltonen, Brody Kousman, Gabe Beeksma and Lilly Nye.

Dale, who makes the long haul from Aurora, MN, to compete here on a regular basis, took the early measure of polesitter Ross Lightner in the 20-lap WISSOTA modified main event and held off Jeff Spacek before a lap 1 spin by Steve Lavasseur stopped the action.             First-nighter Kevin Adams got a jump on both Spacek and Dale on the restart, but he fell back in line behind them within a half-lap. Dale then drove the perimeter of the track to build quite a lead on the field over the ensuing long green-flag run.             As most of the field took to the top groove, however, Dean Yrjanainen started a strong charge toward the front by hugging the bottom line of the track, and by mid-race he was in position to challenge Adams for third. Within a couple more circuits the defending track champion moved past Spacek for second, and a lap later he squeezed by Dale on the inside for the lead.             But with five laps left Yrjanainen suffered a heartbreaking fate, as he hooked the infield-marking tires in turn 2 and spun. This put Dale back on the point, and despite two more restarts over the final laps he fought off repeated challenges by Spacek for the landmark win. Points leader Bill Byholm snuck past Adams during the final two laps for a third-place effort, and after Adams was docked two spots for a jump on that initial restart, Robby Bunkelman and Rick Rivord were awarded top-five runs as well.
Halopka’s effort in the non-stop WISSOTA Midwest modified 15-lapper was much less dramatic. He slipped past front-row starters George Dalbeck and Joe Olson and pulled out to an early ten-car-length advantage by lap 3. Once Dalbeck found his rhythm he was able to keep pace with the leader but could draw no closer, as Halopka proved to be the class of the field.             The scrambles for position behind the lead pair were much harder-fought, however. Impressive youngster Adam Archer kept veterans Mickey Nosser, Jim Latvala and points leader Greg Chesley at bay while chasing down Olson for third. On lap 6 the group surrounded Olson and shuffled him back several positions, and in doing so afforded Archer and Chesley the chance to pull up on Dalbeck in the race’s late stages.             Dalbeck was successful - but just barely - in hanging on for runner-up honors, as Chesley and Archer were very close behind at the final stripe. Latvala finished a comfortable fifth.
Curt Myers worked hard to get by Kevin Eder, then hustled away to his second WISSOTA super stock feature win of the season here and eighth overall this year. The track’s reigning points leader started eighth in the 21-car grid and watched as Eder used a gutsy move to cut between the front-row pair of Ron Hmielewski and Shane Kisling for the early lead.             But Myers didn’t sit back and watch for long, as he took the long way around the front third of the field and swept around Hmielewski on lap 3 for second. From there he gave Eder several challenges, which the 2007 WISSOTA National Rookie of the Year was able to withstand.             The turning point came on lap 7, when two cars spun on the front stretch to necessitate a restart. Myers first had to withstand a fierce three-lap threat from visiting Eric Olson, then he worked the upstairs line to pass Eder for the lead, just one circuit before Chuck Hawkinson’s car stalled with rear-axle problems on lap 11. From there Myers set the pace, although he did not run away entirely until the final few laps.             Olson also got by Eder and held on for second, but the runs of the night came from the next two finishers. Scott Lawrence started on the eighth row but moved through traffic quickly and into the top five before a third of the 20-lap event was through, eventually settling for third. Meanwhile, Joe Oliver, whose car gave him some level of grief during preliminary action, started next-to-last on the grid and worked the outer groove to perfection in his climb to an eventual fourth-place effort.             Randy Spacek fought back from some early-race struggles to wind up fifth.             “I don’t know if there’s a slow car out here,” Myers said of the Raceway’s super stock regulars after the win. “With the point-average system, you have to be right on your game every night.”
John Kallas said he “tried something new” with his WISSOTA street stock, making major repairs right after hot laps. But he apologized to the fans for missing the “Meet the Drivers Night” festivities after winning the 12-lap feature.             Kallas and Cory Casari worked around either side of polesitter Rob Weber to take the top two spots on the first lap, but the caution came out when Casari was spun in turn 4 a tour later. Kallas then was afforded the chance to pull away when points leader Larry Haderly came up to challenge Casari after the restart.             Kallas had built a comfortable lead and was cruising to the win when the field was slowed with two to go for a spin by the visiting Adam Soltis. But Kallas had no problem outrunning Casari to the checkers, as Casari had his hands full fending off Haderly for second. Weber’s car showed lots of tire smoke throughout the event but was strong enough to hold off Greg Kuklinski for fourth.
It seemed to take sophomore driver Travis Swanson a long time to win his fourth career six-cylinder feature, as several caution flags late in the event prolonged the 15-lapper.             Swanson worked past rookie DeJay Mihalek right away to gain the early advantage, and he never lost the point despite all the stoppages. Shawn McFadden, Jr, also used an inside move to muscle past Mihalek, after which Mihalek’s car bobbled briefly; several cars scrambled to avoid the rookie, and two wound up stalled in the grass to bring about the first of the yellow flags.             After a few quick laps Tyler Luger spun to bring on the caution lights again, and upon the drop of the green McFadden’s car got loose and dropped back, the result of a flat right-rear tire. At the same time, Greg Jaeger was spun and several more cars were collected, slowing action again.             Upon each restart Swanson would pull away, while a determined Ken Tyykila held on to second just ahead of a great duel between Jaeger and Scott Ovaska. The leaders had just taken the white flag when Jim Pelto spun, and on the ensuing attempt to restart Luger’s car wouldn’t fire and coasted to a stop. Swanson’s patience was finally rewarded after the final one-lap dash to the stripe.             Tyykila held on for second to cap a strong points night for him, while Jaeger won the battle for third. Dale Coddington snuck into the fourth spot during the last couple of green-flag laps, and points leader Ovaska landed in fifth.             The race winner later told the crowd that he used an “old greaser motor” in his car for the night, which was quite a turnaround after blowing up a powerplant last week and putting the car on its roof the week before.
At the start of the pure stock ten-lapper, Dustin Follett was in control going into turn 1 but spun his ride in front of the eight-car field in turn 2, giving the lead to Chad Carlson. After Chad’s brother Tim Carlson suffered a stall on lap 2, Chad held off a furious challenge from the visiting Austin Blom until he finally gained enough breathing room for his second-ever win here.             Another first-nighter, Matt Hammitt, was strong all night and held firm to third, ahead of Tammie Bretting, while Tim Carbon and Follett exchanged fifth place several times during the race before the spot finally landed to Carbon. With the win, Carlson takes over the division’s points lead by one over Carbon.             Bikes were given away to five lucky young fans tonight as well. The Bikes, donated by Little Caesar’s and Wal-Mart, were won by Ann Marie Pero, Madison Peltonen, Brody Kousman, Gabe Beeksma, and Lilly Nye.

            Next Saturday’s race program will be presented by the NAPA Auto Parts stores of Ashland and Washburn, with hot laps set for 6:15 pm and racing starting at 7. “Racenight” will air live on WBSZ, 93.3 FM, from 4:30-6 pm with at-the-track news and weather updates.

            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

To view more photos from this weeks races click here to visit Skip Hunter Photography.

Results

WISSOTA Modifieds

            Heat 1: Dean Yrjanainen, Lake Nebagamon; Kevin Adams, Cameron; Duane Dale, Aurora, MN; Ross Lightner, Washburn; Shawn Kreyer, Hayward; Steve Lavasseur, River Falls; Joey Ogston, Duluth, MN; Jerry Hartman, Marenisco, MI.

            Heat 2: Jeff Spacek, Phillips; Rick Rivord, Superior; Bill Byholm, Glidden; Robby Bunkelman, Abbotsford; Al Uotinen, Superior; Jody Bellefeuille, Duluth, MN; Kelly Checkalski, Poplar; Scott Hudack, Ashland.

            Feature: Dale; Spacek; Byholm; Bunkelman; Rivord; Adams; Kreyer; Uotinen; Bellefeuille; Hudack; Hartman; Checkalski; Ogston; Yrjanainen; Lavasseur; Lightner.

WISSOTA Super Stocks

            Heat 1: Ron Hmielewski, Marengo; Brian Mikkonen, Iron River; Shane Kisling, Sarona; Ken Truscott, Greenland, MI; Chuck Hawkinson, Mellen; Don Koivisto, Saxon.

            Heat 2: Curt Myers, Cameron; Eric Olson, Ladysmith; Kevin Eder, Ashland; Destin Lorimor, Superior; Dave Elliott, Minocqua; Andy Grymala, Superior; Joe Oliver, Superior.

            Heat 3: Randy Spacek, Phillips; Aaron Wilson, Menomonie; Dave Flynn, Superior; Nick Oreskovich, Mason; Scott Lawrence, Superior; Roy Pumala, Mason.

            Feature: Myers; Olson; Lawrence; Oliver; Spacek; Eder; Hmielewski; Mikkonen; Kisling; Wilson; Truscott; Flynn; Grymala; Bryan Lund, Ashland; Pumala; Oreskovich; Hawkinson; Elliott; Koivisto; Lorimor.

WISSOTA Street Stocks

            Heat 1: Greg Kuklinski, Ironwood, MI; Tim Baum, Superior; Cory Casari, Montreal; Rob Weber, Washburn; Paul Milanowski, Ashland; Joe Ott, Trego.

            Heat 2: John Kallas, Hurley; Adam Soltis, Ladysmith; Larry Haderly, Marengo; Justin Paulsen, Ironwood, MI; Steve Anderson, Ironwood, MI; Bruce Kalmon, Ashland.

            Feature: Kallas; Casari; Haderly; Weber; Kuklinski; Baum; Anderson; Paulsen; Milanowski; Ott; Soltis; Kalmon.

WISSOTA Midwest modifieds

            Heat 1: Shane Halopka, Medford; Mickey Nosser, Phillips; Joe Olson, Superior; Adam Archer, Duluth, MN; Greg Chesley, Duluth, MN; Steve Stuart, Ashland; Mike Truscott, Chippewa Falls; Taylor Leuthner, Foxboro; Pat Cook, Washburn; Pete Paulus, Phillips.

            Heat 2: Jim Latvala, Solon Springs; Rick Przybylski, Ashland; Duane Dunbar, Marenisco, MI; George Dalbeck, Wakefield, MI; Rob Weber, Washburn; Travis Nye, Ashland; Shane Roy, Duluth, MN; Dan Russell, Foxboro; Shawn Rivord, Superior; Joe Eckland, Springbrook.

            Feature: Halopka; Dalbeck; Chesley; Archer; Latvala; Dunbar; Stuart; Olson; Leuthner; Nosser; Truscott; Przybylski; Cook; Weber; Paulus; Russell; Nye; Eckland; Roy; Rivord.

Six-Cylinders

            Heat 1: Greg Jaeger, Mellen; Ken Tyykila, Iron River; Dan Moncher, Hurley; Dale Coddington, Hayward; Jim Anderson, Mason; Forrest Schultz, Ashland; Adam Traaholt, Ashland; Bob Thoreson, Washburn.

            Heat 2: Scott Ovaska, Marengo; Don Muzzy, Ironwood, MI; DeJay Mihalek, Ashland; Zach Pagels, Marengo; Neil Adamzak, Ashland; Jim Pelto, Ashland; Colin Polacek, Phillips; Jonathon Popp, Iron River.

            Heat 3: Shawn McFadden, Jr, Ashland; Travis Swanson, Ashland; Pat Beeksma, Ironwood, MI; Don Livingston, Bayfield; Tyler Luger, Iron River; Myron Basina, Bayfield; Aaron Mashlan, Ashland.

            Feature: Swanson; Tyykila; Jaeger; Coddington; Ovaska; Muzzy; Adamczak; Pelto; McFadden; Pagels; Beeksma; Moncher; Mihalek; Polacek; Anderson; Luger; Traaholt; Livingston; Mashlan; Popp; Basina; Thoreson.

Pure Stocks

            Heat: Dustin Follett, Cloquet, MN; Austin Blom, Saginaw, MN; Matt Hammitt, Cloquet, MN; Chad Carlson, Superior; Tammie Bretting, Washburn; Tim Carbon, Highbridge; Matt Deragon, Ashland; Tim Carlson, Superior; Zene Anderson, Superior.

            Feature: C Carlson; Blom; Hammitt; Bretting; Carbon; Follett; Deragon; T Carlson.