July 24, 2004

July 24, 2004; Ashland, WI: - Randy Spacek won his first feature of 2004 and Roger Walker won his first-ever feature here as the Phillips contingent ran strong on Northern State Bank Night at the ABC Raceway Saturday. Spacek came out on top of a wild super stock feature that saw as many as a half-dozen lead changes over a crucial three-lap stretch late in the event.

First-nighter Randy Silverness, Jr., held the lead through the first two-thirds of the event, holding off constant pressure from as many as five different challengers until Greg Kuklinski found some room on his customary outside line and swept by. Silverness battled back, and when Kuklinski faded momentarily Spacek was there to attempt the same pass. But Spacek slapped the back-straight guardrail on his way by, slowing his momentum just enough to allow Scott Lawrence a chance on the low groove to take command. The heated battle was slowed when eighth-place Ken Truscott spun with three laps left, and a lap after the restart Spacek again slipped around Silverness for the lead and win. Lawrence solidified his points advantage with his third-place run and earlier heat win, and Ron Hmielewski fought off a charging Darin Meierotto - who started 20th in the 22-car field - for fourth.

Walker¹s run to the checkered was a bit less strenuous than Spacek's, as only one caution with four laps left slowed his smooth run. Walker quickly moved from the third row to overtake Randy Vezina for the lead on lap 2 and was uncatchable from there. Vezina lost second spot to points leader Larry Haderly for the duration of the run but fended off a determined Steve Anderson for third to the final stripe. Marshall Andrews completed the top five.

Dean Yrjanainen took over the modified points lead by outrunning Al Uotinen for his third feature win of the season. Uotinen held a one-point advantage going into the 20-lap headliner, but on the smooth, dry-slick track Yrjanainen showed his mastery, taking the lead from the front row and cruising to a 12 car-length margin through most of the run. With three laps left Yrjanainen bobbled once while negotiating lapped traffic, allowing Uotinen to close on the inside line, but Yrjanainen recovered and rebuilt his advantage to the checkered. Uotinen claimed second and trails Yrjanainen by one point in the standings, while Jeff Spacek finished third - his lowest feature run in five weeks - ahead of Bill Byholm and Jerry Hartman. Ron Swanson added to his points lead by winning his second six-cylinder A-main of 2004. Swanson started from the pole and held off Steve Walston's best effort of the year through five restarts to claim his fifth career win
here, while rookie Shawn McFadden, Jr., impressed with his career-best third-place run after threatening Walston on several occasions. Russ Weber and Steve Tesch rounded out the top five.

Cory Casari simply drove away from the pure stock field to earn his third feature win of 2004 and tenth in less than two seasons. Casari finished a dozen car-lengths ahead of the mad race-long scramble for second, which culminated in Steve Young edging Shawn Stolarzyk's last-lap charge by barely a bumper, while rookie Jim Eliason and Glenn Dammer were fourth and fifth, also within feet of Young.

On Friday, July 30, the Raceway will host its annual Chuck Anderson Race of Champions, featuring the AmsOil Late Model Series as well as super stocks and six-cylinders; on Saturday night the track will run its traditional five-division program, but with enhanced purses. Hot laps are at 6:15 and racing starts at 7 pm each night. "Racenight Live" will air from 4:30-5:30 pm on WJJH, 96.7 & 102.3 FM, with track news and weather updates. The ABC Raceway is located three miles south of Ashland on Highway 13, then one mile west on Butterworth Road. For more information, visit the track website at <www.abcraceway.com> or call (715) 682-4990 for raceday information.

WISSOTA Modifieds
Heat 1: Clint Larson, Cloquet, MN; Al Uotinen, Superior; Dean Yrjanainen, Lake Nebagamon.
Heat 2: Jerry Hartman, Marenisco, MI; Jeff Spacek, Phillips; Bill Byholm, Glidden.
Feature: Yrjanainen; Uotinen; Spacek; Byholm; Hartman; Larson; Scott Hudack, Ashland; Dennis Checkalski, South Range; Jeff Lien, Zimmerman, MN; Rick Przybylski, Iron River, MI.

WISSOTA Super Stocks
Heat 1: Scott Lawrence, Superior; Ken Truscott, Greenland, MI; Ron Hmielewski, Washburn.
Heat 2: Randy Silverness, Jr., Superior; Mike Duhr, Hazelhurst; Charlie Anderson, Ironwood, MI.
Heat 3: John Copp, Brule; Rick Rivord, Superior; Greg Kuklinski, Ironwood, MI.
Feature: Randy Spacek, Phillips; Silverness; Lawrence; Hmielewski; Darin Meierotto, Ashland; Copp; Kuklinski; Duhr; Shawn McFadden, Ashland; Peter Jokinen, Mellen.

WISSOTA Street Stocks
Heat 1: Larry Haderly, Marengo; Roger Walker, Phillips; Steve Anderson, Ironwood, MI.
Heat 2: Tim Baum, Superior; Mike Kalkbrenner, Duluth, MN; Randy Vezina, Duluth, MN.
Feature: Walker; Haderly; Vezina; Anderson; Marshall Andrews, Duluth, MN; Trevor Wilson, Superior; Cory Casari, Hurley; Jimmy Maki, Poplar; Bill Muhlig, Ironwood, MI; Duane Fink, Jr., Hurley.

Six-Cylinders
Heat 1: Steve Walston, Marengo; Ron Swanson, Ashland; Russ Weber, Bayfield.
Heat 2: Tim Beeksma, Ashland; Chris Lustig, Ashland; Chuck Hawkinson, Mellen.
Heat 3: Ken Tyykila, Iron River; Shawn McFadden, Jr., Ashland; Steve Tesch, Prentice.
Semi-Feature: Brent Brevak, Ashland; Dale Coddington, Hayward; Jim Anderson, Mason.
Feature: Swanson; Walston; McFadden; Weber; Tesch; Tyykila; Lustig; Pat Cook, Washburn; Coddington; Hawkinson.

Pure Stocks
Heat 1: Don Bush, Washburn; Steve Young, Proctor, MN; Rob Ganson,Washburn.
Heat 2: Ricky Davis, Bruno, MN; Clay Passuello, Ironwood, MI; BruceKalmon, Ashland.
Heat 3: Al Rapp, Duluth, MN; Jim Eliason, Ashland; Cory Casari, Hurley.
Feature: Casari; Young; Shawn Stolarzyk, Cable; Eliason; Glenn Dammer,Duluth, MN; Rapp; Paul Bertheume, Ashland; Kevin Eder, Ashland; Tim Carlson,Superior; Kalmon.