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Spacek, Oliver, Kuklinski, Hawkinson, Passuello Hit Paydirt At ABC
by Nick Gima
Ashland, WI, May 27 -- Veteran drivers Jeff Spacek and Greg Kuklinski added to
their long list of feature wins at the ABC Raceway on Saturday night, while
Chuck Hawkinson recovered from his opening-night struggles, Joe Oliver won
here for the first time in four season, and Marty Passuello won here for the
first time ever. The first weekend of the WISSOTA-imposed points-average
system for determining feature line-ups provided for some entertaining runs by
many of the 98 drivers on hand.
Spacek, of Phillips, took advantage of his pole-position start to battle early
and swap the lead with Jerry Hartman before finally taking the WISSOTA
modified feature point as the first 12 laps ran off without interruption. But
on lap 13 a series of caution slowdowns, including one that spun Hartman out
of second place, slowed the pace.
After the third restart try Spacek pulled away from the field over the final
seven laps for his 39th career A-main win at Ashland. Hartman trailed at a
distance, while Bill Byholm came from his fifth-row start to claim third. Al
Uotinen, who started just behind Byholm, took fourth ahead of an impressive
run by Kent Baxter.
Kuklinski’s track-best 76th career win came in the WISSOTA street stock
feature, after he slipped past polesitter Steve Kieber on lap 2 of 15 and
built a strong lead. A lap 6 two-car spin brought Butch Kummer to
Kuklinski’s trunk lid for a restart, but the Ironwood, MI, veteran held off
the Medford visitor’s persistent challenges for the remaining laps.
Dennis Groom completed a solid third-place run a ways ahead of Tim Baum, while
rookie Mike Truscott continued to impress with another top-five finish.
Oliver, of Superior, was very strong in running off with the WISSOTA super
stock A-main for his first win here since August 2002. After third-running Art
Hyde got sideways and collected nearly half the field in a lap 1 melee, Oliver
slipped by polestarter John Copp on the restart and simply pulled away, while
the battle for second became very intense.
Peter Jokinen soon grabbed second away from Copp, who then slipped back in the
field, and after the race’s third restart at the halfway point of the
20-lapper, defending track champ Scott Lawrence swiped second when Jokinen
slipped up the track. But Lawrence had nothing for Oliver, who took the
checkered by the better part of the front straightaway. Jokinen held off a
determined Randy Silverness for third-place money, while Randy Spacek, who
started 12th, completed the top five.
Hawkinson’s 11th career six-cylinder feature win included surviving a
green-white-checkered finish. The defending division champ from Mellen took
the lead away from front-row-starting Warren Beede after a lap 1 restart and
would have cruised from there, save for a couple of early cautions that kept
the field close.
During the last half of the 15-lap event, however, Hawkinson built up a solid
lead, only to see it disappear when Adam Traaholt spun just as the leaders
took the checkered. Over the final two laps Scott Ovaska used a strong inside
move to steal second from Beede, and a similar move by Steve Stuart relegated
Beede back to fourth. Ron Swanson was also a victim of Stuart’s late charge
and slipped to fifth.
Passuello joined his brother Clay on the ABC feature win list with his victory
in the pure stock 12-lapper. The third-year pilot from Ironwood, MI, claimed
the point on the third lap when then-leader Roland Gordon’s car slowed in
front of the field and was collected by Bob Hagstrom while trying to exit the
track. Passuello restarted first and stayed there despite serious challenges
by Nathan Dees, George Dalbeck and Tom Morinville throughout the middle stages
of the event.
In the final laps Passuello, who graduates from high school this month, pulled
away to a comfortable margin of victory, while Dees won a wild battle for
second over Morinville and rookie Derek Milligan. Dalbeck spun late in the
race, allowing Don Bush to claim fifth.
The 40th season of stock car racing action at the 3/8th-mile red clay oval
continues on Saturday, May 27, with a Kids’ Meet the Drivers Night presented
by Little Caesar’s Pizza. There will be no hot laps, but on-track activities
will begin at 6:15 pm and the first green flag of the season will drop at 7.
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, .
“Racenight Live” will air Saturday on WJJH, 96.7 & 102.3 FM, with
up-to-date track news and weather information.
Results
WISSOTA Modifieds
Heat 1: Bill Byholm, Glidden; Dennis Checkalski, South Range; Steve Lavasseur,
River Falls.
Heat 2: Scott Hudack, Ashland; Kent Baxter, Dorchester; Jeff Spacek, Phillips.
Heat 3: Dean Yrjanainen, Lake Nebagamon; Al Uotinen, Superior; Rick Rivord,
Superior.
Feature: Spacek; Jerry Hartman, Marenisco, MI; Byholm; Uotinen; Baxter;
Yrjanainen; Rivord; Ross Lightner, Washburn; Paul Niznik, Medford; Shawn
Kreyer, Hayward.
WISSOTA Super Stocks
Heat 1: John Copp, Brule; Randy Sapcek, Phillips; Ken Truscott, Greenland, MI.
Heat 2: Joe Oliver, Superior; Charlie Anderson, Ironwood, MI; Art Hyde,
Washburn.
Heat 3: Scott Lawrence, Superior; Randy Silverness, Superior; Dave Flynn;
Superior.
Feature: Oliver; Lawrence; Peter Jokinen, Mellen; Silverness; Spacek; Ron
Hmielewski, Washburn; Truscott; Joe Olson, Superior; Bob D’Antonio,
Ironwood, MI; Flynn.
WISSOTA Street Stocks
Heat 1: Mike Truscott, Greenland, MI; Steve Anderson, Ironwood, MI; Roger
Walker, Phillips.
Heat 2: Tim Baum, Superior; Greg Kuklinski, Ironwood, MI; Dennis Groom,
Ashland.
Feature: Kuklinski; Butch Kummer, Medford; Groom; Baum; Truscott; Anderson;
Cory Casari, Hurley; Pete Paulus, Phillips; Bill Muhlig, Ironwood, MI; Rob
Weber, Washburn.
Six-Cylinders
Heat 1: Chuck Hawkinson, Mellen; Adam Traaholt, Ashland; Mike McKay,
Highbridge.
Heat 2: Ron Swanson, Ashland; Shawn McFadden, Jr., Ashland; Scott Ovaska,
Marengo.
Feature: Hawkinson; Ovaska; Steve Stuart, Ashland; Warren Beede, Iron River;
Swanson; Greg Jaeger, Mellen; McFadden; Pat Cook, Washburn; Ken Tyykila, Iron
River; Nick Oreskovich, Mason.
Pure Stocks
Heat 1: Derek Milligan, Ashland; Tom Morinville, Duluth, MN; Bob Hagstrom,
Ashland.
Heat 2: George Dalbeck, Wakefield, MI; Ricky Davis, Bruno, MN; Marty Passuello,
Ironwood, MI.
Feature: Passuello; Nathan Dees, Ironwood, MI; Morinville; Milligan; Don Bush,
Washburn; Dalbeck; John Taitt, Ashland; Brittany Kalmon, Ashland; Ann
Erickson, Ashland; Zene Anderson, Superior.
May 27, 2006 ABC Raceway Points
Pure Stocks:
1. 26 Tom Morinville/Al Rapp 104
2. 38 Derek Milligan 101
3. 79 Ricky Davis 100
4. 85 Marty Passuello 99
5. 23 George Dalbeck 98
6. 35 Don Bush 94
17 Nathan Dees 94
8. 21 Chad Carlson 90
9. 88 Bob Hagstrom 85
10. 40 Ann Erickson/Tammy Bretting 84
15 Brittany Kalmon 84
12. 10x Roland Gordon 83
13. 106 John Taitt 60
14. 5 Zene Anderson 42
Sixes:
1. 72 Scott Ovaska 106
2. 51 Shawn McFadden Jr 104
3. 22 Chuck Hawkinson 101
4. 66 Greg Jaeger 98
4x Steve Stuart 98
6. 8 Ron Swanson 96
7. 32 Pat Cook 92
8. 18 Steve Tesch 88
88 Warren Beede 88
10. 21 Nick Oreskovich 86
11. 11 Chris Lustig 83
12. 81 Adam Traaholt 82
13. 5-1 Ken Tyykila 80
14. 30 Michael McKay 76
15. 24 Andy Grymala 73
53 Bob Holly 73
17. 37 Adam Jack 72
18. 1x Don Muzzy 66
33 Ken Tody Jr 66
Streets:
1. 90 Steve Anderson 107
2. 22 Mike Truscott 105
3. 7 Tim Baum 103
4. 80 Greg Kuklinski 102
5. 24 Butch Kummer 100
6. 89 Dennis Groom 99
7. 5 Roger Walker 95
8. 01 Bill Muhlig 85
5 Pete Paulus 85
22 Kevin Eder 85
11. 1 Cory Casari 82
12. 05 Rob Weber 81
13. 56 Joe Wolfe 79
14. 26 Jordan Kurtti 76
15. 1x Justin Paulsen 73
16. 4 Steve Kieber 71
17. 76 John Kallas 69
18. 00 Rob Ganson 36
19. 4 Scott Andrews 35
Supers:
1. 22 Randy Spacek 105
2. 93x Randy Silverness 101
3. 22 Ken Truscott 95
77 Scott Lawrence 95
5. 4 Paul Erickson 93
6. 5x Joe Oliver 92
7. 80 Greg Kuklinski 91
8. 1a Peter Jokinen 89
55 Ron Hmielewski 89
10. 11x Brian Mikkonen 88
11. 02 Rob Erickson 83
12. 3x Larry Haderly 82
13. 33 Don Koivisto 75
87 Trevor Wilson 75
15. 2z Bob D'Antonio 71
16. 12 Wayne Stricker 66
17. 4x Dave Elliott 64
18. 47 John Copp 60
19. 27 Jeff Lindsey 57
20. 25 Art Hyde 46
21. 29 Dave Flynn 45
29x Joe Olson 45
23. 10 Gordy Maki 44
50 Charlie Anderson 44
66 Todd Bonney 44
26. 46 Cy Hoaglan 43
27. 7 Bryan Lund 36
28. 70 Rick Simpson 34
29. 18 Roy Pumala 32
30. 77 Jim Willner 16
Mods:
1. 84 Dean Yrjanainen 108
2. 98 Al Uotinen 107
3. 4 Bill Byholm 105
4. 95 Rick Rivord 101
5. 95x Kent Baxter 98
6. 64h Dennis Checkalski 91
7. H64 Kelly Checkalski 85
8. 00 Scott Hudack 84
42 Paul Niznik 84
10. P1 Rick Przybylski 82
11. 37jr Ross Lightner 80
12. 74 Shaun Kreyer 78
13. 10 John Frydrych 76
14. 99 Steve Lavasseur 72
316 Dan Sellung 72
16. 21 Jerry Hartman 71
22 Jeff Spacek 71
18. 9 Riley Matthews 69
19. 40 Shawn Lee 61
20. 3d Kevin Monteith 52
21. 24 Jeff Lien 50
22. 18 Mike Kirtland 49
23. 37 Bob Root 37
777 Mike Sauvola 37
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