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Morinville Pockets Over $750 with ABC Pure Stock Special Win
Kuklinski, Jaeger double up; Yrjanainen, D’Antonio earn checkers
by Nick Gima
Ashland, WI, July 15 -- Tom Morinville couldn’t have asked for a better
situation for Saturday night’s Pure Stock Special feature at the ABC
Raceway.
The track’s current points leader started on the pole by virtue of his heat
1 win, then led all 20 laps to stay ahead of some tight racing behind him and
collect the biggest payday ever put together for the entry-level division in
this region - $752 and change - after his second feature win of the season
here.
The purse for the track’s third running of the event far exceeded $4,500,
thanks to the efforts of event organizer and pure stock driver Bruce Kalmon,
who also collected over $800 in door prizes for the near-capacity crowd on
hand. Fan and business donations contributed to the final paychecks for nearly
every finishing position in the feature, plus lap-leader and hard-charger
monies and prizes.
Morinville got a big jump over George Dalbeck at the drop of the initial green
flag, but the field was brought back to his rear bumper time and again after
several yellow flags were thrown for various incidents over the first four
laps, including twice involving second-in-points Ricky Davis, who was spun
once and hit another time by a spinning car.
After the fourth restart of the race on lap 4 Morinville’s car began to
slide up the dry-slick track in the turns, allowing ninth-starting Jim Eliason
to sneak a peak at an inside move for the lead, but Morinville held on.
Following the race’s fifth restart on lap 9 Eliason became involved in a
battle for third with Al Rapp, who started the run 15th. On lap 13 Rapp took
the position from Eliason, and two laps later he caught a break as the caution
flag flew for a dragging bumper from Tim Carbon’s car.
Rapp challenged Morinville at every corner for the remaining five laps, but
the Duluth driver held on for the win and the huge paycheck. Davis survived
his early incidents to charge to third late in the go, while Eliason held on
for fourth ahead of first-nighter Nick Baker, who was in the hunt for the lead
during the opening laps and never fell out of the top five.
In WISSOTA modified action Dean Yrjanainen survived a wild battle with Jeff
Spacek for his second feature win of the season and 62nd of his ABC career.
Spacek gained the early advantage by beating polesitter Paul Knauf to the
first corner and quickly building a huge lead. Yrjanainen worked by both Kanuf
and Jerry Hartman to advance to second before Mike Sauvola’s spin on lap 5
eliminated Spacek’s cushion.
From there Yrjanainen and Spacek diced back and forth for the lead, often
swapping lanes on the smooth, slick track. Yrjanainen used an inside move to
take the point for the first time on lap 8, but Spacek returned the favor
three circuits later with an outside pass. Then on lap 14 the two switched
grooves and Yrjanainen grabbed the lead again.
Fourth-running Robby Bunkelman’s spin on lap 15 slowed the frantic pace and
allowed Spacek to make one final run for the win, pulling even with Yrjanainen
as the two passed under the white flag, but Yrjanainen held off the threat. Al
Uotinen came home third to maintain his points advantage in the division over
Yrjanainen, while Knauf held on for fourth over a charging Bill Byholm, who
started 18th on the 19-car grid.
Bob D’Antonio topped his strong efforts of late by surviving a
caution-filled WISSOTA super stock 20-lapper for his third career feature win
here but first since July 20, 2002. D’Antonio inherited the lead on a lap 4
restart, after second-running Eric Olson tangled with race leader Rob
Erickson, eliminating both cars from the event. D’Antonio then held off a
determined Scott Lawrence, who tried to sneak around the leader going into
turn 1 off the next few restarts.
Lawrence actually succeeded in stealing the lead away during the long
green-flag run that followed the final restart on lap 9, but D’Antonio was
not to be denied and took it right back on the following lap, then led the
rest of the way. Greg Kuklinski recovered from an incident with Randy Spacek
while the two were battling in the top five to come home third, ahead of Ron
Hmielewski and visiting Aaron Wilson.
The WISSOTA street stocks ran off their 15-lap feature non-stop, and Kuklinski
held off a strong challenge from first-night visitor Jim Randall to claim his
second straight and track-best fourth feature win of the season. Kuklinski and
Randall ran away from the field early to decide the win, while several drivers
swapped positions often in heavy traffic behind the leaders. Even after
Kuklinski finally shook loose of Randall’s close challenge, he still had to
avoid disaster when the slower Joe Ott turned his car sideways in front of the
leader with four laps to go, but the Ironwood veteran maintained his composure
and his lead the rest of the way.
Steve Anderson worked his way through the mid-pack scramble to move into third
by mid-race, and he stayed there for the duration to strengthen his points
lead in the division. Visiting Jay Kesan and Tim Baum, who survived an early
bout with the back-straight guardrail, completed the top five.
Like Kuklinski, Greg Jaeger also collected his second straight feature win,
this one in the six-cylinders. Jaeger battled early with Ron Swanson for the
race lead before losing the advantage to an aggressive move and contact by
Swanson. Officials deemed the move too aggressive and black-flagged Swanson
from the event, giving the lead back to Jaeger on lap 4.
From there Jaeger held off points leader Scott Ovaska’s many threats before
finally breaking free of the pack after a lap 11 caution for a spun Nick
Oreskovich. Ovaska added to his points lead by finishing one position ahead of
Steve Stuart in both their heat and the feature, while Shawn McFadden, Jr.,
and Steve Tesch followed in fourth and fifth, respectively.
A great showing of 113 cars turned out for the program, which was run in very
hot, dry conditions.
Action at the 3/8th-mile red clay oval continues on Saturday, July 22, with
the track’s first-ever WISSOTA Street Stock Challenge, presented by FastLane
Motorsports. The streeters will run for $600 to win in one of the most
anticipated events of the summer in the area. Hot laps 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: Jeff Spacek, Phillips; Paul Knauf, Marshfield; Robby Bunkelman,
Abbotsford.
Heat 2: Al Uotinen, Superior; Dean Yrjanainen, Lake Nebagamon; Scott
Hudack, Ashland.
Feature: Yrjanainen; Spacek; Uotinen; Knauf; Bill Byholm, Glidden;
Hudack; Jerry Hartman, Marenisco, MI; Rick Rivord, Superior; Shawn Kreyer,
Hayward; Paul Niznik, Medford.
WISSOTA Super Stocks
Heat 1: Joe Oliver, Superior; Greg Kuklinski, Ironwood, MI; Charlie
Anderson, Ironwood, MI.
Heat 2: Randy Spacek, Phillips; Eric Olson, Ladysmith; Destin Lorimor,
Maple.
Heat 3: Scott Lawrence, Superior; Bob D’Antonio, Ironwood, MI; Rob
Erickson, Ashland.
Feature: D’Antonio; Lawrence; Kuklinski; Ron Hmielewski, Washburn;
Aaron Wilson, Menomonie; Paul Erikson, Abbotsford; Randy Silverness, Jr.,
Superior; Oliver; Wayne Harris, Jr., Hayward; Larry Haderly, Marengo.
WISSOTA Street Stocks
Heat 1: Roger Walker, Phillips; Jim Randall, Rice Lake; Butch Kummer,
Medford.
Heat 2: Steve Anderson, Ironwood, MI; Greg Kuklinski, Ironwood, MI; Rob
Weber, Washburn.
Feature: Kuklinski; Randall; Anderson; Jay Kesan, Weyerhauser; Tim Baum,
Superior; Walker; Cory Casari, Hurley; Weber; Kummer; Pete Paulus, Phillips.
Six-Cylinders
Heat 1: Pat Cook, Washburn; Ron Swanson, Ashland; Steve Tesch, Prentice.
Heat 2: Scott Ovaska, Marengo; Steve Stuart, Ashland; Shawn McFadden,
Jr., Ashland.
Feature: Greg Jaeger, Mellen; Ovaska; Stuart; McFadden; Tesch; Chuck
Hawkinson, Mellen; Cook; Ken Tyykila, Iron River; Andy Grymala, Superior;
Chris Lustig, Ashland.
Pure Stocks
Heat 1: Tom Morinville, Duluth, MN; Tim Carbon, Highbridge; Ricky Davis,
Bruno, MN.
Heat 2: Jim Eliason, Ashland; Jason Ziells; Cloquet, MN; Rick Kesty,
Cloquet, MN.
Heat 3: George Dalbeck, Wakefield, MI; Derek Milligan, Ashland; Nathan
Dees, Ironwood, MI.
Heat 4: Cody Kummer, Medford; Nick Baker, Duluth, MN; Chad Carlson,
Superior.
Semi-Feature: Carolyn Nosser, Sheldon; Marty Passuello, Ironwood, MI;
Ann Erickson, Ashland.
Feature: Morinville; Al Rapp, Duluth, MN; Davis; Eliason; Baker; Kesty;
Nosser; Kevin Truchon, Ashland; Dalbeck; Passuello.
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