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Uotinen Three-Peats As ABC Mod Champ
Walker, Stuart, Davis Are First-Time Champs
by Nick Gima
Ashland, WI, August 26 -- Al Uotinen laid claim to his third straight WISSOTA
modified championship Saturday night’s Pepsi Fan Appreciation Night season
finale at the ABC Raceway. Uotinen joined fellow Superior driver Scott
Lawrence as “three-peaters” at the Ashland oval, while Roger Walker, Steve
Stuart and Ricky Davis each earned their first-ever track titles.
Uotinen held a 19-point advantage over Bill Byholm going into the 20-lap mod
feature, as Dean Yrjanainen started the “A” outside on the front row and
outran Dennis Checkalski to the first corner, then ran away with the lead
before two cars spun to slow the pace on lap 2. Yrjanainen, who also ran away
with the early lead in last week’s mod main before electrical problems
sidelined his race car, had no such worries on this night, as he built a
straightaway lead over a long green-flag run while Kent Baxter and Scott
Hudack diced for second.
The only other slowdown of the event was a three-car mess with four laps left,
but Yrjanainen easily held off the field for his fourth win of the season here
and 65th of his ABC career. Hudack won the battle with Baxter for second,
while Byholm, who started in row 5, came home fourth, one spot ahead of
Uotinen, whose final points margin was 18.
Uotinen later expressed his appreciation to the fans and his fellow drivers
for the season, during which he won only one feature but topped all mods with
seven heat wins.
Walker, of Phillips, led Steve Anderson by just two points heading into the
night’s WISSOTA street stock action, and after each won his respective
preliminary race the margin remained at two come feature time. The two even
started the 15-lapper side by side in row 4 and stayed within a track position
or two of each other throughout what proved to be one of the most thrilling
races of the season.
Visitor Shane Kisling battled early with third-in-points Butch Kummer during
the early stages of the race, with their dogfight continuing despite a handful
of early caution slowdowns. But the complexion of the race changed
dramatically on lap 6, when Kisling spun in front of the field, collecting
Kummer, Jay Kesan and Rob Weber - the top four runners in the event.
This handed the lead to Anderson, with Walker lined up third behind
strong-running rookie Mike Truscott. Walker used an outside move to sweep
around Truscott on the restart, but the pass was negated when Dennis Groom
stalled with a flat tire. Walker again attempted the move on the next restart,
but it took him nearly a full lap to get by Truscott this time, allowing
Anderson to pull away by a couple car-lengths.
Walker’s big break came on lap 9, when the yellow flag flew for Kummer’s
get-together with Joe Wolfe. After restarting on Anderson’s trunk lid,
Walker took several looks to Anderson’s inside over the final laps, and he
pulled even with the leader at the flagstand as the white flag flew. Walker
bobbled in tune 1 on that final lap, and Anderson regained a slight advantage,
but Walker again drew even down the back straight and drove deeper into turn 3
to take the lead for good. In turn 4 Walker got a bit loose in front of
Anderson, but Anderson showed championship-caliber character by checking up,
rather than making contact and possibly sending Walker for a spin, and Walker
held on for a one-length victory and a four-point final advantage.
“Budman (Anderson) is a great competitor, and I know he feels bad about
losing the championship and the feature like that,” Walker said later. “I
know how badly he wanted to win, but I know I wanted it just as badly. It was
a great race with him; I’m just glad it turned out the way it did.”
The six-cylinder crown was also very much up for grabs going into that
division’s feature, as Stuart, of Ashland, drew to within one point of Scott
Ovaska after heat-race action was completed. As with Walker and Anderson,
Stuart and Ovaska stayed very close to each other during the first stages of
the 15-lapper, as Shawn McFadden, Jr., fought to hold the lead ahead of Dale
Coddington and Steve Tesch. On lap 4 Coddington and Tesch finally cleared
McFadden, who then spun a lap later to bring out the yellow flag.
Coddington built a small cushion over Tesch over the next few laps, but the
championship was decided on lap 8, when contact between fifth-place Stuart and
sixth-running Ovaska sent Stuart for a spin in turn 4. Ovaska was penalized to
the back for the incident, and he clawed his way back to a 13th-place finish.
Meanwhile, Stuart continued on to a sixth-place run and his first
championship.
Coddington survived several strong challenges by Tesch over the final laps to
earn his first feature win of 2006 and fourth of his ABC career. Chuck
Hawkinson, Pat Cook and Warren Beede completed the top five.
Stuart dedicated his championship to family friend Jim Durand, “who is going
through some tough times right now.” The championship also came on
Stuart’s father’s birthday.
The pure stock title was actually decided during heat action, as Davis, who
has made the long haul from Bruno, MN, each week this past season, recorded an
eighth-place run. Davis then drove a smooth, conservative feature to finish
sixth for his first championship.
In front of Davis the racing was far from conservative, as Jim Laessig worked
an inside line past Ashley Smith to take the early advantage. Nathan Dees
drove hard to work his way into second on lap 5, and one lap later he used
another inside move to take the lead, just before the pace was slowed for Paul
Milanowski’s stalled racer.
One lap after the restart Jim Eliason overtook Laessig for second, but Dees
used the remaining non-stop laps to build a comfortable margin of victory, his
second straight and fourth of the season. Tom Morinville charged through
traffic late for a third-place run, ahead of Laessig and Al Rapp.
“When I first started, (a championship) seemed so far away,” an excited
Davis stated in victory lane after the race. “This feels awesome!”
Lawrence, who wrapped up his third straight WISSOTA super stock title a week
ago, put a cap on his season at Ashland by winning his heat for the ninth
straight week and a track-best 11th time. Lawrence was later caught up in a
Brian Mikkonen spin during the feature, and after a couple of trips to the pit
area for repairs he dropped out of the 20-lap A-main, content with a
20th-place effort.
The super stock feature was a carbon-copy of last week’s, with Darin
Meierotto taking the lead early and running away with the win, his second
straight. The Mikkonen incident was the first of five caution-flag slowdowns
during the event, but Meierotto was unfazed as he dominated.
Mikkonen’s bad break turned into good fortune for Ron Hmielewski, who
charged past Larry Haderly on lap 7 and held on for a second-place run, which
resulted in a second-place finish in the final points rundown, overtaking
Mikkonen. Greg Kuklinski and Eric Olson ganged up on Larry Haderly to take
third and fourth, respectively, in the late stages, while Haderly finished up
his rookie season in the supers with a top-five run.
Prior to the feature action, Lawrence expressed his appreciation to the fans
for their support, and he complemented the track-prep personnel for their
outstanding efforts in maintaining a smooth, consistent, multi-groove racing
surface all season - an opinion echoed often by the vast majority of the
drivers who had competed at Ashland this summer.
A solid field of 112 entries were on hand for action.
Action at the 3/8th-mile red clay oval continues on Friday and Saturday,
September 29-30, with the 31st annual Red Clay Classic. WISSOTA late models
will join the modifieds and super stocks in their only appeance of the season
here, competing for a chance at the $4,000 first-place check to be paid out
after their 50-lap feature. For the mods the event will double as the
championship round of the Como Oil Mod Series, which pays out over $5,000 to
the eight-race series winner. Approximately 200 cars are expected to compete
over the traditional two-day season-ending weekend for a purse in excess of
$60,000.
The ABC Raceway is located 3-1/2 miles south of Ashland on State Highway 13
and one mile west on Butterworth Road. For Red Clay Classic reserved seating
and ticket information, as well as reserved campsite information, call Mary at
(715) 682-2672 between 9 am-8 pm Mondays through Fridays (if no answer, leave
a message), or send an e-mail to abctickets06@yahoo.com.
For reserved pit
site information, contact Gordy at (715) 682-5409. For raceday information
call (715) 682-4990, or log on to the track’s website, www.abcraceway.com.
Results
WISSOTA Modifieds
Heat 1: Dennis Checkalski, South Range; Bill Byholm, Glidden; Steve Wik,
Menomonie.
Heat 2: Al Uotinen, Superior; Paul Niznik, Medford; Kent Baxter,
Dorchester.
Heat 3: Dean Yrjanainen, Lake Nebagamon; Scott Hudack, Ashland; Rick
Przybylski, Ashland.
Feature: Yrjanainen; Hudack; Baxter; Byholm; Uotinen; Przybylski; Wik;
Niznik; Jeff Spacek, Phillips; Shawn Kreyer, Hayward.
WISSOTA Super Stocks
Heat 1: Darin Meierotto, Ashland; Larry Haderly, Marengo; Ron Hmielewski,
Washburn.
Heat 2: Scott Lawrence, Superior; Randy Spacek, Phillips; Greg Kuklinski,
Ironwood, MI.
Heat 3: Brian Mikkonen, Iron River; Eric Olson, Ladysmith; John Feirn,
Chippewa Falls.
Semi-Feature: Kevin Eder, Ashland; Bob D’Antonio, Ironwood, MI;
Charlie Anderson, Ironwood, MI.
Feature: Meierotto; Hmielewski; Kuklinski; Olson; Joe Oliver, Superior;
Jeff Lindsey, Thunder Bay, Ont.; D’Antonio; Anderson; Mike Duhr, Hazelhurst;
Mikkonen.
WISSOTA Street Stocks
Heat 1: Roger Walker, Phillips; Shane Kisling, Rice Lake; Rob Weber,
Washburn.
Heat 2: Steve Anderson, Ironwood, MI; Adam Soltis, Ladysmith; Mike
Truscott, Greenland, MI.
Feature: Walker; Anderson; Truscott; Marshall Andrews, Duluth, MN;
Justin Paulsen, Ironwood, MI; Kevin Eder, Ashland; George Dalbeck, Wakefield,
MI; Kevin Bogdanovic, Wausau; Joe Wolfe, Ironwood, MI; Bill Muhlig, Ironwood,
MI.
Six-Cylinders
Heat 1: Chuck Hawkinson, Mellen; Pat Cook, Washburn; Ryan Adamczak,
Ashland.
Heat 2: Steve Stuart, Ashland; Ron Swanson, Ashland; Steve Tesch,
Prentice.
Heat 3: Dale Coddington, Hayward; Warren Beede, Iron River; Shawn
McFadden, Jr., Ashland.
Feature: Coddington; Tesch; Hawkinson; Cook; Beede; Stuart; Greg Jaeger,
Mellen; Adamczak; Don Muzzy, Ironwood, MI; Nick Oreskovich, Mason.
Pure Stocks
Heat 1: Jim Eliason, Ashland; Al Rapp, Duluth, MN; Marty Passuello,
Ironwood, MI.
Heat 2: Jim Laessig, Wakefield, MI; Ashley Smith, South Range; Myron
Basina, Washburn.
Feature: Nathan Dees, Ironwood, MI; Eliason; Tom Morinville, Duluth, MN;
Laessig; Rapp; Ricky Davis, Bruno, MN; Tim Carbon, Highbridge; Passuello;
George Dalbeck, Wakefield, MI; Smith.
ABC Raceway Points - Final 2006
WISSOTA Modifieds
# - Driver Total
98 - Al Uotinen 712
4 - Bill Byholm 694
00 - Scott Hudack 669
95 - Rick Rivord 649
84 - Dean Yrjanainen 613
22 - Jeff Spacek 599
74 - Shawn Kreyer 575
P1 - Rick Przybylski 573
37jr - Ross Lightner 539
42 - Paul Niznik 511
95x - Kent Baxter 506
10 - John Frydrych 489
H64 - Kelly Checkalski 467
21 - Jerry Hartman 435
316 - Dan Sellung 407
64h - Dennis Checkalski 404
777 - Mike Sauvola 398
00 - Robby Bunkelman 387
99 - Steve Lavasseur 368
40 - Paul Knauf 212
1/37 - Nick Nelson 207
22b - Mark Baxter 173
24L - Jeff Lien 168
9 - Riley Matthews 148
40 - Jad Carlson 137
37 - Bob Root 121
13 - Dave Salzman Jr 110
3d - Kevin Monteith 90
22 - Don Copp 88
11 - Jody Bellefeuille 80
18 - Mike Kirtland 80
34 - Mickey Nosser 66
1j - Jason Zdroik 63
40 - Shawn Lee 61
43 - Luke Schilling 61
44 - Darrell Nelson 57
91 - Craig Thatcher 56
V2 - Joey Jensen 51
411 - Pat Doar 50
21 - Steve Wik 48
2r - Ricky Roche 46
69 - Justin Jones 44
22BB - Bruce Belland 43
30 - Brent Larson 43
57 - Mike Anderson 41
16 - Cory Jorgenson 38
37 - Kelly Estey 36
38 - Rick Cannata 36
7x - Tyler Keyser 36
32 - George Young 35
78 - Larry Prochnow 35
12m - Jason Miller 34
24 - Kevin Rogers 33
45 - Bob Broking 33
101 - Paul Schultz 32
21 - Marc Johnson 32
24d - Duane Dale 31
27 - Jim Inman 29
9 - John Carpenter 17
20 - Jeff Hart 16
54L - Jayme Lautigar 16
75L - Clint Larson 16
7x - Chris Magistad 12
WISSOTA Super Stocks
# - Driver Total
77 - Scott Lawrence 764
55 - Ron Hmielewski 695
11x - Brian Mikkonen 692
93x - Randy Silverness Jr 655
5x - Joe Oliver 651
3x - Larry Haderly 632
22 - Randy Spacek 631
80 - Greg Kuklinski 622
50 - Charlie Anderson 608
87 - Trevor Wilson 589
2z - Bob D'Antonio 570
22 - Ken Truscott 567
4e - Paul Erikson 547
4x - David Elliott 401
33 - Don Koivisto 397
90 - Destin Lorimor 395
66 - Todd Bonney 392
12s - Wayne Stricker 391
25 - Art Hyde 381
10m - Gordy Maki 369
1a - Peter Jokinen 362
8m - Mike Duhr 359
02 - Rob Erickson 355
7L - Bryan Lund 339
18 - Roy Pumala 325
29x - Joe Olson 269
29F - Dave Flynn 205
27L - Jeff Lindsey 191
47 - Darin Meierotto 188
31e - Kevin Eder 187
47 - John Copp 135
1e - Eric Olson 127
70k - Rick Simpson 102
33r - Rick Randall 94
46 - Cy Hoaglan 71
23e - Terry Kroening 70
9k - Tom Karis 55
67 - Jeff Tardy 53
81 - Doug Woodhull Jr 49
92 - Aaron Wilson 49
10 - Rich Bishop 48
32 - Mike Hince 48
3c - Bobby Carlson 48
X - Wayne Harris Jr 44
266 - Dean Young 41
8 - Keith Kern 40
54 - John Feirn 39
3 - Jacob Hiatt 38
14L - Lance Leu 34
43 - Adam Long 30
9 - Ron Malecki 17
3a - Keane Laakson 16
77 - Jim Willner 16
24 - Chuck Metzger 15
1L - Donnie Lofdahl 14
37 - PJ Beeksma 14
7x - Jeremy Crabbs 14
WISSOTA Street Stocks
# - Driver Total
5 - Roger Walker 673
90 - Steve Anderson 669
24 - Butch Kummer 613
1 - Cory Casari 584
22 - Kevin Eder 551
80 - Greg Kuklinski 547
22 - Mike Truscott 537
89 - Dennis Groom 536
05r - Rob Weber 532
1x - Justin Paulsen 528
76 - John Kallas 520
01 - Bill Muhlig 492
56w - Joe Wolfe 481
7 - Tim Baum 309
7k - Kevin Bogdanovic 292
5p - Pete Paulus 290
26 - Jordan Kurtti 150
75 - Marshall Andrews 146
12k - Jay Kesan 140
23d - George Dalbeck 131
4 - Steve Kieber 131
244 - Bobby LePage 112
6 - Shane Kisling 111
17 - Wayne Dean 92
06 - Tom Waara 90
93c - Lee Christjohn 90
4 - Scott Andrews 79
9 - Adam Soltis 78
5 - Martin DeHaan 73
79 - Joe Ott 65
15 - Jim Randall 54
1z - Robby Waara 52
5 - Chanda Fjorden-Nord 52
7 - Dean Yrjanainen 51
55 - Craig Tarsi 45
23n - Charlie Novak 43
27 - Rob Lowe 42
57 - Jeff Heintz 38
28x - Steve Golat 37
47 - Don Craig 37
00 - Rob Ganson 36
8 - Tyler Viltz 18
96 - Mark Schuenemann 17
ABC Six-Cylinders
# - Driver Total
4x - Steve Stuart 717
72 - Scott Ovaska 711
22h - Chuck Hawkinson 700
66 - Greg Jaeger 695
32 - Pat Cook 689
18 - Steve Tesch 659
51jr - Shawn McFadden Jr 659
88 - Warren Beede 592
5-1 - Ken Tyykila 577
21 - Nick Oreskovich 546
24 - Andy Grymala 538
11 - Chris Lustig 534
30 - Mike McKay 519
1x - Don Muzzy 514
81 - Adam Traaholt 490
37x - Adam Jack 488
53 - Bob Holly 445
8 - Ron Swanson 434
25/56r - Dan Moncher 266
97 - Ryan Adamczak 254
24b - Pat Beeksma 230
31 - Kevin Eder 174
73 - Dale Coddington 142
33 - Ken Tody Jr 130
70 - Josh Ludtke 90
88 - Brian Mikkonen 47
24b - Darrell Carlson 35
26 - Tim Beeksma 34
ABC Pure Stocks
# - Driver Total
79 - Ricky Davis 652
26 - Tom Morinville 616
23d - George Dalbeck 611
17 - Nathan Dees 598
85 - Marty Passuello 555
40ish-TBretting/AErickson/PMilanowski 517
21 - Chad Carlson 494
15 - Brittany Kalmon 483
88 - B Hagstrom/M Pelto 455
38 - Derek Milligan 442
5z - Zene Anderson 440
10x - Roland Gordon 404
25 - Jim Laessig 353
14 - Tim Carbon 352
15c - Steve Christman 324
35 - Don Bush 302
33r - Al Rapp 289
106 - John Taitt 261
34 - B Kalmon/L Janzig/B Koval 261
20 - Jim Eliason 254
38d - Glenn Dammer 195
106 - Paul Milanowski 187
23s - Ashley Smith 185
38 - Myron Basina 122
9 - Brett Rondeau 107
X - Kevin Truchon 93
3 - Mark Carlson 78
02 - Chris Carlson 68
38s - Shawn Stolarzyk 53
50 - Nick Baker 51
02 - Tim Carlson 50
13k - Rick Kesty 49
3d - Dustin Follett 46
14 - Cody Kummer 45
29m - Carolyn Nosser 45
11jr - Andrew Inman 43
32 - Jesse Young 37
99z - Jason Ziells 37
6 - John Sullivan 36
68 - Dan Larsen 36
91m - Kelly Moen 15
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