Kids Invited to Meet Drivers at ABC Saturday! By Nick Gima

June 4, 2005; Ashland, WI: -  In an age where more young people sit in front of computers and video games than tinker under the hoods of old cars, it's important for race tracks and drivers to reach their younger fans and capture their imaginations.

    That's the message behind Saturday night's race program at the ABC Raceway. Fans of all ages will be welcomed onto the race surface after hot laps to meet their favorite drivers, get a close-up look at the race cars, and even get autographs and photos during the Kids' Meet the Drivers Night activities at the 3/8th-mile red clay oval south of Ashland.

    The program, sponsored by Little Caesar's Pizza, provides a great opportunity for youngsters to catch the "racing bug" and perhaps one day become a racer or crew person themselves. Many of today's racers at the ABC got the "bug" from activities just like this.     On-track action has just started at Ashland this summer, but already certain trands are developing.

    The most significant trends are the parity in four of the divisions and the emerging dominance in the other. Of the ten feature races run in 2005, there have been nine different winners - only Marengo's Larry Haderly has repeated, in the street stock division.

    Haderly's dominance stems from a continuance of last year¹' championship form. He has yet to finish out of the top two in a heat and, of course, is the division's only feature winner.

    However, in the other classes drivers have seemed more inclined to share the wealth. There have been 25 different event winners in 29 modified, street stock, six-cylinder and pure stock events run to date, and only mod driver Bill Byholm will come into Saturday¹s action holding his points lead for a second straight week, other than Haderly.

    Other feature winners from last Saturday include Dean Yrjananen (mods), who collected his career 60th win - the second-highest total all-time at Ashland. Also, Ken Truscott (supers), Steve Stuart (sixes) and Kevin Truchon
(pures) took home A-main wins.

    Hot laps will begin shortly before 6:30 pm, followed by the meet-and-greet session and then green-flag racing. "Racenight Live" will air from 5-6:30 pm Saturday on WJJH, 96.7 & 102.3 FM, with raceday 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.