6/13/2023
Wissota Late Model Challenge Series
Doar Does It Again – Tops Caution Plagued Challenge Series Stop at Fiesta City
The 2023 season for the Structural Buildings WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series rolled into the second of a four-night Western Minnesota-Eastern South Dakota swing on Friday, June 9th with the series’ first stop at the Fiesta City Speedway in Montevideo, Minnesota since 2018.
Pat Doar started the night by setting fast time with a lap of 15.748 seconds around the newly configured oval, while Jake Redetzke, Chuck Swenson and Chad Olsen topped the three qualifying heat races early in the night’s program.
Doar and Redetzke earned the front row for the night’s 40-lap, $3,000-to-win feature event with Redetzke getting the upper hand on the initial start and leading the field into turn number one before Doar powered by on the low side of the speedway to take command as the field completed the opening circuit.
The race slowed on lap two for the first time and on the restart, Doar maintained control with Redetzke and Darrell Nelson beginning to battle for runner up honors. Doar began to draw closer to the back of the field and entered lapped traffic on lap 18, causing Olsen, who raced by Redetzke into the second spot, to close in. Olsen remained within several car lengths of Doar out front until a lap 19 caution bunched the field again.
On the ensuring restart, fifth running Dave Mass rolled the top of turns one and two and blasted by into second and tried to pressure Doar out front, but three cautions flew on consecutive laps allowing Doar to remain the leader on each restart.
Finally, on lap 24, Mass was able to bolt by Doar into the top spot and assume command, while Redetzke and Nelson were close in tow. The top four began to really race hard out front until Doar was able to drive back under Mass for the lead on lap 31, bringing Redetzke with into second a lap later.
Three more cautions flew in the final five laps, setting up a one lap dash to the checkered, which Doar was able to survive and race to his 38th career Challenge Series win and take the overall point lead into Saturday night’s event in Madison. Redetzke held on for second with Mass third at the line.
Nelson crossed the finish line in fourth with John Kaanta advancing from 10th up to 5th. Unfortunately, Kaanta was light at the scale after the 47-minute race and was stripped of his fifth-place finish, elevating Olsen to a top five run. Josh Zimpel’s sixth place finish was enough to win the night’s Hard Charger award.
Kolton Brauer won the WISSOTA Street Stock feature, Corey Storck won the WISSOTA Midwest Modified main event, Ellen Lange won the WISSOTA Hornet feature and Alex Grinager won the Pure Stock feature event to wrap up the night.
Full results: https://www.myracepass.com/events/458697/races
The next 2023 Challenge Series event is scheduled for Saturday, June 10th at the Madison Speedway in Madison, MN, with a 7pm start time.
Submitted By: Camryn Sullivan