6/13/2023
Wissota Late Model Challenge Series
Peterson TPO’s Field for First Career Challenge Series Victory in Madison Runaway
The 2023 season for the Structural Buildings WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series wrapped up night #3 of the four-night Western Minnesota-Eastern South Dakota swing on Saturday, June 10th with the series’ first stop at the Madison Speedway in Madison, Minnesota since the 2018 season.
Pat Doar kicked off the night by setting fast time with a lap of 15.070 seconds around the high banked oval, while Josh Zimpel, Darrell Nelson and Tyler Peterson topped the three qualifying heat races early in the night’s program.
Peterson and Zimpel earned the front row for the night’s 40-lap, $2,000-to-win feature event with both drivers in search of their first career Structural Buildings WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series victory. Zimpel took the lead at the drop of the green flag and paced the field for the first twelve laps of the event with Peterson searching around the speedway for the fastest lane and drawing closer and closer to Zimpel as the first dozen laps slipped by. Peterson was finally able to dive to the inside of Zimpel and steal the lead as the field worked into lapped traffic and once Tyler cleared Josh to the lead, he began to work away from the field, while Zimpel was doing his best to hold off Doar for second.
Behind the top three, Jake Redetzke and Darrell Nelson were engaged in a great battle for the fifth spot with Redetzke able to work by before the half way point of the race. Once into fifth, Redetzke set his sights on Sammy Mars, who ran just ahead and was able to work by him through traffic as well. Redetzke took the fourth spot and began to close in on Doar for third while Peterson was disappearing into the night, while lapping cars with ease.
The field continued to rumble around the Western Minnesota speed plant with laps winding down and Peterson eyeing his first ever Structural Buildings WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series feature victory. As the field took the white flag, Peterson held a comfortable advantage and cruised the final circuit to 5.413 second win ahead of Zimpel, who matched his career best Challenge Series finish with a runner up effort. Doar completed the podium in third with Redetzke in fourth and Mars completing the top five in the nonstop feature event.
Kolton Brauer won the WISSOTA Street Stock feature, Scott Tofte won the WISSOTA Midwest Modified main event, Adam VanDerostyne 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/458703/races
The next 2023 Challenge Series event is scheduled for Sunday, June 11th at the Casino Speedway in Watertown, SD for the lone South Dakota stop on the tour with a 6:30pm start time.
Submitted By: Camryn Sullivan