10/23/2023
WISSOTA
BERG BESTS PURE STOCKERS TO TAKE FIRST WISSOTA NATIONAL TITLE
Bemidji, Minnesota racer Josh Berg just completed his dream season, racing to 17 victories, capped off by winning his first ever WISSOTA Pure Stock National Championship!
36-year-old Berg, who started racing 12 years ago and has competed in the Pure Stock Class for the last 11 of those seasons after starting his career in a Mini Stock, says ‘I still can’t believe the season I had’ when asked about his national title run. As mentioned, Berg raced to 17 feature wins at 4 different tracks throughout the season and was crowned as the Minnesota Pure Stock State Champion as well for his efforts in his home state. Along with those honors, Josh won the Pure Stock Track Championship at his hometown track, the Bemidji Speedway in Bemidji as well as winning both nights of Bemidji Speedway’s Memorial Day Weekend Doubleheader, winning both nights of Greenbush Race Park’s Labor Day Weekend Doubleheader and finishing a solid runner up at the first ever MPH AFCO Invitational at Bemidji as well. Of those races, Josh’s most memorable 2023 moment was winning a feature at Greenbush by a mere 0.035 seconds.
Berg set out on his 2023 season just like he does every year – just go out and race and have fun, but with the way his season started out, not finishing outside of the top five in any race he entered until July, he knew mid-season that he had a really good chance at contenting for his first ever national title, so the team worked extra hard to try to achieve that goal, which they were able to do at season’s end.
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Berg’s #35 carries sponsorship from N&B Paint & Drywall, Bass Brook Recycling, R&D Repair, Bob’s Econo Pump, River Rat Bait, Norenberg & Associates, Feda Heating & Air, Zeuli’s Race Engines, Auto Value of Bemidji and Lindell Repair. He is supported on and off the track by his wife Kasey, son Alex and daughter Brianna. His main help in the pits consists of Mike Delaney, Chris Roller and his son Alex.
At the conclusion of the 2023 season, Berg amassed 2212 points and was able to win the title by 29 markers over runner-up Ryan Olson when the final points were tallied.
As of today, Josh plans to step out of the seat and serve as crew chief for his son Alex when the 2024 season kicks off in the spring, as Alex will jump behind the wheel of the Pure Stock to embark on his rookie season.
Congrats!
The WISSOTA Promoters Association exists to benefit its member tracks to enhance safe, profitable and successful dirt track racing, through unified, cost-effective rules, policies and procedures, enacted within a democratic environment.
The WISSOTA Promoters Association was founded in 1981 by eight track promoters in Wisconsin and Minnesota, with intent to offer uniform rules for the promoters and drivers involved in the Late Model division. Soon, the group decided to do the same for the growing Modified division.
In 1984 a voluntary steering committee was formed to oversee the business aspects that developed and to guide the future of WISSOTA’s racing divisions. That steering committee evolved into a board of directors, and the non-profit racing organization became incorporated in 1986.
Promoters who join the organization become, in essence, part owners of the racing organization and are expected to contribute to its overall success. Each November, the WISSOTA annual meeting is held; the member promoters gather annually in this forum to discuss the future of the organization. Member promoters are given the opportunity to vote on all organizational policies and procedures as well as rules for competition in the various racing divisions. WISSOTA’s member promoters and racing associations have spent approximately 30 years of hard work at the annual meetings crafting unique rules for each of the divisions, which are known as WISSOTA Late Models, WISSOTA Modifieds, WISSOTA Super Stocks, WISSOTA Street Stocks, WISSOTA Mod Fours, WISSOTA Pure Stocks and WISSOTA Hornets.
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Submitted By: Camryn Sullivan