11/4/2025
WISSOTA
Bawden bags WISSOTA Super Stock Rookie of the Year honors
Clear Lake, Minnesota’s Tommy Bawden is no stranger to success, as he concluded a very successful WISSOTA Mod Four career at the conclusion of the 2024 season. When he decided over the winter to move into the WISSOTA Super Stock division for 2025, all eyes were on chasing the national Rookie of the Year title and trying to parlay his winning ways in the Mod Four into his new venture.
Well, at season’s end, Bawden, 37, ended up with an 84-point margin over Justin Barsness atop the final talented 2024 Rookie Super Stock season standings and was able to top the other 32 Super Stock rookies for the top prize.
Tommy’s #TB81 is sponsored by Dean’s Heating & Air Conditioning, Walks on Water, Stoplight Bait & Tackle, Northern Maintenance Free Exteriors, Randt Masonry, Farm Bureau Financial Services, Donovan Ent., Briggs Lake General Store, Rascal RC Speedway, Affordable Chassis and GDU Race Dynamics. He is also supported by his dad, his daughter Mia, his son Ryder, his aunt Faith, Adam Prieve and his dog Smoke.
Tommy just completed his 13th season behind the wheel of a race car. He started his career in the WISSOTA Mod Four division back in 2012, a division that he competed at a high level in from 2012 through 2015. After a four-year stint in a WISSOTA Midwest Modified, he returned to the Mod Four division from 2020 through 2024, where he earned a pair of National Championships in 2021 and in 2023 for his efforts.
Tommy entered 41 events during his rookie season this year and was able to race to victory lane five times during that span. He won features at four different tracks along the way, including a pair at North Central Speedway and one each at KRA, Redwood, and Granite City Motor Park. Along with his five wins, he finished inside the top ten on 29 occasions and secured 20 top-five finishes as well.
Although he is being celebrated as the WISSOTA Super Stock National Rookie of the Year this year, Tommy said ‘we make good memories every year!’, but his best memory of the season. However, it was hard to pick just one, was ‘any of them that has his family involved, but watching his ‘mans’ winning his first Go Kart championship this year means more to me than any of my racing.’
*His son Ryder won the Jr 1 Go Kart Track Championship at the Little O Kart Track in Ogilvie, MN this season.
When asked what it means to win the national Rookie of the Year title in his first Super Stock season, Tommy said ‘I’m not good at quotes, but it was cool to win it. Unfortunately, we didn’t win any big checks this year. Still, we won 5 features and made every big special we entered without running any b-mains.’
Tommy also wanted to send a huge thank you to his dad, aunt, and entire team for the struggles they endured this season. He said it was a team effort for sure, and he wanted to send a big thanks to all the crew at Affordable Chassis for the help as well.
Congrats to Tommy and his team!
WISSOTA is proudly sponsored by their official marketing partners:
Hoosier Racing Tire, My Race Pass, NAPA Auto Parts, Dirt Race Central, Speedway Motors, Gondik Law and All The Dirt Racing News, along with their Platinum partner, Raceceiver, plus their Gold sponsors, which include EngineQuest and World Products.
WISSOTA is also sponsored by Silver partners AFCO and Willy’s Carburetor & Dyno Shop, plus Bronze sponsor Stakt Products.
WISSOTA also has a great group of contingency sponsors, including Brodix Cylinder Heads, BuyRaceShirts.com, Manley, Allstar Performance, AMI Graphics, Winning Edge Graphics, Velocita, RaceCals, RaceGear Designs, All Star Trophy & Awards, Minuteman Press, Performance Auto, UEM Pistons, Mahle Motorsports, Performance Auto, Freedom Race Lifts, Victory Fuel, Power Lodge, Deatherage Opticians and MD3.
For more information on WISSOTA, log on to www.WISSOTA.org.
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 an 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.
Submitted By: Jacy Norgaard