6/6/2023
Wissota Late Model Challenge Series
Western Minnesota Swing Plus Lone South Dakota Stop On Tap This Weekend For Structural Buildings WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series
After a successful opening weekend for the 2023 series, the schedule moves to Western Minnesota and Eastern South Dakota this weekend where the four-event tour will kick off on Thursday night at the KRA Speedway in Willmar, MN for the track’s first ever series appearance. Late Models have competed at KRA several times in recent years, including this past September where Dave Mass raced to victory. The stop at KRA will be the 47th track that the series has competed at since its inception in 1999. Racing action is scheduled to kick off at 7pm.
The Fiesta City Speedway in Montevideo, Minnesota will play host to the series during the second night of the four-event swing through Southwest Minnesota and will be the 14th series appearance, but the first time that the series has been at Fiesta City since the track was shortened and reconfigured several years ago. Pat Doar has won five previous Challenge Series events at Fiesta City, with John Kaanta gracing victory lane on three occasions during prior series visits. Other winners of previous Challenge Series events at FCS include Scott Ward, Don Shaw, Jeff Wilding, AJ Diemel and Lance Matthees. Racing will begin at 7pm.
The series will then make its 13th series appearance, but first visit since 2010, at the Madison Speedway in Madison, MN on Saturday night. Pat Doar leads the all-time win list at Madison during Challenge Series competition with four victories, including one from the 25th starting spot, marking the deepest that a driver has started in the field and won a race in series history. Marshall Fegers is the only other driver that has won multiple series events at Madison with a pair of victories during his career. Jeff Wilding, Curt Gelling, Terry Casey, Joel Cryderman, Steve Laursen and Tony Leiker each have one career series win at Madison as well. The event is scheduled to go green at 7pm.
The weekend will wrap up on Sunday night with the lone South Dakota stop on the 2023 schedule. The Casino Speedway in Watertown, SD will host the series for the 23rd time at the historic quarter mile affectionately known as ‘The Jungle’ for the annual Marilyn Olson Memorial. The series has a made at least one visit to the Tod and Vicky Good-owned facility every season since 2002 and has seen thirteen different drivers get series victories over the previous 22 stops. Jake Redetzke leads all drivers with 4 Challenge Series wins at Casino, while South Dakota stalwarts Curt Gelling and Kent Arment each have three series wins at their home state track. John Kaanta and Scott Ward have each bested the field on a pair of occasions at Casino for series victories while Pat Doar, Steve Laursen, Marshall Fegers, AJ Diemel, John Seitz, Jeff Wilding and 2022 winner Cole Searing each have won one series event in Watertown. The event features a 6:30pm start time.
Hermantown, Minnesota’s Darrell Nelson leads the series point standings heading into the weekend.
For fans not able to be at any of the tracks in person to enjoy the action, each event will be livestreamed on WISSOTA.tv.
Submitted By: Camryn Sullivan
