5/31/2025
Wissota Late Model Challenge Series
Searing granted Challenge Series Hardship Exemption
Leadership with the Structural Buildings WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series powered by Momentum Truck Group, Freightliner, Western Star have announced today that 2-time and defending series champion Cole Searing from Huron, South Dakota will receive a hardship exemption for the next two series events due to a ruptured appendix and subsequent emergency surgery this morning, which will keep him out of the driver’s seat for the reminder of the weekend.
Series Director Chris Stepan said ‘first thing’s first – we are all glad Cole is alright and is on his way home to rest and feel better. Due to his situation, we got the other perfect attendance ServPro Stars of the Series together this morning and allowed them to vote on whether to grant him an exemption for the remainder of the weekend or not, which would allow him to receive hardship points for the events at the Madison Speedway (Madison, MN) and the Casino Speedway (Watertown, SD) over the next two nights, similar to what the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and World of Outlaw Late Model Series do for their perfect attendance competitors. The ten other perfect attendance drivers voted unanimously to allow the exemption and grant Cole points to keep him in the running for his third series title at season’s end.’ A hardship consists of an emergency type situation, forcing the driver to miss a series event, or events. Racing-related incidents (blown motors, crashed cars etc) and personal matters (weddings, vacations etc) will not be considered.
Searing will receive full show up points, along with last place heat race finishing points and last place feature finishing points for the two nights. Those points will be added to his series point total after the weekend is concluded. He will not receive WISSOTA national points for the two hardship events. He will still be eligible for ServPro Star provisionals, as well as continue to be included in the ServPro Star specific contingency awards nightly and other series perks once he rejoins the tour at the Gondik Law Speedway in Superior, Wisconsin on July 4th and 5th for the 9th annual Great Lakes Border Battle weekend.
For more information on the Challenge Series, please visit www.WISSOTAChallengeSeries.com.
Submitted By: Jacy Norgaard
