6/1/2025
Wissota Late Model Challenge Series
Wild Child Ward Wins Tire War; Marches to Madtown Moolah
Event six for the 2025 Structural Buildings WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series powered by Momentum Truck Group, Freightliner, Western Star was held at the Madison Speedway in Madison, Minnesota for the third night of a four race Minnesota/South Dakota swing and saw Watertown, South Dakota’s Scott Ward inherit the lead after race long leader Shane Sabraski suffered a right rear flat tire with just five laps to go and race away to win the 40-lap feature.
An unseasonably 90* sunny day for racing and saw Montevideo, Minnesota’s Matt Gilbertson trip the qualifying clock at a 14.931 second lap to set fast time honors and earn the Hiller Auction Co. Quick Qualifying Award on the night. Scott Ward, Shane Sabraski and Don Shaw topped the three qualifying heat races early in the night’s program mains to set the feature starting lineup.
Rookie contender Devin Fouquette and Sabraski earned the front row for the night’s $3,000 to win, 40-lap feature event with Fouquette getting the upper hand on the initial start and leading the field into turn number one and lead the opening lap.
Fouquette lead lap one before Sabraski was able to race by on the high side and take command on lap two. Once out front, Sabraski and Fouquette put on a show out front for several circuits running side by side for the top spot with all eyes on the central Minnesota duo. The 7a and 15 battled hard for the lead for the first 15 laps of the event with Scott Ward, Don Shaw and Matt Gilbertson inside the five.
The first half of the race ran non-stop until Shaw brought out the caution on lap twenty, slowing the field and ending his night. Back underway, Sabraski continued to lead Ward and Gilbertson until a lap twenty-six caution flew for Josh Zimpel, who exited the track, ending his night prematurely as well.
On the next restart, Sabraski took back off into the lead with Ward snagging the second spot from Fouquette in tow. Tyler Peterson appeared inside the top five and was working toward the front as well, until he suddenly slowed on the backstretch on lap 31, bunching the field once again.
The second half of the race got more treacherous for the field as the track began to take rubber, and the groove began to narrow. Disaster then struck Sabraski as he suffered a right rear flat tire while leading on lap 35, ending his bid at his second straight series victory. Trouble then struck both Fouquette and Gilbertson on the subsequent restart when both drivers surrendered top five runs, exiting the speedway on the backstretch.
Ward took off out front as the race’s new leader with Dave Mass and Jeff Provinzino inside the top three as laps wound down and after one final caution doubled up the field one more time, Provinzino was able to secure the runner up spot and chase Ward the final four laps to the checkered. The win was Ward’s 7th career series victory as he crossed the line ahead of Provinzino, Mass, Kevin Eder and lee Groze as the top five finishers. Charlie Olsen raced forward 15 spots from 23rd to 8th to earn hard charger honors.
Shane Sabraski won the WISSOTA Super Stock feature, while Kolton Brauer won the WISSOTA Street Stock feature, Colsten Schultz won the Pure Stock feature, and Jason Vejtruba won the WISSOTA Midwest Modified feature as well to round out the night.
Tonight’s contingency award winners included:
Collins Bros. Towing Long Tow Award – Joel Bennett (418 miles)
Hiller Auction Quick Qualifier Award – Matt Gilbertson (14.931 seconds)
MyRacePass Pole Award – Devin Fouquette
Olsen Custom Farms Hard Luck Award – Cory Tammen
Wehrs Machine Hard Charger Award – Charlie Olsen (+15)
GTX Rookie of the Race – Devin Fouquette (16th place)
MD3 Lap Leader Award – Shane Sabraski (34 laps)
Victory Fuel Top Three Finishers – Scott Ward (1st), Jeff Provinzino (2nd), Dave Mass (3rd)
The random pit meeting drawing winners included:
Hoosier Racing Tire – Zach Johnson
Gorsuch Performance Solutions – Jayson Good
Velocita USA – Matt Gilbertson
Champ Pans – Chase Alves
Deatherage Racing Opticians – Don Shaw
Joe Provo Racewear – Charlie Olsen
Full results can be found on MyRacePass.com
The Casino Speedway in Watertown, South Dakota hosts the Challenge Series tomorrow night, Sunday, June 1st with a 6:30pm start time scheduled.
For upcoming schedule information and tickets, visit www.WISSOTAChallengeSeries.com.
Submitted By: Jacy Norgaard
