6/2/2025
Wissota Late Model Challenge Series
Ward Cashes in For Second Straight Series Win at Casino
The seventh event for the 2025 Structural Buildings WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series powered by Momentum Truck Group, Freightliner, Western Star was held at the Casino Speedway in Watertown, South Dakota for the fourth and final night of the four race Minnesota/South Dakota swing and saw Watertown, South Dakota’s Scott Ward lead every lap from the outside of the front row and race away to win the 40-lap feature.
A warm, smoky, sunny day for racing and saw Watertown’s Lee Grosz trip the qualifying clock at a 13.775 second lap to set fast time honors and earn the Hiller Auction Co. Quick Qualifying Award on the night. Kevin Eder, Dave Mass and Jeff Provinzino topped the three qualifying heat races early in the night’s program mains to set the feature starting lineup.
Mass and 2024 event winner Scott Ward earned the front row for the night’s $3,000 to win, 40-lap feature event with Ward getting the upper hand on the initial start and leading the field into turn number one and leading the opening lap.
Ward led the opening lap with Mass and Kevin Eder in a side-by-side battle for the runner up spot early. With Ward railing the cushion out front, Eder was able to slip by Mass into second and chase down Ward for the lead. Eder peeked to the inside of Ward’s #37 for the top spot on lap 5, but Ward was able to power back by and continued to race around out front.
Behind the lead trio, Tyler Peterson was racing with Mass for third, with Jeff Provinzino just behind. Ward continued to slip off into the night and began to see the back of the field on lap 16. Once in traffic, Ward worked flawlessly around the tight oval as Peterson was finally able to race by Mass into the runner-up spot with just under ten laps to go.
Battles were going on through traffic as Mass and Eder battled for third for several laps, before Provinzino and Eder battled for fourth as laps wound down.
Ward continued to lead and raced off to wire the field, leading all 40 laps for his 8th career series victory, second of the weekend and won the Marilyn Olson Memorial for the second straight year. Peterson crossed the line in second with Mass third. Provinzino and Eder completed the top five finishers. Trevor Anderson, Chad Becker, Morgan Ward-Grosz, Ryan Engels and Jayson Good were the remainder of the top ten.
Trey Hess won the WISSOTA Street Stock feature, Matthew Larson won the Gen X Late Model feature, and Onxy Johnson 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 – Kevin Eder (304 miles)
Hiller Auction Quick Qualifier Award – Lee Grosz (13.775 seconds)
MyRacePass Pole Award – Dave Mass
Olsen Custom Farms Hard Luck Award –Lee Grosz
Wehrs Machine Hard Charger Award – Zach Johnson (+5)
GTX Rookie of the Race – Devin Fouquette (13th place)
MD3 Lap Leader Award – Scott Ward (40 laps)
Victory Fuel Top Three Finishers – Scott Ward (1st), Tyler Peterson (2nd), Dave Mass (3rd)
The random pit meeting drawing winners included:
Hoosier Racing Tire – Kevin Eder
Gorsuch Performance Solutions – Trevor Anderson
Velocita USA – Joel Bennett
Champ Pans – Rich Thomas
Deatherage Racing Opticians – Lee Grosz
Joe Provo Racewear – Morgan Ward-Grosz
Full results can be found on MyRacePass.com
The Gondik Law Speedway in Superior, Wisconsin plays host to the next two series events as part of the 9th annual Great Lakes Border Battle on Friday, July 4th and Saturday, July 5th.
For upcoming schedule information and tickets, visit www.WISSOTAChallengeSeries.com
Submitted By: Jacy Norgaard
