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Zimpel wins final 2025 Challenge Series event and first Qualifying Feature for WISSOTA 100 Late Models while Mass nabs the Challenge Series title

By Tony Steuck
All The Dirt! Racing News

FERGUST FALLS, MN (September 10) - The Structural Buildings WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series wrapped up its 2025 season at the WISSOTA 100 on Wednesday night.

Josh Zimpel turned back several challenges from former champion Tyler Peterson to score his second-career Challenge Series win, and earn the pole for the big race on Saturday night. Meanwhile, Dave Mass secured his first-ever Challenge Series title.

Peterson and Zimpel led the 40-lap main event to the green flag and Zimpel snatched the top spot out of turn two. Zach Johnson, Travis Saurer and Lee Grosz battled in the top five early before Saurer moved to third and the lead trio spaced out around the speedway with five laps in. Mass raced with Grosz for a spot in the top five.

Peterson moved in to challenge the leader again on lap eight, but Zimpel did not leave Peterson an opening before a caution with 12 laps recorded.

Peterson continued to keep the pressure on after the restart with Saurer third. Peterson used the inside line to pull even with the leader on lap 15, but could not make the pass. Mass slipped by Johnson for fourth, and advanced to dance with Saurer for third. Cole Searing was door to door with Johnson in a battle for fifth not far behind the other pair. Peterson could not find the grip down low, and Zimpel had room to breathe near the half. Peterson ran about three-to-five lengths behind Zimpel, and Mass secured third from Saurer. Shane Sabraski worked forward from 10th, and raced with Searing as they both challenged Saurer. Sabraski picked off Saurer for fourth before a caution with 28 laps scored. Another caution waved with 29 recorded.

Zimpel switched his line in turns one and two after the restart, and raced lower on the speedway. Peterson remained in his tire tracks while Sabraski, Mass and Searing waged a war for third. The final caution dropped with 31 laps recorded.

Sabraski challenged Peterson to the inside after the restart, but could not supplant the runner-up. Zimpel edged away from the pack and Peterson remained in second as the top five spaced out over the surface as the laps passed by.

Zimpel was out front for all 40 laps to score the win ahead of Peterson, Sabraski, Searing and Mass in the top five. The final drivers to earn a transfer into Saturday’s big show included Kevin Eder, Saurer and 24th-starter Jordan Tollakson; Searing turned down his position, and 13th-finisher Cory Crapser was the next driver in line to accept the starting spot.

The Late Modes competed in five heat races — lined up by qualifying earlier in the night — with the top 16 locked into the evening’s feature, and the rest competing in twin B features.

Grosz topped the opening Late Model heat in runaway fashion. Eder finished second ahead of Sabraski, while Sam Mars made a late pass on Shawn Meyer for fourth.

Corey Seckerson led early in the second heat until Zach Johnson made a power move around the outside on lap three. Johnson drove away to the victory while Seckerson held off Chad Becker for second. Johnny Broking and Jeff Provinzino rounded out the top five.

Saurer led all the way in heat three, but never shook off Zimpel in his run to the checkers. Crasper finished third ahead of Kevin Burdick and Konner Sperle.

In the fourth heat, Peterson shot through the middle of Searing and Gunnar Frank, and stole the lead on the opening lap. Peterson pulled away for the win with Searing second, Frank third, Joel Bennett fourth and Jayson Good fifth.

Mass led flag to flag for the victory in the final heat race. Dan Ebert ran in second until he suffered a flat tire with three laps to go. Travis Budisalovich finished second ahead of Danny Vang, Cory Tammen and Blake Boelens.

Broking and Bennett battled for the lead early in the first of two 15-lap B features. Broking pulled away as the laps ticked by, while Bennett and Frank engaged in a battle that lasted to the checkers. Frank held the spot at the finish behind Broking but ahead of Bennett. Those three drivers transferred to the back of the main event.

Provinzino was at the head of the pack during a wild opening lap in the second B feature. Jayson Good and Kevin Burdick fought for second with Cole Schill close behind. Burdick’s hope to move on vanished when he lost power near the halfway point. Provinzino raced securely in the lead, while 15th-starter Ebert looked for a podium spot. Ebert picked off Good and Schill and held down second, but the race for the final transfer came down to the line where Schill barely outran Good for the spot.

SUMMARY

WISSOTA Late Models:

A Feature 1 (40 Laps): 1. 5-Josh Zimpel[2]; 2. 33-Tyler Peterson[1]; 3. 7A-Shane Sabraski[10]; 4. 10-Cole Searing[12]; 5. 2M-Dave Mass[7]; 6. 22E-Kevin Eder[8]; 7. 21X-Travis Saurer[4]; 8. 32-Jordan Tollakson[24]; 9. 73-Zach Johnson[3]; 10. 7-Joel Bennett[21]; 11. 44*-Cole Schill[22]; 12. 60-Dan Ebert[20]; 13. 07-Cory Crapser[15]; 14. 47-Danny Vang[5]; 15. (DNF) 28-Jeff Provinzino[18]; 16. (DNF) 71X-Cory Tammen[16]; 17. (DNF) 28S-Sam Mars[13]; 18. (DNF) 31-Travis Budisalovich[9]; 19. (DNF) 4J-Lee Grosz[6]; 20. (DNF) 77-Corey Seckerson[11]; 21. (DNF) 45J-Johnny Broking[17]; 22. (DNF) 85G-Jayson Good[25]; 23. (DNF) 21F-Gunner Frank[19]; 24. (DNF) 15-Devin Fouquette[23]; 25. (DNF) 12B-Chad Becker[14]

Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 4J-Lee Grosz[1]; 2. 22E-Kevin Eder[3]; 3. 7A-Shane Sabraski[4]; 4. 28S-Sam Mars[7]; 5. 18X-Shawn Meyer[5]; 6. 44*-Cole Schill[6]; 7. 32-Jordan Tollakson[8]; 8. 20-Trevor Anderson[9]; 9. 15*-Ryan Mikkelson[10]; 10. (DQ) 1-Amelia Eisenschenk[2]

Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 73-Zach Johnson[2]; 2. 77-Corey Seckerson[1]; 3. 12B-Chad Becker[3]; 4. 45J-Johnny Broking[4]; 5. 28-Jeff Provinzino[8]; 6. 24S-Mike Stearns[6]; 7. 15-Devin Fouquette[7]; 8. 53-Chris Mensen[9]; 9. 01-Alex Tschakert[10]; 10. (DNS) 19X-James Trantina III

Heat 3 (10 Laps): 1. 21X-Travis Saurer[2]; 2. 5-Josh Zimpel[4]; 3. 07-Cory Crapser[3]; 4. 30-Kevin Burdick[5]; 5. 1S-Konner Sperle[1]; 6. 18G-Chase Gelling[8]; 7. 5X-Scot Danzeisen[7]; 8. 15L-Laela Eisenschenk[6]; 9. 7T-Talon Seckerson[9]; 10. 24-Mike Hart[10]

Heat 4 (10 Laps): 1. 33-Tyler Peterson[4]; 2. 10-Cole Searing[1]; 3. 21F-Gunner Frank[2]; 4. 7-Joel Bennett[3]; 5. 85G-Jayson Good[6]; 6. XXX-Jon Tollakson[5]; 7. 39-Jamie Dietzler[7]; 8. 50-Ben Wolden[8]; 9. 18-Josh Rieck[9]

Heat 5 (10 Laps): 1. 2M-Dave Mass[1]; 2. 31-Travis Budisalovich[3]; 3. 47-Danny Vang[7]; 4. 71X-Cory Tammen[6]; 5. 15X-Blake Boelens[5]; 6. 21XX-Dustin Arthur[8]; 7. 17-Jim Harris[2]; 8. 10X-Robert Bitz[9]; 9. (DNF) 60-Dan Ebert[4]

B Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 45J-Johnny Broking[2]; 2. 21F-Gunner Frank[1]; 3. 7-Joel Bennett[3]; 4. 18X-Shawn Meyer[5]; 5. 32-Jordan Tollakson[8]; 6. 15*-Ryan Mikkelson[13]; 7. 24S-Mike Stearns[7]; 8. 15X-Blake Boelens[6]; 9. 53-Chris Mensen[11]; 10. 15L-Laela Eisenschenk[12]; 11. 39-Jamie Dietzler[10]; 12. 24-Mike Hart[15]; 13. 7T-Talon Seckerson[14]; 14. (DNS) 5X-Scot Danzeisen; 15. (DNS) 18G-Chase Gelling; 16. (DNS) 19X-James Trantina III

B Feature 2 (15 Laps): 1. 28-Jeff Provinzino[1]; 2. 60-Dan Ebert[15]; 3. 44*-Cole Schill[6]; 4. 85G-Jayson Good[3]; 5. XXX-Jon Tollakson[7]; 6. 15-Devin Fouquette[8]; 7. 21XX-Dustin Arthur[4]; 8. 1-Amelia Eisenschenk[16]; 9. 1S-Konner Sperle[5]; 10. 17-Jim Harris[9]; 11. 50-Ben Wolden[12]; 12. 18-Josh Rieck[14]; 13. 10X-Robert Bitz[11]; 14. (DNF) 30-Kevin Burdick[2]; 15. (DNF) 01-Alex Tschakert[13]; 16. (DNS) 20-Trevor Anderson