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Overton outruns Mars and Ebert in a thrilling Late Model Championship Feature Saturday at the 100

By Tony Steuck
All The Dirt! Racing News

FERGUS FALLS, MN (September 19) - Cody Overton was in the right spot at the right time to win a thrilling WISSOTA 100 Late Model main event. The Thompson, GA hired gun for Scott Ward Racing earned his first WISSOTA 100 title to add to his Qualifying Feature win at the event from 2023.

Cole Searing, Dan Ebert and Sam Mars brought the WISSOTA Late Models to life for their 50-lap main event. Ebert grabbed the lead out of turn two over Searing, while Mars bounced through turn two and fell to fifth. The field was not able to complete the lap, however, which set up a two-wide restart with all 50 laps on the board.

Searing grabbed the lead after the race resumed, and Ebert moved by Mars for second. Johnny Broking challenged Mars for third and Cody Overton worked on Broking in a battle for fourth. Searing opened a gap over the field, while Mars was close to Ebert, and Overton moved by Broking for fourth.

Searing caught the tail of the field on lap seven, and began to cut through slower traffic. The red flag waved after a heavy collision in turn three; Travis Saurer and Thomas Weisgram tangled at the end of the back chute, and Jayson Good had nowhere to go and piled hard into Saurer. Charlie Olsen also made heavy contact with Good to bring out the red flag.

Cole Searing (10) and Sam Mars (28). (Cody Papke Photo)

Searing pulled away again after the restart with six laps scored. Mars worked under Ebert, and Overton raced behind them in a battle for the runner-up position. Broking was fifth with Zach Johnson on his heels. Ebert edged ahead into second on lap 10, while Overton still looked under Mars for third. Ebert tracked down Searing, and cut low out of the fourth turn to race by Searing and lead lap 13. Searing was not done, and powered under Ebert on lap 15, but Ebert retained the top spot. Searing’s hope for a WISSOTA 100 title ended when he slowed and dropped from competition on lap 16. The caution flag waved.

Ebert set the pace when the race resumed, and Overton cleared Mars for second on lap 17. Tyler Peterson raced with Johnson inside the top five. Mars regrouped, and slid ahead of Overton for second. Mars maintained the spot as he navigated around the high side of the oval, and he closed in on Ebert as the field approached slower traffic near the midway point. Mars slid in front of Ebert in turn two on lap 26, but the caution waved for Mike Stearns’ car sitting just on the infield.

Cody Overton (37) and Johnny Broking (45). (Cody Papke Photo)

Mars hung with Ebert after the restart as the pair circled the cushion, but a miscue on lap 29 allowed Overton to close in and make a bid for second. Peterson held fourth ahead of Johnson, with Broking and Jeff Provinzino behind. Mars charged again and closed on the leader, but brushed the wall on lap 34 and Ebert slipped away.

Ebert sliced through the back of the field, including a wad of cars on lap 35. Mars closed in once more, and Overton was not far behind in third. Mars matched Ebert’s moves through traffic and was on his bumper with 12 laps to go. The caution flag appeared again for Danny Vang’s looped machine at the bottom of the speedway.

Mars did not let Ebert escape after the restart, but contact with the turn two wall allowed Overton to steal second. Mars continued to fight with Overton for second as the pair lost ground to the leader. Mars and Overton traded slide jobs lap after lap. Overton finally secured the spot with five laps to go, while Kevin Burdick worked under Peterson for fifth.

Cody Papke Photos

Ebert had a 2.5 second lead over Overton with five laps to go. He caught the tail of the field in the closing laps, while Mars and Overton continued to fight for second. Racing to complete lap 48, Ebert had trouble with a lapped car out of turn four, and nearly lost control as Overton and Mars buzzed by after the flagstand. Mars charged deep into turn one and slid ahead of Overton, but Overton crossed over and remained the leader under the white flag. He caught a large group of slower cars in the final turn, and made the right move through the middle to claim the WISSOTA 100 championship. Mars held on for second with Ebert third, Johnson fourth, and Burdick fifth. Peterson, Provinzino, Ryan Mikkelson, Dave Mass and Shane Sabraski rounded out the top 10.

SUMMARY

WISSOTA Late Models:

Feature (50 Laps): 1. 37-Cody Overton[6]; 2. 28S-Sam Mars[3]; 3. 60-Dan Ebert[2]; 4. 73-Zach Johnson[9]; 5. 30-Kevin Burdick[18]; 6. 33TPO-Tyler Peterson[5]; 7. 28-Jeff Provinzino[8]; 8. 15*-Ryan Mikkelson[10]; 9. 2-Dave Mass[12]; 10. 7A-Shane Sabraski[15]; 11. 45J-Johnny Broking[4]; 12. 44*-Cole Schill[32]; 13. 78K-Dexton Koch[11]; 14. 18X-Shawn Meyer[14]; 15. 37JR-Ty Giles[7]; 16. 24S-Mike Stearns[31]; 17. 15L-Laela Eisenschenk[19]; 18. 50-Ben Wolden[26]; 19. 1-Amelia Eisenschenk[22]; 20. 47-Danny Vang[28]; 21. 29F-Dave Flynn[23]; 22. 32-Jordan Tollakson[33]; 23. 21XX-Dustin Arthur[20]; 24. 6-Nick Corbett[25]; 25. (DNF) XXX-Jon Tollakson[29]; 26. (DNF) 12-Chad Becker[17]; 27. (DNF) 10-Cole Searing[1]; 28. (DNF) 16-Thomas Weisgram[13]; 29. (DNF) 21X-Travis Saurer[16]; 30. (DNF) 85-Jayson Good[21]; 31. (DNF) 10CO-Charlie Olsen[24]; 32. (DNF) 1S-Konner Sperle[27]; 33. (DNF) 71X-Cory Tammen[30]