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Zimpel Leads Early, Leads Late for Big O $5k Payday

The next event for the 2025 Structural Buildings WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series powered by Momentum Truck Group, Freightliner, Western Star was held at the Ogilvie Raceway in Ogilvie, Minnesota for a big $5,000 to win Saturday night event and saw Braham, Minnesota’s Josh Zimpel take the lead at the drop of the green and lead the first 32 laps, then lose the lead and then fight back to re-take it with just three to go to race to his first career Challenge Series victory in the 40-lap feature.

One of the most anticipated series races on the calendar saw Hickson, North Dakota’s Tyler Peterson trip the qualifying clock at a 16.354 second lap to set fast time honors and earn the Hiller Auction Co. Quick Qualifying Award on the night. Josh Zimpel, Shane Sabraski and Jeff Provinzino topped the three qualifying heat races early in the night’s program and Ryan Mikkelson won the night’s b-main to set the feature starting lineup.

Zimpel and Sabraski earned the front row for the night’s $5,000 to win, 40-lap feature event with Zimpel getting the upper hand on the initial start and leading the field into turn number one and lead the opening lap.

Zimpel roared off into the lead with Sabraski, Peterson and Massingill quickly moving into a battle for second with Searing in tow. The leaders raced hard around the slick oval with multiple fights going on for position while Zimpel drove off from the field. The first of six cautions flew on lap 9 as third place running Tyler Peterson spun his #1TPO in turn two, bunching the field for the restart.

After a quick caution on the restart, Zimpel again took back off into the lead with Searing snagging the second spot from Sabraski on lap ten. Massingill and Sabraski assumed a battle for the third place while Searing was trying to track down Zimpel out front.

The race came to just one lap before the halfway point when the third caution flag flew for a Cody Lee spin, and then the fourth caution flew just three laps later for debris.

On the ensuring restart on lap 23, Jeremy Nelson and Joel Bennett got together sending Bennett’s #7 spinning. Nelson retried from the event and the field rumbled back off on the restart.

Zimpel raced back off in the top spot with Searing hot on his heels. Laps clicked off with Don Shaw and Dave Mass side by side for fourth just behind the top three for several laps, while Massingill was trying to make it a three car battle out front. Zimpel began to encounter lapped traffic with ten to go in the main, allowing Searing to pounce and capitalize to steal the lead in heavy traffic. Searing lead officially at the line on lap 33 with Zimpel second. Massingill, Mass and Shaw were inside the top five when the final caution flew with just three laps to go on lap 37

On the final restart of the night Zimpel was able to power back by Searing on the high side to race back into the lead and hold off Searing for the victory. The win was Zimpel’s first career series victory as he crossed the line ahead of Searing, Massingill, Mass and Bennett as the top five finishers. Bennett raced forward 11 spots from 16th to 5th to earn hard charger honors.

Joe Chisholm won the USMTS Modified feature, Keith Thell won the Mod Four feature, and Joey Jensen 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 – Shane Edginton (449 miles)
Hiller Auction Quick Qualifier Award – Tyler Peterson (16.354 seconds)
MyRacePass Pole Award – Josh Zimpel
Olsen Custom Farms Hard Luck Award – Shane Edginton
Wehrs Machine Hard Charger Award – Joel Bennett (+11)
GTX Rookie of the Race – Devin Fouquette (10th place)
MD3 Lap Leader Award – Josh Zimpel (35 laps)
Victory Fuel Top Three Finishers – Josh Zimpel (1st), Cole Searing (2nd), Jeff Massingill (3rd)

The random pit meeting drawing winners included:
Hoosier Racing Tire – Joel Bennett
Gorsuch Performance Solutions – Danny Vang
Velocita USA – Curtis Stieh
Champ Pans – Harry Hanson
Deatherage Racing Opticians – Ben Heinle
Joe Provo Racewear – Josh Zimpel

Full results can be found on MyRacePass.com

The Granite City Motor Park in Sauk Rapids, MN hosts the Challenge Series tomorrow night, Sunday, July 20th with a 6:30pm start time scheduled.

For upcoming schedule information and tickets, visit www.WISSOTAChallengeSeries.com.

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