8/11/2024
Wissota Late Model Challenge Series
Sabraski Tops Tanner Byholm Memorial For $20k Payday
For Immediate Release – August 10th, 2024
The final night of the 2024 XR Northern Storm Series was contested at the ABC Raceway in Ashland, Wisconsin on a breezy August Saturday night and Shane Sabraski won a wild 50-lap Structural Buildings WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series powered by Momentum Truck Group, Freightliner, Western Star feature, which paid a career-high $20,444 in memory of Tanner Byholm and wrapped up the week-long mini-series.
30 Late Models checked in for the mini-series finale with Tyler Peterson out dueling Cole Searing in the pole dash to earn the honors of leading the field to the green for the 50-lap feature race.
James Giossi, Ashley Anderson and Ryan Mikkelson won the three qualifying heat races to start the night, with Gunner Frank winning the b-main to set the feature field.
Peterson and Searing lead the field to the green for the night’s 50-lap, $20,444-to-win feature event with the field coming to a grinding halt on the first lap after a ten-car pileup damaged some competitors cars and eliminated six of the 26 starters before the event even got going.
After the lengthy red flag period to get the mess cleaned up, the field rumbled back to green and, as expected, Searing and Peterson dueled out front early on running side by side early until the second caution of the night flew on lap two, for a Dave Flynn breakdown.
Just as the field took back off to the green, the third and final caution of the event was displayed for a Jeff Massingill issue in turn four, but then after that, the event went 47 non-stop laps with some amazing battles for position throughout the field.
Three and four wide races were on going within the race for third between Shane Sabraski, Kyle Peterlin and Sam Mars and then another three-car battle between Pat Doar, Jeff Provinzino and Ashley Anderson, were going on as well just behind.
As the half way mark approached, Searing continued to hold the lead out front, ahead of Sabraski, Peterson, Anderson and Provinzino, while Sabraski began to close on Searing out front. Shane got to Cole’s rear bumper on lap 33 and after a brief two-lap tussle, was able to drive by and into the lead. At the same time, Anderson and Peterson were in a great race for third, while Kevin Burdick moved in to make it a three-car battle for a podium finish.
As laps wound down, Sabraski started to get held up a bit in traffic, which allowed Searing, Anderson and Burdick to close and make it a very entertaining last five laps for the win.
Sabraski was able to hold off a last-ditch attempt by Searing for the biggest win of his career in front of a huge crowd on hand. Searing ran second with Anderson nipping Burdick in a photo finish for third and Peterson rounding out the top five.
Mars, Provinzino, Jake Redetzke, Billy Kendall and Mikkelson were the rest of the top ten.
Shane Sabraski won the $15,444 to win WISSOTA Modified feature and Jason VandeKamp won the $10,444 to win WISSOTA Midwest Modified feature on the night as well.
Full results: www.MyRacePass.com
The next 2024 Challenge Series event is scheduled for Thursday, August 29th at the Proctor Speedway in Proctor, MN for the annual Silver 1000.
For upcoming schedule information and tickets, visit www.WISSOTAChallengeSeries.com.
Submitted By: Nikki Cook