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Tight Challenge Series Point Battle Set To Be Decided At Final Event on Wednesday, September 11 at the 100
ST. CLOUD, MN - Hickson, North Dakota’s Tyler Peterson leads Huron, South Dakota’s Cole Searing by just 11 points heading into the final Structural Buildings WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series night, to be held Wednesday, September 11 at I-94 emr Speedway. The event will be held during the opening night of the Speedway Motors WISSOTA 100 in Fergus Falls, MN.
The duo has swapped the point lead, and the AT21 fluorescent yellow point leader spoiler, several times since the series kicked off in May. Searing led for the majority of the summer, losing the lead to Peterson during the Northern Storm week, but then taking it back after the week-long event concluded.
Peterson then regained the point lead after the WISSOTA Classic at Grand Rapids Speedway. Peterson led Searing by one as they headed into the opening night of the Labor Day Shootout at Hibbing Raceway, and built his lead to 20 points after the first night in Hibbing. Searing trimmed the lead back to 11 after the final night of Labor Day weekend, again at Hibbing Raceway.
With the point lead at 11, several scenarios are in play. However, the easiest one to understand is this: if Peterson finishes in front of Searing on Wednesday, September 11, he will win his first-ever Challenge Series. If Searing wins the feature and Peterson finishes fifth or worse, Searing will go on to claim his second series title for his efforts. If neither Peterson or Searing win the feature, it will come down to who finishes where and how many positions are in between them when the final checkered flag flies.
Both drivers are throwing out a 75-point show heading into the final event of the season, so the throw-out show should not come into play to determine the overall series champion.
Behind the leaders, there are also several tight point battles going on, though Shane Sabraski is solidly in third in the current standings. He also leads the GTX Rookie of the Year point standings over Adam Ayotte and Cory Crapser as the season comes to a close.
Fourth place in the final standings is very much up for grabs with Jeff Provinzino leading Ryan Mikkelson but by just 16 points. Kevin Burdick is only nine behind Mikkelson for the final spot inside the top five. Jeff Massingill sits only 63 points out of fourth and just 48 out of fifth.
For fans unable to be at the series finale, every lap will be live on www.Wissota.tv.
This season, 132 WISSOTA-licensed drivers have attended at least one series event so far. The top 10 in the final point standings will receive a point fund check at the annual banquet in November and the drawing for the ServPro Stars of the Series end-of-season trip will be drawn at the driver’s meeting at the final event of the season on September 11.