Mass set to begin defense of Wissota Late Model Challenge Series crown

Veteran driver Dave Mass of East Bethel enjoyed some success in his first years in a Wissota Late Model, including track championships at I-94 EMR Speedway in 2020 and 2021.

When 2025 rolled around, he set another goal – to win his first Structural Buildings Wissota Late Model Challenge Series race.

He did that – twice. Not only did he win two races, he also was crowned the series champion for the first time in his three-decade career. Mass topped Shane Sabraski by 25 points in the final standings.

His first challenge series win came at Gondik Law Speedway in Superior on Aug. 25, and he added another one two nights later at Grand Rapids, helping him solidify the series title.

“That was unbelievable. I didn’t think I had a chance,” Mass

said. “We ran good and ran ijn the top five. That was my main goal to win a challenge series race. To win a couple of them and come out with the championship, it was one of those years where everything fell into place.”

Mass begins defense of his challenge series championship this Friday at I-94 EMR Speedway as the series kicks off for 2026.  The challenge series goes to Viking Speedway in Alexandria on Saturday and Granite City Motor Park on Sunday.

The 50-year-old started racing in the late models in 2019, but was already an accomplished racer long before that in a career that started in the 1990s.

“I just grew up around racing. I always enjoyed it,” Mass said of getting his start.

By the time he jumped into a late model, he had already won five Wissota National titles, including one in the Wissota Street Stocks in 1998.

If there is a Mount Rushmore of all-time Wissota Super Stock drivers, Mass’s face would be on it. He won Wissota Super Stock national titles in 2009, 2010, 2014 and 2018 and won the Wissota 100 four times in the division. At times, he was nearly unbeatable in the class. The 2018 season was an example: he raced 48 Wissota shows, and won 31 features, on his way to National Title #4.

“It was an affordable class where I could race on my budget, and a competitive class,” Mass said. “There wasn’t a lot of people spending a lot of money, but normal people out there racing and having a good time. I did a lot of super stock racing.

“I had a good set up. I like the way the cars drove back then. It was fun,” Mass added.

Mass has run pure stocks, street stocks, super stocks, modifieds and sprints in his career, and decided in 2019 to stick his toe in the water with a late model.

“I wanted a late model, but I never could afford it. When they came out with the 525 crate, it made it more affordable for me to own an engine,” Mass said. “That’s what I’ve been racing ever since.”

In addition to the challenge series championship, which was worth $12,000, Mass finished fifth in the Wissota national points with three wins and 22 top five finishes.

“I like the competitiveness. You get what you put into it. The more you work at it, the better results are,” Mass said.

He plans to run the challenge series again, and when he has a chance, racing weekly at I-94, Ogilvie and when Granite City runs the late models.

For Mass, who estimates he has more than 500 career feature wins, racing

“It’s a lot of work and a lot of drive to go racing and work on it every night,” Mass said. “I wouldn’t trade it for anyhing. I’ve enjoyed it.”

Driver Profile

Dave Mass

Wissota Late Model #2

Residence: East Bethel, Minn.

Age: 50

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