Jared Zimpel of Braham, Minn., is in his second year in the Wissota Late Model class, and the signs of progress are clear.
Including his racing in Arizona, Zimpel has finished in the top five in half (14) of his 28 starts this season. He has a feature win at I-94 EMR Speedway, and finished second in a pair of Structural Buildings Wissota Late Model Challenge Series races at Ogilvie and Madison; he led in both events, including until the final lap at Ogilvie.
“We have consistently been in the top five,” Zimpel said. “With this only being my second year there still has been growing pains and I hope to have some really good runs come special season.”
The 24-year-old got into racing as a result of his father sponsoring cars. The family would travel around with long-time driver Joey Jensen.
“We’d go around with him when we were younger,” Zimpel said.
Zimpel started out in the hornet class and then spent the next several seasons in the super stock class. For a while, he raced against his brother, Jared in that class.
“It was cool. Having someone to always battle with the whole time – be the king of the house,” Zimpel said with a laugh.
In 2020 Zimpel had two super stock feature wins. He hopped into the Wissota Late Models in 2022, and there was an adjustment.
“The biggest thing is the steering and speed and having the big tires. There’s a lot more traction,” Zimpel said.
He won his first late model feature on July 17, 2022 at Granite City Motor Park near Sauk Rapids. Zimpel also qualified for the Wissota 100 Main feature, where he finished 12th.
“It was pretty cool,” Zimpel said. “I didn’t expect much going into it. I started getting really comfortable and started running good.”
This year, he started the season in Arizona, and the many laps he raced down there have paid dividends when he returned north.
“The biggest thing is just seat time,” Zimpel said. “Going down to Arizona for nine nights and getting 50 laps a night, that’s been good.”
He is running a 2015 Billy Moyer Victory Chassis formerly owned by Don Shaw. Zimpel isn’t a high-dollar outfit, but finds ways to be competitive.
“Just the competitive part,” Zimpel said of what he likes. “Guys you don’t feel like you have the opportunities they do, and you work just as hard as they do – to compete against guys with a lot of money is cool for me.”
Invitational season is on the horizon, and Zimpel is looking to be in the hunt at those races.
“It’d be cool to win a few more. I just want to be competitive against these guys and have a shot to be there,” Zimpel said. “That’s all I look for.”
Driver Profile
Josh Zimpel
Wissota Late Model #5
Residence: Braham, Minn.
Age: 23
Sponsors: Isle Automotive, Shaw Trucking, Southside Truck Parts, RL Larson, Structural Buildings, Rocon Paving, Dehn Oil, Steussy Investments, Gierke Farms, Taz Design and Embroidery, Bud’s Auto Body, Bud Jones and Sons, A and M Pumps and Well Drilling, Klein Engines, DK Designs
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