HIBBING—Tommy Waseleski Jr. and family are likely to experience a mixture of emotions Friday night at Hibbing Raceway.
Waseleski Jr. will be driving a WISSOTA Late Model tribute car in the Tommy Waseleski Memorial Race.
The race is dedicated to his late father Tommy Waseleski.
“It’s a tough deal for me,” Waseleski Jr. said. “I’m going to be driving a car like his. It’s going to be lettered like his car in the 80’s.”
The Late Model feature race has a purse of more than $40,000, including $11,111 to the winner.
“This is the biggest payout (Late Model) race Hibbing has ever had in its lifetime,” Jeff Provinzino of Hibbing, a Late Model driver who organized the event said. “It’s going to be a huge night.”
Second place in the Late Model feature race earns $5,001, third place $4,001, fourth place $3,001.
Purse money for other finishes also end in the number one.
All of the “ones” in the purse are in honor of the late Tommy Waseleski, who wore number 1 on his car.
“It’s $501 to start the feature,” Provinzino said. “And we’re still getting sponsors. One of the sponsors is paying $250 to who comes from the longest distance.”
Waseleski, a driver for 33 years, lifelong Hibbing resident and 2019 Hibbing Raceway Hall of Fame inductee, passed away unexpectedly Sept. 22, 2023, at his home in Hibbing.
Waseleski was 62.
Provinzino specifically built the Tommy Waseleski tribute car for Waseleski Jr. to drive in the race.
“Since it happened, I feel so bad for these guys,” Provinzino said of the Waseleski family. “No one expects their dad to die that young.”
Mike Olson, Iron Range Racing Association president, said the event is a fitting tribute to Waseleski.
“It’s a good thing to memorialize him,” Olson said. “He was a good guy. He was always a happy-go-lucky guy.”
A large field of Late Model drivers from across the region and beyond are expected.
Among drivers anticipated to compete are Cole Searing, Tyler Peterson, Todd Frank, Gunner Frank, Joel Bennett, Billy Kendall, Trevor Anderson, Mike Klippenstein, Dylan Kromschroeder, Nathan Sletto, and others.
Area drivers include Kyle Peterlin, Derek Vesel, Jeff Massingill, Johnny Broking, Kevin Burdick, Keith Niemi, Rick Niemi, George Ledin, Travis Budisalovich, Skeeter Estey, Harry Hanson, Roger Palo, Ben Heinle, Mark Heinle, Danny Vang, Dave Flynn, Provinzino, and others.
“The buzz is going, I guarantee it,” Provinzino said. “I’m hoping we get 40 cars at Hibbing. I’ve talked to people who haven’t come to the races in 20 years who are coming and Waseleski’s family has 50 people coming. I think it’s (the grandstands) going to be packed.”
Race fans are also in for another treat in memory of Waseleski.
“We’re working on three cars like his that people may remember,” Waseleski Jr. said. “One is the body that he last raced with.”
The three Waseleski replica cars will be on display in front of the grandstand, Waseleski Jr. said.
Waseleski Jr. said he hasn’t heard much about which drivers will show up to compete, but he thinks race fans will enjoy the evening.
“From the little stuff I’ve heard, people are pretty excited,” Waseleski Jr. said. “I know we have a ton of family coming.”
The Waseleski family, which also raised money for the race, is thankful for all the work that Provinzino has put into the event, he said.
“It takes someone like him to put something like this together,” Waseleski Jr. said. “It shows what he thought of my dad as a racer.”
“He was a fierce competitor for many years,” Provinzino said. “He deserves this.”
WISSOTA Hornets and Midwest Modifieds will also compete Friday at Hibbing Raceway.
WISSOTA Modifieds and Super Stocks will not be racing.
Hibbing Raceway gates open at 5 p.m.
Late Model time trials are expected to begin about 6 p.m. Olson said.
A Fast Time Award winner receives $501.
Racing starts at 7 p.m.
In addition to racing, the city of Hibbing’s Fourth of July fireworks display is at 10 p.m. near the race track.
Grand Rapids Speedway at 6:30 p.m. Thursday night is also honoring Waseleski with the “Prelude to Hibbing’s Tom Waseleski Memorial Race.”
The Late Model feature race pays $3,000 to win, $1,500 for second place, $1,000 for third, $800 for fourth, and down to $250 for 15 th through 24 th place. Non qualifiers receive $100.00
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