Sabraski pockets Tommy Waseleski Memorial winner's purse; Three-way battle for checkered flag highlights Late Model feature race

HIBBING—Tommy Waseleski was known by many as a ferocious competitor and someone who always wanted to put on good race show for fans.

Shane Sabraski mirrored the late Waseleski’s legacy Friday night at Hibbing Raceway, winning the 41-lap WISSOTA Late Model Tommy Waseleski Memorial Race in race thrilling finish.

For Sabraski, of Rice, Minn., it was a huge win.

Sabraski led from green flag to checkered to pocket $11,111.

It was the largest single race winner’s purse in Hibbing Raceway history and the biggest first-placepurse the 45 year-old Sabraski has ever won.

Sabraski said he never knew Waseleski.

But he knew how much the event meant to Waseleski’s family and area race fans.

“I’m sure it would have meant more to some fans for one of the locals to win it,” Sabraski said from the seat of his No. 7A Longhorn chassis, Vic Hill engine Late Model after pulling in the pits with the win. “I know that.”

But Sabraski, like 31 other Late Model drivers who entered in the event, wanted to win.

“The track seemed good,” Sabraski said. “But I didn’t have to pass anybody. I just kept the chassis (set-up) standard.”

Sabraski started on the pole and dominated much of the race.

But tension built in the final four laps as veteran driver Darrell Nelson of Hermantown and last year’s WISSOTA Late Model Rookie of the Year Tyler Peterson of Hickson, N.D., threatened to snatch the lead from Sabraski.

The three drivers raced nearly side-by-side over the closing laps, thrilling fans before Sabraski crossed the finish line just ahead of Nelson and Peterson on the historic three-eighths mile clay oval.

“I could hear Tyler,” Sabraski said. “I wasn’t sure whether to go high or low, so I tried to be wide. I did all I could to keep them in back of me.”

Sabraski, a regular Super Stock and Modified competitor at Hibbing Raceway’s annual Labor Day Shootout, is in his first season in a Late Model.

Other drivers encouraged him to move up to Late Models, he said.

“I guess we were just getting pressure from a lot of competitors to move up,” Sabraski said. “I was scared I wouldn’t have it, but it’s going pretty well. I personally like these short tracks rather than the long tracks.”

Nelson started 13th in the feature race.

It was only Nelson’s sixth Late Model race of the season.

Nelson in October 2023 was diagnosed with severe prostate cancer.

In February, Nelson had surgery, knocking him down physically

“I was at home,” Nelson said of post-surgery. “I couldn’t lift or do much of anything.”

However, Nelson, like the other drivers, showed up at Hibbing to honor the late Waseleski and go for the big money.

With four laps remaining, following a re-start, Nelson went high on the backstretch to try to pass Sabraski.

Nelson tried to make another high-side pass on the backstretch with three laps to go.

He then tried to squeeze between Peterson and Sabraski in turn one on the final lap, catching Peterson’s right front quarter panel with his left rear quarter panel.

But in a dramatic three-car shootout, Sabraski held off both Nelson and Peterson.

Nelson finished a close second.

Peterson, last year’s WISSOTA Late Model National Champion, crossed the finish line just after Nelson.

“About halfway through the race I was ready to pull off,” Nelson said. “I couldn’t turn the car. The car wasn’t comfortable, but I found something. I thought I had a chance on the backstretch, but Shane is smart. He knows what to do. He made it wide and that’s what I would do too.”

Nelson took home $5,001.

Ahead for Nelson is additional treatment at Mayo Clinic including cancer treatment shots and radiation sessions.

“I’m not 100 percent,” Nelson said. “I’m about 80 percent. I’m not there yet, but my energy is coming back.”

Billy Kendall of Walker, Minn. finished fourth; Jeff Massingill of Keewatin fifth; Skeeter Estey of Kelly Lake sixth; Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis., seventh; Rick Niemi of Eveleth eighth; Josh Zimpel of Braham, Minn., ninth; and Keith Niemi of Gilbert 10th.

Deven VanHouse of Silver Bay won the Midwest Modified feature.

Trenton Beel of Hibbing the Hornet feature.

Hibbing Raceway’s north grandstand remains closed for safety reasons.

But the center and south grandstands, along with other seating areas, were packed with fans.