11/3/2024
WISSOTA
POGONES PROVES HE IS BEST IN 2024 NATIONAL STREET STOCK ROOKIE RACE
20-year-old Tommy Pogones started racing six years ago, competing in the Mod Four division for the first five years of his career before hopping into the Street Stock once his dad retired from racing. Tommy raced both the Street Stock and Mod Four at the start of 2024 but sold the Mod Four to concentrate on the Street Stock mid-season. In the Street Stock, Tommy entered 54 events, winning 14 times, plus picking up a Mod Four victory as well. Of the over 60 events he entered between both cars, he raced to 46 top tens and 39 top fives en route to his Rookie of the Year title.
Among Tommy’s 15 victories, he picked up wins at the Granite City Motor Park, Princeton Speedway, Ogilvie Raceway, Casino Speedway, Rice Lake Speedway, Madison Speedway, Viking Speedway, Red Cedar Speedway and Redwood Speedway. Of those wins, he picked his win on May 11 th as a memorable one when he was able to track down the leader once he got to
second, and pass him for the win.
Not only did Tommy race to 15 feature wins and the WISSOTA National Street Stock Rookie of the Year title, but he won the Ogilvie Raceway Track Championship, something his dad did eight times throughout his career, and winning Princeton, Granite City and Ogilvie’s Rookie of the Year titles as well, completing a very successful first season in the division. Tommy said ‘this
year was really memorable for many reasons. Being a track champ, rookie of the year and national rookie of the year is just awesome. Plus, with my dad doing his tech thing, many race nights were just me and my buddies – so we did a lot on our own which was fun!’
Tommy is sponsored by Zeuli’s Automotive, Jeff Westall Outdoors, AJ’s Complete Automotive, Lake State Recycling, Burda’s Towing, Frederick Racecars, Cain Designs & Wraps, Joe’s Racing Products, HRB Concrete, JNP, Racer’s X, East Central Sports, Ultra Plumbing Services LLC., B&L
Custom Trailers, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Bid-2-Buy.com, Amsoil, Roxbury Racing Transmissions, Dave Cain Racing, John’s Auto Electric, AA Driveline Specialties and Barefoot Mama MN. He is also supported by his family, which consists of his dad Justin, mom Cassie, sister Gina, niece Cora, grandpa and grandma Georgine and Joe Pogones and his other crew members, Wyatt,
Trent, Jayger, Tyler, Jordan, Behn, Allie, Dylan and Brody.
The Street Stock division was first sanctioned by WISSOTA in 1994. Tommy plans to return to the Street Stock division in 2025 with his sights on competing for a national title and winning as many more races as he can, while having run and representing his sponsors well on and off the track.
Congrats to Tommy and his team!
The WISSOTA Promoters Association exists to benefit its member tracks to enhance safe, profitable and successful dirt track racing, through unified, cost-effective rules, policies and procedures enacted within a democratic environment.
The WISSOTA Promoters Association was founded in 1981 by eight track promoters in Wisconsin and Minnesota, with an intent to offer uniform rules for the promoters and drivers involved in the Late Model division. Soon, the group decided to do the same for the growing Modified division.
In 1984 a voluntary steering committee was formed to oversee the business aspects that developed and to guide the future of WISSOTA’s racing divisions. That steering committee evolved into a board of directors, and the non-profit racing organization became incorporated in 1986.
Promoters who join the organization become, in essence, part owners of the racing organization and are expected to contribute to its overall success. Each November, the WISSOTA annual meeting is held; the member promoters gather annually in this forum to discuss the future of the organization. Member promoters are given the opportunity to vote on all organizational policies and procedures as well as rules for competition in the various racing divisions.
WISSOTA’s member promoters and racing associations have spent approximately 30 years of hard work at the annual meetings crafting unique rules for each of the divisions, which are known as WISSOTA Late Models, WISSOTA Modifieds, WISSOTA Super Stocks, WISSOTA Street Stocks, WISSOTA Mod Fours, WISSOTA Pure Stocks and WISSOTA Hornets.
WISSOTA is proudly sponsored by their official marketing partners: Hoosier Racing Tire, My Race Pass, NAPA Auto Parts, Dirt Race Central, Speedway Motors, Suburban Chevrolet and All The Dirt Racing News, along with their Platinum partners, Raceceiver and Chevrolet Performance, plus their Gold sponsors, which include EngineQuest, QA1, and World Products. WISSOTA is also sponsored by Silver partners Motul, AFCO and Willy’s Carburetor & Dyno Shop, plus Bronze sponsors, including Hanco Corporation and Statk Products. WISSOTA also has a great group of contingency sponsors, including Brodix Cylinder Heads, BuyRaceShirts.com, Manley, Allstar Performance, AMI Graphics, Winning Edge Graphics, Velocita, RaceCals, RaceGear Designs, All Star Trophy & Awards, Minuteman Press, UEM Pistons, Mahle Motorsports, Performance Auto and MD3. WISSOTA’s Late Model Challenge Series is proudly sponsored by Structural Buildings, Momentum Truck Group, Freightliner, Western Star, Minnesota Truck Headquarters, NAPA Auto Parts, Garage Tech X-treme, Raceceiver, AT21 Spoiler Factory, Velocita, BuyRaceShirts.com, Sunoco Race Fuels by Woodie’s Racing, Gorsuch
Performance Solutions, Speedwerx, Hiller Auction Inc., Shaw Trucking Inc., Collins Bros Towing of St. Cloud, ServPro, Olsen Custom Farms, Joe Provo Racewear, My Race Pass, Hoosier Racing Tire, Motul, White City Glass, Champ Pans and MD3. WISSOTA’s Official Supporters include: American Heritage Bank, After The Checkers, Bid-2-Buy, Carlson Service Center, Engine Shop, Extreme Tint LLC, Frankman Motor Comp. Inc., FYE Motorsports Promotions, Hanso Paving, Heights Pizza Man, H&S Heating & Cooling, Hilmerson Spots Center, K&A Autobody, Kal’s Motor Group, Kramlich – Deede Meats, Landwehr Construction, Line-X of St. Cloud, Manheim Minnesota, Nyhus Family Sales, Outlaw Graphics, Select Electric, LLC, Sharptruck.com, Specialized Auto Glass, St. Cloud Financial Credit Union, TP Fabricating, Town & Country Excavating, Westwind Logistics, Woodie’s Racing, Woodie’s Manufacturing and Zeuli’s Race Engines.
For more information on WISSOTA, log on to www.WISSOTA.org.
Submitted By: Nikki Cook