2018-19 Round 6
Turkey Trot presented by Firehouse Subs - South Shore Superspeedway Infield Road Course - St. Francis, WI
November 8, 2018
Round 6 of 16
Lack Breaks Through
(Saint Francis, WI) -- It was never a question of if, it was just a question of when would Mike Lack get his first win of the season, the answer is round six, the Turkey Trot presented by Firehouse Subs at the Infield Road Course at South Shore Superspeedway. Lack had been consistent all season finishing in the top five of the first five races, but rarely has the five time champion gone so late into the season without a victory. You have to to go back to the 2011-12 season to find a season where he didn't collect a checkered flag until round seven.
The night did not start with any indication that it would be the night for Lack to finally break through as his Angry Squirrel Speedsport teammate John Wiedemann set the pole position a full one-tenth of second faster than second on the grid, hometown-hero, Dan Margetta. Lack lined up third on the grid, just one one-hundredth slower than Margetta. The three would battle it out in the first of the heat races and the pole sitter, while fast, struggled with handling and in the de-slot race format, was forced to drive conservatively, while Lack would take the heat win, Margetta's night would end early with a DNF and wind up sixth on the night.
Ev Kamikawa would cruise through the second heat ahead of Matt Hayek, who would be the only driver to complete his heat race, not to advance to the final and break his streak of four straight seventh place finishes, by ending the night fifth. Mike Kristof couldn't follow up his victory at the Halloween Havoc and crashed out early to finish ninth, going from the penthouse to the outhouse in back to back events.
Pete Dorn would survive a messy third heat race as Mike Fitzlaff struggled all night with handling on the tricky infield road course, and crashed out in seventh, while debut driver Danny Rodic made a respectable start, also crashing out, but ahead of the veteran Kristof for eighth.
Lack took off to an early lead in the 20-minute final and found a solid rhythm. Margetta's #13 GoDaddy Team FYI Dallara-Chevrolet was never really able to challenge for the lead, but he did do battle with Wiedemann's #17 USAF Dallara-Honda until "de-slots" got the better of A.S.S. driver late in the running, settling for fourth place, allowing a steady Pete Dorn to move up to the podium in third and Margetta would take finish nine laps back of Lack's #1 SealMaster Dallara-Honda that rarely put a wheel wrong the entire race.
Lack took home the prize turkey for the second straight year and the 34th victory of his career, the first of the season allows him to open up a 23 point lead over his teammate and usual pursuer for the championship, John Wiedemann. This also marks six straight races without a repeat winner matching a record set in the '07-'08 and '15-'16 seasons.
The IndySlotCar Series will take a break to allow Lack to digest that turkey and then get back into action after the holiday at the always fast Road Course as Badger Raceway, for the "Open Class" Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix. Will we get our first repeat winner of the season?
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Fast Facts
Race date: Thursday, Nov 8
Track: South Shore Superspeedway Infield Road Course, 2.4 mile Temporary Road Course in St. Francis, WI
Race distance: 20 minutes
Twitter: @indyslotcar
IndySlotCar Website: indyslotcar.com
2017 race winner: Mike Lack, (No. 41 Angry Squirrel Speedsport Dallara-Honda)
2017 P1 Award winner: John Wiedemann (No. 59 Angry Squirrel Speedsport Dallara-Honda)
One-lap qualifying record: Mark Walczak, 2.852 seconds, 2008
Race record: Ev Kamikawa, 323 laps, 2015
YouTube Broadcast: IndySlotCar Channel
At-track schedule (all times local):
6:30 – Driver introductions
6:55 – Drivers’ meeting/Chassis distribution
7:00 – IndySlotCar Series Practice
7:25 – Qualifying for the Chick-fil-A Brookfield P1 Award (group qualifying/ fastest single lap)
7:50 – Heat races
8:45 – Turkey Trot (20 minutes)
Race Notes:
There have been five different winners in the first five races and five different pole winners
Mike Kristof’s win at the Bridgestone Halloween Havoc, the first on a road course, fourth overall moves him into a tie for 16th overall with Amy Butler, Chris Spehert and Phil Marich
Matt Hayek’s pole at the Bridgestone Halloween Havoc was the 13th of his career moving him into a tie for 10th all-time with Dean Strom and Hall of Famer Dave Austin
Mike Lack won his first Turkey Trot last year, one of the few events on the current schedule he had never won
Turkey Trot PRE-EVENT QUOTES:
Mike Kristof, No. 60 Michael Shank-It Racing: I’m still hung over from the party after the last race.
Bill Black, No. 6 Black-Atom Racing: I think I’ll be at this race.
Pete Dorn, No. 5 Black-Atom Racing: I can eat a ton of turkey!
TURKEY TROT HISTORY (25 events, 1993 - Present)
Date Race Winner Event Title Track
11/18/93 Phil Cianciola Texaco Turkey Trot Shrine Road Course
11/17/94 Dave Austin Hobby Town Turkey Trot Inside Edge
11/30/95 John Shea Hobby Town Turkey Trot Inside Edge
11/14/96 Ev Kamikawa Hobby Town Turkey Trot Inside Edge
11/20/97 Ev Kamikawa Hobby Town Turkey Trot Inside Edge
11/12/98 Jim Kaehny Hobby Town Turkey Trot Inside Edge
11/18/99 Ev Kamikawa Hobby Town Turkey Trot Inside Edge
11/16/00 Ev Kamikawa Turkey Trot presented by Model Empire Inside Edge
11/15/01 Larry Rotter Turkey Trot presented by Model Empire Inside Edge
11/14/02 Jim Iverson Model Empire Turkey Trot Inside Edge
11/20/03 Jim Iverson Model Empire Turkey Trot Inside Edge
11/18/04 Phil Cianciola Model Empire Turkey Trot Inside Edge
11/??/05 Mark Walczak Model Empire Turkey Troy South Shore Superspeedway Infield Road Course
11/9/06 Jim Iverson Model Empire Turkey Troy South Shore Superspeedway Infield Road Course
11/8/07 Mike Fitzlaff Model Empire Turkey Troy South Shore Superspeedway Infield Road Course
11/20/08 Mark Walczak Turkey Trot South Shore Superspeedway Infield Road Course
11/12/09 Mark Walczak Turkey Trot South Shore Superspeedway Infield Road Course
11/11/10 Mark Walczak Turkey Trot South Shore Superspeedway Infield Road Course
11/10/11 Mark Walczak Turkey Trot South Shore Superspeedway Infield Road Course
11/8/12 Dan Margetta Turkey Trot South Shore Superspeedway Infield Road Course
11/6/13 Mike Fitzlaff Turkey Trot South Shore Superspeedway Infield Road Course
11/20/14 Ev Kamikawa Turkey Trot South Shore Superspeedway Infield Road Course
11/12/15 Ev Kamikawa Turkey Trot South Shore Superspeedway Infield Road Course
11/12/16 Dan Margetta Turkey Trot South Shore Superspeedway Infield Road Course
11/9/17 Mike Lack Turkey Trot South Shore Superspeedway Infield Road Course
Most Wins: 6 – Ev Kamikawa; 5 – Mark Walczak; 3 – Jim Iverson; 2 – Mike Fitzlaff, Phil Cianciola