Turkey Trot - Infield Road Course at South Shore Superspeedway - Saint Francis, WI

November 16, 2023

Round 6 of 17

Wiedemann Brings Home The Turkey Again

Saint Francis, WI -- The dangerous De-slot format doesn't frighten John Wiedemann in the least, as he takes home the prize turkey for the Turkey Trot for the second straight season. Following two straight second place finishes, it didn't appear the FAST driver was interested in anything other than climbing one step higher on the podium, including making sure his championship rival Joe Heitz wasn't in front of him. 

Qualifying saw a near record time set by the all-time Trot king, Ev Kamikawa, who would be the only driver to break below the three-second lap barrier at 2.998 ahead of Wiedemann's Honda-Daboiler was close behind at 3.016 seconds. Hometown hero Dan Margetta lined up third at 3.078, CBD Racing's Bill Black fourth and Michael Shank-It Racing's Mike Kristof fifth, outqualifying his teammate, Heitz, who sat sixth.

The opening heat race featured a spirited battle between Kamikawa's #12 Team PenskeHO Chevrolet-Daboiler and Margetta, with his CBD Racing teammate Pete Dorn struggling and Amy Butler making her season debut, but hitting here de-slot limit at 92 laps finishing ninth on the night. Ultimately the lead would be traded back and forth between Kamikawa and Margetta in an old school IndySlotCar battle that saw the #66 of Margetta, powered by his mom's Spaghetti-Os dinner. hold off Kamikawa, but Ev held the transfer spot into the final.

Three FAST teammates lined up in the second heat, Wiedemann, Dean Strom and Mike Lack as well as Bill Black. JW held a two lap lead over Strom at the halfway point and ultimately Strom, who struggled in qualifying, surprised everyone as he battled for the heat win or the possible transfer spot, but came up two laps shy on both accounts and fifth on the night. Lack, who showed up with no practice just in time for qualifying, struggled and de-slotted out early with just 31 laps, finishing last for the event, Bill Black also couldn't keep the pin in and wound up eighth.

In the third heat, both MSR drivers lined up with the final FAST driver, Stever Rist. Kristof and Heitz ran side by side for the first half, but the pace was well off transfer totals, which meant only the heat winner was advancing. Rist's #98 Chevrolet-Daboiler lost control at the second hair-pin and flew off the track ending his night, settling for tenth, while Kristof was not able to maintain the pace with Heitz and ultimately that #06 Honda-Daboiler would move to the final, Kristof finishing seventh.

For the scheduled 20-minute final, there was close three-way racing between Wiedemann, Kamikawa and Heitz early on, while Margetta didn't make half distance before using up his four de-slots. Wiedemann was holding off Kamikawa at half time, while Heitz was just a lap back, but the #29 Honda-Daboiler of Wiedemann kept it clean and quick in the second half. Kamikawa was the next to use his last de-slot just past halfway, while Heitz would hold on slightly longer, but his gap to the leader grew to double digit laps and to give everyone the chance to go home early, crashed out. It was back-to-back Turkey Trot wins for Wiedemann, his first of the season and first since the Christmas Classic last season. 

In victory lane, Wiedemann made a lovely gesture, donating the prize for the second season in a row to a charity preparing Thanksgiving Day dinner for the underprivileged. 

The season takes a break for the holiday, then heads to the Road Course at Badger Raceway for the open-class Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix.

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Turkey Trot Fast Facts

Race date: Thursday, Nov 16

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

2022 race winner:  John Wiedemann (No. 29 Angry Squirrel Speedsport Honda-Daboiler)

2022 Firestone P1 Award winner: Mike Lack (No. 27 Angry Squirrel Speedsport Honda-Daboiler)

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):

6:00 – Gates Open

6:30 – Driver introductions

6:55 – Drivers’ meeting/Chassis distribution

7:00 – IndySlotCar Series Practice

7:30 – Qualifying for the Firestone P1 Award (group qualifying/ fastest single lap)

8:00 – Heat races

8:45 – Turkey Trot (20 minutes)

Race Notes:

·         Defending Turkey Trot race winner John Wiedemann enters this season’s Trot, second in the Husarsbilt Cup championship, just six points behind leader, Joe Heitz, JW has three second place finishes, but has yet to find victory lane this season, perhaps the holiday entrée is the motivation that will put him over the top?

·         Ev Kamikawa has taken home the most turkeys with six wins, he also has been the runner-up seven times in his 24 starts in this event. Multi-time winners outscore one-time winners at the Turkey Trot 24-6. Wiedemann’s victory last season made him just the sixth, one-time winner…at least he is, so far…

·         Michael Shank-It Racing’s Joe Heitz has once again opened up the flood gates with back-to-back wins, the defending series champion is the first multiple race winner this season.  Others who could join him in that club at “The Trot” include: hometown hero Dan Margetta, and FAST teammates Mike Lack and Matt Hayek.

·         STATS WATCH: Steve Rist’s fourth career pole moves him into 19th on the all-time list. Joe Heitz’s heat win give him 23, good for 18th among all drivers, his 29th final four appearance equals Chris Spehert, tied at 19th. Brad Core moves ahead of Ned Wicker on the all-time laps list, Core is now 28th on that list. Speaking of Ned Wicker, Joe Heitz now has the same number of career starts, results are quite a bit different, but then Ned was quite a bit different and that’s why he’s in the IndySlotCar Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

TURKEY TROT HISTORY ( 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

11/10/05           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

11/8/18             Mike Lack                         Turkey Trot presented by Firehouse Subs  “         “                “      “       “

11/7/19             Matt Hayek                      Turkey Trot                                      South Shore Superspeedway Infield Road Course

11/19/20           Dan Margetta                 Turkey Trot                                      South Shore Superspeedway Infield Road Course

11/18/21           Mike Lack                         Turkey Trot                                      South Shore Superspeedway Infield Road Course

11/19/22           John Wiedemann           Turkey Trot                                      South Shore Superspeedway Infield Road Course

Most Wins: 6 – Ev Kamikawa; 5 – Mark Walczak; 3 – Mike Lack, Dan Margetta, Jim Iverson; 2 – Mike Fitzlaff, Phil Cianciola