2011-12 Round 12
HO Road America Grand Prix - HO Road America, Waukesha, WI
Round 12 of 16
February 16, 2012
Lack Scores Second Win
(Waukesha, WI) -- Mike Lack scored his second win of the season at HO Road America. Lack, who was burned by the "death card" in numerous pit stops last season finally benefited from the bad luck that the skull and cross bones that can be dealt to drivers. Mark Walczak, who won the pole and easily took his heat race and was a dozen laps clear of the field by half way, was denied the record for most victories in a single by the luck of the draw in his pit stop. Walczak's Target Mark Walczak Racing teammate Dean Strom, who cut the deck, followed up his win in Vegas with a second place and his fourth straight final. Ev Kamikawa who managed to survive the tough fight in the first heat race finished third.
Meanwhile H&K Racing teammates Matt Hayek and Mike Kristof dueled down to the finish in the first heat, even though Kristof was in position to advance to the final until Lack took it away, it was Hayek's higher qualifying position who gave him fifth place ahead of his teammate. Hometown favorite Amy Butler scored a solid seventh place, with Tom Spehert also in the running to score the transfer spot before falling back to eighth, Spehert Autosport teammate Chris Spehert held his own in ninth. Dan Margetta and John Wiedemann struggled to tenth and eleventh, while Team Lotus' Mike Fitzlaff could not get the groove in the kettle moraine and was given the ignominious prize of Limburger Cheese and the tie of futility.
Lack's win and Walczak's fourth place whittles down the lead for the Husarsbilt Cup to 65 points, with just 4 races remaining. Next up is a second race at the giant Deckertring, in its new home in Waukesha for the "open class" Outpost Natural Foods Grand Prix.
HO Road America Make Major Promotion Push
(Chicago, IL) -- With the HO Road America Grand Prix, round 12 of the 2011-12 IndySlotCar season, just days away, the track made a major push for fans from the nearby metropolis of Chicago. A large kiosk at the Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place greeted auto enthusiasts and spread the word about the event coming up Thursday at the beloved road course in the beautiful kettle moraine of Wisconsin. A drawing for free tickets seemed to have hundreds of entrants and fans excitement for the event was palpable. One bystander even commented "I have no idea what you are talking about!" Its hoped that teeming hordes of race fans from Chicagoland will descend on what has been rumored to be the series final appearance at the track.