2016-17 Round 12

Quarryfest Deslotmania - Quarry Heights Raceway - Wauwatosa, WI

February 16, 2017

Round 12 of 16

The Race Tightens

Read the complete box score here

(Wauwatosa, WI) -- It was a familiar scene at Quarry Heights Raceway Thursday night as three-time reigning IndySlotCar champion Mike Lack put his JAM Racing Dallara-Honda #1 car on the pole, moved through his heat race and was never challenged to win the Quarryfest Deslotmania. But Lack's second win of the season was not the real focus of attention by the assembled masses as the championship battle between John Wiedemann and Dan Margetta continued with Margetta continuing to shave the margin down to just three points after this 12th round of the season.

The night opened with a true shoot-out in qualifying as group after group went out setting faster and faster times, at one point even Mike Kristof entertained the idea he might score the Chick-fil-A Brookfield P1 Award, but the final qualifying group featured Matt Hayek, Amy Butler and Lack and each driver set a new low time each time they ran in the blue lane. Ultimately the champion did what we have seen him do so often and slip by everyone to set the fastest time, his second pole position of the season.

Heats were set by speed, which put Lack, Hayek and Kristof in the first group, but the hometown favorite, uncharacteristically, could not get a handle on his very fast car and was out in just 33 circuits, which left Lack and Kristof to duel it out, which they did for the entire first half as they passed and re-passed each other lap after lap, but the champ kept cool and Kristof cracked as he went off the track, picked up some debris in the car and soon was parked, ending his night and moving Lack onto the final.

Dan Margetta took an early lead in the second heat and never looked back while Amy Butler ran a solid second and sat in the transfer spot and had to watch the third heat nervously. Meanwhile, Target Fitz Ganassi Racing's other driver, Mike Fitzlaff, followed Kristof out of the race early and then the two received a call in the paddock from the owner who was watching at home made a call to the two drivers, live on TV, Fitz Ganassi fired both of his under-performing pilots and had the Target sponsorship cancelled on the spot!

There was no such drama in the third heat as John Wiedemann was able to hold off Bill Black to take the heat win, but Black would break Amy Butler's heart as he drove past the lap total needed to advance in the Transfer spot. Pete Dorn had a solid performance and finished sixth on the night, his best result of the season.

Margetta took an early lead in the 20 minute final, but a couple of quick de-slots moved him back behind Lack, who never looked back. That left all eyes on the championship as Wiedemann seemed to struggle for pace and sat in fourth place, many laps down to Bill Black, but the pace of Black's #25 Spehert Autosport car came with a price, as he could not keep the car on track and just past half-way, the buffer Margetta was hoping for that would have left him tied for the championship, was gone and "JW" was promoted to third, at the checkers it took five points off Wiedemann's Husarsbilt Cup championship points lead. Lack had his second win of the season and 25th of his career.

Just four races remain as three points separate the top two, while Lack is starting to move into the conversation, sitting just 32 points behind his JAM Racing teammate. The series goes back to oval racing next, at the Stardust 500.

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Quarryfest Deslotmania Fast Facts

Race date: Thursday, Feb 16

Track: Quarry Heights Raceway, 2 mile natural terrain road course, Wauwatosa, WI

Race distance: 20 minutes

Twitter: @indyslotcar

IndySlotCar Website: indyslotcar.com

2016 race winner: Matt Hayek (No. 15 MaD Motorsports Dallara-Honda)

2016 Chick-fil-A Brookfield P1 Award winner: Ev Kamikawa (No. 3 Penske HO Racing Dallara-Chevrolet)

One-lap qualifying record: Dean Strom, 4.025 seconds, 2015

Race record: Dan Margetta, 245 laps, 2015

YouTube Broadcast: IndySlotCar Channel

At-track schedule (all times local):

6:30 – Driver introductions

7:00 – IndySlotCar Series Practice

7:20 – Qualifying for the Chick-fil-A Brookfield P1 Award (group qualifying/ fastest single lap)

7:40 – Heat races

8:30 – Quarryfest Deslotmania

Race Notes:

· JAM Racing’s John Wiedemann holds an eight point lead over Penske HO Racing’s Dan Margetta for the Husarsbilt Cup championship coming into the “de-slot” format race at Quarry Heights where Wiedemann has never finished better than fifth, while Margetta has a win and a third place finish.

· Hometown favorite Matt Hayek has won half of the four Deslotmania races and is coming off a win at the last round and sits 25 points behind Margetta in third place in the points. Hayek has made the final in all four previous runnings.

· SHOCKING FACT! Other than Hayek’s four straight finals, Mike Kristof has made the final in three of the four finals at Deslotmania, no other driver matches that result. Easily his best event in his career.

Deckertring Grand Prix PRE-EVENT QUOTES:

Dan Margetta No 3 Penske HO Racing: I’m still looking for Strom!

John Wiedemann No. 19 JAM Racing: Dean Strom is still my hero!

Mike Kristof No. 9 Target Fitz Ganassi Racing: Why can’t we race deslot rules every race?!

John Wiedemann No. 19 JAM Racing: Shut up Mike!

QUARRYFEST DESLOTMANIA HISTORY (4 event, 2013 - Present)

Date Race Winner

1/30/2013 Mark Walczak

2/13/2014 Matt Hayek

2/19/2015 Dan Margetta

2/18/2016 Matt Hayek