2016-17 Round 2
Too Clean Laundry Grand Prix - Rapids International - Milwaukee, WI
September 22, 2016
Round 2 of 16
Hayek Runs the Rapids
Rapids -- Matt Hayek took a step toward announcing his intention to challenge for the Husarsbilt Cup championship this season with a solid victory at the Too Clean Laundry Grand Prix at Rapids International. But the night started with all talk about tires, as the series had egg on it's face for supplying the teams with tires that simply would not stay on the rims, requiring extra practice as well as pit crews constantly scrambling to find rubber for their cars. Eventually, it appeared everyone had sufficient supplies to get through the qualifying and racing but there is no doubt some drivers suffered due to the lack of proper equipment.
Dan Margetta followed up his win at the Trokan Cup 500 with an amazingly fast qualifying session that set a new track record of 5.569 seconds undercutting the previous record, set my Mike Fitzlaff last season, by one and a half seconds. The speeds at Rapids can be demanding and it eventually bit Spehert Autosport driver Pete Dorn when he crashed out with just 54 laps complete to finish tenth on the night. The other Spehert car on track had a solid but unremarkable evening as Bill Black finished seventh, while Mike Fitzlaff struggled with handling and his Target Fitz Ganassi teammate, Mike Kristof, also couldn't keep pace with Dan Margetta in the first heat race as the teammates finished eighth and ninth.
Hayek never had a problem in his heat, out distancing hometown favorite Ev Kamikawa, who finished sixth. But it was John Wiedemann who had the toughest time in the heats, while leading late in the third heat, technical problems with the team tracking his scoring then the transmission failed with about 30 seconds left while leading allowing his JAM racing teammate Mike Lack, to advance to the final along with Hayek's JAM racing teammate to the final.
There was little drama on the track in the final as Hayak scooted out to an early lead and never looked back, but his teammate left the track early with a spectacular crash that left Strom just off the podium. The battle of the night was for second, as Lack, making his first start of the season, overcame illness to eventually hold off Margetta. The main issues in the scheduled 20 minute race were technical and the race was shorted to 17 minutes and 5 seconds.
With Margetta scoring the Chick-fil-A Brookfield P1 Award, it's that one bonus point that has him leading Hayek in the early championship. Next, the series moves north to the Lack Track for the West Bend Grand Prix.
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Too Clean Laundry Grand Prix Fast Facts
Race date: Thursday, Sep 22
Track: Rapids International, 2.3 mile street course in Rapids
Race distance: 20 minutes
Twitter: @indyslotcar
IndySlotCar Website: indyslotcar.com
2016 race winner: Mike Lack, (No. 1 JAM Racing Dallara-Honda) race moves from January
2016 Chick-fil-A Brookfield P1 Award winner: Mike Lack (No. 1 JAM Racing Dallara-Honda)
One-lap qualifying record: Mike Lack, 5.702 seconds, 2015
Race record: Mike Lack, 175 laps, 2016
YouTube Broadcast: IndySlotCar Channel
At-track schedule (all times local):
6:30 – Driver introductions
7:00 – IndySlotCar Series Pactice
7:15 – Qualifying for the Chick-fil-A Brookfield P1 Award (group qualifying/ fastest single lap)
7:30 – Heat races
8:00 – Too Clean Laundry Grand Prix (20 minutes)
Race Notes:
· Dan Margetta enters the race with the Husarsbilt Cup points lead after the first race of the season for the second year in a row.
· Husarsbilt Cup three-time feeding champion Mike Lack makes his first start of the season after missing the opening round with the flu.
· Lack is the defending race winner and Chick-fil-A Brookfield P1 Award winner after sweeping the event last year and collecting the P1-to-Win fund of 53,000 IndySlotCar dollars, it was the second year in a row Lack had swept the TCLGP.
· Lack’s JAM Racing teammate John Wiedemann won the event the two years before that, meaning it’s been five years since a different team has won at Rapids.
· 2015-16 Rookie of the Year Pete Dorn is expected to make his first appearance after missing the Trokan Cup 500 for family reasons.
TROKAN CUP 500 PRE-EVENT QUOTES:
Mike Lack No. 1 JAM Racing: I feel so much better than I did two weeks ago, it was really difficult missing a race, especially the opener, but after I heard the misleading reports about my illness, I knew I had to get better and get back to the track.
TROKAN CUP 500 PRE-EVENT QUOTES (cont’d):
Dan Margetta No. 3 Penske HO: I can’t believe I am making another race, usually by round two I have missed a race and shot my championship hopes.
Bill Black No. 25 Spehert Autosport: Really? Pete Dorn was the Rookie of the Year last year?
TOO CLEAN LAUNDRY GRAND PRIX HISTORY (17 events, 1995 - Present)
Date Race Winner Event Name Track
4/13/1995 Dave Austin Rapids Grand Prix Rapids Raceway
4/11/1996 Dave Austin Rapids Grand Prix
12/3/1998 Dan Margetta Rapids Grand Prix Rapids Raceway Version 2
12/2/1999 Ev Kamikawa Rapids Grand Prix
12/7/2000 John Shea Rapids Grand Prix Rapids Raceway Version 3
11/29/2001 Phil Cianciola Rapids Grand Prix Rapids Raceway Version 4
2/1/2007 Ev Kamikawa WiJobs.com Grand Prix Rapids Raceway Version 5
1/31/2008 Mark Walczak Rapids Grand Prix Rapids International Version 6
2/5/2009 Mark Walczak Lia Sophia Grand Prix
9/17/2009 Mike Lack Lia Sophia Grand Prix
9/30/2010 Mark Walczak Lia Sophia Grand Prix
3/15/2012 Mark Walczak Too Clean Laundry Grand Prix Rapids International Version 7
9/20/2012 Mark Walczak Lia Sophia Grand Prix
1/17/2013 John Wiedemann Too Clean Laundry Grand Prix
1/16/2014 John Wiedemann Too Clean Laundry Grand Prix
1/22/2015 Mike Lack Too Clean Laundry Grand Prix Rapids International Version 8
1/21/2016 Mike Lack Too Clean Laundry Grand Prix
Most Wins: Mark Walczak-5; Mike Lack-3; John Wiedemann, Ev Kamikawa, Dave Austin-2