2019-20 Round 3
West Bend Grand Prix - Lack Track - West Bend, WI
October 10, 2019
Round 3 of 16
Stealing All The Nuts From The Squirrels Nest
(West Bend, WI) -- The West Bend Grand Prix had been run eight times before Thursday night and the list of winners is short, in fact only three drivers have won, the anomaly is the first, Ev Kamikawa took the victory, but after that, you start to see a trend, Mike Lack, John Wiedemann, Lack, Lack, Wiedemann, Lack, Wiedemann. So there was really no thought that that trend would change, it seemed like home town hero Mike Lack, coming off a win at Badger Raceway, was set up to take another win and continue the pattern of Angry Squirrel Speedsport drivers winning here. But instead, we were treated to a theft from right out of the Angry Squirrel's own nest as Matt Hayek swept every point possible with his second victory of the season and the first non-A.S.S. to win since Kamikawa in 2011.
Hayek dazzled the crowd with a near record qualifying lap that took the pole away from home town hero, Lack, and the only driver to break the four second barrier. Heats featured the fastest four racing together and the slower four, this put Hayek against Lack in the heat, along with Dean Strom and Joe Heitz. Hayek took the early lead and was challenged but eventually cruised to the lead while Strom and Lack had to wait for the second heat to see if they scored enough laps to advance, while Heitz, in his shiny new #22 Menards PenskeHO Racing would wind up fifth on the night.
The second heat saw Dan Margetta challenge John Wiedemann, Pete Dorn and Mike Kristof. Margetta and "JW" battled early on for the lead but eventually the #88 Hardly Steinbrenner Margetta Racing car of Margetta would take the win and be the only driver from the heat to advance to the final four. Leaving Wiedeman, Dorn and Kristof to finish sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively.
With the final four decided, it was assumed this would be a rematch of the opening heat race of Hayek vs. Lack, but the defending champ seemed to lack speed, it was Hayek's Alter Ego Racing teammate Dean Strom who challenged for the lead and took the point at halfway. After pit stops, which Lack's Angry Squirrel Speedsport crew bungled, Hayek moved back out front, meanwhile Dan Margetta moved past Strom into second and was beginning to look like he might make it a race at the end of the 20 minute final, but a late spin allowed Hayek to take his second win in the first three events of the season and the 13th of his career. Hayek will also carry a 24 point lead into his home race, the Halloween Havoc at Quarry Heights Raceway.
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Fast Facts
Race date: Thursday, Oct 10
Track: Lack Track, 1.8 mile road course in West Bend, WI
Race distance: 20 minutes
Twitter: @indyslotcar
IndySlotCar Website: indyslotcar.com
2018 race winner: John Wiedemann (No. 17 Angry Squirrel Speedsport)
2018 P1 Award winner: John Wiedemann (No. 17 Angry Squirrel Speedsport)
One-lap qualifying record: John Wiedemann, 3.791 seconds, 2018
Race record: John Wiedemann, 261 laps, 2018
YouTube Broadcast: IndySlotCar Channel
At-track schedule (all times local):
6:00 – Gates open
6:30 – Driver introductions
7:15 – Drivers Meeting
7:20 – IndySlotCar Series Practice
7:40 – Qualifying for the Chick-fil-A Brookfield P1 Award (group qualifying/ fastest single lap)
8:15 – Heat races
8:50 – West Bend Grand Prix (20 minutes)
Race Notes:
· John Wiedemann dominated last season’s running of the West Bend Grand Prix winning by seven laps and setting the record for most laps in the 20 minute final (261) and qualifying lap record (3.791 seconds).
· Weidemann and his Angry Squirrel Speedsport teammate Mike Lack have won the last seven WBGPs, only Ev Kamikawa is not an A.S.S. winner, in the inaugural event.
· Matt Hayek enters the WBGP with the points lead, following a win and a final in the first two rounds, Mike Lack is the only other driver to make both finals.
· Mike Lack equaled founder/Hall of Famer Phil Cianciola’s total for final four appearances with his win at the Choco Taco Fall Brawl, both now have 118 finals, third, behind Ev Kamikawa (163) and Dan Margetta (185).
LACK TRACK HISTORY (8 events, 2011 - Present)
Date Race Winner
10/8/2011 Ev Kamikawa
10/13/2012 Mike Lack
9/28/2013 John Wiedemann
10/4/2014 Mike Lack
10/1/2015 Mike Lack
9/29/2016 John Wiedemann
9/21/2017 Mike Lack
10/4/2018 John Wiedemann
Multiple wins: Mike Lack – 4. John Wiedemann – 3