2022-23 Round 4
Halloween Havoc - Quarry Heights Raceway - Wauwatosa, WI
October 20, 2022
Round 4 of 17
Hayek Haunts Halloween Havoc
Wauwatosa, WI – Matt Hayek thrived on the home cooking, winning the Halloween Havoc at his home track, Quarry Heights Raceway, for the second time in his career.
Series point leader Mike Lack scored the pole with a 3.956 second lap on the natural terrain road course. It was the second pole position of the season for the #27 NAPA/Auto Nation car and the 48th of his career, tying him with Phil Cianciola for second on the all-time list. Dan Margetta was second quickest, just over the 4 second barrier, with a 4.022 second lap run. Lack’s Angry Squirrel Speedsport teammate, Matt Hayek, was third followed by Joe Hietz and Bill Black.
With the heat races picked by the drivers in the “worst-to-first” order, Heat One had Brad Core, Ev Kamikawa, Steve Rist and John Wiedemann battling for the first spot in the Final. Long time combatants Wiedemann and Kamikawa took off early to battle for the top spot. Wiedemann was able to pull away and soon was putting laps on the other drivers. As time ran down, Wiedemann was able to cruise to the Heat Win with Kamikawa setting the lap count for the transfer position.
Heat Two had some heavy hitters with Black, Lack, Pete Dorn and Joe Heitz. All four drivers were in the top five in the point standings heading into the night. The race lived up to the hype as Black, Lack and Dorn battled at the front for the entire race. Heitz had handling and then power issues, ruining his plans to continue a Finals streak. When the checkers flew, Black took the win with Lack holding off Dorn by just a lap and scoring enough laps to take the transfer-to-the-final spot away from Kamikawa.
The final three drivers for Heat Three included the top two qualifiers Hayek and Margetta along with Michael Shank-It Racing’s Mike Kristof hoping to open the flood gates after teammate Heitz’s disappointment. It was not to be for Kristof and the flood gates were officially closed. But the battle between Hayek and Margetta was a good one with Hayek taking the win and Margetta capturing the transfer spot setting up a rematch in the Final.
Hayek took his #26 Gainbridge car to the lead at the drop of the green. Margetta tried to keep pace but was just a tick off as Hayek was making hay in his lane of choice. Behind them by about 10 laps, Black and Wiedemann had a great battle in their own world, ending the first half side by side in a contest for the third position. The start of the second half was not good for either of the top two drivers but it was worse for Margetta. Both Hayek's Angry Squirrel Speedsport crew and Margetta's Cheap Ganassi Racing team had slow 30 second pitstops but Margetta was assigned the challenging red lane and the challenge was a bit much for him. Hayek was able to overcome the pitstop and remain in the lead but with the race drawing to a close, the lead that Margetta had built up over Black's #7 Vuse/Arrow car and Wiedemann was shrinking quickly. Wiedemann had over-driving issues for a few laps and had given the third spot to Black while remaining a lap back. But, both drivers were flying compared to Margetta’s pace. With under a minute to go, both Black and Wiedemann caught and then drove by Margetta's #48 Carvana Honda-Daboiler to drop him to fourth from second. Hayek scooted away with the win by ten laps over Black. Wiedemann crossed the line in third, a lap behind Black and a lap ahead of Margetta.
Hayek’s win was the third in a row for the Angry Squirrel Speedsport team following Lack and Wiedemann to victory lane. The win was the twentieth of Hayek’s career and jumped him up to fourth in the Husarsbilt Cup point standings.
Black’s second place run combined with Lack’s fifth place finish has them tied at the top of the standings. Wiedemann maintains third place, 21 points behind. Hayek now is just two points behind teammate Wiedemann. Dorn dropped one spot to fifth, only seven points behind Hayek. So expectedly, with four of the seventeen races complete, the standings remain tight near the top.
Up next on November 3rd, we’re going to Jackson, specifically the ultra-fast oval in Jackson, Bill Black’s Black track. Anything can happen at this track and usually does. The defending champion of the Jackson 500 is the same as tonight’s winner – Matt Hayek.
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Halloween Havoc Fast Facts
Race date: Thursday, Oct 20
Track: Quarry Heights Raceway, 2 mile natural terrain road course, Wauwatosa, WI
Race distance: 20 minutes
Twitter: @indyslotcar
IndySlotCar Website: indyslotcar.com
2021 race winner: Mike Lack (No. 27 Angry Squirrel Speedsport Honda-Daboiler)
2021 Firestone P1 Award winner: Steve Rist (No. 4 Squirrel Shagged Enterprises Chevrolet-Daboiler)
One-lap qualifying record: Matt Hayek, 3.717 seconds, 2019 (Quarry Heights Raceway)
Race record: Matt Hayek, 282 laps, 2019 (Quarry Heights Raceway)
YouTube Broadcast: IndySlotCar Channel
At-track schedule (all times local):
6:00 – Gates open
6:30 – Driver introductions
7:00 – Drivers Meeting/Chassis Distribution
7:05 – IndySlotCar Series Practice
7:30 – Qualifying for the Firestone P1 Award (group qualifying/ fastest single lap)
7:50 – Heat races
8:40 – Halloween Havoc (20 minutes)
Race Notes:
· The Halloween Havoc is the second of the Founder’s Five races, the championship within the championship that celebrates the races that date back the first season, as we celebrate our 30th season. Bill Black won the Trokan Cup 500 to open the Founder’s Five and the season.
· John Wiedemann became the third different winner in the first three races with his victory at the West Bend Grand Prix, leaping from tenth in the championship to third.
· Mike Lack is the defending Halloween Havoc winner, his second Havoc victory. Dan Margetta holds the record with five Halloween titles.
· There have been three different Firestone P1 Award winners at the first three races: Chris Spehert, Mike Lack and Joe Heitz.
· Stats Watch: Joe Heitz pole position at Lack Track is the sixth of his career, first in three years, moves him into a tie for 16th with Chad Sorce on the all-time list. John Shea’s return to the IndySlotCar Series after 11th establishes the longest gap between starts, 11 years, 14 days, making it his 100th start. Shea’s heat win was the 37th of his career, moving into 13th all-time and his final four appearance was his 47th, equaling Tom Spehert on that list for 14th.
· John Wiedemann’s finals appearance at the WBGP was the 118th of his career moving him into a tie with series founder Phil Cianciola, sharing fourth place on the all time list.
HALLOWEEN HAVOC HISTORY (29 events, 1993 - Present)
Year Race Winner Event Name Track
10/28/93 Jim Chitel Miller Black Cat 250 Shrine Road Course
10/27/94 Dave Austin Happy Hobby Halloween 250 Shrine Road Course
10/27/95 Phil Cianciola Red Dog Halloween 250 HO Road America
10/31/96 Dave Austin Red Dog Halloween 250 HORA
10/30/97 Jim Kaehny Red Dog Halloween 250 HORA
10/29/98 Jim Kaehny NTB Halloween 250 HORA
10/21/99 Phil Marich Texaco-Havoline Halloween 250 HORA
10/31/00 Ev Kamikawa Miller Lite Halloween 250 HORA
10/31/01 Dan Margetta Miller Lite Halloween 250 HORA
10/24/02 Jim Kaehny Halloween 250 HORA
10/30/03 Larry Rotter Halloween 250 HORA
10/28/04 Dan Margetta McDonald’s Halloween 250 HORA
10/27/05 Ev Kamikawa McDonald’s Halloween 400 Road Wisconsin
11/4/06 Mark Walczak State Farm 400 Lake Country Motorplex
10/27/07 Dan Margetta State Farm Halloween 400 LCM
10/23/08 Mark Walczak Milwaukee Sporting Goods Halloween Havoc-Turtle Creek
11/5/09 Mark Walczak SportsClips Grand Prix Quarry Heights Raceway
10/28/10 John Weidemann SportsClips Halloween GP QHR
10/27/11 Dan Margetta Halloween Havoc QHR
10/25/12 Dan Margetta Halloween Havoc QHR
10/24/13 Mark Walczak Halloween Havoc QHR
12/4/14 Dean Strom Nightmare Before Christmas QHR
10/29/15 John Wiedemann Halloween Havoc QHR
10/27/16 John Wiedemann Halloween Havoc QHR
10/26/17 Mike Lack Halloween Havoc QHR
10/25/18 Mike Kristof Bridgestone Halloween Havoc QHR
10/24/19 Matt Hayek Halloween Havoc QHR
10/22/20 Steve Rist Halloween Havoc Lack Track
10/21/21 Mike Lack Halloween Havoc QHR
Most wins: Dan Margetta-5; Mark Walczak-4; John Wiedemann, Jim Kaehny–3; Mike Lack, Dave Austin, Ev Kamikawa-2