Trokan Cup 500 - Mini Milwaukee Mile - Greendale, WI

September 7, 2023

Round 1 of 17

Hayek FAST to Trokan Cup 500 Victory

Greendale, WI -- As part of a new super-team in IndySlotCar, Matt Hayek worked his way up from the Last Chance Qualifier to take home the Trokan Cup at Mini Milwaukee Mile to open the 2023-24 season.  The Trokan Cup 500 was Hayek's 21st career victory and the first since the #27 AutoNation Honda-Daboiler pilot took the checkers at Halloween Havoc last year.

Hayek, one of the five members of F.A.S.T., in the #27 AutoNation Honda-Daboiler, struggled in the four-lap qualifying session to line up eleventh and had to work his way from the LCQ, which included FAST teammate Steve Rist, and both members of Team Spehert, Chris and James Spehert. Only James Spehert was unable to advance from that opening heat race. This allowed Hayek to move on to the second heat race.

Another pair of FAST drivers lined up in the opening heat, former champions John Wiedemann and Dean Strom, Michael Shank-It Racing's Mike Kristof and the first DNF of the season, #98 FAST driver Steve Rist, who exited the race early with a crash on the 200th lap. Of the three FAST teammates, only Wiedemann's #29 Honda-Daboiler would move on to the final with a solid win over Strom.

CBD Racing's Brad Core moved out to an early lead in the second heat, but handling issues in the second half allowed Hayek to take the point, while fellow CBDer Pete Dorn struggled to finish ninth on the night. With Hayek advancing to the final, he would face Core again, who held on to the transfer position to make a final for the first time since the Jackson 500 last season.

Dan Margetta was making his first appearance as a member of CBD Racing, although in a car with an illegal livery that the series allowed to be raced, showed speed and solid handling to hang on to the lead over fellow IndySlotCar Hall of Famer Ev Kamikawa, while defending Husarsbilt Cup champion Joe Heitz struggled with a car that was down on power and missing the front wing after the crew broke it on load in for the event.

The final set up a battle between FAST members Hayek and Wiedemann and CBD Racing's Core and Margetta. Perhaps surprisingly, considering his qualifying position, Hayek quickly went to the lead, with Wiedemann attempting to keep in contact, Margetta was ahead of his new teammate just past halfway when he crashed hard and was out of the race on lap 297, elevating Core to the podium, while Hayek's #27 created a sizable buffer and held on to an 18 lap lead in front of "JW's" #29. In fifteen starts it is Wiedemann's best finish at the Mini Mile.

From hoisting the Blatz can bedazzled Trokan Cup the series moves on to the Road Course at Badger Raceway for the Fall Brawl in two weeks.

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Trokan Cup 500 Fast Facts
Race date: Thursday, Sep 7

Track: Mini Milwaukee Mile, 1 mile bull-ring oval in Greendale, WI

Race distance: 500 laps

IndySlotCar Website: indyslotcar.com

2022 race winner:  Bill Black (No. 7 CBD Racing)

2022 Firestone P1 Award winner:  Chris Spehert (No. 98 Angry Squirrel Speedsport) 6.179 seconds

Single lap record: Ev Kamikawa, 1.102 seconds, 2006

Four-lap qualifying record: Mike Lack, 5.070 seconds, 2019

Race record: Dan Margetta, 12 minutes 39 seconds, 2020

YouTube Broadcast: IndySlotCar Channel

At-track schedule (all times local):

6:00 – Gates open

6:30 – Driver introductions

7:00 – Drivers’ meeting

7:05 – IndySlotCar Series Practice

7:30 – Qualifying for the Firestone P1 Award (single car, four lap total time qualifying)

8:00 – Heat races

8:45 – Trokan Cup 500 (500 laps)

Race Notes:

·         The 31st season of IndySlotCar Series racing opens at the beloved HO-scale version of our hometown track the Milwaukee Mile, the Mini Mile hosts the opener for the 14th straight season.

·         For the second straight season a new champion is defending his title, Joe Heitz of Michael Shank-It Racing follows Dean Strom as first time Husarsbilt Cup holders.

·         Bill Black defends the first of his two wins in the ’22-’23 campaign, no one has gone back to back at the Mini-Milwaukee Mile since Dan Margetta in ’15 and ‘16

·         New drivers/old drivers in new places: Chris Spehert revives Team Spehert Racing for a full-season effort along with his son, the first third-generation IndySlotCar driver James Spehert, the rookie will make a part-time appearance, the two will be repping Juncos-Hollinger #77 and #78 IndyCars. 2021-22 Husarsbilt Cup champion Dean Strom and his Squirrel Shagged Enterprises teammate Steve Rist have closed up that operation and joined Angry Squirrel Speedsport drivers, John Wiedemann, Mike Lack and Matt Hayek to form FAST Racing, what does FAST mean? Your guess is as good as ours. HOFer Dan Margetta joins CBD Racing in the #66 car. Will we see the return of Mike Fitzlaff this season? Amy Butler? We hope to see more of John Shea in 23-24. There could be some very large fields in the new season.

MINI-MILWAUKEE MILE HISTORY (28 events, 1996 - Present):

Date               Race Winner                                    Event Name                                     Location

1/4/1996           Arnie Lueders                                  Firestone 400                                  Milwaukee Mile offices

9/26/1996        Chad Sorce                                       Ford 500                                           Cudahy 

10/6/1997        John Baas                                         Ford 500           (2 races in the Milwaukee Mile offices

1/8/1998           Ev Kamikawa                                   Firestone 400      97-98 season) Milwaukee Mile offices

9/17/1998        John Baas                                         Ford 500                                       Milwaukee Mile offices

10/7/1999        Ev Kamikawa                                   Aero Race Wheels 500                 Greendale                       

9/21/2000        Phil Cianciola                                   Aero Race Wheels 500                 Greendale       

9/20/2001        Dan Margetta                                 Aero Race Wheels 500                 Greendale

9/19/2002        Jim Iverson                                       Chancery Restaurants 500          Greendale

9/18/2003        Mike Kristof                                     Krispy Kreme 500                           Greendale

10/21/2004      Phil Cianciola                                   Milwaukee Mile presents the Mini Mile 500  Greendale

9/8/2005           John Shea                                         Milwaukee Mile 500                     Greendale

9/7/2006           John Shea                                         Trokan Cup 500                              Greendale

9/7/2007           Chris Spehert                                   Trokan Cup 500 presented by the Milwaukee Mile  Greendale

10/2/2008*      Mark Walczak                                 Trokan Cup 500                              Greendale

9/10/2009*      Ev Kamikawa                                   Trokan Cup 500                              Greendale       

9/23/2010*      Ev Kamikawa                                   Trokan Cup 500                              Greendale

9/8/2011*        Mark Walczak                                 Trokan Cup 500                              Greendale

9/6/2012*        Mike Fitzlaff                                     Trokan Cup 500                              Greendale

9/5/2013     Mike Lack                                         Trokan Cup 500                              Greendale

9/3/2015           Dan Margetta                                 Trokan Cup 500                              Greendale

9/8/2016           Dan Margetta                                 Trokan Cup 500                              Greendale

8/31/2017        Mike Lack                                         Trokan Cup 500                              Greendale

9/6/2018           Tom Spehert                                    Trokan Cup 500                              Greendale

9/12/2019        Matt Hayek                                      Trokan Cup 500                              Greendale

9/10/2020        Dan Margetta                                 Trokan Cup 500                              Wauwatosa

9/9/2021           Chris Spehert                                   Trokan Cup 500                              Greendale

9/7/2022           Bill Black                                           Trokan Cup 500                              Greendale

*- From 2008-2012 the Mini Mile was renamed RJ Foyt’s All American Raceway

Most Wins – Ev Kamikawa, Dan Margetta-4; Chris Spehert, Mike Lack, Mark Walczak, John Shea, Phil Cianciola, John Baas-2

Previous TROKAN CUP WINNERS:

Date                   Race Winner                    Event Name                                                                                 Track

9/8/1997           Dave Austin                     Trokan Cup presented by Harley Davidson             The Shrine Track

9/3/1998           Dan Margetta                 Trokan Cup presented by Harley Davidson             The Shrine Track

9/9/1999           Dan Margetta                 Trokan Cup                                                              Shrine Desert Road Course

9/7/2000           Phil Cianciola                   Trokan Cup                                                                  Shrine Desert Road Course

9/6/2001           Dan Margetta                 Trokan Cup presented by Harley Davidson             Shrine Desert Road Course

9/5/2002           Jim Kaehny                       Trokan Cup                                                                  Shrine Desert Road Course

9/4/2003           Larry Rotter                     Trokan Cup                                                                  Shrine Desert Road Course