Christmas Classic - Bermuda Raceway - Wauwatosa, WI

December 21, 2023

Round 8 of 17

A Christmas Re-run

Christmas Classic Fast Facts

Race date: Thursday, Dec 21

Track: Bermuda Raceway, 1.8 mile Natural Terrain Road Course in Wauwatosa, WI

Race distance:  20 minutes

IndySlotCar Website: indyslotcar.com

2022 race winner: John Wiedemann (No. 29 Angry Squirrel Speedsport)

2022 Firestone P1 Award winner: Mike Lack (No. 27 Angry Squirrel Speedsport)

One-lap qualifying record: Dan Margetta, 2.293 seconds, 2019

Race record: Joe Heitz, 426 laps, 2019

YouTube Broadcast: IndySlotCar Channel

At-track schedule (all times local):

5:30 – Gates open

6:30 – Driver introductions

6:55 – Drivers Meeting/Chassis Distribution

7:00 – IndySlotCar Series Practice

7:30 – Qualifying for the Firestone P1 Award (group qualifying/ fastest single lap)

8:00 – Heat races

8:50 – Christmas Classic (20 minutes)

Race Notes:

·         John Wiedemann is riding a two-race winning streak and the #29 FAST driver is the defending race winner of the Christmas Classic.

·         Since the Christmas Classic moved to Bermuda Raceway in 2017 there has not been a repeat winner.

·         There have been seven different Firestone P1 Award winners this season.

·         Those seven different pole winners have yet to convert the advantage to a race win, because of that, the “Pole-To-Win” Fund has grown to record levels, depending on the field size at this event, the record of 150,000 IndySlotCar bucks could be broken at the Christmas Classic.

·         The last winner from pole is Joe Heitz at Round 12 last season, Rapids Grand Prix in February.

·         After some surprisingly small fields, the Christmas Classic is expected to have the larger fields we saw earlier in the season.

·         Stats Watch: Dan Margetta made his record-extending 400th start at the Sweeney Memorial. There have been 485 events in the series’ history. John Wiedemann is riding a five race final four streak. Dean Strom moves to ninth on the all-time finals list with 84th. Strom also moves to ninth on the DNF list with his 31st crash-out at the Sweeney Memorial. Pete Dorn became the 20th driver in IndySlotCar Series history to turn more than 20,000 laps.

CHRISTMAS CLASSIC HISTORY (28 events, 1993-99, 2001-08, 2010-Present)

Date                   Race Winner                       Event Name                                                    Track

12/16/1993      Phil Cianciola               Shrine Christmas Classic                          Shrine Road Course

12/15/1994      Dave Austin               Tomy Christmas Classic                               Shrine Road Course

12/14/1995      Phil Cianciola              Tomy Christmas Classic                               Shrine Road Course

12/12/1996      Jim Kaehny                      Tomy Christmas Classic                         Sanibel Speedway

12/18/1997      Jim Kaehny                      Tomy Christmas Classic                         Sanibel Speedway

12/17/1998      Dan Margetta             Parma Christmas Classic                         Sanibel Speedway

12/16/1999      Phil Marich                      Championship Racing Magazine 400        Sanibel Speedway

12/13/2001      Chad Sorce                      Christmas Classic                                     Sanibel Speedway

12/12/2002      Phil Cianciola              Piggly Wiggly 400                                    Sanibel Speedway

12/19/2003      Dan Margetta             Piggly Wiggly 400                                Sanibel Speedway

12/16/2004         Phil Cianciola              Piggly Wiggly 400                                     Sanibel Speedway

12/15/2005         Jim Iverson                      Chipotle Christmas Classic                    Vista Rio Rancho Raceway

12/14/2006         John Shea                        Christmas Classic                                         Vista Rio Rancho Raceway

12/13/2007         Ev Kamikawa                  Christmas Classic                                         Vista Rio Rancho Raceway

12/18/2008         Larry Rotter               Christmas Classic                                    Vista Rio Rancho Raceway

12/16/2010         Mark Walczak            Christmas Classic                                    Vista Rio Rancho Raceway

12/15/2011      Mark Walczak            Christmas Classic                                    Vista Rio Rancho Raceway

12/6/2012        John Wiedemann           Christmas Classic                                    Shrine Desert Road Course*

12/19/2013      Mike Lack                        Christmas Classic                                    Shrine Desert Road Course

12/18/2014      John Wiedemann      Christmas Classic                                       Shrine Desert Road Course

12/17/2015      Mike Lack               Christmas Classic                                       Shrine Desert Road Course

12/1/2016        John Wiedemann      Christmas Classic                                       Shrine Desert Road Course

12/14/2017      Matt Hayek                      Christmas Classic                                           Bermuda Raceway

12/13/2018      Mike Kristof                     Shorewest Christmas Classic                      Bermuda Raceway

12/19/2019      Joe Heitz                           Christmas Classic                                           Bermuda Raceway

12/17/2020      Bill Black                           Christmas Classic                                           Bermuda Raceway

12/16/2021      Dean Strom                      Styled Aesthetic Christmas Classic            Bermuda Raceway

12/15/2022      John Wiedemann           Christmas Classic                                           Bermuda Raceway                      

*-Vista Rio Rancho Raceway returned to original name

Most Wins – 4- John Wiedemann, Phil Cianciola; 2-Mike Lack, Mark Walczak, Dan Margetta, Jim Kaehny