2024-25 Round 8

Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix - The Road Course at Badger Raceway - Muskego, WI

December 19, 2024

Round 8 of 17

Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix
Race date: Thursday, Dec 19

Track: Road Course at Badger Raceway 3.25 mile natural terrain road course in Muskego, WI

Race distance:  20 minutes

IndySlotCar Website: indyslotcar.com

2023 race winner: John Wiedemann (No. 29 FAST)

2023 Firestone P1 Award winner: Dean Strom (No. 28 FAST)

One-lap qualifying record: Dean Strom, 3.853 seconds, 2020

Race record: Dean Strom, 268 laps, 2020

YouTube Broadcast: IndySlotCar Channel

At-track schedule (all times local):

6:00 – Gates open

6:30 – Driver introductions

6:55 – Drivers meeting

7:00 – IndySlotCar Series Practice

7:30 – Technical inspection

7:35 – Qualifying for the Firestone P1 Award (group qualifying/ fastest single lap)

8:15 – Heat races

8:55 – Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix (20 minutes)

Race Notes:

·         John Wiedemann is the defending Sweeney Memorial GP winner, “JW” also sits atop this season’s Husarsbilt Cup championship standings by 38 points over Ev Kamikawa.

·         Dan Margetta is the most recent race winner, taking the checkers at the Christmas Classic, jumping from seventh to fourth in the standings. The victory is the 49th of his Hall of Fame career, second only to Mike Lack’s 55.

·         Margetta became the fourth different winner of the season at the Shrine.

·         John Wiedemann’s Firestone P1 Award at the Christmas Classic makes the FAST driver the first repeat pole winner of the season, however like the previous six pole winners, Wiedemann did not take the win and the Pole-to-Win Fund grows again, past 151,000 IndySlotCar bucks, potentially passing 160,000 at the Sweeney Memorial.

·         Stats watch: Dean Strom and Pete Dorn each had their first final four appearances of the season, they became the 12th and 13th different drivers to appear in a final this season. Bill Black’s heat win is the 28th of his career, moving him to 17th on the all-time list, meanwhile his CBD Racing teammate added his 22nd heat win, equaling Chris Spehert, sharing the 19th spot, and both drivers are now even on final four appearances with 29, good for 20th on that list. Joe Heitz made his 74th career start, matching Andy Spehert’s career total.

DUANE SWEENEY MEMORIAL GRAND PRIX HISTORY (21 events, 2004 - Present)

Date               Race Winner                   Event Name                                                                    

1/22/2004        Larry Rotter                     Duane Sweeney Memorial 500 - Edgewood Superspeedway (oval)

12/2/2004        Jim Iverson                       Duane Sweeney Memorial 500 - Bayside International     

12/1/2005        Jim Iverson                       Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix

11/30/2006      Jim Iverson                       Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix    

11/29/2007      Mark Walczak                 Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix

12/4/2008        Ev Kamikawa                   Sweeney Stomp - Road Course at Badger Raceway*

12/3/2009        Mark Walczak                 Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix

12/2/2010        Mark Walczak                 Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix

12/1/2011        Mike Lack                         Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix

11/29/2012      Mark Walczak                 Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix

12/5/2013        Dean Strom                      Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix

10/30/2014      Ev Kamikawa                   Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix

12/3/2015        John Wiedemann           Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix

12/15/2016      Dan Margetta                 Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix

11/30/2017      Dan Margetta                 Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix

11/29/2018      Mike Lack                         Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix

12/5/2019        Mike Lack                         Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix

12/3/2020        Dean Strom                      Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix

12/9/2021        Mike Lack                         Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix presented by Nordic Beef Farms

12/8/2022        Dean Strom                      Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix

12/7/2023        John Wiedemann           Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix

* - Track was built as Bayside International and moved to become The Road Course at Badger Raceway before December 2008.

Most Wins – Mike Lack, Mark Walczak-4; Dean Strom, Jim Iverson-3; John Wiedemann, Dan Margetta, Ev Kamikawa-2