2024-25 Round 9

Raven 250 - Raven Raceway - Milwaukee, WI

January 2, 2025

Round 9 of 17

Raven 250 Fast Facts
Race date: Thursday, Jan 2

Track: 2.5 mile Natural Terrain Road Course in Milwaukee, WI

Race distance: 250 laps

IndySlotCar Website: indyslotcar.com

2024 race winner: Mike Lack (No. 26 FAST Honda-Daboiler)

2024 Firestone P1 Award winner: Steve Rist (No. 98 FAST Honda-Daboiler)

One-lap qualifying record: Mark Walczak, 4.000 seconds, 2011

Race record: Pete Dorn, 20 minutes 13 seconds, 2020

YouTube Broadcast: IndySlotCar Channel

At-track schedule (all times local):

6:00 – Gates open

6:30 – Driver introductions

6:55 – Drivers meeting/Chassis distribution

7:00 – IndySlotCar Series Practice

7:25 – Qualifying for the Firestone P1 Award (group qualifying/ fastest single lap)

7:50 – Heat races

8:45 – Raven 250 (250 laps)

Race Notes:

·         John Wiedemann’s pockets are full of cash after winning the second largest Pole-to-Win fund in history at the Sweeney Memorial GP, the first win from pole since Quarryfest in February of ‘24. JW is the only driver with multiple Firestone P1 Awards this season.

·         Wiedemann’s win is the defending Husarsbilt Cup champion’s fourth of the season and extends his points lead to 62 over Ev Kamikawa.

·         Mike Lack is the defending Raven 250 winner, it was a record setting fifth win on the Larry Rotter designed track.

·         With 17 races on the schedule this season, the Raven 250 is the middle point of the season, with eight down and eight races scheduled to follow.

·         STATS WATCH: John Wiedemann moves to a tie for fourth place on the all-time wins list with 42. Joe Heitz’s 75th career start at the Sweeney moves him to 25th on the all-time list. Hiro Kamikawa’s appearance at the Sweeney Memorial makes him the 19th different driver to start a race this season, tying a record set in the 2007-08 season. It is the second-generation driver’s seventh career start, equaling Dick Alpert at 39th. Hiro also becomes the first active-duty member of the military to start an IndySlotCar Series race.

RAVEN 250 HISTORY (25 events, 2000 - Present)

Date                   Race Winner                    Event Name                                                                                            

2/17/2000        John Shea                         Milwaukee Bucks Challenge – Raven Raceway**                

3/1/2001           Chad Sorce                       Milwaukee Bucks Challenge**                  

1/31/2002        Phil Cianciola                   Palermo’s Pizza Challenge*

1/2/2003           Larry Rotter                     Saz’s 250                                          

10/2/2003        Larry Rotter                     Saz’s 250                                          

1/6/2005           Phil Cianciola                   Saz’s 250                                          

1/5/2006           Dan Margetta                 Saz’s 250                                          

1/4/2007           Dan Margetta                 Quizno’s Grand Prix                      

1/3/2008           Mark Walczak                 Quizno’s 250                                  

1/8/2009           Mark Walczak                 Raven 250                                       

2/4/2010           Mike Fitzlaff                     Raven 250                                       

1/6/2011           Dan Margetta                 Raven 250                                       

1/5/2012           Mark Walczak                 Raven 250                                       

1/3/2013           Mark Walczak             Raven 250

1/2/2014           Dean Strom                      Raven Bowl 250

1/8/2015           Mike Lack                         Raven 250 at Rapids – Temporary oval at Rapids International

1/7/2016           Mike Lack                         Raven 250 – Turtle Creek Park Raceway

1/5/2017           John Wiedemann           Raven 250 – race returns to Raven Raceway**

1/4/2018           Bill Black                           Raven 250

1/2/2019           Mike Lack                         Raven 250

1/23/2020        John Wiedemann           Raven 250

1/21/2021        Pete Dorn                     Raven 250

1/6/2022           Mike Lack                         Raven 250 presented by Ultimate Truck

1/5/2023           Joe Heitz                           Rupena’s Raven 250

1/4/2024           Mike Lack                         Rupena’s Raven 250

Most Wins – 5-Mike Lack; 4-Mark Walczak; 3-Dan Margetta; 2-John Wiedemann, Phil Cianciola, Larry Rotter

*-Dave Austin bottle/nose incident

**-All races held at Rave Raceway through 2014 and from 2017 onward