Halloween Havoc - Quarry Heights Raceway - Wauwatosa, WI

October 23, 2025

Round 5 of 17

Lack Back Again

Wauwatosa, WI -- The feeling at the end of the Halloween Havoc was that of a return to the Mike Lack we saw take seven Husarsbilt Cup championships in eight seasons, cruising to a second straight win and taking the points lead. 

Lack started the night with a solid qualifying run to third on the grid behind Mike Kristof, who took his first Firestone P1 Award in two seasons, and Ev Kamikawa. 

The #9 PNC Bank FAST entry cruised through his heat race, with Lack showing uncanny form in the challenging red lane ahead of CBD Racing's Pete Dorn who just missed the transfer spot for the second race in a row, finishing fifth for the night.

James Spehert was the surprise of the night as he ran out to a lead in the opening half of the first half, battling with CBD Racing's Brad Core, in the second half the young Spehert would hold off Hall of Famer Ev Kamikawa to advance to his first final on a road course and second of his career.

Matt Hayek ran a smart third heat race, staying close to the lead in the difficult blue lane, sitting four laps down to Dan Margetta and three back of Dean Strom, while pole sitter Mike Kristof struggled to irrelevancy in the red lane. Hayek would use the hometown crown to move past both Strom and Margetta to take the heat win, keeping his streak of four finals in four starts this season, after not making a single final last season. Margetta would secure the transfer spot to the final.

The final was what gave many the feeling of the lane 2010s IndySlotCar when Mike Lack was winning consistently, cruising easily ahead of the field and not having to look back, with Hayek a distant second, it was the battle for the final step on the podium that was the most interesting and again the James Spehert would move a dinosaur aside as the third year driver passed Dan Margetta in the closing seconds to score his best finish of his career.

Lack takes a 44 point lead in the Husarsbilt Cup points standings over his former teammate Hayek. The series moves on to the hight banks of the Black Track for the second oval race of the season.

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Halloween Havoc Fast Facts

Race date: Thursday, Oct 23

Track: Quarry Heights Raceway, 2 mile natural terrain road course, Wauwatosa, WI

Race distance:  20 minutes

X:  @indyslotcar

IndySlotCar Website: indyslotcar.com

2024 race winner: John Wiedemann (No. 11 FAST Honda-Daboiler)

2024 Firestone P1 Award winner: Matt Hayek (No. 8 FAST Honda-Daboiler)

One-lap qualifying record: Dan Margetta, 3.713 seconds, 2023 (Running the track clockwise)     

Race record: Matt Hayek, 282 laps, 2019 (Running the track clockwise)          

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:

• Mike Lack’s victory at the Deckertring Grand Prix makes four different winners in the opening four event of the 2025-26 season.

• Finishing second, third and fourth in the first three races, then jumping to the top step of the podium moves Lack to the lead of the Husarsbilt Cup championship, 29 points ahead of FAST teammate Dean Strom and 36 in front of Matt Hayek.

• Defending race winner and reigning champion John Wiedemann looks to return to a victory lane after starting the season with a best finish of third so far this season.

• Hometown hero Matt Hayek is the only driver with repeat Firestone P1 Awards this season, Hayek took the pole at the Havoc last season.

• Stats Watch: Steve Rist’s pole position at the Deckertring is the eighth of his career, moving to a tie with Bill Black and Chad Sorce at 17th on the all-time list. Rist’s heat win is his 16th, moving to 21st all-time. Joe Heitz’s start at the Deckertring is 86th of his career jumping to 24th. 

HALLOWEEN HAVOC HISTORY (32 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

10/20/22 Matt Hayek Halloween Havoc QHR

10/26/23 Joe Heitz Halloween Havoc QHR

10/24/24 John Wiedemann Halloween Havoc QHR

Most wins: Dan Margetta-5; John Wiedemann, Mark Walczak-4; Jim Kaehny–3; Matt Hayek, Mike Lack, Dave Austin, Ev Kamikawa-2