Jackson 500 - Black Track - Jackson, WI

November 6, 2025

Round 6 of 17

Heitz DQed, Margetta Wins

(Jackson, WI) -- One of the most shocking outcomes of an IndySlotCar Series race happened at the Black Track when the winner at the checkered flag, Joe Heitz, was found to be in contravention of the rules during the Jackson 500 final, was disqualified and second place finisher Dan Margetta was elevated to the win. All this after one of the closest finishes to a final among all four participants.

The controversy started when Heitz's #21 Splenda Chevrolet-Daboiler crashed and knocked the springs off the front suspension, the Good Vibes Racing crew went to work on the car, however, while the car was under repair there was a red flag and the mechanics kept feverishly wrenching the car, despite the fact that IndySlotCar Series rule Section VI, Part G states cars can only be worked on during Green flag conditions. The error was only brought to steward's attention after the race distance was complete, leaving disqualification as the only remedy. Heitz will be credited with a fourth place finish. 

Upon learning the victory was being taken away, Heitz didn't deny the mistake and the team admitted there was a lot of confusion while they furiously worked to repair the damaged car. Margetta didn't even believe that he had been give the win, but accepted the trophy in victory lane and proceeded to forget it as the hauler left the paddock.

The night started with rapid speeds on the high banked square oval, Mike Lack took his first Firestone P1 Award of the season, clipping his former FAST teammate Matt Hayek by 24-thousanths of a second over the four total laps. Steve Rist spun during his four lap attempt, but one of his clean laps set a new track record of 1.199 seconds. 

Margetta qualified for the final with an easy run through his heat race over Dean Strom, Matt Hayek and hometown hero Bill Black. John Wiedemann finally returned to a final, for the first time since round one at the Mini Milwaukee Mile, holding off Mike Kristof, the matador looked like he had returned to form on an oval, leading much of the heat. but struggled with handling in the second half, losing the lead and then falling one lap short of the transfer position total laps of Strom.

The third heat saw early excitement when Joe Heitz and Mike Lack battled for the lead, but, unfortunately for the #9 FAST driver, his teammate Steve Rist spun in front of him, with no where to go at the frightening speeds on the Black Track, the PNC Honda-Daboiler struck the disabled Rist car, sending Lack off the track and out of the event, ending the points leader's winning streak at two and missing a final for the first time this season. Heitz easily cruised to the heat win.

The final saw Margetta open an early lead that he held past three-quarter distance, while Heitz ran last in the first quarter of the race, but pulled within two laps, as Margetta hit 375. Meanwhile, Wiedemann and Strom struggled in a battle for third early on, then Strom stopped for tires and from a deep hole, 18 laps behind Margetta at three-quarter distance, found himself just a handful of laps behind the leaders with less than 50 to go, Heitz would take the lead with 30 to go, Strom passed Wiedemann with just 10 laps left for third, all four drivers were within six laps of each other as the checkers dropped.

As Heitz and the GVR team were heading to victory lane, officials of the IndySlotCar Series huddled to let the chief steward know there had been a violation of the pit working rules under red flag. It was quickly decided that the only resolution was disqualification of Heitz as the winner, Margetta elevated to the win, Strom to second and Wiedemann third. 

The series heads to one of the most famous and beloved events on the schedule, the 34th running of the Turkey Trot at the Infield Road Course at South Shore Superspeedway, the winner takes home the Thanksgiving main entrée.

Jackson 500 Fast Facts

Race date: Thursday, Nov 6

Track: The Black Track, 7/8 mile high-banked oval, Jackson, WI 

Race distance:  500 laps

Twitter:  @indyslotcar

IndySlotCar Website: indyslotcar.com

2025 race winner: Mike Lack (No. 9 FAST Honda-Daboiler)

2025 Firestone P1 Award winner: Pete Dorn (No. 5 CBD Racing Chevrolet-Daboiler)

Lap record: Pete Dorn 1.235 seconds – 2025

Qualifying record: Pete Dorn 5.085 seconds – 2025

Race record (400 laps): John Wiedemann 12 minutes 7 seconds – 2019

                       (500 laps): Mike Lack 12 minutes 02 seconds – 2025

YouTube Broadcast: IndySlotCar Channel

At-track schedule (all times local):

6:00 – Gates open

6:30 – Driver introductions

7:00 – Drivers’ meeting/ Chassis distribution

7:00 – IndySlotCar Series Practice

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

7:45 – Heat races

8:30 – Jackson 500

Race Notes:

• Mike Lack is riding a two racing winning streak and is the defending race winner at the Black Track where he took his first win of the ’24-’25 season back in January. 

• Lack’s winning streak has put him on the verge of taking his record extending series record victories to 60.  The #9 FAST pilot has also built a 44 point lead in the Husarsbilt Cup championship, in a drive to a possible eighth title.

• Behind Lack in the standings is his former teammate Matt Hayek, who has made the final in all four of the races he has appeared in this season. Hayek’s #15 FAST II: The Castaways Honda-Daboiler has a win, coming at the only other oval race of the season, and two second place finishes, rebounding from a season where he made no final four appearances.

• STATS NOTES: Mike Kristof’s Firestone P1 Award at Quarry Heights is the 17th of his career, moving to 11th on the all-time list. James Spehert’s second Heat win moves him to a tie for 30th with Corey Galbraith and Pat Jarvis, his second final four appearance takes him to 32nd tied with Galbraith, Ned Wicker, Dick Alpert and Lori St James. Bill Black moves to a 16th place tie all-time with his 140th career start, James Spehert’s 23rd start jumps him to 32nd on the starts list and Black also moves up on the laps turned list to 16th, ahead of Dave Austin with 25,133.

BLACK TRACK HISTORY (9 events, 2017 - Present)

Date Race Winner Event Name         Track

1/18/2018 Dan Margetta Dan Gurney Memorial 400 Black Track Version 1

1/19/2017 Ev Kamikawa Fat Tony 400 Black Track Version 1

1/17/2019 John Wiedemann Jackson 400 Black Track Version 2

1/9/2020 Dan Margetta Jackson 500 Black Track Version 3

2/18/2021 Mike Lack Jackson 500

11/4/2021 Matt Hayek Jackson 500

11/3/2022 Steve Rist Jackson 500

11/2/2023 Joe Heitz Jackson 500

1/16/2025 Mike Lack Jackson 500

Multiple winners: Mike Lack, Dan Margetta – 2