The Champ's Defense Begins

Wauwatosa, WI -- While he hasn't been completely invisible in the first three rounds, Joe Heitz defense of his Husarsbilt Cup began in earnest at Quarry Heights Raceway and the Halloween Havoc, when he climbed from the fifth row on the starting grid to victory lane. The Michael Shank-It Racing driver made one other final four appearance this season, however, that was short-lived as he crashed out at Badger Raceway before halfway, but this time #06 Honda-Daboiler took an early lead in his heat race and never looked back as he held off a late charge from John Wiedemann.

The event opened with the largest field seen in IndySlotCar in 13 years, when 15 drivers attempted to qualify for the 2010 HO Indy 500.  Fifteen Daboiler bodied cars lined up for Hallween Havoc where Dan Margetta scored his series record extending pole position, number 54. Mike Lack, who held the provisional pole until just the last few seconds of qualifying started along side on the front row. Michael Shank-It Racing's Mike Kristof lined up third, with Lack's FAST teammates Matt Hayek and Dean Strom rounded out the top five.

For the first time since the Last Chance Qualifiers have been instituted, the large field was winnowed down by three, since only the winner of the LCQ would advance to the field of 12 in the heat races. Until this event, when the largest field was 13, it meant only one driver was eliminated by the LCQ. And it was the points leader coming into the event, Team PenskeHO's Ev Kamikawa who raced his way into the field. It left CBD's Pete Dorn, MisFitz Motorsports Mike Lack and Team Spehert's James Spehert as spectators the rest of the evening.

See the box score of the Halloween Havoc here.

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