Redemption Turkey

(Saint Francis, WI) -- Two weeks after crossing the finish line first, only to have the trophy at the Jackson 500 taken away for a red flag pit work infraction, Joe Heitz went right back to the top step of the podium and kept the prize bird of the Turkey Trot, surviving the de-slot format event for the Good Vibes Racing driver's second win of the season. 

Heitz started the night with record setting pace in qualifying, setting a new qualifying record on the Infield Road Course at South Shore Superspeedway, wiping away one of the oldest track records on the IndySlotCar schedule. The 2.843-second lap was almost a full tenth of a second ahead of nearest challenger, hometown hero Dan Margetta, with FAST II: The Castaways teammates John Wiedemann and Matt Hayek lining up third and fifth on the grid and their former FAST teammate Dean Strom fourth.

The heat races were grouped by speed, with the four slowest qualifiers up first. Amy Butler making her first start of the season, at a race she made the final at last season, lined up against CBD Racing's Brad Core, Team Spehert's James Spehert and Ev Kamikawa. Spehert survived just past half distance before the pin came out the for the third and final time on lap 90, Butler on lap 102, that left Kamikawa and Core, the TeamPenskeHO driver used his experience to hold off Core who put up a solid 149 lap total without a DNF due to de-slots for a shot at the transfer spot.

The second heat didn't last long for Steve Rist who found himself parked after just nine circuits of the track, Chris Spehert struggled to find speed and ran a distant third to Matt Hayek and Mike Kristof. The two former teammates put on an exciting battle right to the finish. Kristof trailed by a lap at the halfway mark but was able to take his Good Vibes Racing #20 to the point with just a minute left. Hayek closed as the clock was running out; Kristof spun in the infield hairpin to seal the victory for Hayek's #15, the 20 just barely bumping Core off the transfer. 

In the third heat the four fastest qualifiers squared off to determine the final four participants, Dean Strom, like his FAST teammate Rist, pulled the pin out three-times early and was loading out the hauler after just 41 laps. This left John Wiedemann, who has not had the start of a championship defense he would hope for, planned to get his season headed in the right direction at an event he has won the past three seasons running close at the front through the first half with Heitz and Margetta not far behind. Beyond midpoint "JW" started pulling away from the other two, Margetta's race ended at lap 140 with the last of his three deslots. Heitz had little chance of catching Wiedemann at the end for the heat win, but was able to take the transfer spot away from his GVR teammate, relegating Kristof to fifth for the second race in a row.

Heitz and Wiedemann would line up together again in the final, joined by Wiedemann's FAST II: The Castaways teammate Matt Hayek and Kamikawa's #12. The 20 minute final started with what looked like a solid chance for Wiedemann to get his fourth Thanksgiving main entree, however, handling became a problem shortly after halfway, even a pit stop for clean tires failed to help and the three-time defending Turkey Trot winner was done at lap 201. Hayek didn't stay at the party a lot longer, his fourth and final deslot coming on lap 220. That left six-time Turkey Trotter Kamikawa to chase down Heitz who had a solid five lap lead, but with time still on the clock, the 12 also hit its deslot limit leaving Heitz the recipient of the Butterball for the first time in his career.

Like Wiedemann the past three years, Heitz donated the prize Turkey to the West Bend St. Mary's Parish Thanksgiving Celebration, free community Thanksgiving dinner.

Following up the disqualified victory with a decisive win shows that Heitz is a clear player for the Husarsbilt Cup championship, drawing to 52 points behind leader Mike Lack, all while having missed two races this season. Matt Hayek's third place finish pulls him nearly even with the MIA Lack, two markers back, both drivers have missed an event. Despite his 11th place finish Dean Strom sits in third, 21 points back and John Wiedemann two points behind Strom in fourth.

The series heads to the open-class high speeds of the Road Course at Badger Raceway for the Duane Sweeney Memorial Grand Prix. The Sweeney has been dominated of late, by Wiedemann, Lack and hometown hero Dean Strom. Which teams can bring a car to challenge at Badger?

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