Storylines: Championship Saturday at Indianapolis Raceway Park
Storylines: Championship Saturday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park
Joe James/ Pat O’Conner Memorial
Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park will once again play host to the Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial, the second oldest sprint car race outside of the Little 500 Sprint Car Classic. The 64th running of the historic sprint car race is in it’s second straight season at the historic Indianapolis track. This will only be the fourth time the event has been held at a track other than Salem Speedway in Salem, Indiana. Legendary names like Pancho Carter, Mario Andretti, AJ Foyt, Parnelli Jones, Eddie Sachs, Tony Stewart, and Kody Swanson have all won the event.
Championship Battle Comes to a Close
When the Auto Value Bumper to Bumper 500 Sprint Car Tour descended on Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park for Championship Night in October of 2022, it saw a championship separation of only 17 points. The 2023 championship is no different as the series enters Howard Companies Championship Saturday with only 13 points separating the top two drivers. Tyler Roahrig currently leads defending champion Kody Swanson going into the final race of 2024. Both drivers have had equally impressive seasons with both going to victory lane on two separate occasions. Furthermore, neither driver has a DNF on record this season. Although Roahrig and Swanson are the favorites, three other drivers have a mathematical path to the championship. Dakoda Armstrong, Kyle O’Gara, and Bobby Santos III could all receive championship honors if all possible factors play out in their favor.
Kody Swanson and Tyler Roahrig running 5th & 6th at Anderson Speedway in April - Jack Kessler Photo
Championship Saturday is For Real
For the second straight year, Championship Saturday at IRP will play host to two tightly contested Championship battles for the 500 Sprint Car Tour and the USAC Silver Crown Series. On the Silver Crown side, Kody Swanson and Logan Seavey will be battling with one another yet again to determine a champion. Swanson is also in the thick of things with the 500 Sprint Car Tour championship, trailing Tyler Roahrig by only 13 points. Last season, Swanson went home with both the Silver Crown championship and the sprint car championship. Can he defend those titles this Saturday, or will fortune favor a new champion?
Little 500 Champion Back in a Sprint Car
Jake Trainor, the reigning champion of the 75th Annual Lucas Oil Little 500 presented by UAW, returns to the 500 Sprint Car Grid. The Massachusetts native competed with the 500 Sprint Car Tour on Championship Night at Indianapolis Raceway Park in October of 2022. He most recently competed with the series when they traveled to Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, Tennessee back in late July where he sat on pole position. Trainor has experienced victory at IRP having gone to victory lane in the Pavement Midget race during the Carb Night Classic back in May of 2023. Trainor has proven to be an instant favorite in every event he competes in and will surely be one to watch going into Saturday night.
Rookie Team Burning the Midnight Oil
After an impressive rookie campaign, Jackson Macenko will receive Rookie of the Year honors. Macenko, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, came into the 2023 season having never driven a non-wing pavement sprint car. Pairing with Brad Hayes Racing for their first season with the series, the rookie driver was a perfect match for the rookie team. With seven top ten finishes and one top five finish, Macenko has positioned himself safely in the seventh spot in the championship point standings. The Brad Hayes Racing group will have their work cut out for them after an accident removed them from the Tony Elliott Classic at Anderson Speedway. The team will have to repair a slew of components including: front axle, front body work, radiator tray, oil tank, headers, floor pan, nerf bars, front bumper, front shocks, and wheels.
Jackson Macenko (24) and Donnie Adams Jr. (4) make contact during the Tony Elliott Classic - Darrell Harper Photo
Busy, Busy Race Day
Howard Companies Championship Saturday will be a very busy day for a handful of competitors. Four drivers will be competing in all three events being held on Saturday and those four drivers are Kody Swanson, Tanner Swanson, Bobby Santos III, and Kyle O’Gara. Additionally, 13 other drivers will be competing in two of the three events. Those drivers are Bryan Gossel, Dakoda Armstrong, Kyle Robbins, Travis Welpott, Logan Seavey, Nathan Byrd, Tom Paterson, Taylor Ferns, Nick Hamilton, Mario Clouser, Justin Grant, and Jack Trainor.
A Blossoming Partnership?
In his first ever pavement sprint car start, Texas native Trey Burke made quick work of his competitors and went home with a top 10 finish. Trey Burke aligned with car owner Tom Brewer and his number 64 machine through fellow competitor, Kody Swanson. The duo of Brewer and Burke got off to a great start during the 8th Annual Tony Elliott Classic at Anderson Speedway. Taking his time to get up to speedway, Burke qualified 21st and was forced to compete in the B-Main to work his way into the Feature. Burke did just that. He advanced out of the B-Main and started the Feature in the 21st position. He then went on to be the highest mover in the field, gaining 11 spots and finishing tenth in his sprint car debut. Burke returns to action with Tom Brewer as the duo heads to IRP to finish out the season.
Veteran Racers Return to the Grid
Renowned racers Brian Gerster and Bryan Gossel return to the 500 Sprint Car Tour for the Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial. Gerster is no stranger to the event having gone to victory lane in 2014 and 2015 when the race was sanctioned by Must See Racing and competed in with winged sprint cars. This will also be Gerster’s first time competing at IRP with the 500 Sprint Car Tour. Sprint car racer and Little 500 veteran Bryan Gossel will also make his return to the 500 Sprint Car Tour. This will be Gossel’s first and only start of the season with the series. Gossel last competed with the 500 Sprint Car Tour in last October’s Championship Night at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Bryan Gossel practicing for the 2022 Championship Saturday at Indianapolis Raceway Park - Darrell Harper Photo
Race Info
Howard Companies Championship Saturday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park is set for this Saturday, October 14th at 5:00pm. Spectator gates open at 12:00pm followed by the first round of practice beginning at 12:30pm. Qualifying for the 64th Running of the Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial with the 500 Sprint Car Tour is set for 3:10pm and the green flag is scheduled for 5:00pm. The 500 Sprint Car Tour will be the second feature of the night breaking up twin 25 lap features for the Pavement Midgets. The USAC Silver Crown Series will also be in action Saturday night. All the night's racing action can be seen live on MAVTV on Floracing here. For updates and more information, follow the 500 Sprint Car Tour on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formally known as Twitter).
