Roahrig uses high line to net Berlin non-wing victory

Tyler Roahrig battles with Bobby Santos III at Berlin Raceway (David Sink photo)

By David Sink

June 11, 2022 – Marne, Michigan – Tyler Roahrig’s hot streak continued Saturday night at Berlin Raceway where he captured the 40-lap 500 Sprint Car Tour presented by Auto Value / Bumper to Bumper Part Stores feature event. Roahrig picked up $4,000 for his efforts. Roahrig is only two weeks removed from his $25,000 Little 500 victory.

Roahrig was also the nights fast qualifier with a lap of 15.627 seconds around the 7/16, semi-banked speedway. Roahrig would draw a 6 for the invert.

By lap 9 Roahrig had worked himself into the runner up position. Exiting turn four, leader Santos encountered a lapped car who was running in the middle of the track. Santos had a decision to make, pass the lapped car high, or low. Santos chose the higher groove not realizing Roahrig was within striking distance. At that point, Roahrig turned under the lapped car, and took the position in a three-wide move before he got to the start/finish line to be scored the new race leader on lap 10.

Roahrig would lead the final 30 circuits uncontested to beat Dakoda Armstrong to the stripe by 2.936 seconds. Following Armstrong was third place Kody Swanson, Billy Wease, and Taylor Ferns rounding out the top five.

In victory lane Roahrig admitted the lapped car played a major role in his pass for the lead as well as his early race success working the high groove. “I got a lot of laps here, especially this year. They kinda left the outside open and you gotta go where they’re not. I think I passed everyone of them up there, which was nice”.

“The lapped car shoulda been way down and out of the way. Unfortunately for Bobby (Santos) the lapped car went way up, and Bobby was pretty much committed to the outside lane. I hadn’t committed yet. There was so much room down there I couldn’t not go down there. I thought it was a clean pass. That’s how it is with lapped cars unfortunately sometimes” concluded Roahrig.

The 500 Sprint Car Tour will now be idle until Thursday June 30 when the series visits Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. The $5,000-to-win event will be televised live on MAVTV to a national audience. The event is being billed as ‘Thursday Night Thunder Homecoming’.

Feature (40 laps): 1. 56-Tyler Roahrig, 2. 1-Dakoda Armsrong, 3. 44-Kody Swanson, 4. 80-Billy Wease, 5. 55F-Taylor Ferns, 6. 22A-Bobby Santos III, 7. 17R-Kyle Robbins, 8. 31-Derek Bischak, 9. 67-Kyle O’Gara, 10. 77-Quintin Saayman, 11. 53-Justin Harper, 12. 13-Joe Liguori, 13. 44A-Teddy Alberts, 14. 18-Travis Welpott, 15. 11-Tom Paterson, 16. 27-Nick Marcott, 17. 4B-Cory Butler