Roahrig Rockets to Berlin Victory
Roahrig Rockets to Berlin Victory
For the fifth time in as many attempts, Tyler Roahrig rolled his #56 CB Fabricating machine into Victory Lane at Berlin Raceway. Roahrig claimed his second win in a row following a dominating performance at Kalamazoo Speedway on Friday, August 23rd. The win marks Roahrig’s third win of the 2024 season and his 10th overall victory with the 500 Sprint Car Tour.
Jake Trainor (#29) racing side by side with Tyler Roahrig (#56) - Rick Kimball Photo
After drawing a one following qualifications, the field started straight up with Roahrig on the pole. Jake Trainor, in his first event at Berlin Raceway, started alongside Roahrig on the front row. Trainor pulled out to an early lead after besting Roahrig going into turn 1. The drivers battled bumper to bumper for over 20 laps before Roahrig passed Trainor going into turn 2 with the aid of lapped traffic. Roahrig went on to pull away from Trainor, and the rest of the field, en route to his fifth win at Berlin Raceway in as many tries.
Berlin Raceway Results - August 24, 2024
The battle of Roahrig and Trainor controlled the early part of the race, but a tight battle between brothers captured the eye of fans in the second half of the event. Billy Wease and Bobby Santos III, brother in laws, battled wheel to wheel for fourth place over the latter part of Saturday’s event. It wasn’t until the final turn on the final lap that Santos bested Wease to claim fourth position. Playing an important role in the season long championship, had Wease finished in fourth, he would have left Berlin as the points leader.
Kody Swanson, completing his fourth podium finish of 2024 and his second in as many races, has regained the Championship points lead by a slim three-point margin. Swanson held firm on Saturday after finishing in third place, where he qualified and subsequently started the race. Swanson’s third place finish was enough to gain the lead from Billy Wease. With the top five drivers in the points standings separated by only 62 points, the final three races of the 2024 season will give ample opportunities to any of the five contenders to become the 2024 500 Sprint Car Tour Champion.
Podium finishers (L to R) Jake Trainor (2nd), Tyler Roahrig, Kody Swanson (3rd) - Rick Kimball Photo
With a week off to regroup and prepare, the 500 Sprint Car Tour gears up for its next event at Salem Speedway on Saturday, September 7th. The event will play host to the 65th Running of the Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial. After being held at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park the past two seasons, the historic event returns to its rightful home at Salem Speedway. The high banked half mile oval creates an atmosphere of unpredictability and can potentially play a huge role in who becomes the Series Champion at the end of the 2024 season.
