Two-time Defending Winner First to Enter 75th Little 500
Jack Kessler photo
Tyler Roahrig (Plymouth, Indiana), two-time and defending winner of the Lucas Oil Little 500 Presented by UAW, has become the first driver to enter the 75th edition of the sprint car classic. Roahrig will also be chasing history as he looks to become only the third driver in Little 500 history to win three 500-lap races in a row, joining Bob Frey and Eric Gordon. The potential for a third victory would also place Roahrig in a five-way tie for fourth most wins in the Little 500’s prestigious history.
“I appreciate even being considered with the names of Eric Gordon and Bob Frey,” said Tyler Roahrig - Owner and Driver of the #56 Sprint Car. “It isn't something I think about very much, but I respect what they were able to accomplish.”
Roahrig’s dominance in the Little 500 began in 2020 when he qualified on the front row, completed 499 laps, and came home with a third place podium finish. In the years prior, Roahrig qualified well but was unable to complete a race for four straight years. His performance in the 2020 Little 500, where he led 154 laps, began a momentous run of dominating performances in the world’s largest pavement sprint car race.
2021 and 2022 set Roahrig apart as he joined the likes of Tom Cherry, Ronnie Duman, Marvin Carman, Frank Riddle, Bob Frey, Eric Gordon, Jacob Wilson, and Kody Swanson on a distinguished list of back to back winners. After leading a race-high 254 laps in the 2021 Little 500, Roahrig came into 2022 with momentum and confidence on his side. Roahrig qualified on pole position for the 2022 Little 500 for the first time in his Little 500 career. His pole position run was also a record breaking run, setting the one-lap record at 10.799 seconds and the four-lap record at 43.477 seconds. He went on to lead 230 laps en route to another dominating performance.
As Roahrig prepares for the 75th Annual Lucas Oil Little 500, all eyes will be on him as he looks to make history in a history-making race. A third victory will place him in a five-way tie for fourth most wins in Little 500 history. Should he visit victory lane again in 2023, he will also become only the third person to win three consecutive Little 500 Sprint Car Classics.
“We make changes to our Little 500 approach based on our past experiences”, said Roahrig when asked about his approach to such a challenging race. “I am wanting to be more aggressive at the start of the race. In years past I have run in second or third for the first half of the race. I want to increase the pace of the race at the beginning”.
Roahrig returns to the Little 500 with support from family owned CB Fabricating, located in downtown Anderson, Indiana. Additional partners for Roahrig include Mitch Smith Auto Service, Evan Jackson Racing Engines, and Penske Racing Shocks. Along with his partners, Roahrig handles all aspects of his racing operation including final decisions on set ups and adjustments.
“We still believe the race is won and lost at the race shop,” Roahrig exclaimed. “We continue to work on our setup to get the handling better for Anderson Speedway.”
Tickets for the 75th Annual Lucas Oil Little 500 presented by UAW are on sale now. Tickets can be obtained by calling the (765) 642-0206 ex. 121 or at the Anderson Speedway ticket office.