Top Storylines Heading into Auto Value Michigan Swing
Top Storylines Heading into Auto Value Michigan Swing
A Return to the Mitten State:
During the first three seasons of competition, the 500 Sprint Car Tour has competed at Berlin Raceway on four separate occasions with a fifth and sixth trip planned in 2024. A previously scheduled event at Berlin Raceway was canceled due to rain earlier in the 2024 season, giving the Marne, Michigan track only a single date this season for the series. As part of the Michigan Swing, the 500 Sprint Car Tour will head to Kalamazoo Speedway on Friday, August 23rd and turn around the next night and compete at Berlin Raceway on Saturday, August 24th.
Sunset photo of Kalamazoo Speedway - Koty Geyer
Roahrig’s Honey Hole:
Only one driver in the 500 Sprint Car Tour lineup has visited victory lane when the series visits the State of Michigan. That driver is two-time Little 500 winner, Tyler Roahrig. Having spent a lot of time in an Outlaw Late Model at various tracks in Michigan, Roahrig quickly adapted his sprint car to the Michigan landscape, winning every event held in the state since the series began racing there. As a four-time Kalamazoo Klash winner and five-time Intimidator winner, Roahrig is already standing out from the rest as the favorite going into the weekend.
O’Gara Rebuilds:
Currently sitting in fourth place in the 500 Sprint Car Tour point standings following a scary crash at Anderson Speedway on July 13th, Kyle O’Gara will be looking to rebuild his championship hope with a rebuilt race car. O’Gara has shown great pace all season long, but a poor qualifying effort saw the multi-time race winner starting the race in the middle of the field and having to race his way to the front. His night ended early after a major accident caused a red flag on the race track, and a red flag on O’Gara’s season. However, the long midseason break provided O’gara with the chance to rebuild from the ground up, and begin chasing the season-long championship once again when the series heads to Kalamazoo Speedway to kick off the Auto Value Michigan Swing. The chassis was a total loss after the wreck. O’Gara and team quickly started looking for another chassis but ultimately decided on purchasing a new one from Bob East and Beast Chassis. The team received the chassis last week and fired the car over the weekend in anticipation of this weekend's double header.
O'Gara made contact with Donnie Adams Jr. Gene Nolen Classic on July 13 - Rick Kimball Photo
Biggest Non-Wing Sprint Car car count in over a decade in Michigan:
The largest car count for a non-wing pavement sprint car event in the state of Michigan came in 1993 when 29 cars descended on Berlin Raceway. This weekend, when the 500 Sprint Car Tour competes in the Auto Value Michigan Swing, the state will see car counts for non-wing sprint car racing that it hasn't seen in over a decade. With entry lists of 20 and 23 cars respectively, Kalamazoo Speedway and Berlin Raceway are preparing for intense, wheel to wheel racing from some of the best non-wing pavement sprint car racers in the world.
Long Haul to Michigan:
Massachusetts native and 2023 Little 500 Champion, Jake Trainor, will be making the 933 mile journey to the great state of Michigan to compete in the Auto Value Michigan Swing. The 500 Sprint Car Tour events held at Kalamazoo Speedway on Friday, August 23rd and at Berlin Raceway on Saturday, August 24th, will be the first time Trainor will compete at both of the famous Michigan tracks. Having competed with the 500 Sprint Car Tour at various events over the past two seasons, the Auto Value Michigan Swing will be Trainor’s first points events with the series in 2024, and his first since competing at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in October of 2023. Trainor has been very stout in open wheel competition winning the Ford Focus/EcoTech races at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park last Wednesday.
Ferns Indy NXT >> 500 Sprint Car Tour:
Taylor Ferns, the Shelby Township, Michigan native, will make her first 500 Sprint Car Tour start since the opening race at Anderson Speedway on April 14th when the series heads to Kalamazoo Speedway to kick off the Auto Value Michigan Swing. Ferns had missed the two most recent 500 Sprint Car Tour events while she was competing in the Indy NXT series with Abel Motorsports. Driving an oval only schedule in the #55 Abel Motorsports car, Ferns has devoted the majority of her summer to perfecting the craft that is open wheel, high downforce racing. With no scheduling conflict ahead, Ferns is prepared to strap back into her non-wing sprint car for the remainder of the 500 Sprint Car Tour season, while also completing her Indy NXT schedule.
Taylor Ferns racing an Indy NXT car at World Wide Technology Raceway - Taylor Ferns Photo
Butler Family Legacy Continues:
The Butler name has been synonymous with pavement sprint car racing for decades. Stan Butler, the patriarch, made a name for himself on the biggest stage in pavement sprint car racing as he competed in the Little 500 from 1978 to 2014. With a few years off in between, Butler amassed 26 total starts with nine top tens, four top fives, and a single pole position. Butler passed the torch onto his sons, Shane Butler, who has gone on to compete in 13 Little 500’s and Keith Butler who has competed in 10 Little 500’s. Now enters the third generation of Butler’s. Grandson to Stan and son of Shane, Landon Butler is gearing up for his first 500 Sprint Car Tour event when the series heads to Kalamazoo Speedway on Friday, August 23rd.
The 2024 500 Sprint Car Tour season will see nine points earning events across a ten race schedule from early April to mid October. The 76th Annual Little 500 will once again be a non-points earning event for the series, filling out the ten race schedule in its traditional Memorial Day Weekend slot. All races, including the 76th Annual Little 500, will be streamed LIVE on DIRTVision. For more information on the 500 Sprint Car Tour visit: 500sprintcartour.com and be sure to follow on social media (Facebook: 500 Sprint Car Tour | Twitter (X): @500SprintTour | Instagram: @500sprintcartour).
2024 500 Sprint Car Tour Schedule:
April 14th - Anderson Speedway | Anderson, Indiana | 24th Running of the Glen Niebel Classic
Winner: Kody Swanson
May 22-25 - Anderson Speedway | Anderson, Indiana | 76th Annual Little 500 (Non-Points)
Winner: Caleb Armstrong
June 8 - Berlin Raceway | Marne, Michigan
Event canceled due to weather
June 28 - Toledo Speedway | Toledo, Ohio
Winner: Tyler Roahrig
July 13 - Anderson Speedway | Anderson, Indiana | 3rd Annual Gene Nolen Classic
Winner: Bobby Santos III
August 23 - Kalamazoo Speedway | Kalamazoo, Michigan
August 24 - Berlin Raceway | Marne, Michigan
September 7 - Salem Speedway | Salem, Indiana | 65th Running of the Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial
October 5 - Anderson Speedway | Anderson, Indiana | 9th Annual Tony Elliott Classic
October 19 - Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park | brownsburg, Indiana | Championship Night
